SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME (The Thorntons #5)

Chapter 2-1

Chapter Two

Seth considered Heath DiMarco, whose expression looked very much like he’d enjoy throwing Seth out on his ass. Seth had known that Rose’s last name had rung a bell, but he’d been so wrapped up in her that he’d never considered that she had an older brother.

An older brother who was currently bristling with protective instincts.

Heath was shorter than Seth, but Seth had a feeling the elementary school teacher had more to him than he let on. Despite his glasses and his quiet demeanor, something lurked beneath that calm façade. Seth had encountered too many men trying to hide their darkest parts not to recognize it now.

Seth had met Heath a handful of times when Heath had joined the Thornton brothers for drinks. Heath had been a good friend, especially to Harrison, and to Harrison’s wife, Sara, when she’d begun teaching at Fair Haven Elementary. Seth knew little about Heath, though, and since he’d been gone from Fair Haven for so long, he was at a loss at how to respond to Heath’s automatic antipathy toward him.

“Have you two met?” Rose said brightly—too brightly. “Heath, this is Seth Thornton. Oh, you must be Harrison’s brother,” she said, almost to herself.

Seth smiled grimly. “I have three brothers, actually. And two sisters.”

“Too many damn Thorntons around here,” Heath muttered.

Seth saw Rose register surprise; he had a feeling her normally quiet older brother was never this irritable around company.

Heath finally held out his hand, which Seth shook. Heath’s grip was clearly a warning, and Seth only gripped the man’s hand harder in response.

Be pissy if you want. Your sister is a grown-ass woman, he thought.

Of course, he could admit he’d acted similarly when Trent Younger had come sniffing around Lizzie last year after he’d broken her heart. Seth hadn’t minced words with her ex—who was now her husband and the father of her child—and Seth and Trent had only come to an understanding after punching the s**t out of each other.

“You live around here?” Heath inquired.

“As a matter of fact, I live next door. Funny, right?”

“What a coincidence.” Heath turned his attention toward his sister. “What all do you need help with? Sorry I couldn’t come earlier.”

Seth knew when he’d been dismissed. Giving Rose a salute, he left, knowing full well that Heath DiMarco was staring holes into his back.

Seth collapsed onto his couch and drummed his fingers against the cushion. Seeing Heath act like some protective Neanderthal over his sister should’ve given Seth a very good reason to leave her be.

Yet he felt the opposite—it made him want her all the more.

What was it about her? For some reason, she reminded him of a hummingbird: all fluttery and colorful, flitting from flower to flower. Delicate and small, yet able to weather more storms than you’d expect.

He rolled his eyes at himself. Soon he’d be writing poetry about her. A hummingbird, really?

Next he’d be buying her flowers, taking her to fancy restaurants. He rubbed his temples at the thought of what came after going out to dinner.

Would she blush that same shade as he undressed her? He realized with a groan that her blush was probably the same color as her n*****s.

Seth had enjoyed beautiful women before, although since he’d been on three tours, he’d never had time for a real relationship. When he’d returned to the States, he’d enjoyed the company of his fellow female soldiers, or perhaps a sister or two who visited base to see a brother. The longest relationship had lasted through one whole tour, although when Seth had returned, he’d discovered she’d gotten engaged to an attorney.

I need someone who’s here, she’d said when he’d seen her visiting her brother on base. You get it, right?

He did. But now that he had returned, who was he, really? He had to admit that he didn’t know more often than not.

He glanced at his watch. He still had hours yet before he’d need to get to work. After much persuasion from Lizzie, Seth had decided to start woodworking again, something he’d enjoyed as a teenager but had given up when he’d enlisted. He knew he needed something productive despite still receiving a small paycheck from the Marines.

He didn’t want to be a bum by any means. It just felt like any other job—accountant, barista, construction worker—seemed pallid in comparison to being in the military. It felt so…pointless, really.

Sometimes Seth wasn’t sure he was fit for anything except being a soldier.

Taking up a figurine he’d started a few days ago, he began to whittle, not entirely certain what the figurine was going to become. A horse? A dog? With a smile, he began to carve out the delicate wings of a bird—a tiny hummingbird, to be precise, caught in midflight.