Page 109 of Burning For You

After the tense conversation, it was for the best.

The same that she’d had plans tonight.

“I’d love a job like that,” Sara said. “Where I could be home in sweats all day.”

They placed their orders, then were silent for a few minutes. She really didn’t know why she was trying so hard.

Sara nudged Sean, he didn’t talk though.

She might as well try some more since she was here. “Sean was always quiet when we were younger. Both of us spent a lot of time in our rooms.” Sean didn’t say anything. “Oh, and I saw Dad’s friend Steve at one of the fires.”

“Steve Connor?” Sean asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“He’s at the bar. We saw him when we came in.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he’s with his wife. I don’t remember her name, but I recognized him. He didn’t say anything to me.”

“Maybe he didn’t know who you were,” she said. She turned and could see the corner of the bar, the man was there, right next to his wife and it was as if they noticed her. Jill nudging Steve, him turning and coming over.

“Why did you do that?” Sean hissed.

“I just looked. They are only going to say hi.”

“Skye,” Steve said. “Jill, remember I told you that I saw Skye. Oh wow, Sean? I didn’t notice you at the bar, but I thought you looked familiar.”

“Yeah,” Sean said, his voice low. “That’s me.”

Sean didn’t even bother to introduce Sara, so she did. “This is Sara, Sean’s girlfriend.”

Sara smiled, shook their hand, then when the air felt tense, Jill said, “Why don’t we let them eat. Steve told me he has your email. I’d like to maybe catch up.”

“Sure,” she said. “Just reach out.”

“Don’t talk to them,” Sean said.

“Why?”

“Because Steve is someone to stay away from.”

She frowned. “I don’t remember that.”

Sean’s voice dropped some. Like maybe he was embarrassed to be doing the big brother act, but she found she liked it just the same. Even that tiny glimpse of it,

“You weren’t around as much as me back then when they were there. Just stay away. And I don’t want to talk about our childhood,” he said. “Ours were nothing alike. Not even living in the same house.”

Yes, Sean got it harder from their father, but she got it from their mother.

She sighed when she saw Sara nudge his foot again. It was obvious he was forced to come here and maybe he was regretting it.

That even her presence seemed to get his back up when he said he’d changed. And the visit from their parents’ friends probably hadn’t helped.

“You don’t know it all,” she said calmly. “And I don’t want to fight. We can put it behind us. I didn’t see everything that happened to you and you didn’t see everything that happened to me.”

“And I don’t want to know either,” Sean said, picking up his beer. His second one before their food came out.