Holiday In the Hamptons

by Sarah Morgan

  “I’m here.” Her sister’s voice sounded strange. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Nothing to tell. I went to his house for dinner the night after Matilda’s baby was born. He said he wanted to clear the air. Then he took me sailing. We talked.” She’d thought about telling her sister what her grandmother had told her about their mother, but decided it was best to wait until they were together in person. “I’ve seen him a few times since then. Lunch. Dinner. We went kayaking once. That was fun.”

  “You’re dating him? Is this serious?”

  Serious? Fliss felt a flicker of alarm. “No! We’re just friends. Hanging out.”

  “Friends with benefits.”

  “No benefits. At least, not the ones you’re talking about. Seth had this idea that we should focus on other things for a while.” And she’d started to wonder how long “a while” was.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea? I’m worried.”

  “Don’t be.”

  “He hurt you. I don’t want to see that happen again.”

  “You’ve got that the wrong way around. Look, it’s been ten years. It’s all behind us.”

  “If it’s behind you, why did you pretend to be me and escape from Manhattan?”

  “I’m a drama queen.”

  “Have you talked about it with him? No, of course you haven’t. You never open up, not even with me.”

  Fliss frowned. If Harriet had a clue just how much emotion she’d protected her from, she’d be relieved. “I have told him a little. The downside of keeping everything to yourself is that misunderstandings so easily occur.”

  If she hadn’t kept everything to herself, she might have believed he loved her.

  If her mother hadn’t kept everything to herself, they might have understood more about why the marriage was so difficult.

  Had their mother lied to protect them, or herself? It was something she’d thought about a lot.

  “So you’ve talked to him?” There was an edge to Harriet’s voice that Fliss couldn’t ever remember hearing before.

  “A bit. I’m a work in progress.”

  “That’s great.” Her tone suggested otherwise, and Fliss wondered if Harriet was worried about her revealing too much to Seth.

  She was a little uneasy about it, too. Talking freely was a whole new thing to her. Part of her wanted to confide in Harriet, but she didn’t want to worry her more than she already had.

  “Tell me what’s been happening with you.”

  “First, tell me more about Seth.”

  “Nothing to tell,” Fliss said, and felt the lie stick in her throat.

  * * *

  HE MADE A point of spending as much time as possible with her. Even on the days when he’d had a long day in the clinic, he saw her, if only for a few hours. He’d thought about it and decided that trust came with familiarity, and familiarity came with contact. Lots of contact. That worked just fine for him. He’d even dropped in to see her in her grandmother’s house, and found them working side by side in a kitchen that smelled like heaven.

  He’d accepted the offer of coffee and sat at the table watching while Fliss had rubbed butter and flour together, the look of concentration on her face absolute.

  When she’d pulled a batch of finished cookies out of the oven, concentration had given way to pride.

  Her grandmother had broken one in half to check the texture, and declared them perfect.

  Seth had eaten four. It didn’t bother him a bit whether she could cook or not, but he liked the fact that she was growing closer to her grandmother. The way he saw it, opening up took practice, and as long as she practiced on people she could trust, that could only be a good thing.

  “Saw you and Fliss together on the beach again.” Jed Black lifted his daughter’s kitten out of the crate and put him on the examination table. “She’s a fine-looking girl.”

  “She is.”

  If seeing Fliss meant he took some teasing from the locals, well, he was willing to live with that. In fact he would have said it was part of living in a community, and he enjoyed being part of a community. He liked seeing the same families, caring for the same animals throughout their lives. He enjoyed his work with the local animal shelter and appreciated how willing the locals were to take on abandoned pets.

  “Those big blue eyes and those long legs are enough to threaten a man’s concentration.”

  “Nothing wrong with my concentration, Jed. What’s the problem with the kitten? Looks healthy enough.” He stroked the animal, feeling the kitten quiver under his fingers. If Fliss knew how interested the community was in their blossoming relationship, would she take off back to Manhattan?

  He hoped not.

  He focused his attention on the Black family’s kitten and gradually worked his way through the animals in his waiting room. He had several cats, a dog with a limp and a rabbit with dental issues.

  His last patient of the day was another cat, this one hissing and spitting as the owner tried to put him on the examination table.

  Nancy came to help him, using a towel to stop the cat from hurting himself.

  “I got him from the animal shelter,” Betsy Miller said. “They told me no one ever gives him a second look because he’s ugly and bad-tempered.”

  “You were looking for those traits?” Seth examined the cat’s throat, his ears and abdomen while the animal twisted and smacked him with his paws. “I know, buddy. You don’t like being here. I get it, I really do. Some days I feel the same way.”

  “I was looking for an animal who needed me. Seemed to me this fellow needed me badly. Needed someone who would look past his behavior and see what was behind it.”

  “If only everyone was as astute as you, the world would be a better place.” Seth took the cat’s pulse. “It’s pounding. Not much surprise there.” For some reason the animal made him think of Fliss. Scratching when something scared her. Hissing to keep people at a distance.

  Gradually the cat relaxed, finally compliant as he finished his examination.

  “He likes you,” Betsy said, and Nancy nodded.

  “Animals always like him. He’s patient, that’s why. And he moves slowly. No sudden movements. That’s a good thing.”

  Not always.

  With Fliss, he’d moved too slowly. Waited too long.

  But he was about to fix that.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “ONE THING,” SETH SAID, as they lay on their backs on the sand. This time they’d dropped anchor near the island and swum to the beach, Fliss gasping at the chill of the water.

  She rolled onto her stomach and smiled.

  One thing.

  It was a game they’d started playing, where they each told each other one thing the other didn’t already know.

  Thanks to that game, she’d discovered that Seth had moved to California to try to distance himself from everything but had stayed only two years. She found out that he still didn’t want to sell Ocean View, and that his relationship with his father had been closer than even she’d thought.

  Her heart ached for him.

  “When I was eight, I wanted to know what kissing felt like so I trapped Ricky Carter behind the bike sheds.”

  “Doesn’t count. Not personal enough.”

  “You didn’t see the kiss.”

  He grabbed her and rolled her on her back on the sand. “Who is this Ricky Carter? I want his address and phone number.”

  “Last heard of somewhere in Florida.”

  “Good thing. Now tell me something personal. And make it count.”

  “When you kiss me, it’s nothing like kissing Ricky Carter.”

  “When I kiss you like this, you mean?” He lowered his head to hers, and she felt her stomach jump and her heart flutter. He kissed her often, and each time was more exciting than the last. It was as if he was slowly building the tension, racking it up inch by inch until she was wound so tight she was afraid she might explode.

  She’d stopped thinking she should
fight her feelings, stopped listing all the reasons why this was probably a mistake.

  Slowly, he lifted his head. “Ricky had better not have kissed you like that or he’s a wanted man.” His voice was low and lazy, the look in his eyes making her squirm with anticipation.

  She knew he was holding back, and she couldn’t help wondering how long that was going to last. Sex clouds things, was what he’d said, but she couldn’t help thinking that not having sex clouded things, too. It stopped her being able to think straight. Cut through all the strings that held together her defenses.

  “It was how I imagine it would feel to drown. I needed a life jacket.”

  He grinned. “Sounds like I have serious competition.”

  He’d never had any competition. That was the problem.

  She moaned as she felt his mouth on her neck and the light scrape of stubble against her skin.

  “Now you.”

  He lifted his head just enough to speak. “I hate mushrooms on pizza.”

  “That doesn’t count.”

  “If I’m the one eating the pizza, it counts. I can eat mushrooms in any other dish, but they shouldn’t be anywhere near a pizza.”

  “I get the message.” She could feel the press of his body against hers. “Pizza, no mushrooms. Now tell me something personal.”

  He lowered his head and continued his exploration as far as her collarbone. “I’m determined.” His mouth lingered there. “When there’s something I want, I don’t give up until I get it.”

  Was he talking about their relationship? Or something else? The things he was doing with his mouth made it hard to focus.

  “You wanted to be a vet, and now you are.”

  He paused and lifted his head, looking at her from beneath those long lashes that had made him the talk of the town. “That’s one example. There are others.”

  She wanted to know all about them. She wanted to know everything.

  In the past few weeks she’d learned so much about him, like the fact he had the respect of the whole community. Everywhere she went it was “Dr. Carlyle this” and “Dr. Carlyle that.” And among some quarters, respect came closer to adoration. Whatever details she didn’t hear while shopping in Country Stores were filled in by her grandmother’s friends.

  It was through them that she’d learned he ran an outreach program helping the local animal shelter and that he actively encouraged the locals to adopt rescued pets rather than going to breeders.

  Through them she’d learned that he’d risked his life to lead four horses out of a burning barn and that he’d once done two house calls to check up on a teenage girl whose cat had died.

  Seth himself hadn’t told her any of those things, not even in their “one thing” conversations, but that didn’t surprise her. He was a man who did what needed to be done because he believed in it, not because he was trying to impress.

  He loved animals, and if there was anything he could do to make their lives better, he was going to do it.

  “How old were you when you decided you wanted to be a vet?”

  “Eight. I was hiking with my dad and we found this dog tied to a stake in a yard. The owners had moved and not taken him with them. He was skin and bone. Showed no interest in being rescued, but my father rescued him anyway and took him to the animal shelter. I went every day to visit and care for him. I saw what a great job they did. How they coaxed this terrified animal into trusting them. It seemed like magic to me. And I wanted to learn how to do it.” He stroked her hair back from her face. “I never forgot that dog because he taught me something important.”

  “Which was?”

  “That it’s important to look beyond the superficial. That most behavior comes with a reason.”

  This time she knew he wasn’t talking only about the dog.

  Her heart beat a little faster. “What was his reason?”

  “That dog was fierce and angry, but once he realized no one was trying to hurt him, he stopped being angry and he was the most docile, loving dog you ever met.”

  “Did he eventually go to a good home?”

  “Yeah, I like to think so.” He lay back on the sand and shielded his eyes against the sun with his arm. “He lived with us for fourteen years. Best damn dog we ever had. I still miss him.”

  She lay watching him, thinking that no other man had ever affected her the way Seth did. He slammed through her willpower with his handsome face and his sexy smile, and he sneaked under her defenses with his patient kindness.

  Strength, for Seth, wasn’t who could shout loudest or act meanest. It wasn’t fists or fight, although she had no doubt he could defend himself if the need arose.

  No, strength was doing the right thing no matter what the cost.

  She sometimes wondered if part of his appeal, at least at the beginning, was that he represented the complete opposite of her father.

  He kept up a steady flow of conversation, telling her stories about his mother, about Vanessa, about the time Bryony had fallen off her horse and broken her arm. She told him more about her time in college, about all the adventures her mother was having now, and about Daniel’s relationship with Molly. She almost told him about the visit she’d made to her father, that night in the rain, but she wasn’t ready to share that story with anyone yet, not even with a good listener like Seth.

  And he was a good listener. He paid attention, not just to what she said but what she didn’t say, and beneath the apparently easy conversation was the ever-present awareness, an intense chemistry and sexual tension that shimmered between them.

  It felt easier talking to him than it had the first time, and she didn’t know why that was.

  Aware that it was getting late, she sat up and dusted the sand from her arms. “One thing. Last time. You go first.”

  “Hey, I just told you fifty things. It’s your turn.”

  “Definitely yours. You’re confused.”

  “That might be that top you’re wearing. The sight of semibare breasts has a strange effect on my brain.” He leaned toward her, and she gave him a push.

  “One thing. Your turn.”

  He paused and his gaze dropped to her mouth. “I’m glad you decided to hide from me in the Hamptons.”

  “I didn’t do a great job of hiding.”

  “I’m glad about that, too.”

  Discovering she felt the same way made her heart miss a beat.

  She had no idea where this was leading. No idea what she was going to do when she got there.

  But for the time being, she was enjoying the ride.

  * * *

  SETH SPENT THE following day in surgery and then drove back to the house to shower and change before fulfilling an obligation he’d been dreading. He’d almost hoped for an emergency to give him an excuse not to show up.

  He’d put it out of his mind while he was operating, but now that was over he discovered he didn’t have the self-discipline to hold back the thoughts. He knew all about the stages of grief, and he’d experienced each one. Shock, denial, anger—he’d gone through the roller coaster of all the emotions after his father had died.

  And now he had to sell Ocean View, which felt like the last connection with his father.

  Pulling up outside his house, he was surprised to see Fliss’s car.

  His mood lifted, and then he realized with a pang that whatever she’d planned wasn’t going to work for him.

  He planned to do what needed to be done and then sit out on the deck and share his low mood with the sunset. Maybe a beer.

  He stepped out of the car, wishing he could just drag her up to the bedroom and not leave for at least a week. But he wouldn’t ever treat her as a distraction. Or a cure.

  “I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “One thing—” She raised one finger, playing the game that had become routine. “I love doing the unexpected. I thought I’d surprise you. Your turn. And make it a good one. Something really dark and dirty.” She leaned against her car, eyes gleaming with hum
or and invitation until she saw something in his face. Humor quickly melted into concern. “What’s wrong? Did you lose a patient? I heard the Jenkinses’ dog was hit by a car.”

  “The dog is going to be fine, although he spent two hours in surgery.” And he’d spent almost as much time reassuring and soothing Lily and Doug Jenkins, who had been distraught at the prospect of losing a much-loved pet.

  Maybe it was the pressure that had given him a thumping headache, and not the prospect of selling memories of his father to the highest bidder.

  “You’re a bit of a hero, Dr. Carlyle. You should be celebrating.”

  He’d never felt less like celebrating. “Not tonight. There’s somewhere I need to be.” And she didn’t need to be part of that.

  She eased away from the car and walked across to him. “I’m new to this game, but I’m pretty sure this is the part where you tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “I’m meeting Chase at my parents’ house. That friend I told you about who may be interested in buying it? He wants to take a look around.”

  “Oh, Seth.” She put her arms around him and hugged him. “I didn’t know you’d made the decision. And I had no idea it would happen this fast.”

  Breathing in the scent of her hair and feeling the lean lines of her body pressed against him made him wish he could just take her inside, switch off his phone and block out the world.

  “It’s fine.”

  She gave a short laugh and eased away so that she could look at him. “I’m the one who is supposed to hide feelings, not you.”

  “True. In that case, yes, I admit this sucks.”

  “Why not wait a while? What’s the hurry?”

  “It’s what my mother wants. I talked to her last night. Seems like I’m the only one who isn’t in a hurry to let it go.” He sighed. “My father loved the place. I know it sounds crazy, but it feels like I’m losing part of him all over again.”