Read Online Some Sort of Happy (Skylar and Sebastian): A Happy Crazy Love Novel by Melanie Harlow - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melanie Harlow
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body much better than the old baggy sweatshirts he used to wear in high school. “Very funny. So you’re talking to me today, huh?”
The smile slid off his face, and immediately I was sorry I’d mentioned anything about our previous meeting. “Yeah. Sorry again about… that one day. I was just…” He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, his muscular chest rising and falling. “I don’t know. I was having a bad day.”
“Me too. God.” My shoulders shuddered at the memory. “An awful day.”
He looked at me sideways. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I got fired. And then I fell on my face in front of you at the beach. And then the Cherry Pageant people took my crown away.” At the time, it had seemed like such a serious personal insult—now it just sounded silly, like I was a child whose favorite toy had been taken away.
“Why?”
I sighed, closing my eyes. “It’s a long and embarrassing story.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “We all have those.”
I thought about what Natalie had said about his recent past. What do you know, Sebastian Pryce and I have something in common. It gave me an idea. “Hey. Want to trade long and embarrassing stories over a drink?”
His expression immediately went from sympathetic to scared, and I wondered if I’d gone too far.
“I’m sorry.” I glanced around. “You came here for something, and the store’s about to close. I shouldn’t keep you. It was just a thought. Maybe some other time.”
“No, no. It’s OK.” He paused. “Actually, I think I’d like that.”
I cocked my head. “You don’t sound too sure about it.”
“I’m sure.” He tapped my nose, an affectionate gesture that surprised me. “Listen. It’s not every day that the Skylar Nixon asks me for a drink. You have to give me a minute.” Lifting an arm in between us, he pinched the skin on his wrist.
“Oh, stop.” Flustered, I pushed his hand down. “Don’t be silly.”
He grinned. “I need to grab some chairs, though. Should we meet out front?”
“Chairs? You’re shopping for furniture at the hardware store?”
“For my patio. They’ve got some on sale here this week.”
“Where do you live?”
“On Old Mission. I built a cabin.”
“Really? I live on Old Mission too. I mean, my parents do, and I’m—” I shook my head. “Never mind. That’s another embarrassing story. Anyway, that’s awesome about the cabin. I love cabins. So much charm.”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure you’d call it charming yet, but it’s working for me.”
“I’d love to see it. Maybe I can help.” He looked at me sort of oddly, and again I wondered if I was being too forward. “Sorry—it was just a thought. I tend to say anything that comes into my head. I should really learn to think before speaking.”
“No, it was a nice thought. I just—haven’t had many visitors.”
I decided to drop it. “Well, I’m going to pay for my screws”—I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut. “Don’t even make a joke, please—and then I will meet you out front. Sound good?”
He nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. I liked the way the bottom one was fuller than the top. “Sounds good.”
He brushed by me, and I pretended to occupy myself counting out eight screws, but really I watched him as he walked away, enjoying the fluttery feeling in my stomach. I admired the round ass, the trim waist, the V of his torso to his shoulders. I imagined what he’d look naked, and the flutter moved lower.
Whoa, there, Skylar. Just calm down. Yes, it’s been a while since you were in the saddle, but that is no mechanical bull you’re looking at. And if what Natalie said was true, he probably needs a friend.
Still.
I tilted my head to get a better view.
I could go seven seconds on that body. I could go seven seconds on that body all. night. long.
The fact that I ran into Skylar again on a good day was the most mercy I’d been granted in a long time. It’s not that the
The smile slid off his face, and immediately I was sorry I’d mentioned anything about our previous meeting. “Yeah. Sorry again about… that one day. I was just…” He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, his muscular chest rising and falling. “I don’t know. I was having a bad day.”
“Me too. God.” My shoulders shuddered at the memory. “An awful day.”
He looked at me sideways. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I got fired. And then I fell on my face in front of you at the beach. And then the Cherry Pageant people took my crown away.” At the time, it had seemed like such a serious personal insult—now it just sounded silly, like I was a child whose favorite toy had been taken away.
“Why?”
I sighed, closing my eyes. “It’s a long and embarrassing story.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “We all have those.”
I thought about what Natalie had said about his recent past. What do you know, Sebastian Pryce and I have something in common. It gave me an idea. “Hey. Want to trade long and embarrassing stories over a drink?”
His expression immediately went from sympathetic to scared, and I wondered if I’d gone too far.
“I’m sorry.” I glanced around. “You came here for something, and the store’s about to close. I shouldn’t keep you. It was just a thought. Maybe some other time.”
“No, no. It’s OK.” He paused. “Actually, I think I’d like that.”
I cocked my head. “You don’t sound too sure about it.”
“I’m sure.” He tapped my nose, an affectionate gesture that surprised me. “Listen. It’s not every day that the Skylar Nixon asks me for a drink. You have to give me a minute.” Lifting an arm in between us, he pinched the skin on his wrist.
“Oh, stop.” Flustered, I pushed his hand down. “Don’t be silly.”
He grinned. “I need to grab some chairs, though. Should we meet out front?”
“Chairs? You’re shopping for furniture at the hardware store?”
“For my patio. They’ve got some on sale here this week.”
“Where do you live?”
“On Old Mission. I built a cabin.”
“Really? I live on Old Mission too. I mean, my parents do, and I’m—” I shook my head. “Never mind. That’s another embarrassing story. Anyway, that’s awesome about the cabin. I love cabins. So much charm.”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure you’d call it charming yet, but it’s working for me.”
“I’d love to see it. Maybe I can help.” He looked at me sort of oddly, and again I wondered if I was being too forward. “Sorry—it was just a thought. I tend to say anything that comes into my head. I should really learn to think before speaking.”
“No, it was a nice thought. I just—haven’t had many visitors.”
I decided to drop it. “Well, I’m going to pay for my screws”—I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut. “Don’t even make a joke, please—and then I will meet you out front. Sound good?”
He nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. I liked the way the bottom one was fuller than the top. “Sounds good.”
He brushed by me, and I pretended to occupy myself counting out eight screws, but really I watched him as he walked away, enjoying the fluttery feeling in my stomach. I admired the round ass, the trim waist, the V of his torso to his shoulders. I imagined what he’d look naked, and the flutter moved lower.
Whoa, there, Skylar. Just calm down. Yes, it’s been a while since you were in the saddle, but that is no mechanical bull you’re looking at. And if what Natalie said was true, he probably needs a friend.
Still.
I tilted my head to get a better view.
I could go seven seconds on that body. I could go seven seconds on that body all. night. long.
The fact that I ran into Skylar again on a good day was the most mercy I’d been granted in a long time. It’s not that the
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