Page 34 of Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (Catching Feelings #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

SEAN

A week later, the tang of vinegar and garlic fills the kitchen—sharp, bright, and alive. Like Kayla’s voice when she flirts with me.

“I know I should help with dinner, but I just love watching you work,” she says from the table while I make Greek dressing for the salad. I’ve been smoking a whole chicken low and slow for hours. Perfect bark. Fall-apart tender. Enough to make Kayla forget Big Hank ever existed.

Kayla’s wearing shorts that show off her legs beautifully, and her left leg is up on the chair, knee around her chin as she looks at our calendar. She’s also wearing one of my T-shirts knotted at the waist. It dwarfs her, but I get the feeling she likes that, based on how often she raids my closet.

I know I like it.

“I don’t mind putting on a show for you,” I say, moving my hips like Elvis. She laughs.

“Okay, put those sexy hips away, mister. All we have left this weekend is Jane and Tripp’s baby shower tomorrow, and then the game. Then next week is the Little League championship game.”

“Which I’m not going to,” I remind her, because Mayor Kent will be there, which means Serena, Tucker, and Dakota.

Dakota …

I never let myself think of her, because I can’t move on when I’m looking in the rearview. But I’ll never stop loving that little girl.

“That’s right,” Kayla says, making herself a note. “No problem. I’m sure it won’t be hostile at all.”

I snort. “You sponsored the uniforms. I think they can put up with you.”

“Right. We’ll see how that goes,” she says wryly. “Do we want to go out of town for the next road series?

“Depends,” I say, cracking pepper into the dressing. “Where is it?”

“Raleigh.”

“I love Bull Durham ,” I say.

“You’re so cute when you say words that don’t mean anything,” she says, flashing me a grin.

“You’ve never seen Bull Durham ? It’s a top ten sports movie. I watched it every time it came on TV when I was a kid. You see, us poor people grew up watching movies with these things called commercials. And the movies had all these missing scenes and beeps over the curse words.”

Kayla laughs and puts on a haughty tone. “Thanks for the history lesson, Peasant Boy.” She looks at me, still wearing a smile. “So, is that a yes?”

A knock sounds at the door before I can answer yes (because of course it’s a yes. I’ll go anywhere with her). “Are we expecting someone?” I ask.

She shrugs and pops up. “I’ll get it.”

I pour the dressing into a mason jar while Kayla gets the door. A moment later, I hear words that about stop my heart.

“Dad? Mom? What are you guys doing here?”

“Is that anyway to greet your parents?” Lawson Carville drawls.

“Let alone your brothers?” another voice says, and my stopped heart drops down to my feet.

“Cap,” Kayla says from the front door sounding only mildly panicked. “We’ve got company, babe!”

I think I’m gonna be sick.

“One sec!” I say, washing dressing from my hands.

My heart does slapshots against my ribs.

I wipe my palms on the dish towel like it's going to save me as I exit the kitchen and cross to the front door.

I sling it over my shoulder and give the best smile I can muster with this unknown anxiety spiking with every beat of my heart.

I’m not a worrier. I don’t get nervous.

I wasn’t even anxious at the wedding, knowing Kayla’s family would be there. I was too fixated on helping Kayla out of her predicament. Too excited about giving myself a shot at something real with her.

But now …

Now …

I have that something real with her. Or close enough. We may not be together in every way yet, but I’m invested. Fully committed. I’m open to taking this relationship the distance, if that’s what Kayla wants.

And I’m almost positive that’s what she wants.

As long as her family doesn’t object.

“Lawson, Jolene,” I say. Lawson’s handshake is firm but grounding. Jolene smells like flowers when she gives me a hug. “So good to see you both.”

“Yeah, and what about us?” Hunter asks, elbowing Wes and the youngest brother, Grayson.

Kayla calls her brothers twerps, but the word probably fit a lot better when she was twelve and they were ten, eight, and seven. They were probably skinny little dorks who were always going through her diary, or something.

At thirty, twenty-eight, and twenty-seven, respectively, they’re probably still the kind to rifle through her social media to find dirt to tease her about. But they’re also grown men who’ve clearly worked out a time or two.

Don’t get me wrong: I could take any of them in a fight. I could probably take two of them at the same time.

But if all three decide to gang up on me …

Actually, I still like my chances.

“Bring it in,” I say, holding my arms open. Wes is the oldest, but Hunter is the loudest of the three boys, and he pounds a fist on my back a bit harder than the other two. “Good seeing y’all.”

I step back and Kayla instantly tucks herself against me, a clear sign that we’re a team.

Or maybe she’s using me as a shield against wet willies, or something.

I’m okay, either way.

“What brings you to town?” Kayla asks.

“Jane’s baby shower tomorrow. Remember?”

“I remember. Why are the guys here?”

“It’s a co-ed shower,” Wes says. “Sean’s coming, right?”

“I am,” I say.

Kayla gives them all a long look. “My brothers didn’t drive over to Sugar Maple to go to their cousin’s baby shower. You came here to check on me.”

Hunter reaches over and gives her a noogie. “See? And Aldridge thought you were just a pretty face.”

Kayla smacks his hand away, but she has an indulgent smile on her face. “If you guys are here, you may as well stay for dinner. Sean smoked a whole chicken, so we have plenty.”

Every eye turns to the dinner table—a table that sits two comfortably, and not a person more. “We’ll eat in the family room.” I say.

“Maybe it’s time to get a bigger place,” Jolene suggests, her tone light but unmistakably probing. “Or are you still figuring out where that place should be?”

“What do you mean?” Kayla asks lightly, but I can hear the thread of worry in her tone that screams, “What do you think you know?”

“Doesn’t Sean have a contract with the Arsenal? Augusta is lovely. And closer to Atlanta.”

“My contract is still up in the air,” I say. “But I’ll go anywhere Kayla wants.”

I mean it more than I expected, and Kayla seems to sense that. Her smile is soft and pretty, but her eyes twinkle. “I think we’ll wait a year before making any more life-changing decisions.”

“A year?” Wes asks. “That feels arbitrary. You getting a tax break, or something?”

I snort without thinking. Kayla just rolls her eyes, and when we make eye contact, we share a smile.

“This is fun,” Hunter says. “Watching my sister undress her husband with her eyes is top of the ‘Things I Never Wanted In My Life’ list.”

“Dude,” Wes says, punching Hunter’s arm.

“Son,” Lawson says, shaking his head. “Remember how some thoughts are just for you and it’s okay to keep them in your head instead of putting them in other people’s heads?”

Hunter looks at his dad blankly. “No.”

Jolene breathes a laugh. “Boys, while Sean finishes dinner, why don’t you see if you can throw a foam football in the recycling bin from the upstairs window without breaking your necks?”

All three brothers’ eyes light up, and in a flash, they’ve all rushed to the window on the other side of the small family room.

Lawson smiles. “There. Now the grown ups can talk.”

I chuckle. “Mind helping me with the meat?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

I don’t need help with the meat. I’m a thirty-three year old man who’s lived on his own for years and who thought he was marrying into an insta-family. I’ve worked at my family’s pub for years. I’m a great cook.

Inviting Lawson to help with something is my way of hoping I can impress him.

And man, do I want to impress him.

“Mmm. Smells good, son,” he says, clapping my back.

Lawson and I are the same height. I’m a fair amount broader than he is, but I suspect that’s due to age. Something tells me Lawson in his prime was a beast.

Wes and Hunter are built like him. Gray is leaner and the shortest of the three boys. He and Kayla were both adopted at birth, but it’s remarkable how similar his coloring is to his brothers’ and dad’s. They’re all tan with dark blond or light brown hair and various shades of blue eyes.

Lawson takes a knife and cuts himself off a piece of meat. The crust cracks with a faint crunch, juices seeping out like the thing’s bleeding flavor. He puts the slice in his mouth.

“Mmm. When Kayla told me you were a good cook, I thought she was just doing that thing all newlyweds do.”

“What’s that?”

“Lionizing them.”

“Mind clarifying?” I ask while I start slicing. “I don’t know the term.”

Lawson gives me a look that almost makes me feel dumb for not knowing the word.

He must think I’m such a backwards rube.

His office is probably bigger than my entire apartment.

Kayla’s told me how relieved her family was that she didn’t marry Aldridge.

But that doesn’t mean they’re happy she’s with me.

“You know, I think maybe Kayla’s right about you,” Lawson says with a nod, appraising me.

I pause, holding the carving knife and fork in my hands and look at him. “I’m afraid I still don’t know what you’re talking about, sir.”

“My daughter thinks the sun rises and sets on you. Every week, she gushes about how she’s never felt so seen, so safe.

She’s never laughed so hard with anyone.

She raves about your cooking and your kindness.

She can’t get over how handy and capable you are.

Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was trying a little too hard to convince us how great you are.

She was always doing that with Aldridge. ”

I swallow hard. “You said ‘if I didn’t know better.’ How do you know she’s not blowing smoke?”