The Courage To Love (Love On The North Shore) (14 page)

That said, something nagged him, made him wonder if letting things continue was wise. For the most part, he didn’t seek out relationships that remained purely physical. When he dated, which wasn’t often, he sought out women who wanted the ring and white picket fence. Someday he’d like the perfect marriage much like his friend Tony’s parents had, but so far he hadn’t met the right woman. And while he enjoyed his time with Mia, he knew she wasn’t marriage material. Even he recognized that Hollywood relationships didn’t last. Despite this knowledge, ever since the block party Mia had managed to evoke a gambit of emotions inside him that no other woman he’d ever met had. He’d experienced everything from protectiveness to embarrassment. Even now with her just resting next to him, she caused unfamiliar emotions.

The constant feeling that he was dreaming made perfect sense. After all, men everywhere dreamed of finding Mia Troy naked in their beds, and he, Sean O’Brien, a nobody from North Salem, Massachusetts, had her. The ever present desire made sense as well. But the contentment and peace he experienced when they spent time together perplexed him. Over the years he’d accepted his situation in life and, while not how he’d once pictured his life, he’d been happy with it. Or at least he thought so. Now as he went about his day, a restlessness plagued him, this sense that he belonged somewhere else, doing something else. Yet once he and Mia got together, whether for dinner or a game of pool, the restlessness disappeared. Over the past two weeks, he’d come to look forward to sharing his day with her. No matter how boring or mundane, she listened and then shared her own day. He’d never done that with anyone he’d dated, nor had he wanted to.

Don’t get used to it. Once she’s done here, she’ll be off to California again. All she wants is some fun while she’s here to pass the time.

“What are you thinking about?” Mia asked, her hand still moving across his skin.

Sean grabbed her hand as it ventured close to the bottom of his rib cage, one of the most ticklish spots on his body. “You.”

Mia propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him. Her disheveled hair hung in a loose  mass around her shoulders. When they’d come upstairs, the only makeup she’d had on was lipstick, but now that was gone. With makeup she looked glamorous, but he preferred her like this.

“What about me?”

Her hair brushed against his shoulder when she moved her head. The scent of her shampoo reached him and visions of the beach sprang to mind. “You baking.” He used the first thing he thought of. “Ma said you helped make muffins yesterday.” He’d cut off his left hand before he told her what thoughts had been going through his head. “I can’t picture you measuring out flour and beating eggs.”

“I used to do it all the time before I moved to California and loved it. Well, the baking part at least. I hate the clean up.”

When she mentioned clean up, he remembered the pizza mess in the other room. He should clean it up before Max came in and polished it off. The dog was known to eat anything and everything regardless of whether it was edible or not.

“I’m getting hungry again. What about you?” More than half Mia’s salad should still be in the other room, too.

“Me, too, but not for food.” Mia sucked on his earlobe as she freed her hand from Sean’s and let it disappear under the blankets.

When her warm hand wrapped around him, he groaned as raw heat shot through him once again. Food could wait.

Chapter 8

“Would you like your bags in the bedroom?” the bellhop asked, carrying her luggage into the hotel suite late Sunday afternoon.

“That’s fine. Thank you.” Mia dropped her shoulder bag and room card on the kitchen table as the young man disappeared into the bedroom.

“If you need anything else, please call the front desk.” The young man smiled, accepted a tip, and left.

Kicking off her sandals, Mia made herself comfortable on the sofa before dialing her sister, who’d arrived in Boston Thursday afternoon. When they’d talked that night, Avery had asked her to come to Boston then. She’d insisted they could have some fun before filming started on Monday, shopping as they usually did when arriving early on location. A month or so earlier, she would’ve joined Avery, but not this time. She wanted to spend her last few free days with Sean. Once the production got underway, her days would be booked solid. There wouldn’t be much time for anything personal, even visits with her family.

But with North Salem and Sean miles away, it was time to check in with Avery. If for no other reason than to let her know she’d arrived. Later tonight she’d call Sean. Before she’d left that morning, she’d promised to call him after her dinner with the movie’s director.

“It’s about time you got here, Mia,” Avery said as she gave her a hug when she walked into the suite later. “I thought you’d be here before lunch.”

Mia returned the hug and kissed her sister’s cheek. “I figured there was no need to rush. Bob isn’t expecting us until seven, or did that change?”

Avery shook her head, her large gold hoop earrings swinging back and forth. Even before she’d adopted her new pixie hair cut the earrings looked big, but now with the super short style, they looked huge.

“No, dinner is still at seven. The limo will be here at six thirty.” Avery grabbed a mineral water from the refrigerator. “Did you read over the schedule for the week?”

“I glanced over it,” Mia answered, not meeting her sister’s eyes. In truth, she’d opened the email, saw it was the upcoming week’s schedule, and then closed it again.

Avery rolled her eyes. “What the heck kept you so busy up in North Salem anyway? You never called, and you blew off my emails and texts.”

“I started seeing someone.” Mia played with the fringe on a throw pillow.

“From around here?”

“Yes, well, North Salem. Do you remember me mentioning Sean, the owner of the bed and breakfast?” At the mention of his name, she thought about their time together that morning in his bed. Soon heat warmed her face.

“How did he take it when you ended things?” Avery asked cautiously

“Why do you think I ended it?”

“Ah, because in about a month you’ll be back in California,” Avery answered as she opened her water bottle.

Sean had expected an end to their relationship, too. She didn’t get it. People did long distance relationships all the time, so why couldn’t they? “You make it sound like I live on the Moon, Avery.”

“No, but why do the whole long distance thing, especially with someone not in the industry? You tried it with Luke Mull when he was on location in New Zealand. Do you remember how hard that was for both of you? You said you would never do it again.”

Sure, long distance relationships involved difficulties, but they could work. After the failed relationship with Luke, she never tried it again because she’d never met someone that meant enough to her. However, something kept telling her that Sean was worth the risk, that somehow they could make it work despite the thousands of miles between them.

“Do you think this guy will be able to handle it when you leave Boston? What about the next time you’re in Europe? Or you have a love scene with a co-star?” Avery used her know-everything big sister tone. The very one that drove Mia up the wall.

“Even with the negatives, I’ve already made up my mind. And when he comes here on Friday, I’d like you to meet him.”

“Can’t wait,” Avery said her voice full of curiosity. “He must be interesting if you’re willing to keep it going when you leave.”

Time to change the subject. “Why don’t we look at this week’s schedule?” Mia said as she pulled out her laptop and brought up her email account.

Sure enough her in-box contained more than half a dozen emails. Several were from Avery, but she also had one from her cousin Sydney and another from her sister Angelina. “Which schedule is the correct one?” Two different emails claimed to be schedules for the upcoming week.

Avery glanced over at the screen. “That one.” She pointed to the second of the two.

Opening the email, she read through it. Ugh, makeup at four on Monday morning.

“So what is so special about him anyway?”

Mia finished the sentence she’d started to read and met her sister’s gaze. “You’re not going to let this go are you?”

“Nope,” she answered with a shake of her head for added emphasis.

How did she best answer? There was no one word that explained what made him special. No simple answer to why she wanted to risk heartbreak with a long distance relationship.

A hand passed in front of her face.

“You still awake over there?” Avery asked.

“I don’t know how to explain it. When you meet him, maybe you’ll understand.” She looked back at the schedule. “Tell me this means one o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday and not in the morning.”

“It does.” Avery closed the laptop on her sister. “At least tell me what he looks like.”

***

Sean shoved all the necessary paperwork in an envelope. It had taken a few days to gather everything required by the bank, but now he had all of it. Tomorrow he’d drop it off for review. The mortgage counselor had all but assured him that he’d get approved. As soon as he did, he would put in his offer. The only thing he needed to do now was convince his mom. A few times that weekend he’d tried broaching the subject, but each time she told him they could discuss it later. Well, later had arrived.

Closing the attic door behind him, he jogged down the stairs but paused when he passed the Longfellow room. They’d woken up together in his room and had made love one last time before she had checked out that morning. Before she had climbed into her car, she’d promised to call tonight. He’d warned her that he hated long phone conversations, but she’d insisted anyway. And now, damn if he wasn’t looking forward to her call. He’d grown used to her presences around the house. He already missed her and only a few hours had passed. He’d never expected that.

She’s only around for another month. Enjoy it.

He pushed the image of her that morning from his head and followed the sound of the vacuum cleaner down into the living room.

“Ma,” he called, his voice louder than normal. “I need to talk to you.”

Maureen switched off the vacuum. “Just let me finish in here. I’m almost done. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

A few minutes later Maureen joined him. “Did you try the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies? It’s a new recipe.” Maureen poured herself a cup of coffee before she sat down and placed a plate of cookies on the table.

“No, not yet. Maybe later.” Everything his mother made tasted great. He saw no reason these cookies would be any different.

“Do you plan to visit Mia in Boston?” she asked as she added sugar to her coffee. “I really like her.”

His mom never missed an opportunity to bring up his love life. Ever since his sister’s wedding she’d been focused on him getting married, too.

“Friday,” he answered, folding his hand on the table. “Ma, I have an appointment with the bank tomorrow about a mortgage.” If he didn’t take control of the conversation from the beginning, he’d never get a word in.

Maureen’s shoulder’s slumped as she wrapped her hands around her coffee. “I’m not thrilled with this idea of yours. You’ve got enough work around here already not counting the hours you put in for the town.”

“I’ve already decided to give up my part time work with the town if this goes through.”

“I still don’t know, Sean. I wish you’d start thinking about yourself more, and about this place less. You need your own life. I want to see you get married and have children.” Maureen placed her hand over his. “If you’re a slave to this place, that’ll never happen.”

Sean bit back a swear. His mother hated when he swore. “Is that your only objection? If so I plan to proceed.”

Sadness clouded his mother’s eyes. “You do what you have to and I’ll do what I have to.”

Icy fingers skated down his back at his mother’s statement. “What do you mean, Ma?” As far as he knew his mother never kept secrets from him, and he didn’t hide things from her. Well, under normal circumstances he didn’t hide things. The appearance of his father and their upcoming meeting was another matter all together.

“Nothing you need to worry about.” She patted his hand and then lifted her coffee mug. “If you talk to Mia, tell her I said hello.” Without another word she stood and left the room.

Sean remained in the kitchen as his mom went back to vacuuming. She hadn’t told him not to proceed with his plan, but she’d let him know how she felt. And, man, if her last statement didn’t make him uneasy.

The business was just as important to her as him. It was the primary source of their income and she’d never do anything to jeopardize that. Still, from the sound of it, she had something big planned that he wasn’t going to like. But what?

He snagged a cookie from the plate on the table, more for something to do as he considered his mom’s words than because he was hungry. Should he interrupt her again and demand an answer? Or should he leave it and see how things played out? Either way, he planned to keep his meeting tomorrow, so why risk the aggravation now? If need be, they could battle about it later.