They were kindred spirits.
Exactly what you always wanted.
His biggest hurdle was getting her to look at him as something more than a friend who was great crack. Which, he’d learned recently, actually meant fun. Wholesome, non-drug related fun.
They were walking on the rocky beach from the brewery to a small seafood restaurant nearby and, when she climbed over the divider, he gripped her waist and lifted her easily, as if he’d done it a thousand times before. “You think I’m joking. I’ve found a beautiful woman who takes care of her parents, can hold her own with her brothers and lives to talk beer. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re not already taken.”
“I’ve thought the same about you, Seamus.” She winked. “Of course, then I remember a certain email where you told me your brother was voted your state’s sexiest senator. It must be hard to compete with that.”
“Funny.” She was teasing, but she wasn’t wrong. It was impossible to compete with Stephen and he’d long ago learned not to try. But she did say sexiest, and since they were twins he decided to take it as a compliment. “He’s happily married with kids now. But I’m available.” He squeezed her hand. “Also with kids. I know that sends a lot of women running in the other direction.”
She turned toward him and placed their joined hands on his chest. “Shame on you, Seamus. If I didn’t know you were joking—since like me you’re not one for rash decisions—I’d tell you that any woman who can’t appreciate a man who loves his children and family isn’t much of a woman at all.”
That wasn’t the problem. Women appreciated him all day long. At the kid’s afterschool activities, at the parent teacher meetings and at the pub. When they knew he was raising four children on his own, they couldn’t stop appreciating him.
That didn’t mean they wanted to date him. A large, ready-made family was a lot to take on, no matter how attractive they thought he was. And since one-night stands with tipsy pub patrons didn’t sit well with him and gay bars were forever off the table? He’d taken a lot of late night showers over the years.
Being a father was the most important thing in his life, and he made no apologies for that. When he looked back on how they came to be with him, as unbelievable as those circumstances still seemed he wouldn’t change a thing.
But he wouldn’t mind having someone to share it with. Owen, Stephen and Jen had all found their partners. His parents were still madly in love. Seamus was the only single member of his immediate family left and this was the first time in years he hadn’t been too busy to do anything about it.
What are the odds that you’d find two people to date after one week in another country?
One person. There was only one person he had the least interest in dating, and her name was Gillian.
He wasn’t going to think about Demir today.
“You’re not allowed to make that face on your vacation,” Gill told him sternly, dragging him toward the large building—covered in an unexpected but cheerfully bright blue and green beach scene, complete with palm trees. “Bess will make everything better. She does things with chowder that will curl your toes, and her fish and chips are light as air. Better than anything anyone else has to offer.”
After they’d been seated and Bess found out he was Gill’s friend from “the emails”, one platter after another kept appearing, and the curvaceous older woman looked so pleased when he cleaned each plate, he wasn’t sure if she was ever planning to stop.
“Look at that,” Gill laughed when another bowl of chowder was set down in front of them. “My brothers are lucky to get a biscuit between them with the tab they’ve left at her door, but she’s definitely taken a shine to you. A good judge of character, Bess.”
Seamus knew better. “She’s seen pictures of my kids hasn’t she?”
Gillian blushed. “Ages ago. They’re beautiful, Seamus. I couldn’t resist.”
He figured. Along with all the appreciation he got instead of actual dates, women loved to feed him. Maybe they thought he needed all the help he could get to keep up with his young family. It honestly baffled him, but he wasn’t complaining.
“Gillian.” A husky male voice with the slightest trace of an accent spoke beside their table and Seamus froze with a spoon halfway to his mouth. “If I’d known bringing you with me would have resulted in this kind of king’s feast, I would have done it days ago.”
Gillian beamed over Seamus at the man who’d spoken and foreboding shimmered up his spine. “It’s nothing to do with me, Bellamy. Seamus here has charmed Bess all on his own.”
She stood and Seamus sighed, wiping his mouth with his napkin before doing the same out of habit. “Seamus Finn, meet Bellamy Demir, my dear friend and another tourist enjoying our fair isle.”