“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” Jack walked over to her, the grin on his face telling her he knew exactly what he’d done. Leaning over, he tweaked her nose. “You look so adorable when you’re mad at me.”
Angie jumped up from her chair and swatted the back of his head.
“Ow! What did you do that for?”
“For, oh, so many reasons.”
“You know what I think?” He grabbed her wrist, pulled her toward him then threw her over his shoulder. “I think you need a good swat on the ass, that’s what I think.”
“Jack, put me down!”
Angie found it difficult to appear stern when they were both laughing so hard. Who could blame them? They’d scored a huge victory with their charges tonight and could finally allow themselves to relax a bit.
“Nope.” Jack gave her bum a gentle swat. “You need to know you can’t go around hitting guys taller than you.”
Angie’s heart swelled at their amused banter, until a bright light filled their tiny kitchen. She glanced up to find the pair of angels standing by the dinette. Adriel with a grin on his face, while Jude titled his head all the way to the side, clearly confused.
Angie patted Jack’s back. “Put me down.”
“No, way, lady. Not until you learn—” he turned, “your—ooooh.”
Adriel rocked on the balls of his feet. “Have we come at a bad time?”
Jack dropped Angie into that evil chair and cleared his throat. “No, not at all.” He gave a little cough. “What can we do for you gentleman?”
Jude mouthed the word ‘gentleman’, looked down at his armor, then shook his head. “We, as I am sure you know, have been observing how events are moving along with your charges, and aside from a few shall we say—”
“Interesting tactics,” Adriel interjected, “you are doing quite well. It seems you’ve dodged a bullet.” He then turned to Jude when he puffed out his chest. “Not a real bullet, Jude.”
Jack shifted from foot to foot. “Yes, well, um, I might have been a bit unconventional, but it all worked out.”
“Indeed,” Jude said. “And for that you should be very grateful.”
“We do expect there to be a learning curve.” Again, Adriel stepped forward when the archangel’s manner became intense.
But Jude was having none of it this time. “You must keep on task. And do try to avoid suggesting anything that would seem sordid.”
Jack flushed a deep red and nodded silently.
Satisfied, Jude nodded in return. “I am glad you understand. At this rate, you will be back in Heaven before you know it.”
With a deep sigh Jack closed his eyes. “I can’t wait to go Home.”
A pit settled in Angie’s stomach. Why would hearing those words make her feel sad? She loved Heaven, wanted to go back, but something was missing that she couldn’t quite place. And it all had to do with the man standing by her side, looking so much happier than she felt at the idea of heading Home.
Clearly, in this instance, they weren’t on the same page.
Chapter Fifteen
“GET AWAY YOU evil bird!”
Walking down the paved path that lead to the duck pond, Sean chuckled to himself as Dianna tried to swat an eager seagull away from the bag of stale bread she held in her hand.
Sean carried a small cooler that housed their lunch, enjoying her battle of wills with a very determined bird. “They have to eat too, you know.”
Dianna swatted at the ballsy fowl, missing it by a mile. “They don’t have to steal the food right from my hand.”
“The duck that just walked away pecked at the bag in your hand and you didn’t call him evil.”
“That’s different. I’m here to feed the ducks.”
“Technically, you’re here to feed me. Now where’s my food, woman?”
Her brow furrowed, mouth twisting, she ripped the cooler from his grasp. “Shut up!”
Sean smirked, but damned if the look of annoyance on her face didn’t turn him on.
Dianna set her cooler on one of the withered old picnic tables Bayview Park had to offer. Right at the end of Main Street, within eyesight of his pub, the park held a special place for the residents of Seashore Cove and the legend that went along with it. The park was a popular hangout for dating couples of all ages, and every July Fourth it was the place to be for a fantastic fireworks display. Nearly everyone who lived in their small town had visited the park for prom or wedding pictures. With its scenic views and the mystical angel statue sitting atop the small waterfall that spilled into the duck pond, it made the perfect location for such special occasions.
A streak of sunlight hit his eyes, making him squint. No matter the time of year, every day at noon the sun’s rays hit the angel stature at just the right angle, making it glow, as it had in the legend.
“Do you believe in the angels, Sean?” Dianna asked, her voice holding an atypical somberness to it.
He stared at the glowing angel, wishing. But then he shook his head and turned his back. “Nah, it’s just a legend.”
Sean sat down at the table and helped Dianna unpack lunch. He could smell the fresh bread and cookies as soon as she’d popped the top of the cooler, but it was the creamy texture of the chicken and potato salads that had his mouth watering.
Damn, she knew how to please him.
Apparently, his dick agreed, because it jumped and twitched just as the thought entered his head. The big one he thought with—at least for the time being.
Sean shifted, hoping to settle his sudden erection. It’d only been a few days since he’d stopped trying to seduce her. Only a few days that they’d returned to normal.
And he fucking hated it.
He’d hoped with her promise to call off her silly quest to lose her virginity by the time they were thirty, he’d stop thinking about what could’ve happened if he’d succeeded with his plan. If he had been given the chance to make her scream.
He missed spoiling her. Missed touching her, even innocently, every chance he got. He missed discovering that he wasn’t as far into her friend zone as he’d thought.
Okay, this thinking was not helping his condition. Time to focus on food. Within minutes they’d settled into casual conversation as they enjoyed their meal.
The warm, dry air made for the perfect day. Every so often a resident of Seashore Cove would stop and chat for a few moments before getting on with whatever they were doing. He and Dianna were pleasant, laughing with the fellow passers-by, but something was off.
Sean still wasn’t quite sure why Dianna had invited him to lunch. If he had to guess, it was to prove to him, or maybe even herself that they’d returned to the status quo.
The only problem with that was they hadn’t. Oh, they still got along, but there were times when they were too polite, too guarded. Before they’d always been affectionate toward one another, now the hello and goodbye kisses and hugs had all but disappeared.
Well, that was going to change today.
“I like that top on you. Did you wear that just for me?”
While the cool mist green was a nice color for her, the tee was no different from all the thousands of other shirts she wore. So it was no surprise that she instantly picked up on his attempt at game playing. He could tell by the smirk on her face as she searched through her purse, pulling out what looked like a small round mirror, or maybe it was one of those makeup thingies. What did they call them? A compact?
“You so wish.” Then she snapped open the object in her hand, pushed a pill from its package then tossed it into her mouth.
That was no friggin compact!
He jumped up almost knocking the bottle of water she drank from out of her hand. “Are those birth control pills?”
Dianna gulped the water down. “Geez, Sean, what the hell? Yes, they’re birth control pills. I got them a few days after I made a date with Dean.”
“You weren’t going to use a condom? Are you out of your fucking mind?” He didn’t know what upse
t him more, her having sex without proper protection, or that she went to such lengths for that asshole.
“Of course I was going to use a condom, but you know they’re not one hundred percent reliable.”
“Yeah, but pills? Ever heard of overkill?” God, why was he sounding so condescending? Why did this bother him so much?
She zipped her purse, not meeting his gaze. “At some point I was hoping that he and I would have a real relationship, so I was anticipating the need for a more effective birth control.”
“Are you still going through with your stupid plan?”
“I already told you. No!”
“Then why are you taking them?” Had she lied to him? Did she just tell him she wasn’t going to pursue her crazy scheme so he would stop trying to seduce her?
“Because if I stop now it’ll screw up my cycle. What’s with the interrogation, Sean?”
Good question.
He pulled in a deep breath as he focused on cleaning up their mess. “I’m sorry. I was just shocked to see you taking them.”
“It was a dumb idea to begin with.” Dianna had just pressed the cooler lid back into place, then shaded her eyes against the sun. “Or maybe not. Who is that?”
Sean followed her gaze and immediately felt his temper rise again.
Walking up Main Street with a noticeable air of confidence, even from this distance, was a tall, dark-haired stranger. Sean had no idea who he might be, but what he did know was the guy stood out enough for Dianna to notice him.
“I don’t know. Never seen him before.”
“Me either.” She picked up the cooler and eagerly headed in the stranger’s direction. “I think that needs to change.”
Before Sean could respond, the tall man stopped in front of Donovan’s Pub, yanked the door open and disappeared inside.
Dianna slowed her step. “Hmm.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, coming up behind her.
“It’s not really a good sign when a guy heads to a pub at twelve-thirty on a weekday, is it?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of a liquid lunch?”
“Alone?”
Sean could think of a lot of reasons someone would walk into a pub this early in the afternoon without thinking anything of it, but he didn’t share any of them. Instead he said, “Good point.”
Dianna continued to her car, popping the trunk and placing the now-empty cooler inside. “Thanks for coming to lunch with me.”
“Thanks for offering.”
What the hell was this shit? At this rate they’d be calling each other before stopping by, and knocking before they entered each other’s homes.
Time to end this. Now.
Sean pulled Dianna in for a hug, hoping to just give her a quick kiss to the cheek and then maybe a brotherly noogie. Like old times.
But as soon as she was in his arms, the smell of her shampoo hit him, the softness of her body, not to mention her sharp intake of breath. Sensory overload had him offering a quick squeeze before returning her to arm’s length again.
Dianna stared at him, her eyes showing—was that sadness? “What was that about?”
He had no idea how to answer her, so he went with the old standby. Act stupid. “It was a hug.”
“More like a shoulder nudge.”
Keeping his distance, he reached over and mussed her hair. “Gotta get to work. Stop by later if you get a chance.”
Before he could make any more of a mess of the situation he yanked open the door to the pub and stepped inside, but he waited until he heard her pull away before releasing his breath. That tick he’d noticed her car making last week was louder. Maybe he should mention it to her.
He pulled out his cell to text her about it, but then thought better of it. With the way he was feeling he couldn’t be sure a simple message of get your car checked wouldn’t turn into I want to lick every inch of you without him realizing it.
He stepped farther into his bar and glanced around, hoping no one noticed his odd behavior.
Parties of two or more occupied most of the tables lining the walls. Many he knew by name, a few just by sight. No one sat at the bar—except for one stranger.
That stranger.
Sean shot daggers at the guy for no other reason than he’d caught Dianna’s attention. And it was no wonder. Even when seated, Sean could tell he was very tall, dark brown hair and eyes with a ready smile. Exactly Dianna’s type.
And, save for the height, the exact opposite of him.
Drinking alone at lunchtime on a weekday. Now at least he didn’t feel guilty about not speaking up before.
Sean had just made his way behind the bar as the stranger downed the last of his drink. He walked over, hoping his smile came off as genuine. “Can I get you a refill?”
“Yeah, sure, diet soda, please.”
Sean’s mouth twisted. Okay, so he wasn’t the boozehound he’d thought. Still, it was kind of weird to come to a pub and pay the ridiculous prices for a soft drink containing no alcohol. So, really, he’d saved Dianna after all.
After refilling his customer’s glass, he set it in front of him.
“Thanks. Are you Sean?”
He paused in reaching for the cloth he wiped the counter with and studied the man, wondering if maybe they’d met before. “Yeah, that’s me.”
The man smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Matt Leonard, Trudy’s friend.”
Sean nearly grunted as his gut twisted tighter. The same friend she’d suggested setting up with Dianna.
Realizing he was being rude, Sean shook the thoughts from his head and took Matt’s hand. “Sorry, you just took me off guard. It’s good to meet you.”
Matt cradled his drink with both hands. “You too.”
“She’s a great lady. I feel bad I haven’t called her, but I’ve just been too busy.” Which wasn’t a lie. True, he’d been busy trying to seduce his best friend, but still…
“Well, that explains it. She’s told me a lot about you. Even though she hasn’t said anything, I could tell she was wondering why you hadn’t called.”
Sean offered a knowing grin. “So you decided to come and make sure I wasn’t a loser?”
“No, no.” He glanced at Sean and his smile faded. “Okay, yes, but please don’t tell her. She’ll kill me if she knew.”
“She won’t hear it from me.”
Matt let out an audible sigh of relief. “You’re the best. But if I’m to be completely honest, I have to confess I came here to have you check me out too.”
Gulp! Raising his hands and backing up, Sean shook his head. “Whoa, dude, I like Trudy, but I’m not into male/male/female—”
The stranger’s face turned horrified. “No, that’s not what I meant. Trudy and I don’t have that kind of relationship. We’re just friends.”
We’re just friends.
He and Dianna had uttered that same phrase so many times. But when Matt said it, Sean had no trouble believing him. Unlike him and Dianna. Hearing the way it should be said, he now understood why they had so much trouble convincing people.
Sean simply stared, his brow raised.
Matt cleared his throat. “Trudy told me about your friend, Dianna. She’s going to text her my number today and since we’re in the same situation…”
“You wanted to introduce yourself so I wouldn’t have to track you down.”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
Okay, he was really starting to like this guy, damn it. He seemed straight up, wasn’t cheap if his clothes, the gold watch, and the fact he paid six bucks for a small glass of soda was anything to go by.
And that fucking pissed Sean off.
He grabbed the fountain gun and refilled Matt’s drink before getting a glass for himself. “Okay, tell me what I need to know.”
“I live in East Hampton. I’m a corporate attorney. I love the beach, Manhattan, and play a mean game of volleyball.”
Shit! How was this guy not taken? He would be a perfect fit for Dianna in
every way. But there was only one question that really mattered.
Sean swirled the liquid in his glass then looked Matt right in the eye. “Mets or Yankees?”
Please say Yankees. Please say Yankees.
Matt raised his drink and stared right back. “Mets, always and forever.”
So much for praying. A small part of him—okay, maybe a huge part of him—wanted to tell this guy to piss off and never come back. Make up any excuse to not introduce him to his friend.
But he couldn’t. Not if he really wanted what was best for Dianna.
What if this was the guy she was meant to be with? Sean knew how lonely she’d been, how much she wanted to be in a real relationship, if her impulsively getting a prescription for birth control pills was anything to go by. She wanted a family, kids.
Again, completely opposite from him.
His friend’s happiness should come first, not his stupid fucked up perverted mind.
He needed to move on, kill these lustful thoughts toward Dianna. He needed to call Trudy, make a date and get any ideas of having his friend all to himself out of his head.
Sean raised his glass and touched it to Matt’s. “You’re approved. Welcome aboard.”
***
Dianna had been melancholy all day. She’d hoped a picnic with Sean would help them get back to where they were, but all it did was make her feel worse. She knew why. She’d liked having Sean’s full attention. Okay, she’d admit it, liked his attempt at seducing her, despite how unbelievably insane the whole idea was.
God, she was selfish.
Getting up from her dinette table, she quickly washed her dinner dishes, placing them in the drain board to dry. She knew what she had to do. Go to Donovan’s Pub, and hang out with the gang.
It only took a few minutes for her to gather her stuff, hop in her car and drive the quarter mile to Main Street. But in that short amount of time, her stomach churned so much, it threatened to expel her dinner.
What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she feeling so—for lack of a better word—lost?
Her phone vibrated just as she pulled into the back parking lot. Once the car was in Park she pulled out her cell and read her text message.
Angels in Seashore Cove (Love and Laugh in Seashore Cove Book 2) Page 17
