About That Kiss. Cindy Miles

the recognition of the beauty that resided beneath her bewitching eyes or the love he saw in those very same eyes whenever she looked at her daughter. It was something about those two small words, teach me, that Nathan found so humbling. So damned enchanting. It made his earlier determination not to get close to her just that much more difficult.

      He watched her now, seemingly at ease with his grandfather, allowing the old man to show her how to combine the ingredients for his secret hush puppy recipe. Whatever clever thing Jep was saying to her was rewarded with a smile—one that was entirely different from any Nathan had seen on her yet. It was intriguing. It was baffling.

      He suddenly realized it wouldn’t be quite so bad being the one who coaxed such a smile from Sean Jacobs.

      When Nathan looked away, it was his father’s eye he caught.

      And Owen simply smiled.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      IT HAD BEEN over an hour since they’d arrived at the Malones’, and for the first time in...well, a long, long time, Sean felt at ease.

      “Sean, this is my husband, soon-to-be father of this bundle of sweetness,” Emily stated, then linked her arm through his. “Matt.”

      Matt Malone was a beast. As big as Nathan was, but with an edge. Sharp. Maybe even dangerous. Not to his family, though. That much Sean could tell. He had the same eyes that all the Malones had—a furious, sea-storm green. His hair was clipped short. Not buzzed, but close. Military? Police? There was an intenseness about him that gave Sean pause, made her almost want to move away from him. The way he’d measured and weighed her. He wasn’t trying to hide his scrutiny. Not at all. Could he tell she was keeping secrets?

      The moment that she saw him soften as his wife leaned her head against him, and Matt’s hand went to her belly, Sean relaxed. He was curious about her, was all. A small part of her still wondered, though, if he could see through her. If he could see just why she wanted to keep to herself.

      “All right, now everyone knows everyone, and I’m starved. Let’s eat!” Jep called out.

      Everyone gathered at the mammoth-size picnic table beneath the oak trees, and Sean found herself seated between Nathan and Eric. Willa had found her place right beside her new best friend, Jep. Next to her, Nathan’s dad.

      “Let’s bow and give grace,” Jep barked.

      “Who’s Grace?” Willa asked.

      “Willa,” Sean said, telling her daughter to shush with a finger over her lips.

      Jep glanced at Willa. “You know. Prayer. A thank-you to the good Lord for our blessings.”

      “Oh!” Willa exclaimed. Then she obediently closed her eyes and folded her hands before her.

      “Dear Lord, we thank you for this bounty, and for the folks who prepared it. Mainly, me. And thank you for our new neighbors, and for finally getting them over here. Amen.”

      Sean’s gaze met Jep’s, and his mouth twitched into a slight grin. She liked him. There was nothing pretentious about the elder Malone. He said exactly what he meant, no matter the outcome. Honesty. Integrity. Filter or no filter.

      Chatter broke out as everyone began passing platters of fried shrimp, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and the hush puppies that Jep had shown her how to prepare. Large plastic glasses held iced and sweet tea garnished with lemon slices. She felt as though she were in a travel magazine for the coastal south.

      “So where are you from, Sean?” Owen asked.

      Sean, prepared for the question, offered him a smile. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Nathan had paused and seemed interested in her answer. “Originally, a small town just outside Dallas,” she stated. “But I moved around a good bit as a child. Lately, we were in Norfolk, Virginia.”

      “Makes for a well-rounded youngster,” Owen offered. “I was stationed once at Virginia Beach. Nice place.”

      “Tell us what you do,” Emily asked, her head cocked to the side as she studied Sean. Too closely. “No, wait. Don’t tell me. If I had to guess, I’d say...an elementary school teacher.”

      “No way,” Eric said, rubbing his jaw and eyeing Sean. “Nurse.”

      Panic began to seize Sean’s ability to hold a straight face. Her eyes shifted around the table. Everyone watched, waiting for her answer. “Well, I’ve had a myriad of occupations over the years,” she began. “Freelance writing being one.” A nervous smile edged its way onto her face. It felt cagey and fake, and she couldn’t help it. Not one bit. Usually, she had standard answers to offer polite conversationalists when they asked about her occupation. But this nice family? Suddenly, the lies tasted bitter on her tongue.

      “My mama takes care of me,” Willa piped up, not looking at anyone in particular as she seemed focused on shoveling in fried shrimp. “Mama says that’s a full-time job, don’t ya, Mama?”

      Internally, Sean sighed with relief. She had nothing to offer these people by way of personal information. Not anything they’d like to hear, anyway. Besides...two souls with zero filter—Jep and Willa—could be disastrous if they had access to too much of Sean’s history. Who knew which people they’d accidentally share the wrong information with?

      She noticed the others around the table now had their attention on her daughter, and that caginess eased out of her. Not all, but some.

      “Not only is that a full-time job, but it’s an important job,” Nathan replied. “So Willa, tell me what your favorite thing is about Cassabaw so far.”

      Sean shifted her gaze to Nathan. He was completely engrossed in Willa’s response. He’d intentionally diverted further questions away from her. She’d have to thank him later.