“Don’t you?”

  Ivan smiled. “You know I like Sean. But I don’t like seeing you unhappy.”

  “I’m not, I promise. I know what I’m doing,” she lied. “And Sean hasn’t made any promises he can’t keep. So, relax, Dad, I’m fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Leah headed for her bedroom and stared at the walls for an hour before she finally managed to fall asleep. When she woke up around seven o’clock, there was a light blanket of snow on the ground, and once she’d had breakfast and took the dogs for a short walk, she spent a few hours in the studio. After lunch she showered and changed and packed up a basket with the food she needed to take to the Triple C. She and Ivan headed off around two o’clock. There were half a dozen cars already parked in the driveway, and she quickly spotted her brother’s SUV. She’d hardly spent any time with her niece and nephew in the last couple of weeks and knew she needed to remedy that. Leah admired Annie’s resolve. She wasn’t prepared to settle for less than all of David’s love, and gave him the time he needed to come to his senses and realize Annie was the love of his life.

  Leah sighed, wondering if she’d ever find that kind of love.

  Mitch greeted them by the door and ushered them inside. Her dad remained in the foyer with him when Tess approached with Charlie, and Leah waved hellos all around before she headed down the hall. The kitchen was also bursting with Culhanes, including Ellie and Grant. She waved another hello as she spotted David by the counter, chatting to Mrs. Bailey, Mitch and Tess’s housekeeper. When David saw her, he grinned broadly and quickly came across the room and enveloped her in an affectionate hug.

  “Hey there, kid,” he said and smiled. “Where’s Dad?”

  “With Mitch and Tess.”

  “It’s so good to see you. It feels like forever.”

  She knew what he meant, even though they’d seen each other at the wedding five days earlier, she hadn’t had much opportunity to talk. “When are you guys leaving for your honeymoon?” she asked, hugging him back, and then placed the basket on the countertop.

  “Saturday,” he replied and smiled. “You know the kids are coming, right? Annie insisted. And Mittie is coming, too, so we have a sitter.”

  “A romantic honeymoon in Hawaii,” she teased. “With two kids and a grandmother.”

  “I know,” he said and sighed, looping an arm over her shoulder. “But Annie wanted them to come along, and since I can’t refuse my beautiful wife anything, I agreed.”

  They walked down the hallway and into the front living room. Jasper and Scarlett rushed toward her, and she hugged them. “I made your favorite Thanksgiving cookies,” she said and ruffled their hair. “They’re in the kitchen. Ask Mrs. Bailey to get them from the basket.”

  The kids hurried off with an excited cheer, and she sat down on one of the sofas beside her brother. Annie was by the window, talking with Jake and Abby, and she spotted Hank and Joss out on the veranda. As much as she loved her family and knew she was loved in return, Leah experienced an unusual and acute sense of disconnect in that moment and wasn’t sure why.

  “So,” David said in his sternest big brother voice, “since we didn’t get a chance to discuss this at the wedding—what’s the deal with you and O’Sullivan?”

  Of course she’d been expecting the conversation. David was as overprotective as any normal older brother. “We’re friends.”

  “You brought him to the wedding,” David reminded her. “And slow danced.”

  Heat crawled up her neck. “You saw that?”

  David nodded. “Everyone saw that. Are you dating him?”

  “No comment.”

  He scowled. “Just be careful. You know he’s got a bad reputation when it comes to women.”

  Leah made an impatient sound. “I know that he’s lived in California for the last ten years, so no one would really know what he did or didn’t do,” she said, feeling hotly defensive. “And it’s not like you to judge people.”

  “Whoa,” David said and held up a hand. “I wasn’t attacking him. I hardly know the guy, but I’m concerned about you.”

  “No need to be,” she retorted. “I’m doing great. I’m working on several new metalwork designs, and I’m happy to report that the piece I did for the hotel is now in place. In fact, I’m about to have a showing at the gallery in town.”

  “You are?”

  If anyone knew about her polarizing insecurity, it was David. “I am. I’ll be sure to send you an invitation.”

  “How did this come about?”

  She quickly explained how Gwen had made the offer and how Sean was supporting the idea and helping with the planning. “It’s all happening pretty fast, which is probably for the best because it means I won’t have time to talk myself out of it.”

  “Sounds like O’Sullivan is making all your dreams come true.”

  She noticed the seed of suspicion in her brother’s expression and quickly reassured him. “He’s used to working with creative types like me,” she said and grinned. “And he’s amazingly supportive. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.”

  David sat back in the sofa and stared at her. “I see.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You’re in love with him.”

  Her cheeks burned. “So what if I am,” she said defensively and then let out a heavy sigh.

  “You’ve been in love before,” he reminded her.

  “I know,” she admitted. “But maybe this time I’m hoping it will be different,” she said and got to her feet. She didn’t want to argue with her brother. In fact, all she wanted to do was leave and get some fresh air. Leah excused herself and left the room, finding a little solace on one corner of the veranda. She sat down on a love seat just as her cell pinged. She pulled the phone from her pocket and checked the message, smiling when she recognized Sean’s number.

  I’ve been here under two hours and I’ve already had enough of all this familial closeness and happy coupledom. You?

  She nodded to herself and quickly replied.

  I hear you. How did the pie go down?

  He replied instantly.

  Highlight of the day. Although I was teased by my brothers for baking. They asked if I was taking up knitting next.

  He added a humorous emoji that made her laugh out loud.

  You’re in luck. I know how to knit. Would you like to go horseback riding tomorrow?

  His response was immediate.

  Not really. But I would like to cook you dinner Saturday night. Seven o’clock?

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  That sounds good.

  He finished the conversation with a thumbs-up emoji, and Leah stuffed the cell back into her pocket. She could hear laugher from inside the house, but remained where she was, thinking about Sean, finding comfort in the knowledge he was feeling as out of place as she was.

  She’d never believed in soul mates or kindred spirits, but knowing Sean had changed all that. Perhaps she should summon the courage and lay out her feelings, play her hand and see where the cards fell. What did she have to lose?

  Everything...

  Her pride and her heart.

  She just didn’t know if she had the courage to take such a leap of faith.

  Chapter Ten

  Sean was so out of sorts he felt as though his collar was strangling him. For one, there was so much chatter around the Thanksgiving dinner table, it all merged into one long drone that sounded more like white noise than conversation. Several times he asked people to repeat themselves and then wondered if they noticed.

  The truth was, he was lonely.

  Lonely for Leah. She understood him. She knew the struggles he was facing. She had his back. His family, on the other hand, was all lively and cheerful and clearly delighted to be in each other’s company. And it was weird, seeing his father at one end of the table with his wife Kathleen, and his mother at the other end of the table. And it was also weird looking at Jonah and seeing how his half brother had parents who were now together, while Sean’s parents were apart. He’d grown up thinking his folks had a happy marriage, but now suspected that wasn’t exactly the case. True, things were strained after Liz died, but deep down he knew things were fractured before that. Maybe they’d always been bad, but he’d been too blind to see it. Maybe his father had married the wrong woman from the beginning and should have been with Kathleen all along.

  What did he know about true love or marriage?

  Not a damned thing.

  He’d spent the last decade avoiding anything that looked like commitment or intimacy. In the last few years, he’d watched his brothers—all three of them—fall in love and get married and hadn’t experienced one spark of envy or longing.

  Except for right now.

  Because despite the fact that he was a part of the family surrounding him, he felt...disconnected. His own doing, he figured. Since Liz’s death he pulled back from everyone, even if he hadn’t recognized it at the time. And then the whole thing with Jonah had blown up in their faces and he’d pulled away even further. So he had no one to blame for the disconnection he was experiencing, except himself. He knew it. But didn’t know how to fix it. And worse, didn’t know if he wanted it fixed.

  Once the meal was over, he took off for the living room and hung out with Johnny and Marco for a while. The boys had new gaming consoles and were eager to show them off. It was funny, he thought, how he’d become the cool uncle. He didn’t feel particularly cool. He didn’t feel anything. Except perhaps bored with himself. Working on the details for Leah’s art showing had proven something to himself he wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge—he needed to work.

  “You planning on hiding out here for the rest of the day?”

  It was Will’s voice he heard from the doorway, although only barely. He looked up and saw his friend, who regularly joined the clan for the holidays as Will’s mother and Gwen had been the closest of friends for decades. Will’s mom had passed away a few years earlier, but his friend still stopped by and kept in touch with the family and had been invited for the holiday this year. Kieran was with him, and the pair came into the room and sat opposite in a couple of occasional chairs.

  “So,” Kieran said and grinned. “Where’s your girlfriend today?”

  He couldn’t even summon impatience. “Leah’s not my girlfriend.”

  “Sure she is,” Kieran contradicted, still grinning. “Mom said the pair of you are inseparable.”

  His gut twitched. “A gross exaggeration.”

  “Going to family functions together,” Kieran said and ticked off a finger to make the point. “Painting your house together.” Another tick. “Spending alone time together.” One more tick. “And I’ll bet she had something to do with that pie you say you baked. That, I hate to tell you, is a girlfriend.”

  “He’s right,” Will agreed and laughed. “You’ve so got a girlfriend.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “Really?” Kieran queried. “So, when are you seeing her again?”

  “Saturday,” he said and then wished he hadn’t. “It’s just a casual dinner.”

  Will laughed. “It’s a date. All that’s left is for you to buy a ring and pop the question.”

  Sean knew they were teasing, but he didn’t like it. He didn’t want anyone speculating about his relationship with Leah. Not that they were in a relationship. But he still didn’t appreciate gossip or innuendo.

  He glared at them. “Stay out of it.”

  He saw them say something to one another, and that amplified his feeling of exclusion and fueled his irritation. When Kieran spoke again, he was frowning a little.

  “Ignoring it won’t make it go away.”

  Sean strained to hear him. “What?”

  “The fact that you ignored Jonah all through dinner. I know he’s not perfect,” Kieran said with an impatient sigh, “but neither are you. And he’s trying, so maybe you could meet him halfway.”

  Halfway? Sean wasn’t even sure what that meant. And he hadn’t deliberately set out to ignore anyone during dinner. If Jonah was speaking to him, he wasn’t aware of it. And he knew the moment he’d been dreading for months was suddenly staring him in the face.

  “I’ve gotta get another piece of that pie,” Will said, looking at Kieran before rounding up Marco and Johnny. Sean found himself alone with Kieran—and knew what was coming.

  “What?” he demanded.

  “Exactly,” Kieran said, getting to his feet and quickly sitting beside him on the couch. “What’s going on? And don’t tell me to back off. I’m asking you as your brother, goddammit, not as a doctor.”

  Sean opened his mouth to speak, then clamped his lips together. He’d never been the type of man who opened up or trusted easily, not even with his own family. Stubborn, Leah had called him. She’d also said it was a flaw. And deep down, he knew she was right.

  He inhaled sharply. “Sensorineural hearing loss.”

  Kieran frowned. “What?”

  “I imagine you’ve heard of it?”

  His brother nodded. “Of course.” Comprehension flashed across his face. “Sean, have you—”

  “I was diagnosed about a year ago,” he said flatly. “I noticed my hearing changing a few years back. Constant tinnitus, other things like that. At first I thought I was imagining it, so I ignored it. Then I blamed the equipment in the studio. Then I thought it was some kind of middle ear infection. You name it, I blamed it, until it became obvious there was a problem and I finally got tested. It’s still deteriorating at this stage.”

  Kieran looked at him. “You know it’s irreversible?”

  He nodded. “Eventually, I’ll be deaf.”

  “So this is why you came back?” Kieran asked bluntly. “Because of your diagnosis?”

  “Well...yeah.”

  His brother sighed. “Is that why you sold your studio? Because you were worried you couldn’t do the job? If that’s the case, it doesn’t sound like you. I mean, I’ve never known you to quit something.”

  He knew Kieran was only trying to get him to open up, to try to understand his decisions. The trouble was, Sean didn’t feel like laying his feelings on the line. “It was just timing and opportunity.”

  Kieran didn’t looked convinced, but nodded. “Have you considered hearing aids? What about learning ASL? Have you thought about working on this? I think we have a program—”

  “It’s an option,” he replied, cutting his brother off. “I’m not...” Suddenly, he just couldn’t say it again. Not to his brother.

  “Ready?” Keiran suggested. “Understandable. It’s a big adjustment, but I’m confident you’ll get through it. You get through everything, Sean.” He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, his touch and his tone gentle, yet reassuring. “I mean it. And no matter what, we are always going to be here for you.”

  Sean shrugged. “I guess my misspent youth listening to all that loud music caught up with me,” he added and managed a grin. “But I’m seeing a specialist in Rapid City. I’m working on it, Kieran.”

  Kieran rolled his eyes, then turned serious again. “Thank you for telling me.”

  Sean’s throat tightened. “You won’t say anything to Mom and Dad?”

  “No,” Kieran replied. “But you should.”

  He sighed heavily. “You know how Mom will get. She worries about everything and I don’t want to add to that. And all Dad and I seem to do these days is argue.”

  Kieran didn’t disagree and they spent a few more minutes talking before he excused himself and bailed.

  Once he’d said a brief goodbye to his parents, he took off for home. The drive through town was quiet, and few cars were on the road. He turned off and headed down his driveway. And then got an unexpected surprise. Leah was sitting on the steps, bundled up in a coat, hat and boots.

  Sean didn’t bother parking in the garage, instead pulling up outside the house. She didn’t move when he got out of the car and approached her, but she met his gaze and he watched her throat convulse as she drew in a long breath. Sean’s ribs tightened, and he didn’t do anything for a moment but simply look at her, absorbing the lovely angles of her face, her stunning hair, her generous mouth and her vulnerable expression.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing...now.”

  His insides contracted even further, and he held out his hand. “Come here.”

  She took his hand and he urged her to her feet, quickly wrapping his arms around her. “I’ve had an average day,” she admitted and sighed. “You?”

  “About the same,” he replied.

  “What happened?”

  He sighed. “I told Kieran about my diagnosis.”

  She touched his face. “I’m glad. That’s a big first step.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “I think he wanted to dig deep, you know, get me to talk about selling the business and coming back.”

  “And you couldn’t?”

  “I didn’t want to sound like a spoiled brat,” he said, echoing the accusation his father had thrown at him several days earlier. Even though it was about something else, Sean was smart enough to see the connection in his behavior. “Because the truth is, I could have stuck it out. I could have worked around it. I could have made modifications to the studio. I could have done a whole lot of things. But I didn’t because I was angry,” he admitted, his arms tightening around her. “I was pissed off that this had happened to me and went with my original reaction—which was to say to hell with it and sell up before anyone figured it out.”

  It was the first time he’d really said the words. The first time he’d allowed himself to feel them. And he felt like such a coward. Like he’d given in. Given up. On everything he had. On everything he was.

  “You’re too hard on yourself,” she said, knowing him so well it was terrifying.