grin. "How many margaritas did you have
tonight?"
"Probably one too many. Tell me about your brothers and/or sisters."
"One of each. Both are married, both are teachers in the town I grew up
in, and both are continually harping on me to move home."
Allie laughed. "Families are like that, I think."
"Your family too?"
"My sister. I'm not really close to the rest of my family, but really
close to my sister. But she lives in Minneapolis, and as much as I like the
snow, that's a little too cold for me."
"Your parents?"
"They live in Ohio. They're nice people, but never understood how I could
want more out of life than a husband and a bunch of kids."
"You don't want that?"
Allie looked thoughtful. "Eventually," she admitted. "But I
didn't when I was 18, and I will never regret leaving home. If I'd stayed, I'd
be miserable by now. I love my job. I never wake up and wonder about what
might have been."
"Glad to hear it. Glad to hear that you're not pining away for the Midwest,
too."
Allie laughed. "Far from it. So here's home. Do you want to come in for
coffee, or do you need to head home?"
Sean hesitated for half a beat, just long enough for Allie to remember that she
was out with her boss, not a date. Just as she was steeling herself for his
refusal, he nodded. "I'd love coffee."
"Here you go," Allie said, handing a mug of steaming decaf to Sean.
He was seated in the Adirondack chair on the back porch, and she curled up on the
swing with her mug between her hands.
"This is nice back here," Sean observed. "Quiet."
Allie nodded. "It's one of the reasons I rented the place. I feel like
I'm in the forest back here."
Leaning his head back on the chair, he looked over at Allie. "I had a
nice time tonight."
"I did too," she admitted. "I'm glad you came."
"Thanks for inviting me. I know you didn't really mean to," he
smiled over at her. "But it was what I needed this weekend. Sometime I
get tired of all of the formal events I need to go to. I miss the backyard
barbeques and kid's birthday parties."
"Not many kids in your life these days? Apart from the nieces and
nephews?"
"No," Sean admitted. "I hardly know anyone with kids. Or if
they have them, I never see them."
"Do you miss it?"
"Miss kids?"
"No, miss having a normal life. Miss the church picnics, the baseball
games, the fourth of July parades... all of that."
Sean looked out into the distance. "Sometimes, yes. But then another
deal comes along, and..."
Allie chuckled. "Spoken like a true businessman."
"I should get going, Allie," Sean said quietly. "This is nice,
and I'd love to stay, but it's late."
Allie nodded, uncurling herself from the swing chair and taking Sean's mug from
him. Leading the way back into the house, she set their coffee mugs on the
counter in the kitchen, and walked Sean to the door. As she reached for the
handle, she said quietly, "Good night, Mr. Greyson. I'll see you on
Monday."
Sean held his hand against the door, preventing her from opening it. Looking down
at her, he cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. "You do that on
purpose, don't you?" he asked.
Allie laughed. "Yes, but not for the reason you suspect."
"And what reason would that be?" he asked mildly.
She looked up at him. "I honestly don't do it to annoy you. I do it to
remind myself who you are. When you're Mr. Greyson, you're my employer."
His gaze softened. "And when I'm Sean?"
Allie's eyes dropped to the floor. "You're more. Which is why you can't
be Sean to me very often," she added, so softly that he barely heard it.
Reaching out his hand, he gently cupped Allie's face, his thumb stroking her
cheek. Bending down, he kissed her very lightly on the lips, then on her
forehead.
"Good night, Allie," he said.
Reaching up, she curled her hand around his neck
tonight?"
"Probably one too many. Tell me about your brothers and/or sisters."
"One of each. Both are married, both are teachers in the town I grew up
in, and both are continually harping on me to move home."
Allie laughed. "Families are like that, I think."
"Your family too?"
"My sister. I'm not really close to the rest of my family, but really
close to my sister. But she lives in Minneapolis, and as much as I like the
snow, that's a little too cold for me."
"Your parents?"
"They live in Ohio. They're nice people, but never understood how I could
want more out of life than a husband and a bunch of kids."
"You don't want that?"
Allie looked thoughtful. "Eventually," she admitted. "But I
didn't when I was 18, and I will never regret leaving home. If I'd stayed, I'd
be miserable by now. I love my job. I never wake up and wonder about what
might have been."
"Glad to hear it. Glad to hear that you're not pining away for the Midwest,
too."
Allie laughed. "Far from it. So here's home. Do you want to come in for
coffee, or do you need to head home?"
Sean hesitated for half a beat, just long enough for Allie to remember that she
was out with her boss, not a date. Just as she was steeling herself for his
refusal, he nodded. "I'd love coffee."
"Here you go," Allie said, handing a mug of steaming decaf to Sean.
He was seated in the Adirondack chair on the back porch, and she curled up on the
swing with her mug between her hands.
"This is nice back here," Sean observed. "Quiet."
Allie nodded. "It's one of the reasons I rented the place. I feel like
I'm in the forest back here."
Leaning his head back on the chair, he looked over at Allie. "I had a
nice time tonight."
"I did too," she admitted. "I'm glad you came."
"Thanks for inviting me. I know you didn't really mean to," he
smiled over at her. "But it was what I needed this weekend. Sometime I
get tired of all of the formal events I need to go to. I miss the backyard
barbeques and kid's birthday parties."
"Not many kids in your life these days? Apart from the nieces and
nephews?"
"No," Sean admitted. "I hardly know anyone with kids. Or if
they have them, I never see them."
"Do you miss it?"
"Miss kids?"
"No, miss having a normal life. Miss the church picnics, the baseball
games, the fourth of July parades... all of that."
Sean looked out into the distance. "Sometimes, yes. But then another
deal comes along, and..."
Allie chuckled. "Spoken like a true businessman."
"I should get going, Allie," Sean said quietly. "This is nice,
and I'd love to stay, but it's late."
Allie nodded, uncurling herself from the swing chair and taking Sean's mug from
him. Leading the way back into the house, she set their coffee mugs on the
counter in the kitchen, and walked Sean to the door. As she reached for the
handle, she said quietly, "Good night, Mr. Greyson. I'll see you on
Monday."
Sean held his hand against the door, preventing her from opening it. Looking down
at her, he cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. "You do that on
purpose, don't you?" he asked.
Allie laughed. "Yes, but not for the reason you suspect."
"And what reason would that be?" he asked mildly.
She looked up at him. "I honestly don't do it to annoy you. I do it to
remind myself who you are. When you're Mr. Greyson, you're my employer."
His gaze softened. "And when I'm Sean?"
Allie's eyes dropped to the floor. "You're more. Which is why you can't
be Sean to me very often," she added, so softly that he barely heard it.
Reaching out his hand, he gently cupped Allie's face, his thumb stroking her
cheek. Bending down, he kissed her very lightly on the lips, then on her
forehead.
"Good night, Allie," he said.
Reaching up, she curled her hand around his neck
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