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As we turned towards the entrance, I looped my arm through Sebastian’s. Normal was good. Here I was, walking into a restaurant for a meal with friends, close to a man who could make my heart race with nothing more than a glance. That was the best kind of ordinary.
Across the dimly lit street, I spotted Sunny, his eyes fixed on us, before he melted back into the shadows. It was such a quick glimpse of him that I wasn’t entirely sure I’d seen him correctly.
A shiver crept along my spine. I knew Greyson would still have people watching over me. And I recognized Sunny, so why couldn't I shake off the eerie sensation?
“Kennedy!” Carrie’s voice shattered my unease.
I turned to see her bounding toward me, her long hair bouncing with each enthusiastic step. Her arms enveloped me in a hug so tight it almost squeezed out my anxiety.
“Sorry we’re late, but I cannot be blamed. Wait till you hear about the twins’ latest escapade.”
She launched into a story about how her mischievous toddlers had created a modern art masterpiece out of what used to be a boring couch, thanks to the gift of mashed carrots and a serious miscommunication about who was watching the kids. I found myself laughing, and my momentary freakout seemed rather silly. I knew Greyson had men watching me. He probably always would.
Keith stood by with an indulgent smile, clearly accustomed to being the audience to his wife’s animated storytelling. His gaze shifted between Carrie and me before landing on Sebastian, who extended his hand in greeting.
“Keith, right?” Sebastian's voice was smooth, confident, and friendly.
“Sebastian Wright.” Keith shook Sebastian’s hand heartily. “Heard a lot about you. From ESPN and now from Carrie.”
“Hopefully, all good things,” Sebastian said, giving me a raised eyebrow.
“Absolutely.” Keith assured him, and there was the faintest starstruck tone in his voice before he coughed.
Carrie’s gaze met mine and widened, and I suppressed a giggle. Apparently, Sebastian could impress anyone.
But Sebastian quickly struck up a conversation with Keith, and the starstruck moment passed in seconds as the two of them started to delve into a discussion about cars. Warmth blossomed in my chest as Carrie went on to tell me about how she’d been researching au pairs on the drive over, because clearly the twins needed all new levels of supervision. The night already felt comforting, grounding, like exactly what I needed.
The warm, yeasty scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air as we entered the Italian restaurant.
Carrie’s eyes met mine, and we barely sat down before we descended on the bread basket. It held an array of crisp ciabatta, fragrant focaccia, and the garlic knots I’d been praising on the way over. Sebastian probably didn’t want any of those, so I took his.
“Looks like you ladies have found your happy place,” Sebastian teased.
“If you want any, you’d better stake your claim now,” Carrie said.
Keith lifted his beer in a mock toast. “It’s all you, ladies. We’ll get our grains in the beer.”
I stole a glance at Sebastian, who seemed more at ease than when we first started the evening. Keith’s relaxed demeanor must have been infectious because they were starting to banter comfortably.
Our conversation was interrupted by a little boy around six or seven, who tugged on his mother’s hand, eyes wide with awe as they drew closer to our table.
“Sebastian Wright, right?” the boy piped up, voice trembling with excitement. “You play for the Demons!”
I watched as Sebastian’s features softened, his smile genuine. “That’s me, buddy. What’s your name?”
“Tyler,” the boy answered, a mixture of shyness and thrill in his tone.
“Nice to meet you, Tyler.” Sebastian extended his hand for a high-five which the boy eagerly met. “So, do you play hockey too?”
Tyler nodded vigorously. “Yes! I want to be a goalie.”
“Goalie, huh? That’s the heart of the team.” Sebastian’s eyes glinted with respect. “Takes courage to stand in front of those pucks.”
“Sometimes it’s scary,” Tyler admitted, looking down at his shoes.
“Hey, even the best get scared sometimes.” Sebastian leaned in closer, conspiratorially. “Between you and me, I still get nervous before every game.”
“Really?” Tyler's eyes widened further.
