Page 84 of Sterling Heat

Adara is decked out in her first official holiday outfit, complete with red and white stripes and little stars on a blue background. We wait outside the Curmudgeon Bakery for Sebastian who said he’d close promptly at eleven when the parade begins.

Barnett exits the bakery first, and I swear the poor boy’s face is beat red when he looks at me.

“Hi Barnett. Happy Fourth of July.”

“Hi . . . Enya.” He stammers, slipping his hands into his front pockets. “July happy you to fourth.”

I bite my lower lip. He’s a handsome young man, and I’m flattered that I fluster him a bit. But he’s way too young for my liking. Sebastian has told me he’s a good kid, living with his aunt, and possibly getting a football scholarship if he keeps his head on straight.

I give Barnett a wave and he holds up his palm before rushing off, swiping a hand through his longish hair.

Sebastian exits the bakery next. He greets me by running his hand up my back before squeezing my neck and then planting a kiss on me that might be a little too much for public. When he pulls back, I’m stunned, but he wiggles his hands for Adara like he didn’t just kiss the breath out of me.

We’ve spent a glorious week exploring each other, learning our likes, and discovering new ones, with tongues and teeth and lips. However, we haven’t crossed the line to sex, and admittedly, I’m getting anxious it won’t ever happen. Not that what we have been doing isn’t pleasant, but it feels like Sebastian is still holding himself back. He said he’d try at us. The effort is present, but something is in the way of taking us to the next level.

When the parade starts, I expect everyone’s attention to be on the people marching past us, but I can’t ignore the stares of people I don’t know, whispering and wondering about Sebastian and me. Holding Adara, he looks like a proud new father. He no longer needs to pretend she is his. However, his actions contradict that he’s not her father, as he’s pointing out things she can’t even see and cooing to her like she understands big words like firefighter, schoolteacher, and baseball player.

“My, my, my, isn’t this a sight?” A short, trim woman walks up and stands beside Sebastian. She’s wearing a suit despite the heat and her blond hair is perfectly coiffed like a helmet on her head. A crooked smirk curls her lips, and I can’t decide if she’s scowling or smiling.

“Emory Milton, you just mind your own business,” a woman next to her tsks.

Instantly, I recognize the person who sold me the farmhouse. “Miss Wallace, so good to see you again.” It took some sleuthing to find out who owned the ramshackle home outside of town and even more investigating before learning she was interested in selling it. I’m surprised I haven’t seen the sturdy woman around town. Then again, I haven’t gotten out much and I need to do better.

“Just Trudy,” she admonishes, reminding me how she’s already told me to call her by her first name. “And girl, it is a pleasure to see you again. I’d heard you had an angel.”

She takes Adara’s leg between her dark fingers and jiggles the tiny limb.

“This is Adara,” Sebastian proudly answers before I can.

“And Sebastian Sylver, just what are you doing holding that baby?” Emory Milton asks, giving him the stink eye like she already knows what we played out. And knows the truth. Sebastian is not Adara’s dad.

“Emory,” Trudy grits, sternly side-eyeing her friend.

“I have a right to know what’s going on in my town.” Emory fiercely nods. Surprisingly, her perfect shade of blonde hair doesn’t even move with the terse motion.

“This ain’t your town.” Trudy stands taller, planting her hands on her wide hips while she glares at the woman beside her. “And ain’t nothing that says you need to know everybody’s personal business, either.”

“Well, my daughter is the mayor.” Pride effuses from Emory’s declaration.

“How is Emerson?” Sebastian asks.

The older blonde gives him a tight smile. “That’s Mayor Milton to you, and she’s doing just fine. If only that brother of yours would get his head out of his ass.”

“Emory Milton!” Trudy chides between a snort and a chuckle.

“Well, it’s the truth,” she drawls, narrowing her eyes at Adara, and cooing at her in a high-pitched falsetto. “They’d make beautiful babies. Yes, they would.”

Sebastian grunts and jiggles Adara. Trudy shakes her head.

“Ignore her.” Trudy waves a hand with bright red nails between us. “But you two certainly made a beautiful baby,” she coos, jostling Adara’s leg again.

I don’t want to burden Sebastian with the rumors, which circulated during book club, where Vale was on hand and quick to remind people her brothers were not a discussable topic.

“Oh, we didn’t—"

“Thank you.” Sebastian lifts Adara to kiss her head before blinding the women with a proud grin. Both women appear stunned at first, but Trudy slowly melts, warmly smiling at Adara.

Then Sebastian shifts his body and aims Adara toward the street. “Look, there’s Uncle Knox.”