The party continued through the afternoon: Caleb declared his love for Megan in front of everyone (to both her delight and her embarrassment) and then proceeded to seduce her. She then ran away, with him stumbling after her. Harrison and Sara didn’t drink at all, which made Seth think Lizzie’s supposition was correct. Harrison was probably abstaining out of solidarity—or because Sara had told him that was his payment for her being the one to give birth.
Even Mark got a little tipsy, which resulted in him and Abby laughing together in some corner like a couple of teenagers. Seth couldn’t believe the change in Mark since Seth had returned from overseas. Where had his brusque older brother gone? Clearly Abby had done something miraculous to get him out of his shell. Seth had thought for a long time that Mark only loved his horses. At least now he loved his horses and Abby.
Trent carried Bea around so Lizzie could have a break, and Trent’s siblings, Ash and Thea, took turns holding their niece. Bea loved people, and she didn’t mind being held by just about anything human. That girl’s going to break hearts, Seth mused as he watched Ash fall in love with Bea even further when she grabbed his chin.
One person, however, made a point to avoid Seth entirely: Heath. And considering that Seth didn’t feel like having a rehash of their issues with each other, Seth avoided Heath as well. They circled each other like wild dogs throughout the party, and even Caleb—as drunk as he was—noticed the burning stares the two men gave each other.
“Seth! Seth, Seth, Seth,” Caleb said as he slung an arm over Seth’s shoulder, making Caleb’s glass of liquor slosh onto the deck. “I love you, bro. I’m glad you’re back. You should come over more.” Caleb started patting Seth’s face like Bea would, and Seth pushed him away.
“Caleb, you idiot—”
“No, I’m not. You are. You’re so stupid.” Caleb finished off his drink. “Don’t make the same mistakes I did. I almost lost the woman I loved—for what? Pride?” He snorted. “Not worth it, believe me.”
Seth froze. How the hell did Caleb know anything…? Seth narrowed his eyes when he spotted Lizzie. She caught his look and shrugged.
His damn siblings and their big mouths.
“I won’t be stupid like you because I never am,” Seth quipped. “Now, how about I get you some water before you start throwing up over the side of the boat?”
Megan took charge of her husband right then and got him to drink a bottle of water, giggling when he yanked her into his lap for a loud kiss.
The evening ended when Harrison called for a toast. “I’m glad we could all get together tonight,” he said. “Caleb, happy birthday, man. You’ve come a long way in the last year.”
Caleb’s eyes shimmered, making Seth look away. He knew Caleb had his own secrets, which Seth had only found out about upon returning to Fair Haven; it had taken a lot of courage—and Megan’s love—for Caleb to come to grips with a teenage tragedy he’d caused.
Harrison’s words sobered Caleb instantly; he drank his bottle of water in silence with Megan on his lap. She murmured something in his ear, which caused him to sigh and lean against her shoulder.
“Caleb hasn’t drunk any booze since he got with Megan,” Lizzie whispered in Seth’s ear. “She told him to have fun tonight, but…”
Ah. Seth put the pieces together and suddenly wished he could give his older brother a big hug. “He should enjoy himself. He deserves it.”
“He does.” She clinked glasses with Seth. “And so do you, just FYI.”
Harrison raised his glass again, and everyone went quiet. “One more thing—and Sara has given me permission to say this.” He looked down at his wife and squeezed her hand, the love between them palpable. “Sara and I are pregnant. Due in February.”
That resulted in a lot of squealing and yelling, and then Harrison and Sara were enveloped in so many hugs that they disappeared from Seth’s line of sight for a moment. Lizzie yanked on Seth’s arm, saying that she knew Sara was pregnant, and then Seth finally managed to find Harrison and give him a hug.
“Congrats,” Seth said in all sincerity.
“Thanks. We’re excited.” Harrison’s eyes gleamed. “I’m glad you’ll be here for the birth, too.”
Guilt swamped him, because Seth could very well be abroad again, but he didn’t say that. Smiling tightly, he congratulated Sara and passed the rest of the evening watching his family enjoy themselves while his own thoughts were back in Fair Haven with a woman he couldn’t get out of his head.
Chapter Eleven
When Rose heard Seth cry out in the middle of the night, her heart twisted. It wasn’t a shout like when you stubbed a toe or banged your knee against a piece of furniture: it was the kind of cry that was equal parts terror and rage. It was the kind of shout that she understood all too well.
She closed her eyes and dug her fingers into Callie’s plush fur. She waited for another shout, but there was only silence from next door.
Rose hadn’t been able to sleep, although Seth’s yell would’ve awoken her, no doubt. Rising from her blankets, she padded to the living room, which shared a wall with Seth’s apartment.
She placed her ear against the wall and listened. She could make out Seth walking around, and she heard his low voice. It was too muffled to hear his words, but it confirmed that he was awake.
Callie stood next to her and woofed softly. Rose petted her absently.
She’d missed him—that she couldn’t deny. She’d avoided him since she’d essentially kicked him out of her apartment, but she’d listened for him to come home every day. The evenings she had to leave for work before he had returned had been the hardest. When she heard him walking around his apartment, or heard the TV switch on, or heard him banging on she didn’t even know what, it was soothing.
It meant that Johnny hadn’t enacted his plan to hurt Seth.
She shuddered. Tendrils of fear curled around her heart.
Then she heard Seth groan, and if his shout had made her heart twist, this groan made her long to embrace him. She wanted to take away all his hurts.
“Go lie down,” she told Callie as she grabbed her keys. She didn’t stop to think about what she was doing. If she did, she knew she’d stay in her apartment for the rest of the night.
Rose knocked on Seth’s door, and when he opened it, she almost jumped. He looked pale and exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes. But she was mostly surprised by the fierceness in his expression. It took him a moment to register who was standing in front of him.
“Rose? What are you doing here?”
She struggled against a flood of embarrassment. What am I doing here? Excellent question.
“I heard you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
His jaw clenched, and Rose almost wondered if he would tell her to go away. She’d never seen him so ill at ease: Seth had always seemed so capable, so put-together. Right now, though, he seemed vulnerable and all-too-human.
“Come in, then. Before you freeze.” He gestured for her to enter, and Rose realized with a start that this was the first time she’d seen his apartment. He’d always come over to her place.