Sean's Sweetheart (17 page)

Chapter Forty-three

Talia fluffed the throw pillows on the sofa, trying to expel some of the nervous energy that filled her. She awaited the knock on the door that would signal Sean's arrival. Coordinating everyone's schedules had taken some time and her dad still seemed sore about the impromptu breakfast date, but at last she had been able to get both her parents and Sean off work on the same evening.

A feeling of dread pooled in her stomach, and while she tried to push it aside, it refused to budge. This dinner was merely a formality and everything would be fine, or so she kept telling herself. Her parents and Sean had been in the same room before without the world imploding. If only her shaky hands and roiling stomach would take the hint!

The click of a car sent her to the door. She flung it open. Sean stood poised with his fist raised to knock. The expression on his face told her he hadn't expected the door to fly open so quickly. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him into the tiled entryway. He glanced around, and seeing no one else, leaned down and put his lips to hers. She moaned into his mouth and he deepened the kiss. He broke away, looking behind her again, checking for her parents.

She didn't care if they saw her kiss him. They knew she was dating Sean. After this long, knowing she'd spent the night with him, they had to realize things were getting serious. So what if they saw a kiss or two. Rising up on tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around Sean's neck and pulled his head down for another kiss. His arms tightened around her and her feet left the floor as he brought her up against his body.

A throat clearing in the doorway behind Talia caused the pair to separate. Sean eased her down. Heat flared in her cheeks, but she decided to be brave. She wrapped her arms around Sean and turned. "Daddy, Sean's here."

Her dad grunted and murmured that dinner was about ready. He turned and headed toward the dining room. Talia and Sean followed behind him not speaking, but holding hands. Sean greeted her mother politely and received a warm smile in return from the older woman. Conversations at the table were a bit stilted, but no worse than Talia expected. Her mother tried to keep the conversation going. Her father, however, seemed to be hoping that if he glared hard enough Sean might burst into flames. Sean shifted under the older man's glower, but presented a calm front. After dinner, her mother suggested they have dessert out on the deck.

Walking out, Sean went to the edge of the deck and stood staring out over the lake. Talia wrapped an arm around him from behind and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Lovely view, isn't it?" He clasped the hand she had placed on his stomach and nodded his agreement.

"I was hoping my dad would be less of a grump today, but he seems to be in a bad mood."

Sean didn't reply; his hand moved slowly back and forth over hers. She knew he heard her. His lack of response was his agreement. She listened to the reassuring thump of his heart and sighed.

"Do you have to touch him all the time?" Her dad's voice growled behind them.

With a sigh, Sean released her hand and moved out of her embrace. He turned to face her father. His melancholy tone when he spoke tugged at Talia's heart. "Why did you invite me here tonight? You've already made up your mind about me, haven't you? I can see that you don't approve of me. Why'd you put us through this torture if you weren't going to give me a fair shake?"

Chapter Forty-four

Damn it, a man could only turn the other cheek so many times. Sean knew he needed to clear the air with her father before he proposed. The time had come.

"Sean," Talia whispered.

"No, Talia, I've held my tongue. I've been polite even when he yelled at me for no damn reason. I'm entitled to a few questions and comments of my own, don't you think?"

"You're right. I don't approve of you. I will never approve of my daughter dating a damn bartender. She deserves better than you. She could marry a doctor or a lawyer, someone worth a damn."

Sean sighed. This was not how he'd seen tonight working out. He'd hoped to find a way to bring up to Helen that he wanted to propose, not to get into it with Sam again.

Leaning against the cedar railing with his chin on his chest, he took a couple deep breaths before looking up at her father again. "And is there anything I could do to change your mind about that?"

"Change my mind about my daughter dating a good-for-nothing bartender? Nothing at all and if you think she'll be your meal ticket, then you have another thing coming." He glared at Sean.

Turning to Talia, Sam said, "No daughter of mine will date a bartender."

"I can date who I please, Daddy. He's not a good-for-nothing bartender. You haven't even
tried
to get to know him," Talia argued.

Sean turned to stare out over the water. His shoulders hung low in defeat. He had a real bad feeling about where this was going. Without looking at anyone, he asked in a ragged voice, "And if I keep dating her?"

"I already told you that no daughter of mine will date a bartender," the older man snarled. "She can choose—you or me. I won't see her again if she stays with you."

"Daddy! You can't be serious!"

"Sam, what is wrong with you?"

Talia and her mother both shouted at the same time.

Sean found it hard to hear them though over the sound of his heart breaking. His hopes dying. His dreams ending. How could he ask her to marry him when it meant separating her from her family? She would only come to resent him for it. He had to let her go. He wasn't sure he'd survive without her, but he couldn't take her family away from her.

Sean turned to Talia, his touch gentle as he pulled her into his arms. Brushing a soft kiss against her lips, he whispered to her, "I can't separate you and your parents. I can't do that to you. I won't come between you and your family."

"Sean—"

He interrupted her, his voice loud enough to carry over to her parents as well, "No, you don't understand. You have no idea what you have here. You have parents who love you. And while their ideas may be antiquated, even I can see that they have your best interests in mind."

He stopped and took several uneven breaths before continuing in a softer voice, "Talia, I'd have given anything to have what you have, parents that love you and would do anything to protect you, siblings who are obviously crazy about you. I never had that. That scar you asked about on my chest? My only brother shot me in the chest when I was fourteen years old. I'd told you some things about my mom. About my past. What I didn't tell you, my drug of choice was heroin and my mom is the one who got me hooked on it. Then she kicked me out when I was sixteen and I hadn't seen her in more than a decade until the night she ODed."

With tear-filled eyes he looked at her. "I can't be the one who causes you to lose your family. I can't."

Talia clung to him, tears rolling down her cheeks at his heartfelt declaration. "Sean, please," she pleaded.

"I just can't be that guy, Talia." He pulled her close and held her tight. One last embrace, one last kiss. He brushed his lips against hers, tasting the salty tears that poured down both of their faces. His chest ached as he held her for one more brief moment. Sean whispered to her, "You can always call me if you need me. But I cannot be the man who destroys your family."

And with that, he released her and walked away, trying to ignore her sobs and the gaping hole where his heart used to be.

Chapter Forty-five

Picking up the keys to his new house at closing wasn't as thrilling to Sean as it should have been. As he unlocked the door to the neglected Victorian, thoughts of Talia rushed over him. The house felt empty without her. That homey feeling he had loved so much just wasn't there. His footsteps echoed in the vacant house, his boots leaving tracks on the dusty hardwood. Sitting on the steps, he hung his head in his hands and sighed.

Since Talia had loved the older home as much as he had, Sean had rushed out the very next morning to put in his offer. The news that the previous owners accepted his offer hadn't come until that dreadful Sunday afternoon. Sean arrived at the Richmond residence with plans to tell Talia about the purchase after dinner, but her dad interrupted that idea.

Now he owned a house that felt nothing like the home he'd envisioned.

Pulling himself together, Sean unloaded the boxes from his car. Jack came over with his truck, and helped Sean move his furniture. With all his belongings brought in, the big house still looked uninhabited.

"You know, boss, you should consider getting a roommate. This is a hell of a house for just one person."

"No." Sean flipped him off, knowing he could never live here with anyone but Talia.

"Just no? Dude, you've got at least four bedrooms here, right? What are you going to do with the rest?"

"Jack... just drop it. Please."

"Alright, but if you change your mind, you let me know. I'll gladly give up that shithole I live in. I just can't see paying a fortune in rent when I'm never home."

Sean could understand that all too well. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Sure you will. Like I don't know you better than that. Like I don't know you bought this house for that little redhead who broke your stupid heart."

"I broke up with her."

"Whatever, asshole. I know a broken heart when I see one. See you later." Closing the door behind Jack, Sean did a quick search on his phone for local contractors. The house needed some repairs. Maybe by the time all the changes had been made, he wouldn't see Talia's face each time he turned a corner. He got lucky; one of the contractors said he was on a job nearby and could come over and take a look that day.

Tires crunched on the gravel in the drive. He looked up from the bush he was trimming to see a shiny red truck with a Richland Construction logo on the side stop behind his car. The logo seemed familiar but he couldn't think from where. Sean laid his clippers down and walked over as a middle-aged man stepped out of the truck.

"Mr. Turner? I'm Johnny Land, Richland Construction. How you doing?" He stuck his hand out for Sean to shake. Giving a nice firm handshake, he turned his attention to the house. "Wow, this is a big ol' place, isn't it? I bet she was a beauty at one time. We can get her there again."

"I just bought it. I know I want to redo the kitchen which is stuck in the 1950s, and I think the roof probably needs replacing, floors refinished. Come on in and see what you think."

The contractor looked around, taking plenty of measurements and notes as he walked about the house. When they came to the library, he whistled. "Look at all those built-ins. Man, there is some serious craftsmanship in here. If this was my place, I wouldn't do anything in here but maybe replace the windows and refinish this floor. This is gorgeous."

Sean sighed, drawing the man's attention.

"Oh, did you want to change it? I mean, it's your house. You want me to rip the built-ins out, I'll do it. I might cry about it, but I'll do it."

Sean chuckled. "No, I don't want to change this room. I… well, I was with someone when I put the offer in on the house and this was her favorite room. And now, it almost hurts to be in here. Okay, I'm going to go outside before I get all sappy on you. Feel free to poke around and get whatever measurements you need."

Sean sat on the steps staring out into the yard when Johnny came out the door. He sank down next to Sean and started listing the things that had to be done and what could wait. Naming a ballpark price on the mandatory things, he looked to Sean.

Nodding, Sean asked about the rest.

Throwing out another number, the older man told Sean he would work up a proposal and get back to him the next day with exact numbers. As he shook hands with Sean before leaving, the contractor said, "Look, this is not my business. Feel free to tell me to bugger off and not come back, but you obviously are still in love with that girl. If you think you could work it out, give her a call. Life is too short to not be with the one you love. Just a piece of advice from an old idiot."

With a slight shake of his head, Sean's voice was low when he responded, "It's not that simple. She's a little younger and her dad… he…" Trailing off, Sean looked away for a moment before turning back to the older man. "Her dad hates me and was going to cut her out of his life. How could I expect her to stay with me knowing that she lost her dad because of being with me? I didn't expect life without her would hurt so much… God, look at me, pouring my heart out to a total stranger. What the hell's wrong with me? But, anyways, thanks for your time today. I'm sorry for getting all personal."

Reaching out and clapping Sean on the shoulder, the contractor said, "I'll be in touch."

After getting a couple other estimates, Sean decided to go with Richland. While they were not the least expensive option, Johnny had made a good impression on him and Sean felt like they were the best company for the job.

Sean was impressed by how efficient they were. Richland Construction had a crew out within the week. A roofing crew ripped off the old shingles and laid a new roof in a single day. The chipping paint on the porch was removed and a fresh coat put on. New windows went in. It already looked like a different house.

Sean busied himself with unpacking his books and shelving them in the library. As he picked one up and lifted it toward a shelf, a picture fluttered out. Squatting down to grab it, he gasped as he remembered the day. A photographer at that festival Talia dragged him to had snapped the shot. His head was bent down toward hers for a kiss. The angle showed Talia's face as she leaned up toward him, her eyes full of love and joy. His hand had been wrapped in her glorious red hair. The camera shutter captured the perfect moment. When he saw the photo, Sean knew he had to have it. Other than a couple quick snaps with his cell phone, this was the only picture he had of Talia. Sean sank to the floor staring at it, his throat tightening as he fought back a sob.

"Guess that's the girl you said loved this room?" a voice called from behind. Sean looked up to see his contractor leaning against the door frame.

"Yeah." Sean handed the picture up to the older man. "That's her."

Johnny stared at the photo for a minute before saying, "She's beautiful. I can see how a young man could get so tore up over her." He handed it back to Sean with care. "We got an issue I need to talk to you about."

Running a finger over the photograph, Sean laid it down on one of the bookshelves and followed the contractor out of the room. The issue ended up being relatively minor in Sean's opinion; the shutters had come in with a slightly different style than he had ordered. He didn't care enough to send them back, so the crew got busy and installed them. Sean was happy with the progress being made on his house. The crew at Richland Construction was doing a great job. If only other aspects of his life were going so well…