Sailing with My Sister’s Best Friend (Cruisin With Curves)

Chapter 7

Seeley

I never got an email . The words kept repeating in my mind. How was that possible?

I remembered sending the email. I knew I hadn’t gotten the address wrong. She should have gotten it, but the truth was right there in her eyes. My head hung down as I stood on the deck looking over the vast ocean.

I fucked up.

Aurora was right. I should have made time to talk to her before leaving. I should have called when I landed instead of going right to the office and getting to work. Hell, I didn’t even talk to Aunt Kelly for a week. By then I had already made up my mind that what Aurora and I had wasn’t strong enough. That was the only way that I could rationalize her not coming to Boston.

Fuck! If I could only go back. I’ve spent the past few years vacillating between being angry at her for not getting on the plane, and sad that she wasn’t in my life anymore.

I almost laughed at myself. What life? Aunt Kelly was right. I spent all my time either working or thinking about work. I took every emotion I had when I was with Aurora and buried them in building my practice. I knew I had to succeed so I could take care of Darby and pay back Aunt Kelly. She would never say it, but I wasn’t stupid. I could see the strain having Darby and me to care for put on her. She never complained though. She just made do with what we had. How could I not want to do all I could for her?

Still. It wasn’t as if I didn’t know where Aurora was, or I hadn’t been back in Atlanta for long enough that I could have found her. I could have tried to find the answers to questions I was afraid to ask. I could have fought harder for her, for us.

That changes now.

I was sick of going home to a cold bed and an empty house. I couldn’t even call it a home because there was nothing there that warranted it. No love, no family, no heart or soul. Just empty walls and a bunch of furniture I didn’t pick out. I wanted more than that. I wanted Aurora back. I wanted the future we had planned during our time together.

Aunt Kelly asked if I still loved her as if that was a question that needed asking. Of course, I still loved her. I had always loved her. I could remember her and Darby hanging around the house when we were kids. I would never have admitted it then, but I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes off her. The first wet dream I ever had was about Aurora. Actually, every fantasy I ever had was about her. How could I ever love anyone else?

I had six days to prove to her that I never meant for any of the past to happen. Six days to show her that my feelings never changed, to somehow get her to fall back in love with me. If that moment in her cabin was any indication it might not be as hard as it seemed.

But I wanted more than sex. I wanted all of it. I wanted her in my life. I wanted her in my bed. I wanted my ring on her finger and my last name at the end of hers. I wanted my woman back, and damn it, I was going to get her.

I simply had to figure out how.

THERE WERE TIMES I absolutely adored my sister. They didn’t happen often, I was her big brother after all, but when they did I could hug the hell out of her.

We were sitting in the Sapphire Seas Steakhouse enjoying dinner later that night when she said the most amazing thing.

“Aurora, did you see that the ship is hosting a dance competition on the last night of the cruise?” She smiled over at her. “You should totally enter.”

“You’re kidding, right?” She shook her head. “My dancing days are over.”

“Did you not just tell us all about the dance class you started at the youth center?” Aunt Kelly added.

“For the kids.” She argued. “They are the ones dancing. I’m just supervising.”

“Come on, Aurora. I know this won’t be ballet like you dreamed, but think about how great it would be to perform again.” And then Darby said the perfect thing. “The competition is all about ballroom dancing, and I was thinking, Seeley could be your partner.”

I pinched my lips to keep from smiling. Excitement colored my cheeks. I didn’t know shit about ballroom dancing, but if it meant having another chance with Rory I’d learn every step. Anything to have her back in my arms.

“Seeley?” Aurora actually laughed. “Seeley has two left feet and no rhythm.” She wasn’t wrong.

“You teach your students. I’m sure you can teach him.” Darby smiled at me and winked. Since when did my sister wink?

“It’s a nice idea, but there’s no way that would work.” Aurora was still shaking her head. “There is no way I can teach him to dance in what? Five days? Four days? And I would still have to come up with a routine. I don’t think so.”

“I’m sure Seeley can’t be that bad.” Wade defended me. “And the competition is probably all in good fun. No one is saying you two have to put on a dance worthy of that television show with the professionals and the actors.”

“No. Absolutely not.” Aurora’s voice rose a little.

I started to get slightly offended. I didn’t have her dance training, but I could move. She didn’t have to make it sound as if I couldn’t dance at all.

“I think we should do it.” I jumped in before anyone else could argue on my behalf.

Aurora’s head spun around, and she turned in her seat so she was facing me. “There is no way that we can do this.”

“What’s wrong, Rory?” I had never called her Rory in front of Darby and Aunt Kelly before, but I was done hiding my feelings or our relationship from anyone. Including her.

“You used to love a challenge.” I leaned closer to her. “Think of how exciting it might be to teach me one of those Latin dances.” I wished I knew the names. I would have to find the sexiest one and insist that we do that.

“Weren’t you the one that was concerned about me using my leg?” She raised her eyebrows.

“You said it was alright for you to do some light dancing, and I trust you.”

“A full ballroom routine is not light dancing.” She huffed.

“Then I will be there to catch you if you fall.” I stared deep into her eyes. I wanted her to see that I didn’t just mean on the dance floor. I wanted to be the one who supported her in everything she did.

“Yeah, right.” She shook her head. “Like I would trust you again.” That was enough.

I reached out and pulled her seat so that she was right next to me. My hands rested on her hips and I looked her dead in the eye. Everyone else faded away. All that mattered right that moment was setting the record straight with this woman.

“You have always been able to trust me and you damn well know it.” She tried to look away, but I brought my hands up to cup her face. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you Rory and you know that too. I’m sorry about what happened before. If I could change it I would, but I’m not that man anymore.”

Everyone was completely quiet until Darby ruined everything.

“What happened before?” She asked in a soft voice.

“Nothing concerning you.” I still didn’t take my eyes away from Aurora’s. “What matters is that it is in the past. All of it, and I’ve learned from my mistake.”

I could see the struggle in Aurora’s eyes. I didn’t know if it was because she wanted to believe me and didn’t or if she wanted to trust me and couldn’t.

“Come on, Rory.” I stopped myself right before I called her baby. I wasn’t willing to cross that line in front of everyone just yet. “Let’s do this together.”

I held my breath waiting to see if she would give us this small chance. It wasn’t the big chance I was hoping for, but it would be a start.

“Okay.”

My smile could have lit up the entire room, it was so bright. I started to pull her in for a kiss and stopped when the waiter came back around with dessert.

I let her go but kept her chair next to mine and my arm across the back of hers. It was a small step, but it was a step. Now I just needed to show her that some things might be different now, but my feelings for her weren’t one of them. Those would never change.