Page 16 of Whispers at Seaside
“Details, please,” Jenna said.
“Great,” Matt mumbled under his breath. He looked over his shoulder at Pete. “And for running interference for me.”
Pete pushed from the counter. “I’m on it. They’re just excited to add another hen and her offspring to the party. They adore Mira and Hagen.” He patted Matt’s shoulder on the way out the door.
Matt followed him out, and the girls swarmed. Joey and Pepper ran into the grass.
“When are you seeing Mira again?” Jenna asked, keeping pace with Matt’s quick steps.
“Why on earth did youbehave?” Bella quipped. “Don’t you know sheneedsa scoundrel in her life? All women do!”
“Bella!” Amy chided her.
Matt shook his head without responding. He loved them all, even if they were chaos personified, but that didn’t change the fact that this chaos was a world away from the quiet academic life he was used to. His mind traveled to Mira, reminding him that the quiet academic life wasn’t all that he wanted any longer. He envisioned her here with the girls, laughing and carrying on, while Hagen played with the dogs or helped Pete fix the sink, because that boy’s curiosity knew no limits, and it made Matt want to be right in the thick of it.
He definitely needed to get some sleep. He was supposed to be outlining his book, not fantasizing about a beautiful woman and her adorable son.
“We’ll babysit,” Leanna said, and Matt stopped cold.
The girls circled him, wide-eyed and eager, except Bella, who squinted with a serious look in her eyes.
“For a little juicy gossip,” Bella offered.
Matt laughed and looked at Pete, who was busy giving Bea Eskimo kisses.
“Way to run interference, bro.”
“I got sidetracked.” Pete blew against Bea’s cheek, making her giggle hysterically.
Matt took a deep breath and faced the girls again. “What makes you think we need a babysitter? I like spending time with Hagen.”
“Of course you do, but you can’t exactly get amorous with him around.” Bella pointed toward the pool where her husband, Caden, was holding their daughter, Summer. Tony and Kurt, Amy and Leanna’s husbands, were also in the pool with their toddlers, Hannah and Sloan.
“Trust us,” Bella said. “We know how valuable babysitters are.”
She had a point, but Hagen was Mira’s world, and the last thing he wanted to do was rock that boat—orplanto take things further. No matter how badly he wanted to be intimate with Mira, he preferred it to be a natural progression, not a scheduled event.
“Come on, Matt. We want to see you both happy. Give us some hope,” Jenna pleaded. “Are you going to see her again?”
He was no match for their inquiring minds. “Okay, fine. Yes, I hope to.”
“Youhopeto?” Amy tucked her golden hair behind her ear with a curious gaze. “That doesn’t sound like you. Since when do youhopeand not make things happen?”
“Look, I haven’t slept in two days, I need to fix my shower, and you’re making me question why I came to stay at the Real Housewives of Seaside instead of my nice quiet cottage on Nantucket.Yes, okay? If I have it my way, I’ll see her tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.”
As he walked away, he heard the girls whispering.
“We prefer to be called the ‘Seaside girls,’” Bella called after him. “We’re way cooler than the Real Housewives ofAnywhere.”
He lifted his hand and waved without turning around, lest they see his wide grin.
“FYI, you’re here because you love it here,” Jenna added. “And you’refamily. Youbelonghere.”
Chapter Six
“HEY, SQUIRT.” SERENA breezed through the doors of Mira’s cottage Sunday morning carrying a big brown bag. She set the bag on the counter, sighed loudly, as if the bag were heavy, and tossed her hair over her shoulder before leaning down to kiss Hagen on the top of his head. “Figuring out how to overtake Bill Gates?”
“Who’s Bill Gates?” Hagen glanced up from the robot book he was flipping through with a perplexed expression. “We’re building the robot today.”
