Time with Sam last night hovered in my head, warm and fizzy, as I pulled into Sean’s driveway. It was nearly four in the afternoon. My eyes scanned the place before I even got out of the car. Same house as last week, but now Sam’s “I-want-you-to-fall-in-love” description popped in my head. The house wasn’t flashy, just classic charm, like its owner. The man who secretly had great taste and looked ridiculously good.
The front door opened, and Abby stepped onto the porch, waving.
I climbed out of the car. “Hi, Abby.”
“Nice to see you again, Mel,” she said, walking toward me with a smile. “Those Bloomberg-cover worthy pictures online are just—” She kissed the tips of her fingers.
I flushed.
“I half expected a musical montage when you pulled up,” she added.
I laughed. “You’re your brother’s sister.”
“C’mon in,” she said, guiding me up the steps. “I’ll give you the tour before Jeff and I hit the road.” Then, she added with a lilt in her voice, “First weekend just the two of us since I moved in.”
Inside, the house was airy and lived-in, as I remembered—not overdone, comfortable. A few of Cassy’s toys sat in the carpeted area, and one of those oversized throw blankets hung half-folded on the back of the couch.
I could feel how much the quiet meant to Sean, and my chest ached in a weird, wonderful way. I was seeing more than walls and furniture—it was him scattered in the details, tucked into the corners if you looked closely enough. I was starting to read him through his things.Coach Calm-and-Sure. The nickname still fit. Though, after that recent photo shoot,Coach Heartthrobmight be more accurate.
Abby walked me through the kitchen and the living room and pointed out Cassy’s room. “She’s glued to a cartoon on her iPad,headphones on. Some animated movies that, I swear, the house could take off with her in it, and she wouldn’t notice until the credits rolled.” She winked. “My escape plan. She already said her goodbye, but if I let her linger, she’d cling and say she wants to see Dad too.”
Then she nodded to Sean’s door. “He keeps it locked, but this is the key.” She stuck one out from the set and handed me the whole thing. “You’ll probably end up spending more time here, so… just letting you know where things are.”
I’ll be spending more time here?My insides fast-forwarded straight into warm and fuzzy. Overreaction much?
I nodded, my brain mushy at the idea of sharing space with Sean.
“There are two more rooms down the hall. Your choice,” Abby said with a knowing look I didn’t know how to read. We walked back to the living room. “I left notes on Cassy’s bedtime routine, favorite snacks, and emergency contacts on the fridge. You’ll be great.”
“You’re trusting me with your daughter in your brother’s house.”
She grinned. “Sean doesn’t do things halfway. If you’re here, he’s already decided you’re important.”
My breath caught. I managed to smile back, heart ticking faster. Abby was welcoming me into his world from the inside, and I totally got the probable new-friend alert.
“Okay,” she said, opening the door and grabbing her weekend bags sitting on the side. “Jeff’s already texting, as if we didn’t arrange for me to pick him up from the airport and head straight out.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Abby.”
She gave me a quick hug. “Good luck surviving the penguin obsession.” Then she was gone, leaving me standing in Sean’s house.
It was exactly the kind of home you’d expect from a man who could still rock hockey gear but now wore tailored suits—one story, spread in a wide L-shape around the back lawn. Inside, it was clean lines, warm wood, cool stone, and leather seating that looked expensive but inviting. Black-framed photos hung in a measured grid—some hockey, some landscapes, well-chosen for the whole decor.
I walked to the window and brushed my fingers along the frame, eyes drifting toward the expansive lawn and the gazebo. A laugh escaped me at the memory of Sam’s moonlight comment:kiss me dizzy.
I already missed her. She should’ve landed by now. Her car and boxes wouldn’t arrive for another week, which made the distance between us feel even more real.
“Mom?” Cassy’s voice chirped from down the hall.
I turned from the window and went to meet her.
“Hi, Cassy. It’s Mel.”
“Hi, Mel. Mom said you were coming.”
“That’s right.” I crouched down to her level. “So, your mom left to spend time with your dad. I was wondering…”
She blinked at me, all five-year-old curiosity. “What?”
