All They Need - By Sarah Mayberry Page 0,57
a high priestess handing down an edict.
“That’s it, Mom’s spoken. No turning back now,” Justine said with mock solemnity.
Flynn decided to let it ride for the moment. In truth, he quite enjoyed camping out at Summerlea. It gave the endeavor a boy’s-own-adventure feel that helped distract him from the enormity of the job he’d undertaken and offered him a very delineated break from his life in the city.
It wasn’t long before it became clear that the youngest members of the family were heading toward cranky territory.
“Bedtime for you, my little friends,” Justine announced to her squabbling boys. “Time for us to go.”
It quickly became a mass exodus. Flynn shook hands with all the men and kissed Mel’s sister and her mother goodbye, then he was alone in the kitchen, surrounded by silence as Mel walked her family to their cars.
He glanced at the mess they’d made and began clearing the table, stacking plates and screwing the paper from the fish and chips into a tight ball. The dishwasher was full of clean dishes, so he left the stacked plates and glasses on the draining board and wiped the table.
He paused to check out the series of photographs stuck to the fridge door—a picture of Rex and Eddy, another of Val and Mike, a couple of postcards from various places in Europe. Just visible behind one of them was a shot of Mel in a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a tank top. Her hair was a wild spill around her shoulders, her face creased with laughter. Harry stood next to her sporting rock-god long hair, one arm looped around her shoulders.
Flynn’s gaze traveled over Mel’s long, muscular legs before finding her face. She had such a great smile. Like her laughter, it held nothing back, shouting to the world that she was open and accessible. Although the latter was probably more an illusion these days than reality. At thirty-one, Mel was far more battle-hardened than the girl in the photograph.
He heard the door open and close. He turned away from the fridge as Mel appeared. Her gaze swept the table and counter, and she gave him a grateful smile.
“Thanks for clearing the table.”
“Thanks for dinner.”
“Thanks for working like a dog for me all day.”
“Thanks for letting me barge into your family working bee.”
She laughed. “I’m all out of thanks. Would you like a coffee instead?”
“Thanks.”
She laughed quietly at his little joke as she took the jar of beans from the pantry.
“So, are you going to give in to the lure of civilization and stay in one of my cottages or are you going to go back to your man cave?” She glanced at him in order to gauge his reaction.
“I think I’m going to suck it up and brave the sleeping bag.”
“Then there’s no help for you.” She gestured dramatically with her free hand. “I officially give up.”
“Do you?”
He hadn’t meant it to sound like a challenge, but that was the way it came out.
The coffee canister hit the counter with a loud thunk. The instinct to make a joke so they could move past the moment was strong. Almost undeniable.
He didn’t want to push her.
And yet, he did, too. He was falling. It would be nice to have some idea where he might land.
So he waited.
CHAPTER TEN
MEL WAITED FOR FLYNN to say something—anything—to dispel the sudden tension in the room, but he remained silent. It was going to be up to her, then, to get them past this moment. This moment that had been heading their way for weeks now.
“You take sugar, right?” Her voice sounded a lot huskier than she would have liked. Almost sultry.
“I do.”
He was barely an arm’s length away, one arm propped on the counter as he watched her. Panic—excitement?—sent adrenaline surging through her bloodstream. She took a deep, calming belly breath.
“Is it that scary, Mel?”
She met his eyes. She intended to cover, to protect herself, but the truth popped out. “Yes.”
“Okay.” He sounded disappointed. “Then perhaps I should go. If that’s what you want.”
She stared at him, the right words forming in her mind but somehow not making it out her mouth.
“The thing is, I’ve always had a bit of a crush on you. Even when I shouldn’t have.” He said it lightly, but his words hit her low in the belly.
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. I’ve always loved the way you laugh. The way you smile. The way you hold yourself. Your body.”
She blinked. “I had no idea.”
“Then I guess I’ve picked up a few