little straighter in his seat. “Okay…”
“It’s nothing bad,” I said when it was clear that was where his mind had gone. “It’s just—” Damn it, why was I suddenly so nervous?
“It’s just what?”
I traced my finger around the base of my wine glass and then said, “My parents are coming to town.”
Sean frowned. “They are? When?”
“Next weekend.” When Sean merely looked at me, waiting for more of an explanation, I took in a deep breath and then let it out. It was now or never. “It’s my birthday, and they thought they’d—”
“Wait, it’s your birthday? Shit, did I miss it?”
It was hard to believe that in all the years we’d known each other, we had no clue about these kinds of details. I couldn’t have said when Sean’s birthday was, and the fact that we knew each other so well in some ways, and hardly at all in others, made me smile. It was an interesting and wonderful mix, this familiarity and discovery.
“No, you didn’t miss it. It’s August twenty-second.” The sheer relief on his face made me ask, “When’s yours?”
“December second.” He rubbed at his forehead. “Thank God I’m not the only one who didn’t know.”
That made me laugh. “Why would you?”
“I don’t know, seems like something I probably should’ve known. Anyway, sorry, so your parents are coming to town.”
“Yes. Mom wanted to stay with me, but obviously I’m not staying there and had to explain that to her.”
Sean eyed me, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“I told her about us—together. I hope that’s okay.”
Sean didn’t say anything at first, then he sat forward and reached across the table for my glass of wine. He took a long swallow and then placed it on the table before nodding. “Yeah, that’s cool.”
I arched an eyebrow. “That’s cool?”
“It’s okay. I just—” When Sean cut his words off, my stomach sank. He wasn’t okay with this. I could tell by the look on his face, the tone of his voice. “What if they don’t like me?”
“Don’t like you? Sean, they’ve known you your entire life.”
Sean leaned across the table and said in a low voice, “As Bailey’s older, pain-in-the-ass, no-good brother. Not as your boyfriend.”
All of my worries about him not being okay with this disappeared in that moment. He wasn’t concerned about them knowing we were together, but that they wouldn’t think he was good enough for me.
“They’re going to love you,” I said, lacing my fingers with his. “How could they not?”
Sean still looked unconvinced, but he nodded. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“Good. I told them they could stay at my place, since it’s empty. Mom seemed happy with that, since she wants to throw a party.”
“A party, huh?”
“That’s what she said, but I wanted to check with you first. I wasn’t sure you’d be comfortable enough about us for that just yet.”
“If I was any more comfortable, it would be indecent. I don’t care who knows I’m with you, Xander. Not one little bit.”
Sean brought my hand to his lips and kissed my palm, and my breath got caught somewhere in the back of my throat.
“Tell them I’m looking forward to seeing them.”
I nodded, my words disappearing completely at the affection in Sean’s eyes.
“You want dessert?”
“Yes. But nothing on that menu. Take me home?”
Sean raised his hand and called, “Check, please.”
7
Sean
“READY TO SWEAT, anchorman?”
I grabbed my front door key off the entry table and slipped it into the zip pocket inside my shorts, as Xander finished tying his running shoes. The sun was barely up, but with the heat and humidity lingering from the day before, this morning’s run would still be a tough one.
“Ready to sweat and kick your ass,” Xander said, straightening and cracking his neck from side to side.
I winced, never understanding how that made anything feel better. “Kick my ass, huh? That’s a pretty arrogant claim, considering we’ve broken even over the last couple of days.”
Yeah, these workouts had turned into a game of physical one-upmanship.
“Broken even?” Xander scoffed. “I don’t think so. I’ve beaten you every single time.”
“Uh ah,” I said as we walked toward the front door. “That’s not how I remember it.”
“No? Then how do you remember it?”
Once the front door was shut and locked, I took a nice, long look at Xander, who was waiting by the SUV in his loose grey running shorts and blue Nike workout shirt. He looked fit, sexy, and ready to—just like he said— kick my ass.
Bring it on.
“The way I remember it”—I sauntered