AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She’s beautiful.” His mom looked a little misty-eyed. “Do you love her?”
“If I don’t already, I’m pretty sure it’s only a matter of time.”
She squeezed his arm. “Liam and Hammer look very happy. Is the brunette between them…”
“That’s Raine,” he finished. “She’s a doll.”
“And the other man with the beard?” She pointed to the right of Heavenly.
“Remember that asswipe I told you about at Christmas, Beck?” At her nod, he continued. “Well, he still wants her, too. And you can bet while I’m away, packing up and arranging my move, that he’ll be trying his damndest to convince Heavenly he’s her best choice. Just because he’s a doctor…” Seth sighed.
“What are her feelings for him?”
“I don’t know.” When his mother would have objected, he cut her off. “And I don’t care. What matters is what she feels for me. And I don’t intend to settle for anything less than making her mine.” He bent to retrieve a suitcase from the turning carousel. “This is it. I left the rest back in LA. You ready to get out of here?”
She took his free arm. “Let’s get you back to the house so you can tell the family.”
Absolutely. He’d thought this through over the past two days. He had a timetable and an agenda.
Thirty minutes later, he sat at the dining table in his mother’s house, surrounded by his family. He was holding his newborn niece on his lap and was captivated as the blue-eyed cutie stared back solemnly. She had that unforgettable baby smell, soft and fresh.
“She looks good on you.”
Seth looked up at Maggie. “You did good. Here, take her before I scare her. She doesn’t look too sure about me.”
For a moment, he had an image of a blond-haired cutie with eyes like her mother and almost laughed aloud. Christ, one step at a time. He looked over at his mom, her hand in Carl’s, lost in conversation. The twins wolfed down food like they hadn’t eaten in days. Danny smiled at his baby girl. Matt looked back at him, like he knew something was up.
“Matt, Cooper Investigations is yours if you want it.”
“What?” He reared back. “I don’t understand. What are you going to do?”
That halted conversation around the table. Everyone paused to look at him.
Their mother smiled. “Go on. Tell them.”
He looked at the faces of those who’d been his world for as long as he could remember. Everyone was carrying on with their lives…finding their way. The only one who’d been standing still was him. That realization no longer bred bitterness. He had a reason to move forward now. It was time to finally release the reins of caretaker and give himself permission to live his own life.
“I’m moving to LA.”
Eyes grew wide. Mouths gaped open and chaos erupted.
“You’re what?” Danny barked.
“Moving? You mean for good?” Shock lined Matt’s face.
“What made you decide to do that?” Danny demanded.
Conner smirked. “I bet he found a woman out there and—”
“Is she hot?” Jack looked far more interested than he had moments ago.
“Definitely,” Seth assured.
“I knew it! That’s the reason you were so sad over Christmas, isn’t it?” Maggie leapt from her chair and hugged him. “I knew you couldn’t possibly be a boinking manwhore for the rest of your life! I’m so happy for you!”
“What kind of work do you plan to do out there?” Matt asked, still looking stunned.
Carl didn’t say a word, simply chuckled, while his mother sent him an encouraging smile.
Seth raised his hands to ward off the barrage of questions. “If you’ll give me a minute. I’ll explain. Her name is Heavenly and—”
“Is she a stripper?” Conner asked with an eager grin.
“No! What the hell is wrong with you?” Seth growled as he smacked his idiot brother upside his head. “She’s a very sweet nursing student.”
“And she’s willing to date you?” Jack scoffed. “Must be something wrong with her.”
“Ha ha.” Seth wasn’t amused. “Do you want to listen to what I have to say or just bust my balls?”
Conner shrugged. “We can do both.”
“Hush, you two,” Grace admonished the twins with a scowl, then turned an understanding gaze Seth’s way.
“As far as what I plan to do out in California, well…I’ve decided to open up a branch of Cooper Investigations out there.”
“So, we’ll be working together on opposite coasts?” Matt arched his brows.
“Absolutely. We can expand our client base and cover more territory. I’m sure there are plenty of cheating spouses, missing persons, embezzlers, and assorted troublemakers to keep us busy.”
“You’ve thought this through, haven’t you?” Matt gaped.
“Yep.”
“Are you going to ask Heavenly to marry you?” Maggie asked with a wide grin.
“One thing at a time,” Seth dodged. But strangely, the thought wasn’t nearly as terrifying as it had been in the past.
“Hey, can we come to your place and hang out on the beach for spring break?” Jack asked.
