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I smile and catch Matt watching Christine with a similar soft expression on his face. He meets my gaze. “They’re always like this,” he says. “One of the reasons I always liked coming over for dinner.”
“You weren’t scared of my big, bad dad?” Christine asks, then cackles. “But he’s so intimidating! He gave you the wholeHurt My Daughter and I’ll Shoot Youtalk and everything.”
“Quiet, Bug,” Sebastian says, then cuts into his pancakes. “What did I do to deserve such a disrespectful daughter?”
“Knocked up my mom when you were eighteen, probably.”
A bite of pancake goes down the wrong way. I choke, cough, then feel the hard thump of Sebastian’s hand on my back. Finally, I shove him away and spit out the bite into a napkin. “Sorry,” I say, eyes watering. I get up and stand by the sink, keeping my back to the three of them.
We were eighteen when I left Clare. That means he moved on pretty fast if he had Christine that same year.
“Here.” Sebastian hands me a cup of water, his other hand on my lower back. He watches me until I’ve finished most of it, then sets the cup down on the kitchen counter. His eyes are intent, concerned. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Maybe if I smile really wide, he’ll believe me.
Judging by the lowering of his brows, my strategy is unsuccessful.
“Don’t scare me like that,” he says quietly, then guides me back to the table.
Christine watches me curiously but not hostilely.
“I had Christine right after you left,” Sebastian says after a beat. His eyes are on his pancakes.
“I was an accident,” Christine informs the room at large. She doesn’t seem upset about it.
“I see,” I answer.
Sebastian scowls at his daughter, then glances at me. “She was an accident,” he confirms, then shifts his gaze to his daughter. “Best accident I ever had.”
Christine’s face softens, and she gives her dad a smile. “Even if you had to deal with Mom because I existed?”
Sebastian snorts, mopping up the last of his syrup with a bit of pancake. “No comment.” He winks at his daughter, and she laughs. It seems like a conversation they’ve had before.
Watching the two of them interact, I see with crystal clarity what my life could be like with Sebastian. He’s honest and unapologetic, but incredibly devoted. Once he decides he loves you, there’s no going back.
It’s a little terrifying.
We finish the rest of our meal, and then I make my excuses. “I have to go rustle up some artists and make sure I can have an opening after all.” I smile, gathering my things. “Thanks for breakfast, Sebastian. It was nice meeting you two.” I nod to Christine and her boyfriend.
Sebastian walks me out to my scooter, but before I can zoom away, he puts both hands on my cheeks and kisses me thoroughly. When we pull apart, he places a soft kiss on my forehead. “I’m sorry about this morning, Georgia. I promise I forgot Christine was coming. I didn’t mean to blindside you.”
I nod. “It’s okay. She’s a sweet kid.”
He must hear something in my voice, because he pulls away, his hands still on my cheeks and jaw, searching my eyes. “I should have told you about her coming to town earlier. I just… Every time you’re in the same room as me, it’s hard for me to think straight.”
My heart skips a beat, then redoubles in speed. “I have the same problem.”
He smiles, kisses me gently once more, then watches me drive away.
29
SEBASTIAN
The front dooris cracked a couple of inches when I turn back around. I plant my hands on my hips, and Christine opens it wider, grinning.
“You can’t expect me not to investigate, Dad. You’re the one who had a strange woman sleeping over without telling me. You haven’t dated anyone in years! I’m curious about her.”
“She’s not a strange woman,” I growl.
