I nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
Thank God I hadn’t unloaded all the issues of the Onslow onto Dad; I would have blamed myself for this. That was it, then: the Onslow was my problem. No more complaining or blaming, I would just get on with it. For Dad.
Dad smiled. “I know I may be hooked up like Frankenstein’s monster in a hospital bed, but I can’t help feeling like the luckiest man alive right now.”
I gave Mum a dubious look. “Have they put Dad on drugs?”
He chuckled at me. “What I mean is, I have my two beautiful girls by my side and that makes me the luckiest man alive.”
***
I spotted Sean out in the waiting room, sitting next to the vending machine. He had his elbows on his knees and was intently reading the label of his energy drink. I paused a moment and smiled at his intense, crinkled brow, his stubbled cheeks and dishevelled hair. I noticed the receptionist staring at him as well, chewing on her pen with a glazed look in her eyes. And why wouldn’t she? Even in his sleep-deprived, dishevelled state, there was no denying his presence. His square shoulders filled out his shirt, betraying the long, curved muscles that were snug against the material. He was sex on legs.
I snapped myself out of the moment, pushing those kinds of words out of my head as I approached him. He lifted his eyes and instantly sagged in relief as he saw my smile. I plonked down next to him, playfully nudging him with my shoulder.
“Everything okay?” Sean asked.
I sighed. “Yeah, I think it will be. Just a real fright for everyone.”
I unashamedly looked into Sean’s eyes and he gazed back, unflinchingly, into mine. I held him there, taking in the vivid blue irises and the way a darker ring of blue circled it. It was as if no one else was around, or mattered, and I was glad because I wanted him to believe me when I told him what I had to say.
“Thank you, Sean. Truly. I know I can be a snarky, impossible princess sometimes.”
His brows rose.
“Okay, most of the time. You say you’re not a knight in shining armour, but I don’t wholly believe that.”
“I thought you didn’t want to be rescued?” He reached out to me, delicately moving a strand of hair out of my eyes.
“I don’t, but I do need a friend to tell me to wake up to myself every now and then.”
“Oh yeah? And how do you think that will work?”
I shrugged. “I’ll probably still tell you where to go,” I said, “but I’ll be thankful to hear it.”
He threw his head back and laughed, crossing his arms and shifting in his seat. I punched him in the leg.
“Shhh …”
He sobered and looked back at me with a wicked grin. “Don’t you go changing, Amy, not one single thing.”
I could feel myself blush as his eyes burned into me. I bit my lip and peered down, suddenly unable to look into those eyes.
Someone coughed and Sean sat up straight and there was Mum, her gaze working between the two of us. Sean stood and scratched his head tiredly.
“Ah, I might go get something from the vending machine.” He pushed his hands into his back pockets.
“There’s one behind you,” I laughed.
“Oh, right. Um, yeah, no, I think I’ll get some fresh air and bin this.” Sean held up his empty bottle and excused himself quickly.
I couldn’t help but laugh again. It was always semi-amusing to see my mum’s look of stone turn grown men into babbling fools.
My laughter died when I looked back towards Mum, her same stony expression focused on me.
So maybe it wasn’t just grown men she could reduce to unease. Mum adjusted her shawl and sat next to me. I smiled uncertainly again when she clasped my hand in both of hers.
“This. Has. To. Stop. Now,” she said to me, enunciating each word with an underlying sternness.
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Mum’s eyes flicked towards the direction Sean had just left in. “Whatever is going on between the two of you has to stop.”
I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I slipped my hand out of Mum’s grasp, straightening. “There’s nothing going on.”
“Amy, you know I don’t suffer fools.”
“There’s nothing happening between me and Sean Murphy.” I tried to keep my voice down.
“You were together late last night.”
“He was helping me clean up the bar.”
Mum’s eyes narrowed. “Where was Matt?”
Oh crap!
The rat was out of the bag.
“He wasn’t feeling too well so I shut up for him.”
Mum inhaled dramatically and rubbed her temples. Jeez, if she reacted like this to something so trivial, I hated to see what she would do over the truth.