Page 13 of Whispers at Seaside
“I might have asked him a few questions,” Serena admitted. “You know, just standard stuff, like where he lives, what he does for a living, and does he have any hot, single brothers.”
As if Mira hadn’t already shared all that information with her bestie multiple times over the past few months.
“I told her I’m the only single one left,” Matt said.
“Which appears to be debatable,” Serena said under her breath.
Debatable? No, he’s definitely not available, thank you very much.
“Matt said you wentdancing?” Drake knew what Mira’s life was like—Hagen, work, Hagen, more work—and she could see that he was happy that she’d gone out and had some fun. When he or Rick watched Hagen, she and Serena usually hung out and watched movies, or went out to dinner, but they never went dancing.
“We did go dancing, and we watched the sunrise.” Thinking about last night, and that magical kiss, she looked at Matt and said, “It was a perfect night, but I slept much longer than I intended to just now. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m glad you got some rest. Hagen and I had a good time.”
Hagen reached up and took Matt’s hand. “Can we read now, please?”
Hagen had taken to Matt instantly last summer, and all the times in between. She was glad nothing had changed.
“Hey, buddy,” Drake said. “Maybe you should give Matt a break.”
Her brothers had been her son’s role models since the day he was born, and she wondered if it bothered Drake to see Hagen so taken with Matt. If it did, he wasn’t showing it.
Matt lowered himself to the sand beside Hagen. “That’s okay. I promised we’d get through what we could before I had to leave. We’ll read one chapter, and then I’ve got to get home and fix my shower. Deal?”
She’d forgotten about his broken shower. He probably had a million other things to do, too, and yet here he sat with her son, with the patience of a saint.
Hagen nodded emphatically. “Deal.”
Drake came to Mira’s side and lowered his voice. “It’s about time you went out and had fun, but next time maybe give me a heads-up?” She and Drake were close, as he’d stepped in as the male head of household when they’d lost their father. But lately, between the resort renovations and planning the opening of his fifth music store, she and Drake barely had time to catch up. Drake had always been into music. He, Rick, and their friends had formed a band years ago, and still played together. His love of instruments was what led him to open his chain of East Coast music stores, and now that he and Rick had bought the resort, he was on the hunt for a new location.
Serena rolled her eyes. “Doofus over here saw Matt’s car this morning and his big-brother briefs got all knotted up. I calmed him with the promise of fresh coffee and doughnuts.”
“Thank you,” Mira said.
Serena grabbed Drake’s arm and dragged him away. “You guys have fun. This one has to get on the phone with the contractor and raise a little h-e-l-l.”
“Aw, Serena said a bad word!” Hagen called out.
“Do you have to be so smart?” Serena teased.
Hagen grinned. “Mommy says smart boys are the best kind of boys there are.”
Matt met her gaze, and she swore the earth moved.
Boy, was Mommy ever right.
DESPITE HOW TIRED he was, Matt hated leaving Mira and Hagen. He’d forgotten how nice it was to be around an inquisitive child rather than surrounded by adults competing for head of the class. Hagen reminded him of himself as a boy. He’d wanted to know all the details about everything they read, and he seemed to catalog it and think about it, bringing it up long after they’d finished reading. And he knew that was all Mira’s doing. A confident, inquisitive child was the result of strong, loving parenting.
He stepped from his car and heard, “Matt’s here!”
Jenna, his sister-in-law, hurried across the quad—the community area between the cottages—with his adorable almost three-year-old niece, Bea, named for their mother, in her arms. Bea looked just like Jenna, with shiny brown hair that curled at the ends, big blue eyes, and even at her young age, a love of organization. She sorted her toys by color like Jenna matched accessories to her outfits.
Three of Jenna’s sundress-wearing girlfriends, also cottage owners, appeared from different directions, descending upon him like ravenous gossipmongers. Obviously Sky had already spread the news of his night with Mira.
“Ladies,” he said cautiously.
“We want the scoop.” Bella, a ballsy blonde who was known for playing pranks and getting to the heart of matters in ten seconds or less, stepped onto the deck.
