She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. “Look, I’m going to set up an appointment for you to view that house on my street. After talking with you today about your requirements, I think it might be perfect for you.”
“It doesn’t have any padded rooms, does it?”
“Not a single one.”
“Okay, then.” He gave her a warm, secret smile that made her feel all melty inside. “I’m glad you came to lunch with me today. We should do it again soon.” Was he asking her out? Maybe he just meant they should go to lunch again the next time she took him house hunting.
“There’s a restaurant called Haven on the waterfront that everyone keeps talking about. Would you like to go to dinner tomorrow night?”
Layla bit her bottom lip. He was really asking her out this time. Like, on a date date. Her toes curled in her boots, and she tried to find her voice. Now that she’d shared some of her past with him, she felt even more connected than before. Something had definitely shifted between them. It astonished her how much she wanted to be with him. As a general rule, she didn’t date clients. Mixing business with pleasure was way too messy. Everyone knew that. But this felt different. She wanted the adventure with him.
“Okay,” she said shyly. “That sounds good.”
The server came back with dessert menus, and she politely listened to the man discuss things like warm apple crisp and chocolate ganache with pistachio brittle. Normally, she’d be all ears for that deliciousness, but she couldn’t concentrate. The whole time, she was thinking about Sebastian and how the idea of going out with him made her heart swell with hope and optimism. Maybe this could actually work. Maybe they’d be really good together and they could make some beautiful memories to fill those empty picture frames.
Layla suddenly felt light-headed and nervous. Declining dessert, she scraped her chair back and stood. “I’ll be right back.” She walked out of the lavish dining room and across the lobby toward the bar. A harpist played peaceful holiday music beside a brightly lit Christmas tree, but Layla wasn’t feeling peaceful at all. She pushed into the ladies’ room and washed her hands, checked her hair, then stared at herself in the mirror. This was crazy. Sebastian Harrington just asked her out, and she said yes. A giddy thrill coursed through her body, and she felt a giggle bubbling up inside her.
Back in the lobby, she was making her way past the bar when someone grabbed her wrist. “Hold on, there, lady.”
Layla spun around to see Keith Miller, Sebastian’s old high school buddy, swaying in front of her with a glass of scotch. His ruddy complexion and glassy eyes made it clear he’d been drinking for a while.
Her stomach churned with distaste, and she yanked her hand away.
“I know you.” His words were slurred. “You’re little Layla Gentry.”
She kept her face carefully blank. “Sorry, I don’t remember you.” She turned to go, but he quickly blocked her path. For a pudgy drunk guy, he moved fast.
“Sure you do,” he insisted. “I’m The Hammer, remember? I played football for Pine Cove High.” He looked incredibly proud of himself, like that one fact was his defining moment in life.
“Huh.” She made a show of trying, but failing, to remember. “It doesn’t ring a bell.”
Keith began to laugh in that drunken way where everything’s funny. “We used to call you Sebastian’s little mouse. Mousy Little Layla.” His bleary gaze traveled down her body, stumbling over her chest, her hips, then stalling back at her chest again. “Damn, girl. You’ve changed.”
“Funny,” she said in a bored voice. “You haven’t.”
“Aha! So you do remember me.” He cackled and polished off his drink. “Look here, doll. Get me another of these, will you?” He held his glass toward her and hollered to a man behind him. “Hey, Bobby, what’re you drinking?”
“I don’t work here,” Layla said through gritted teeth. Typical of someone like Keith to just assume she was there to serve him. He’d always been a snob.
“No?” He blinked in surprise, hiccupped, then glanced forlornly into his empty glass. “What are you doing here at the club, then?”
“Having lunch.” She spotted Sebastian heading out of the restaurant.
“You’re having lunch here?” Keith chuckled under his breath. “Moving up in the world, eh, Mousy? Or trying, anyway.”
She wasn’t even going to dignify that with a response. Instead, she turned away and headed toward the lobby entrance. Arrogant jerk! Clearly, not everyone changed. Keith had been one of Sebastian’s cronies, and he was one of the worst people she knew.
“Seb, my man!” Keith called, catching Sebastian on his way toward Layla. “Come and have a drink with us.” The man named Bobby, and a couple of other people, including a pretty woman with bleached blond hair, surrounded Sebastian on all sides. He’d always had that magnetic charm that attracted a crowd.
Layla watched as he talked to them for a few moments. The blond woman laid a hand on Sebastian’s arm, then tiptoed to whisper in his ear. He said something, and she tipped her head back and let out a tinkling laugh. Layla’s skin felt hot and prickly. She crossed her arms and balled her hands into fists, mad at herself. She shouldn’t waste her time being jealous. Sure, she’d agreed to go to dinner with him, but it’s not like they were dating exclusively.
Keith gestured to Layla and said something to Sebastian under his breath, slapping him on the back. Sebastian shook his head, and Keith snickered. The blond woman glanced at Layla with cool, assessing eyes that showed barely concealed disapproval.
Like an avalanche, all Layla’s old insecurities came rushing back to haunt her. She turned away and stared out at the circular driveway. What was she even doing here? She had much better things to do than stand around being insulted by idiots who no longer mattered in her life. She’d almost forgotten how catty they could be. The giddy, happy feeling she’d had earlier was now eclipsed by the realization that Sebastian was still a part of that crowd. No matter how much he seemed to have changed, it was clear he was completely at ease hanging out with Keith “The Hammer” Miller and the others.
Layla scrolled through her phone, silently berating herself. It made her mad that she could come so far, but one snarky comment had the power to make her feel like Mousy Little Layla all over again. She glared out at the snow-covered driveway, trying not to remember how insecure she used to be, with her shabby life and her shiny dreams.
“Sorry about that,” Sebastian said, coming up behind her. “I got roped into Keith trying to reminisce about old times.”
“Fun,” Layla said lightly.
“About as much fun as a root canal.”
She ignored his joke, because she couldn’t be sure if he was just saying that to make her feel better. On the way home, Layla wasn’t up for conversation. Instead, she pretended to read through e-mails.
When he finally pulled into her driveway, she was already opening the door to hop out.
He laid a hand lightly on her arm. “Layla, wait.”
She pasted a polite smile on her face and turned back, gently pulling her arm away.
A crease formed between his brows. “Is everything okay?”
“Of course.” Her voice sounded a little high-pitched and not very convincing. She tried again. “I just have a lot of work to do, so I have to run.”
“Can I call you later?”
“Why don’t I just contact the sellers and shoot you an e-mail about that house?” she said brightly. “Hopefully, we can set up a time to view it soon.”
“I meant, can I call you about dinner tomorrow.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just remembered I have plans tomorrow night.” Plans to watch Netflix and polish off the rest of the New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream in the freezer, but he didn’t need to know that.
Sebastian’s forehead creased in confusion. Before he could respond, she hopped out of his truck, her boots squelching in the snow. “Thanks again for lunch!” Then she ran across her yard and
up the porch steps.
Once inside, she leaned against her door and slid to the floor in a heap. She unlaced her snow-covered boots and leaned her head back, thumping it lightly against the door. “What was I thinking?” she said out loud. She hadn’t been thinking, that was the problem. All this time, she’d just let herself feel, and whenever she was around him, things just felt right. The way he looked at her like she was the most important person in the world. The small things he did to show her he cared. The way he held her hand and the ease with which they shared their personal stories. She’d never felt that connection with anyone before, and it hurt knowing that she wasn’t going to have it anymore. No matter how wonderful the idea was, logically, their worlds just didn’t fit together.
Toonces came trotting into the foyer, already purring.
“I almost got pulled into Sebastian Harrington’s tractor beam,” she muttered.
He rubbed his furry head against her shin.
“But don’t worry, I wised up just in time.” A heavy mantle of disappointment settled over her like a dark storm cloud. She tried to shrug it off, but it was impossible. Moving up in the world, eh, Mousy? Or trying, anyway. Keith’s sneering face and cruel words echoed in her head, and she pulled her knees up, hugging them to her chest. Why did it hurt? His mental growth was clearly stunted, so his rude comment shouldn’t have bothered her as much as it did. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the image of Sebastian smiling down at the blond woman invaded her mind.
Enough. No more dwelling on something of no consequence. She and Sebastian needed to go back to just having a working relationship, and that’s where it would stay. Rising with determination, she walked into the kitchen, made some hot tea, then settled onto the couch with her kitten. Her kitten. She smiled down at him. Over the past several days, she’d really gotten used to having him around. It was nice to have someone at home, looking forward to seeing her each day. Maybe she should adopt him. The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was the right thing to do.
“What do you think, Toonces?” She smoothed his soft fur. “Just you and me?”
He nudged her hand with his nose, purring louder.
Layla was beginning to feel better. “See? Who needs a man like him when I’ve got a fabulous cat like you?”
She reached for her phone on the end table, then dialed Kat’s number to give her the good news.
Chapter Seven
Sebastian watched his nephew barreling down the hill behind his sister’s house on Sunday afternoon. Charlie’s squeal of delight rang out over the snowy meadow, his little face barely visible underneath his knit cap and fleece scarf. It was impossible not to be affected by the kid’s sheer happiness, and once again, Sebastian found himself glad he came to visit.
Ever since his outing with Layla the day before, he’d been unable to shake his disappointment that something had gone wrong. She’d been so relaxed and easy to talk to at lunch. He’d been thrilled that she felt comfortable enough to open up to him about her past. When she’d made the comment about that “barely-there” kiss they’d shared, he’d wanted to reach across the table and drag her into his lap so he could kiss her thoroughly, over and over, until there was no doubt in her mind that it “counted.” Ever since that moment back at the veterinary office, her soft mouth and sweet sigh had been all he could think about. And at the country club, when she’d agreed to go to dinner with him, he’d been elated. But then he’d run into Keith and some old acquaintances at the bar, and from that moment on, she’d grown quiet and distant. When she later backed out of their dinner plans, he’d felt it like a gut punch.
He shook his head and shoved his hands into the pockets of his fleece jacket. Maybe seeing Keith at the bar reminded Layla of old times. If that was the case, then it was no wonder she wanted to distance herself. Who could blame her? Keith, Bobby, and his clingy sister with the name Sebastian could never remember, had been their usual snarky, gossipy selves yesterday. Amazing how being gone for so many years put things into perspective. Those people Sebastian remembered from his past—the so-called friends he’d spent so much time with back then—were not even people he cared to be in the same room with now.
“Hey, broody.” His sister came to stand beside him, nudging his shoulder with hers. “How come you’re not sledding with your poor neglected nephew?” She handed him a cup of eggnog.
Sebastian took the drink and slung his arm over her shoulders. “Olivia, that kid is the least neglected child I know. He told me Santa Claus is visiting him for dinner tonight.”
“It’s true,” she admitted. “Dan won a raffle at his office, so one of his coworkers is stopping by dressed as Santa.” Dan was Olivia’s devoted husband, and he was one of those dads who jumped headfirst into every festive occasion. He was the kind of dad who draped the house in glowing holiday lights every year and left reindeer prints in the snow for Charlie to discover on Christmas morning. In Sebastian’s opinion, his sister could not have married a better man.
They watched Charlie’s sled come to a stop at the bottom of the hill, snow flying in a wide arc as he hooted with glee. “Uncle Seb, watch me go again! And then let’s go inside for more sugar cookies.”
“Spoiled,” Sebastian mumbled, waving enthusiastically at Charlie.
“Rotten,” Olivia said with a laugh. “Dan would give him the world, if he could. He’s such a sucker for Charlie’s puppy dog eyes.”
Sebastian squeezed her shoulder. “In that case, I understand he’ll be getting a pet giraffe on Christmas morning. That should be interesting.”
“Not happening,” she declared. “But Charlie did ask for something else, and I’m happy to report he’ll be getting that.” She placed her hand on her belly and gave her brother a knowing smile.
Sebastian’s face lit up. “Really?”
She nodded, her cheeks turning pink with happiness. “I’m three months along, so Charlie will have to wait a bit for his baby brother or sister, but we’re going to tell him on Christmas morning.”
Sebastian set his cup of eggnog on a tree stump, then threw his arms around her in a bear hug. She giggled as he spun her in a circle.
“I’m so happy for you, Sis,” he said. “I think that’s the best news I’ve heard all year.”
“Now, what about you?” She crossed her arms in that bossy way she used to do when they were younger, and even though she was wearing rubber boots and standing in over a foot of snow, Sebastian could almost see her foot tapping impatiently.
“Happy to report I’m not pregnant,” he announced.
She gave him a playful shove. “I can tell something’s on your mind. You’ve got that faraway look you get whenever you’re trying to solve a problem.”
He picked up his eggnog and focused on Charlie’s little body lugging his sled to the top of the hill. “It’s nothing.”
“Uh-huh. Does this ‘nothing’ have a name?”
He stared off in the distance. “She does.”
“Ah.” His sister nodded. “Layla Gentry. You always did have a thing for her, even back during your wild child days.”
“I asked her out to dinner tonight, but she turned me down.” His chest tightened in disappointment. Saying it out loud made it somehow more real.
“So, now what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.” If Layla didn’t want to go out with him, he needed to respect that. He just wished he didn’t feel so bleak and hopeless about it. “Nothing, I guess.”
She gave him a long-suffering look. “Right. Clearly, you’ve tried hard. I think you should just give up and go live in the woods like a hermit.”
“What do you expect me to do?” he asked in exasperation. “It’s not like I can go thunk her over the head with a club and drag her back to my man cave.”
“Yeah, that would be disastrous. Especially because I’ve seen your man cave, and the glowing neon beer sign is enough to scare even the bravest of souls.”
“I got rid of that years ago.”
“Then there may be hope for you yet,” she said. “Maybe you could do something nice for her. Give her something she needs or help her in some way, to show her that you care.”
“That’s just it,” he said. “Layla’s such a powerhouse. She’s taken care of herself for so long, I can’t think of a single reason she’d need or want me.”
“Then think of a kind gesture . . .”
He let out a frustrated breath. “If I can’t come up with something, I’m screwed.”
“Totally. Because it’s not like you have your charm and good looks to fall back on. Hey, if she doesn’t find you handsome, she should at least find you handy, right?” Olivia smacked him on the shoulder, cracking herself up.
He frowned. “How many of those eggnogs have you had?”
“Mom,” Charlie called, dragging his sled toward them. “I think I need cookies.”
“Okay. Bring your sled to the garage, and then we’ll go inside and have hot chocolate, too.”
Charlie did a fist pump and whooped with joy. His childlike enthusiasm was contagious, and they couldn’t help laughing as he zipped toward the house.
“Spoiled,” Sebastian said, shaking his head.
“Rotten,” she agreed.
Chapter Eight
Layla sat at her office desk on Christmas Eve, staring glumly at the swirling snow outside. The place was quiet for three o’clock in the afternoon, as most people had either taken the day off or gone home early. She hadn’t really needed to go to work, but she chose to get caught up on some paperwork to keep busy until she drove to her mom’s place later that evening.
She sighed and leaned back in her chair, wishing she wasn’t feeling so gloomy. Ever since her outing with Sebastian on Saturday, she couldn’t seem to get him out of her head, but that was nothing new. After that brief kiss back at the veterinary clinic, all she could think about was doing it again. And again. When he’d asked her out on a date, she’d been so thrilled. But then that schmuck of a Hammer had cracked down on her, and she’d had to endure his snide comments. It threw her off, and she was still reeling. Deep down, Layla knew it wasn’t Sebastian’s fault. But that whole incident had reminded her of how she was always on the outside looking in. So what did she do? She shut down and ran home to hide and lick her wounds. Typical Layla. Never let anyone get too close.
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