“You can borrow an outfit from Abby,” he said simply.
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I didn’t want to break the spell either, not until I was going home to sleep.
Abby returned an hour later, already armed with a babysitter she’d called on the way home—a neighbor’s teenage daughter who happily whisked Cassy off to the park again.
She pulled me into her room with purpose. “College town bars, jeans and cute tops are the staple,” she said.
We tore through her closet like women on a mission.
She tossed a silky wrap top onto the bed. I landed on a pair of black skinny jeans that hugged me just right and a soft, off-the-shoulder top in a muted coral that made my skin look like it had actually seen sunlight. Abby handed me her cropped leather jackets, small, fitted. It made me feel like back in college dorm again.
She chose a short leather skirt for herself, paired with a stylish denim jacket and knee-high boots that clicked with confidence.
“Feels jittery to dress up for Jeff again,” she said, almost to herself, shaking her head with a half laugh. “All in a good way.”
Then she tossed a curling iron onto the bed. We took turns curling each other’s hair, laughing at the strands we inevitably missed. I hadn’t done this with another woman in a while, and the easy, girly rhythm of it settled the nerves fluttering in my stomach.
But the second we stepped out, I got hit with a whole new wave. Nerves knotted with anticipation of Sean’s eyes on me.
He and Jeff were in the living room, mid-breakdown of an NHL play, clipped phrases and lingo only hockey people understood. Both wore jeans and fit shirts. Jeff had rolled his sleeves up, and Sean’s shirt clung on those undiscussable biceps, and I forgot how to breathe.
Then Sean looked up, and his words stopped mid-sentence. His eyes locked on mine, and the moment narrowed to the two of us. My heart was the only thing still moving.
Abby bumped my shoulder with a satisfied “Told you,” jolting me out of my trance.
Sean stood to meet me, slow and deliberate. My heart kicked hard. The prelude to something I absolutely didn’t want to miss had just begun.
Chapter twenty-five
Sean
I didn’t dare blink, my gaze locked on Mel’s as I stepped closer. “You look…,” I started, then shook my head with a crooked smile. “Yeah. Like that.”
She smiled, and my brain drew a string of happy emojis.
I turned toward Jeff, who had also gotten up to meet Abby. “Meet my girlfriend, Mel. Mel, my brother-in-law, Jeff.”
They exchanged warm hellos.
I slipped my hand into Mel’s. “Should we head out?”
Mel’s fingers curled into mine, her eyes watching me as if she was memorizing me all over again. Between that look and howmuch I didn’t want her more than a breath away… tonight’s celebration only got exceptional.
A soft and beautiful exception.
We piled into Jeff’s SUV and made the short drive to Davis, the college town pulsing with weekend energy. The bar Abby picked sat above a bookstore, its rooftop strung with lights and humming with music that spilled out onto the sidewalk. Inside was electric, and casual, with finger food trays circling the room and a dance floor already warming up.
The place smelled cocktails and grilled sliders, with a hint of perfume. Laughter bounced off the walls, and the bass thumped low, filling your chest.
Mel walked in beside me, her coral top catching the light, her leather jacket slung coolly over one shoulder. We sat at a table near the railing, overlooking the street below. A server took our drink order—cocktails for the girls, beers for the guys.
When he walked off, another server arrived with a large platter of finger food Abby had pre-ordered. It smelled heavenly: sliders, garlic fries, skewers, and something Abby swore was a vegan taco but looked suspiciously like pulled pork.
Mel popped a fry into her mouth and grinned at me. “This is dangerously good.”
“Dangerous is the theme tonight,” I said, stealing a slider.
I barely heard half of what was said—my attention was fixed on Mel. Those almond-shaped eyes snared mine, undoing every damn thought I tried to hold. She’d laugh at something Abby said, tilt her head, and a strand of curled hair would slide across her cheek. I’d track the movement without meaning to, the curve of her smile pulling me in until I reached for a drink to break the spell.
