Page 34 of One Chance to Stay (Bears of Firefly Valley #4)
Seamus returned before I could respond. Holding a mug, he sipped his coffee as if it weren’t steaming.
He took a seat in the other armchair. I hung on Abraham’s words, or at least one word in particular.
Romance. We barely passed the ten-day mark, and neither of us discussed such a definitive word.
Thanks, Abraham. My brain didn’t need more chaos.
The three of us sat in silence, sipping coffee. No cell phones out checking text messages. No distractions. The longer it went, the more uncomfortable I grew. Is this how Seamus interacted? Did he and his friend(s) enjoy each other’s company through proximity alone?
“So,” I said.
“Told you,” Seamus said.
“I owe you a whoopie pie.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Told him what?”
“You’d break the silence.”
“I don’t like this one bit.” My eyes narrowed, darting from Seamus to Abraham. “You two are trouble.” Abraham snorted. I couldn’t fathom my stoic, straight-faced bear being friends with somebody as outgoing as Abraham. “How did you two meet?”
Abraham’s snort turned into a thunderous roar. Seamus raised an eyebrow, returning to his usual verbal sparsity. “It’s still not funny.”
“It’s hilarious,” Abraham said, smacking a knee. “Firefly’s first-ever Turkey Trot. Innocent enough, right? People dress up, running a 5K around the town, and wind up in the green.”
Abraham had to stop and laugh. Meanwhile, Seamus retained his neutral face, not giving away a single emotion. I found it interesting how he stepped outside his comfort zone and retreated. While shooting, I wondered if this was the man he used to be. Perhaps he had always been quiet?
“In the center of the green, there were a dozen turkeys from the Miller’s farm. He donated them for the event. Winners could pick, and he’d butcher them for Thanksgiving. Except somebody …” He turned and stared at Seamus. “ Somebody let them go.”
“Not my fault.”
“Seamus thought it’d be a good idea to feed the turkeys.” Abraham had tears streaming down his face. “He opened the gate to their pen, and they?—”
“They attacked.”
“A dozen turkeys scattered downtown.” Seamus didn’t share in Abraham’s laughter. “Our trotters broke from the race, and it turned into a turkey chase. Those birds are a slippery bunch. It took all morning to get them back in the cage. And worse yet, there’s one that got away.”
“Beatrice,” Seamus said.
“Beatrice?” I asked.
“You haven’t heard the legend about the rogue turkey who haunts the woods around Firefly?
” It sounded outlandish, but Abraham spoke with conviction.
“They say when the leaves fall, Beatrice can be seen just beyond the tree line. She lures the hunters away from their catches. If you listen quietly at sunset, you can still hear the faint gobble-gobble of the one who got away.”
“You can’t be—” I thought back to the first day on the mountain and the shadows in the tree line. No. I refused to believe a phantom turkey had led me astray. “I guess it’s not the weirdest thing I’ve heard about this town.”
“Beware,” Abraham said. “I met Seamus while we had a turkey cornered in the mill. It moved like a slicked pig and almost got away. There’s nothing like the bond of brother-in-arms.”
“Did Laurel and Grace go to school together?”
Seamus nodded.
“I have this image of playdates,” I said.
Abraham shook his head. “Not even a little. They hated one another. Laurel was on the basketball team, and Grace was in the band. They were destined to be arch rivals. Want to see them go at it? Ask them about the championship game. Laurel still blames a perfectly timed clarinet squeal ruining her free-throw.”
“It’ll be your funeral,” Seamus added. The two men clanked their coffee cups together before taking another drink. Despite their daughters being in different cliques, they found a comfortable groove with one another. I liked this version of Seamus.
“So, Evelyn conned you into helping with her bonfire?”
I nodded. “She offered an extra week at Valhalla for free if I played bartender.”
“Glad to see you took her up on it. Firefly is special .” I couldn’t argue with Abraham.
Firefly’s people made it an experience to remember.
But it wasn’t all the people that had caught my attention.
I’d say it gave me more time to find myself, but it wasn’t the whole truth. I did it for a particular man.
“She mentioned something about Julie?”
“Yeah, she and her husband are opening the liquor store.” I said it, forgetting he probably knew every detail already. “We’re going to partner up for some signature cocktails. You know, give the adults something to get excited about.”
“Evelyn is going to kiss you,” he said. “She puts on a brave face, but she’s nervous. This is the first event Valhalla has sponsored.”
“Evelyn gave me some solid advice. I owe her.”
“And partnering with Julie.” Abraham gave a nod. “That’ll benefit them both. It’s one of the reasons I love Firefly.”
Seamus sat silent while we talked. Every time I glanced in his direction, I counted down, ensuring I didn’t stare. The number of rules we had yet to discuss continued stacking. Abraham knew more than he let on, but I had no idea how Seamus wanted to handle it. I wish I could nonchalantly text him.
Speaking of… “I need to ask.” I leaned forward, scooting to the edge of the couch. “What is with Firefly and the group texts?”
Abraham laughed. “Wait until they add you to the ‘What I made for dinner’ group or the ‘Look what I knitted’ group. Don’t get me started on the ‘Maine Memes’ thread. I’m pretty sure Walter started most of them. Once he has your number, good luck getting rid of us.”
Seamus scoffed. “Nobody has time for that foolishness.”
Abraham reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
The mischievous smirk under his beard said he had a devious plan.
With a couple flicks of his finger, my phone dinged.
The scowl on Seamus’s face said he felt the vibration as well.
Before I could open my screen, the phone continued dinging in rapid succession.
Abraham: Hey, ladies! Seamus and Patrick are interested in joining the Guild.
Gladys: Oh! Welcome! Ladies, behave!
Gloria: Are they single?
Edith: About damned time.
Ada: Seamus? As in Beatrice Seamus?
Gladys: Ada! We don’t speak her name!
Violet: Welcome, boys. Careful around Gloria. She’s handsy.
Gloria: Truth.
The messages continued pouring in. Seamus’s head turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as he scowled at Abraham. “I know where you live.”
Abraham jumped to his feet. “Yes, you do. So don’t be a stranger.” He set the coffee on the end table. “Let’s not wait a decade to do this again. For now, I need to head home. The grandson is going to teach me how to set my new coffee maker.”
He shot me a wink as he walked by. Seamus didn’t say a word as his friend grabbed his coat from the hook, threw it on, and headed out the door.
“I’m glad to see you’re like this with everybody.”
“Like what?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his oblivious nature. We’d talk about it. But not from across the room. I looked at him and then glanced at the spot next to me. When he raised an eyebrow, I patted the empty cushion.
Aloof, but adorable. “Get your ass over here.”
“Could have just said it.”
“I’ve heard Abraham’s side of the story.” Seamus got up, walking across the room. Every time we got together, I noticed the step forward, the eye contact, and the more frequent smiles. I hoped it meant he was getting more comfortable with me and with himself.
“Now tell me, how did Beatrice really get away?”
His eyes widened.
“It wasn’t an accident, was it?”
He set the coffee down as I turned, ready for a story. His hand rested on my leg, high enough to be a distraction but low enough my cock didn’t respond.
I settled in, ready to trade stories with Seamus as he found his voice. The growling and frequent scoffs weren’t going away. I didn’t want them to. They were part of him. But if he wanted to step outside his shell, I’d be ready to listen.
“I didn’t plan on freeing her…”