Unexpected Bond: Unexpected Arrivals #4 Read online

  “We’re going to head out,” Ridge says.

  “I’ll stay back, and if she’s forgot something, I’ll toss it in my truck if it won’t fit in her SUV,” Seth tells him.

  “Thank you all so much for your help today. You’ve made this process a lot less stressful.”

  “That’s what we do,” Kent says.

  Seth and Amelia have both said something similar to me. “I have a key. You okay with us moving stuff in? We can move it where you want it later,” Mark asks.

  “That’s perfect. Thank you.”

  With a wave from the guys and a hug from the girls, they all leave. “I’m going too,” Amelia says. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “Drive safe.” I hug her tight. Amelia and I were college roommates and she quickly became my best friend. I was sad when she moved home and missed her like crazy. I have to admit being close to her again is a big part of the appeal of this new position. Not to mention the flexibility for me as a single mom. I like the fact that if she’s sick, I can bring her to work with me since I’ll be the only one there for the majority of the day. Ridge and Kendall both assured me that needing time or adjusting my hours as needed was fine. I had them put it in writing. Not that I didn’t believe them, but human resources is my background. If it’s not signed and documented, it didn’t happen.

  “Okay.” I look over at Seth and Finley. “I guess it’s time.” I start down the hall, and they follow me. I go into Finley’s room and let the memories of my baby girl wash over me. Sliding open her small closet, I check to make sure nothing is left behind. It’s empty. “On to the next room,” I say, holding in my emotions. Seth and Finley follow me to the bathroom, where I find a drawer with extra hand towels. “Oops,” I say, and Finley repeats me.

  “Oops.”

  I don’t find anything else in the bedrooms or bathrooms. Checking the kitchen, I don’t find anything either. “The washer and dryer are loaded,” I say, so I don’t need to check them. “I think we’re good.” Grabbing my keys from my purse that’s on the counter, I take the house key off the ring and leave it in plain sight. “My landlord said they would come by and pick it up.”

  “All set?” Seth asks.

  “Yeah, just need to get this little one in her coat.” With Seth’s help, since she refuses to come to me, I get her in her winter coat and all zipped up.

  “I’ll carry her out for you.” Seth grins.

  “I really am starting to get a complex.”

  “Aw, babe. I’m sorry. Finley, Mommy needs some love,” he tells her. Leaning her over, he prompts her to give me a hug and a kiss, which she does obediently before settling back in his arms. “I need to run outside and start our cars. Hang with Mommy for a minute, okay?” She nods and reaches her arms out for me. It’s like my kid is in some kind of Seth trance. “Hand me your keys.” He holds his hand out and I give them to him. “I’ll be right back.”

  “What do you think, Finley? Do we like him?”

  “I wike Sef.” She grins, showing me her teeth.

  I chuckle. “Yeah, Mommy likes him too.”

  “Shew, it’s gotten colder out there.” Seth walks back into the house, rubbing his hands together. “I’ll follow behind you two. You remember the way?” he asks.

  “Yes. You don’t have to wait on us.” He gives me a look that tells me he’s going to follow us back to Jackson regardless of what I say. “Okay,” I concede. “Thank you.”

  “Much better.”

  “Let’s get you loaded up.” He reaches his arms out for Finley, and she leans into him, letting him take her from my arms. “Ready?” he asks me.

  I nod. I’m ready despite being sad; this is all so final. A new chapter is about to begin. “Yeah,” I say, my voice giving me away.

  “Come here.” With his free hand, he pulls me into him. Finley loves this idea and wraps her hand around my head. The three of us stand here in an embrace.

  “My go bye-bye,” Finley says, and we pull away smiling at her.

  “Yes. Let’s go bye bye,” I say.

  Seth helps me load her into her seat, kisses the top of her nose, and closes the door. “Call me if you need to stop or anything. I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Thank you, Seth. For everything.”

  He cups my cheeks with his large calloused hands. “I wanted to be here.” That’s all he says, but his eyes tell me so much more. He feels this too. I know he does. It sounds crazy to have this kind of connection to him this soon, only meeting him twice, but it’s there all the same. After all those messages, I feel like I’ve known him for years.

  Chapter Three

  Seth 3

  * * *

  The guys’ trucks are lined up on the street, and the driveway is open. I wait for Mara to park her Pathfinder before I back into the driveway. I take my time getting out of my truck. I was hoping there would be more to unload so I could stay busy, but the guys’ trucks are unloaded. I know it surprised everyone I was there early today. They’ve known me long enough they can see right through me. It won’t take much for them, especially Amelia and the wives, to put together who the girl is I can’t stop thinking about. The one that I’ve only met one time.

  Mara.

  “Sef!” I hear my name being called. Turning, I see Mara and Finley standing outside my truck door.

  Grabbing my keys and my phone, I open the door, careful not to hit them. “Let’s get you ladies inside.”

  “You okay?” Mara’s green eyes study me as if she can see right through me.

  “You know it.” Unless you count this attraction that I feel for you. The way I want to crush my lips to yours, trace every inch of your skin, and make you mine. I’m just fine unless you count all that.

  “Sef,” Finley says again, and leans away from Mara, reaching out for me.

  I take her into my arms and bounce her. “Look at your new house. Are you excited?” She just watches me for a minute, then turns to look at the house. With my hand on the small of Mara’s back, I guide her to the front porch. I’ve been to this house more times than I can count. The guys and I have late-night poker nights; we take turns and end up crashing on the floor or the couch. Mark’s old place was no exception. The guys are married off, well, all but Kent and me. They have wives and babies growing our family. I’m happy as hell for them and a little envious if I’m honest. We still have poker night, just not as religiously as we used to. I get that their lives are changing with wives and kids. I understand that, but the green-eyed monster of envy sometimes does not.

  “Honey, we’re home,” I call out as we enter. Mara walks ahead of me, breaking our connection.

  “Home,” Finley says, mocking me.

  “You little stinker.” I tickle her belly, stealing Mara’s word for her. Her laugh, it’s the sweetest damn laugh I’ve ever heard. “You sound like a mockingbird,” I tease.

  “Come see Aunt Amelia.” Amelia holds her hands out for Finley and she shakes her head and then snuggles into my chest.

  “Aw, sweetheart, look, Aunt Amelia is sad.” She turns just enough to glance at Amelia, who’s playing along and has her bottom lip jutted out. “I think she needs a hug. Can you do that for me?” I ask her.

  She nods and sits up, holding her hands out for Amelia. “You’ve captured her full attention, that’s for sure,” Mara says, coming back to stand next to me. “She usually can’t wait to run around like a little tornado. With you around, all she wants to do is be carried.”

  “Just hers?” I ask before I can stop myself. Thankfully, Amelia is already out of earshot, taking Finley to see her new room. A faint shade of pink tints her cheeks.

  For the second time, she says, “I’m a single mom.” It comes out like the fact should scare me.

  “I know. To an adorable little girl, who is already my biggest fan.” I smirk and she laughs. I love this, seeing her eyes sparkle when she laughs. The way she tilts her head back just slightly. All things I missed when we were texting. I missed getting t
o see her like this. I can’t seem to take my eyes off her now that she’s here in the flesh.

  “I’m sure you have women falling at your feet.” She tries to deflect.

  “Not the one I want.” It’s true. I want her. I’ve fought it, and I’ve thought about it long and hard. I know what it means to date a single mom. I know the responsibility that comes with it. I also know the consequences if I’m not all-in. One being that I’ll eventually have to see her and Finley with another man. That’s just not going to work for me.

  “What are you saying, Seth?”

  “I’m saying that for the last, what, six or seven months, you’re all I’ve been able to think about. I know you’re a single mom. I know what that means. That doesn’t scare me, Mara. She’s a part of you.” At this point, I couldn’t even envision Mara without Finley. They’re a pair.

  “I don’t want her to get attached and then you walk away.”

  “She’s already attached. You can’t keep her from being hurt. You can’t guard her from life. But,” I say, placing my index finger under her chin to bring her eyes to mine when she looks at the floor. “I have no intention of hurting either of you.”

  “So, what? You want to date me?”

  “Yes.” My answer is immediate and there is zero hesitation.

  “Slow,” she says, surprising the hell out of me. “We take things slow. I know we’ve been getting to know each other, but over text messages is a lot different than in person. Finley is now involved. I can’t hide you in my phone forever.”

  “You set the pace,” I tell her. Her shoulders relax and a slow smile tilts the corner of her lips. I want to puff out my chest and tell the world that I put that smile there. What is she doing to me?

  She nods. “I set the pace.”

  “What’s got the two of you looking so serious over here?” Amelia asks with a giggling Finley in her arms.

  “Furniture placement,” I say, trying to diffuse the situation. I meant it when I said that she sets the pace. That includes telling our friends. Speaking of friends, things between Amelia and I are as if last weekend never happened. I still can’t believe we were drunk enough to sleep together. I’m never drinking like that again. Ever.

  “I’m going to go round up the guys and unload my truck.” I give Mara’s shoulder a squeeze as I pass by her. I want to kiss her, but our first kiss won’t be a short peck in passing. No, I want to devour her.

  The wives are in the kitchen unpacking boxes and setting everything on the counter when I walk in. “Hey, where are the guys?”

  “Garage,” Reagan says, pointing at the garage door.

  “What’s up?” I ask, joining them.

  “Just staying out of their way.” Mark motions toward the door that I just walked through.

  “We’re the muscle,” Kent says, flexing his arms.

  “Come on then, muscles. I have my truck backed up and ready to unload.”

  “We heard you pull in. What took you so long?” Tyler asks.

  “Had to say hello to the women,” I say as an excuse. Not that I was convincing the beautiful Mara to date me. One, they would never let me live it down, and two, she sets the pace.

  “Let’s get the rest unloaded. I’m sure she wants to get settled,” Ridge says, opening the side-entry door and letting in the cool January air.

  It takes the five of us maybe fifteen minutes to finish unloading my truck. “Now what?” I ask Mara.

  She looks around at all the boxes and furniture and sighs. “I don’t really know.” She laughs.

  “Tell us how you want the furniture arranged in here, and we’ll get it moved for you. Then we’ll go to your room and Finley’s. That way all you have to do is unpack,” I suggest.

  “Okay.” She looks at the room as if she’s trying to work it out in her head.

  “When Mark lived here, he had the couch here, the loveseat over there.” Dawn points out how the room was laid out.

  “I like it. Let’s go with that.”

  “You sure?” I ask her.

  She nods. “I’m not super picky and the layout makes sense. Let’s do it.”

  “No, you move on to the next room, decide how you want it. This won’t take us long.” I avert my gaze to keep from watching her walk down the hall.

  It takes us all of ten minutes to change the furniture around. The longest part was moving boxes out of the way. “Next?” I say, walking into the master bedroom.

  “I think this room is good. I like the bed where they set it up. The dressers too. I’m going to go check Finley’s room now.” I follow her out of the room and across the hall to Finley’s.

  “I set her crib up,” Tyler tells her. “It’s solid.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that so much. It took me days to put that thing together the first time.”

  I want to ask her where Finley’s dad was. All I know is that he’s no longer in the picture. She’s never gone into detail and I’ve never pushed for more either. However, if we’re doing this, we’ll need to discuss it eventually. Just like I’ll have to confess about sleeping with Amelia. I shudder at the thought.

  Fuck, I’m seriously never drinking again.

  “This room looks good too. I can’t thank you all enough for the help. You’ve made this move so much easier.”

  “Anytime,” Tyler says, turning to leave the room. “Reags!” I hear him call out for his wife. “I’m starving.”

  “I’m going to order some food,” Mara says, heading toward the door.

  “Hey.” Reaching out, I hold her arm. “You’re not feeding this brood.” It would cost her an arm and a leg.

  “Of course I am. That’s the least that I can do with all the help everyone has given me.”

  “Nope. I’ll order a few pizzas.”

  “Seth.” She sighs. “You don’t have to take care of me. I’ve been doing this on my own for a long damn time.”

  That’s something else she’s been vague about. I don’t know her history, just that she’s alone. I want to know why. How? How could a woman as kind and as beautiful as her have no one? Where’s her family?

  “Consider it a welcome-to-the-neighborhood offering. Better yet, we can chalk this up to our first date.” I give her a wide smile and the corner of her mouth tilts into a grin.

  “You don’t give up, do you?”

  “On you? Never.” Placing my hands on her shoulders, I turn her body toward the door and walk with her out of the room.

  Two hours later, we’re sitting in the living room, bellies full of the pizza I ordered. The women are in the kitchen helping Mara put everything away that they unpacked, while the guys and I are sitting here on our asses. We did the heavy lifting. Besides, I have a dark curly-haired angel sleeping against my chest.

  “Cute kid,” Ridge says, pointing to Finley, who plopped down in my lap to eat and never left.

  “Yeah.” I agree she’s pretty damn cute.

  “She seems to like you,” Tyler adds.

  “You seem to like her,” Mark chimes in.

  “You seem to like each other.” Kent laughs. “Hey, I wanted to be in on this too.” He shrugs.

  “I mean, I am irresistible,” I say. I know what they mean, and I do like her, and it’s the icing on the cake that she seems taken with me.

  “It’s Mara, right? The one you can’t stop thinking about?”

  Damn. “You a mind reader?” I ask.

  “No.” He chuckles.

  “She’s hot,” Kent comments.

  “Don’t even.” I point at him.

  “Thank you for your help.” I hear Mara say. Looking up, I find the ladies joining us in the living room. “I’m sorry. I’ll take her,” Mara says when she sees me.

  “I’m good,” I tell her, placing my hand on Finley’s back. Her eyes lock on mine like she’s trying to figure me out. Yeah, join the club, sweetheart. You have me doing and thinking things I didn’t think I was ready for.

  “Call us if you need anything,” Amelia says,
breaking us out of our trance.

  “We’ll come by tomorrow and ride over to my mom’s together. Let Finley get used to her and her house before Monday,” Kendall tells her.

  “I can’t thank you enough. All of you. You’ve made this move so much easier.”

  I remain seated as she hugs everyone goodbye. “You want her in her bed?” I ask.

  “Yeah, but I need to get her changed into some pajamas. Lay her on my bed. It’s easier than her baby bed.”

  Carefully, I stand and take my time making my way to her bedroom. It already smells like her. I slowly inhale, memorizing her scent.

  “Ready,” she says, holding up a pair of purple pajamas.

  Trying not to wake Finley, I place her on the bed. “I’ll step out while you change her.” I don’t want to be a creeper.

  “Thanks, Seth.”

  In the hallway, I stand with my head tilted back against the wall, waiting for her to emerge.

  “Sef,” a sleepy Finley says.

  I feel her words in the pit of my stomach. It’s like it’s twisting and knotted up, but not in a bad way. It’s a good feeling—knowing she’s asking for me.

  “Seth’s still here,” Mara assures her. “Lift up for Mommy,” Mara tells her. “There. You ready to sleep in your new room?” Mara asks as they step out of the room.

  “Hey, sweetheart.” I wave awkwardly to Finley. However, not without reward. Her little face lights up with a smile.

  “What have you done to my daughter?” Mara asks, her tone teasing and her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

  “We’re buds, right, Finny?” She doesn’t reply but rubs her sleepy eyes.

  “Let’s get you in bed,” Mara says, stepping down the hall and entering Finley’s bedroom.

  “Sef,” Finley whimpers, and her plea reaches in my chest and grips my heart.

  “Hey.” I step into the room. She holds her arms out for me where she’s standing in her bed. I don’t ask for permission as I lift her into my arms and snuggle her to my chest. “What’s going on?” She burrows into my chest, her head on my shoulder. “You have to get some sleep. You get to meet Sonia tomorrow. Are you excited?”