Seth lurched. Shit, he was going to puke.
Suddenly, his mom jerked her head up and saw him.
Grace gasped, but the man fucking her mistook it for passion, because he clutched her tighter and bellowed in a feral, hoarse roar.
Finally, Seth’s body unfroze and he stumbled into the living room.
“Seth!” his mom called in a trembling voice.
“I’m on the couch. I’ll give you a minute.” Or however long it takes to pull up your panties and lower your dress. “In fact, I’ll come by tonight.”
Grace appeared in the doorway, hand across her mouth and tears streaming down her cheeks. “No. Wait. I-I’m so sorry you walked in—”
“Don’t be.”
Sure, no child wanted to think about, let alone witness, his mother sexually, but she’d never remarried. She’d never even dated when they were kids.
Embarrassment tightened her face. The last thing Seth wanted was to see her beat herself up for being human.
As he hurried toward her, she broke down in sobs. He wrapped her in his arms. “It’s okay.”
“Please understand… I loved your dad. He was my whole world and I was devastated when… We all were.”
“Mom, don’t—”
“After he was gone, I concentrated on raising you boys. I didn’t have time to dwell on my own needs. But…things change.”
Yeah, they did. That truth had been slapping him in the face all winter.
“Don’t cry. I just came to talk. I didn’t know you were…” fucking a stranger on our kitchen table. “You’re a single woman entitled to…” fuck a stranger on our kitchen table.
The man peered around the corner, regret thick on his face, before he stepped into the family room, shoulders thrust back, head held high. He leveled a worried stare on Grace, then stuck out his hand. “Carl Mahoney.”
“Seth Cooper.” He accepted the man’s shake.
Grace grimaced. “Someone please shoot me.”
Despite the situation being awkward as hell, they all laughed. Seth would have stayed to calm his mom, but Carl took over, folding her in his arms. She glanced up at the man with love in her eyes. He met her stare with devotion. It was strange to witness his mother’s affection for another man, but Seth was glad she’d found happiness again.
After vowing to call before dropping by again, he kissed her cheek and headed to work.
Hours later, he was seated at his desk, shuffling papers while trying to forget the morning’s debacle, when his phone rang. He picked it up, expecting his mother. Instead, he was shocked to hear the sweet Irish lilt of Liam’s mom.
“It’s good to hear your voice, Bryn. How have you been?”
“Fine, but you’ve had a day of it, haven’t you?”
“As a matter of fact…” She had some wicked psychic abilities. He’d never believed in that shit—until her. So Seth wasn’t surprised she knew the sight he’d encountered that morning.
“Send your mother some flowers. She needs reassurance.” Bryn paused. “They’re in love, you know? She doesn’t need you watching over her anymore.”
Yeah, he’d gotten that message. And after all these years, she deserved to move on.
“If you give them your blessing, they’ll make each other deliriously happy for the rest of their lives.”
Had Bryn called him just to say that? “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now I have a lot to tell you, and we’ll get through this quicker if you listen.”
Bryn called him occasionally without warning. She’d steer him in this direction or that. Though skeptical at first, he’d eventually accepted her words as well-meaning gifts. In fact, he’d thought about calling her a time or two over the past few weeks to ask about Heavenly…but he hadn’t wanted her to confirm the situation was hopeless.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m concerned about you.”
The hair on the back of his neck prickled. “Me?”
“Of course. You haven’t stopped thinking about your girl for weeks. Honestly, dear…” She sounded exasperated.
As always, the woman was spot-on. “Go on. I’m listening.”
“The minute we hang up, order those flowers for your mother and tell her you love her. Then pack your bags.”
He froze. “Where am I going?”
“Don’t be daft. It’s time you headed back to LA. In fact, you’re almost too late.”
Seth didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “You mean I still have a chance with her?”
“You do—if you hurry. And if you don’t give up this time.”
His stubborn feelings for Heavenly weren’t ridiculous and hopeless?
Maybe it wasn’t logical, but hope lit the dark corners inside him for the first time in almost two months.
“Am I coming back here?” But his gut already told him the answer. He would put his business and his life here behind him if it meant having a future with Heavenly.
“Do you feel as if you belong in New York anymore?”
“No.” He’d been an outsider looking in from the moment he’d returned.
“You’ve come to that conclusion time and again. Why are you asking me what you already know?”
No sense arguing the truth. “I’ll be on a plane this weekend.”