The Courage To Love (Love On The North Shore) (21 page)

How had his life turned to crap so fast? First his father’s reappearance followed by his mother’s confession. And now this. The only bright spot in all of it had been Mia.

Don’t go there. Ever since he had walked out of her hotel room, he’d repeated the same thing over and over. Their worlds were too different for it to ever work. Even so, he missed their conversations and her compassion. Right now he could use some of her understanding and willingness to listen.

At the moment he didn’t know who he was more furious at—his mother or father. Both played with his life to suit their own needs and wants. Maybe he liked his life the way it was. For years now it’d worked for him. Why mess with it? A tiny voice in the back of his head inched out of the dark place where he kept it. You don’t love running the bed and breakfast, it whispered. So what?

Grabbing a rock, he chucked it toward the woods. Okay, he didn’t love it. Most people didn’t love their jobs. Rather, they made the best of them. Did what they had to. Why should he be any different? Picking up another rock, he tossed it harder this time. Maybe he should see about managing The Victorian Rose for Sherbrooke Enterprises. No one knew the place better than him. Life would stay much the same if he did that. At the same time, he’d fix up the house next door as planned and maybe put it up for sale.

Rather than lift his black mood, his plan sent his spirits plummeting even further.

Grow a set already, O’Brien. Maybe now was the time to take a page out of his parents’ playbook and think of only himself.

***

Pressure pushed her into the leather seat. Outside the window, the airport and runway grew smaller and smaller as the jet climbed toward the sky. Soon Boston would be little more than a pleasant memory, and she’d start work on another set for her current movie.

When the city below became a dot on the landscape, she picked up her e-reader. She’d started a biography about Cleopatra on Monday as a way to pass the time at night and keep her mind occupied. So far she’d made little progress on the book.

“I expected to see Sean here today,” Avery said. She had her own e-reader out. “Did he stop by yesterday?”

“We said our goodbyes on Saturday night.” Had she already read this page? It sounded familiar.

“Goodbye as in for good? I thought you planned on inviting him to California. What happened?” Avery dropped her e-reader into her carry-on.

Mia turned off hers, too. Between her lack of concentration and her sister’s questions, she’d never make any progress right now “I wanted to, but I didn’t get the chance. Sean ended things on Saturday.”

Tears began to build up again. This time she refused to let them come. Already that week she’d wasted enough tears on Sean.

“I thought this one might work for you. You seemed so happy, and he got along so well with everyone at Gram’s. Was it because of the distance?”

Mia looked out the window again. She’d shared the same view at one time. In fact, even up until they boarded the jet, she thought after he had time to think he’d show up with a change of heart. “Something like that.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, but somehow she kept the tears back.

A warm hand slipped over hers. “I’m sorry. I know you cared a lot about him,” Avery said, her voice kind and sympathetic. “But it’s for the best. With you living on different coasts it would’ve been hard.”

Yeah, she’d told herself the same arguments. Not that they helped. Her heart insisted on doing its own thing. “Avery, I don’t want to discuss this right now. Can we talk about something else?”

“You know I’m right though.”

Here sister loved to have the last word. “Not now, Avery.” Mia allowed her aggravation to creep into her voice. “Maybe some other time.”

“Fine.” Avery pulled her hand away. “Did you know Mark ended his engagement?”

Avery always did know the gossip on every set. “Where did that rumor start?” Gossip like that came and went with the wind.

“From Mark. I overheard him on the phone with Shauna. When he got off he told me he’d asked her to move out of his LA apartment before he returned. He didn’t come right out and say it, but I think you’re part of the reason. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

Her sister’s comment warranted an eyeball roll even if the behavior was childish. “Mark and I are friends. And he looks at every woman like that. Even you.”

“No, it’s different when he looks at you. Since his engagement is off maybe you should see about starting something with him. Who knows where things will go? If nothing else it’ll help get your mind off Sean.”

Mia turned her e-reader back on. “I’m going to read now.”

***

Sean jotted down the cell number, then deleted the message from his father. Since their meeting in Boston weeks earlier, his father hadn’t reached out again until today. Even without the contact, his father and Taylor hadn’t been far from his thoughts. Neither had the conversations with Mia about the situation.

It wasn’t only those conversations with Mia that haunted him. Every second they’d spent together slipped into his day-to-day thoughts. Each time they did, his resolve about ending things took a beating. He missed her. If he said any different, he’d be lying. At the same time, if he’d keep things going with her, it would only turn out this way at some point. Thanks to the media, everyone knew celebrities like Mia never stayed in one relationship for long.

Forget about her. Get back to work. His footsteps echoed as he crossed the empty dining room. Tomorrow the electrician started work updating the house. Once Tom was finished, he’d come in and tackle the work he planned to do himself. The swinging door between the dining room and butler’s pantry squeaked when he pushed on it, and only three of the light bulbs gave off light in the tiny room located between the dining room and kitchen. There was no point in replacing those now. At some point all new light fixtures would be put in. The other door in the pantry, which went into the kitchen, hung at an odd angle, the hinges at the top half-pulled out of the wall. After unscrewing the bottom hinge, he removed the door and entered the kitchen. Similar in size and layout to the kitchen in The Victorian Rose, the room contained a thick layer of grime and ancient appliances.

It made sense to remodel the kitchen first. If he planned to live here, he’d need a working kitchen. Once his mother moved in with Ray, he’d be responsible for his own meals. And as of right now he planned to move in here as soon as possible. Before his mother’s decision, he hadn’t considered owning his own home. He’d accepted that he’d spend his life next door, running things with his mother. Now the idea held his full attention, and while he completed work here maybe he’d go back to working full time for the town. He knew everyone over at Town Hall. His first job after high school, with the highway department, had provided him with benefits and good pay. He’d given up the benefits to work part-time while starting the bed and breakfast. If he applied for his old position, he’d get it in a heartbeat. But that job held no surprises—unlike another option dangling in front of him.

Earlier in the week one of his former professors at MIT contacted him about an opening at MIT’s Lincoln Labs in Lexington. A position there would be challenging, to say the least. Never in his life had he imagined he might work at such a place. Yet even with the stellar recommendations he had from several professors, there was no guarantee he’d get the job. Positions at the facility didn’t come up every day and when they did,  the lab only hired the best of the best. At least he had an interview. It was a start.

Dropping his tool box on the floor, he pushed his future plans out of his head and got to work. If he was going to start renovating in the kitchen, it needed to be gutted first.

Footsteps in another room echoed through the house. “Sean, you here?” Tony’s voice reached him from the dining room.

“In the kitchen,” he answered as he opened his tool box.

“I’ve always wondered what it looked like in here,” Tony said as he entered the kitchen. “Reminds me of your house.”

“A little. What’s up?”

“Dropped my mother off at your house. She wanted to congratulate your mom.”

“She’s still not driving?”

“No. Doc says she has another week in the cast.” Several weeks earlier Tony’s mom fell down the stairs and broke her right leg. “Never would’ve guessed your mom and Ray would hook up.”

Sean gritted his teeth.

“My mom said they dated in high school. She thinks the whole thing is romantic,” Tony said.

“She would.” Sean wedged a crowbar between a bottom cabinet and the wall. A satisfying crack reached his ears as the cabinet separated from the wall.

“Yeah, at least the engagement got her to stop talking about you. Since that picture of you and Mia Troy showed up on the cover of The Star Report, she hasn’t stopped speculating.” Tony leaned against the door jamb. “Your family’s got some luck. First Charlie marries into the Sherbrooke family, and now you’ve got Mia Troy panting after you. I don’t know how you managed that. I always thought you’d end up with Jessica.” Tony paused to check his smart phone when it beeped. “Speaking of Jessica, have you taken a good look at her lately? I saw her at the gym yesterday. She’d just finished swimming. Christ, I never would’ve guessed she had a body like that under the clothes she wears at the store. Next time I see her, I might see if she wants to grab dinner.”

Red flags went up and his mind went into big brother protective mode. “Stay away from her, Tony. She’s not your type.”

Tony gave him an innocent look. “What, you’re the only one around here who can have fun?”

Sean narrowed his eyes and glared at his friend. “You can have all the fun you want, but stay away from Jessie.”

“Fine. So when will Mia be back in town?” Tony asked. “Ma would love to meet her.”

“She won’t be. I ended it.” Sean grabbed the sides of the cabinet and pulled it away from the wall.

Tony straightened up, his hands falling to his sides. “Are you crazy or something? Last year she was named the sexiest woman alive.”

A discussion about relationships with Tony Bates made about as much sense as talking sports with his mother. No, that wasn’t true. What his mother knew about sports far surpassed what Tony knew about relationships. He dated women for one reason and it had nothing to do with feelings.

“Instead of flapping your gums over there, how about you give me a hand.”

Tony grabbed a screwdriver from the tool box and started on the metal hooks above the stove. “If you let that one get away, you’re dumber than I thought. Most men would give up their left nut to be with her.”

“Good, then she won’t be lonely for long.” The memory of her kissing her co-star in Boston rose up again and his stomach curled into a knot. “We still meeting up at Steve’s for the ball game Sunday?”

“As far as I know. He didn’t say otherwise when I saw him yesterday.” Tony tossed the first set of hooks on the floor, then tackled the second. “Steve told me your father stopped by his dad’s karate school last week. Did you know your old man was back? He signed his daughter up for karate lessons. I didn’t know you have a half-sister?”

Sean’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the crowbar in his hands.

“Steve taught her class. He said she’s good. One of the best he’s seen in a long time.”

“You’re worse than the grim reaper, do you know that?” The cabinet he’d attacked let go of its hold on the wall. “Do you think you can work without talking?

Tony tossed the second set of metal hooks onto the floor. “I’ll do even better. I’ll go.” He threw the screwdriver back into the toolbox. “See you on Sunday for the game.”

“Yeah. See ya,” Sean called without looking up.

Alone again, he doubled his efforts attacking the cabinets along the floor. Before Tony’s visit, frustration and anger had made his mood bleak. Now it’d turned black. He didn’t need or appreciate everyone’s opinion on the decisions he made. Especially not from his friend who considered a woman a play toy. No matter what his mother and Tony said, he’d made the right decision. And as for his father and half-sister, well the jury was still out.

Chapter 14

It felt as if bricks weighed down on her eyes and she fought the urge to rub them as Mark pulled out of the parking lot. The night before, they’d filmed until eight, then she’d let her sister talk her into a night out. A new club had opened and Avery insisted it’d be just the thing to cheer her up. After several hours of dancing, she returned home for a few hours of sleep before reporting to makeup that morning at five o’clock.

If she’d only gone out that one night, she’d be fine now, but since her return to California Avery had dragged her out almost every other night. While she appreciated her sister’s efforts to cheer her up, she couldn’t keep up the pace. Especially considering that even on the nights she stayed home she didn’t get much sleep. Every time she closed her eyes Sean infiltrated her thoughts. Some nights she didn’t sleep at all, while on other nights she got a few hours before she woke up from a dream and realized Sean wasn’t there. Despite the weeks that had passed since he walked out of her hotel room, the pain was still fresh.