pavement. And that wasn’t something they could fix by the side of the road.
“We’re getting you a new ride – pronto.” He flipped on his cell phone and called a tow truck.
“With that purse from the last win at the Mesquite Rodeo, combined with what I've already got saved up, I can buy the truck for myself. I can even pay cash for the most of it.” Bobby expected Ethan to argue with him – tell him that he needed to save his money, but Ethan was strangely quiet. It was obvious he had something on his mind besides a new truck.
Bobby stood by and let his big brother have his down time. In a few minutes, a friend of Ethan’s appeared, and in no time, the truck was hoisted and ready to be moved. They made arrangements to have it delivered to an area mechanic and soon they were ready to head back to Lost Maples. Ethan handed his keys to Bobby, “Here, you drive; I need to think.” Bobby looked at him curiously.
“What’s going on?”
“‘ Lise Evans is at the B&B.” Ethan said the words evenly; not betraying the upheaval that he was experiencing.
“ ‘ Lise ? The girl that disappeared on you so long ago?”
“Yeah, she’s back and I don’t know which end is up.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I know what I want to do.” Ethan didn’t have many secrets from his brothers. "I want to make love to her so badly that I ache with it."
“What’s stopping you?”
“Well, I am here with you . . . .” Ethan loved to pick at his little brother. “No. Bobby – so much has happened. There’s so much I need to ask her. I don’t even know why ‘ Lise left me in the first place.” Remembering the hot kiss that they had just shared and her obvious response to his passion, he had no doubt that they still desired one another. “It feels like things are the same between us, but we haven’t said the words. And the words have to be said.”
“Sounds like you’ve got some work to do.” Bobby concentrated on the driving, giving Ethan time to think of Lise . He had his own doll-baby to dream about. As Bobby parked the truck, Ethan spied Annalise walking down by the creek. He was out of the door and halfway across the lawn before Bobby could put two words together. "Have a good time!" he called after his brother. Hope speared him in the chest, he hadn't seen a smile like that on Ethan's face in many a day. Keeping his eye on them until they walked out of sight, he headed into the house – his stomach rumbling. "Alex!” Bobby called out for his brother.
“I’m in the kitchen.”
“You’re such a home body,” Bobby teased his broad, strapping brother. Alex lunged at him teasingly, but Bobby stood his ground. “Whatever you’re cooking smells heavenly, dear.”
“Watch it, stud,” Alex flipped a chocolate chip cookie at him and he caught it in mid air
“Ethan tells me that ‘ Lise Evans is here. What do you think about that?”
Alex pulled a chair out and joined Bobby, handing him the whole cookie jar. “Here, I know you can’t eat just one. Just don’t spoil your supper.” He slowly stirred the cup of coffee he had poured himself and weighed his words. “I think it could be the best thing that ever happened to Ethan,” he looked up at his brother with a wistful smile on his face. “You should have seen them. I have never seen Ethan react to a woman like that. It was like one of those romantic chick flicks; he swept her up in his embrace and she wrapped her arms around him and they clung to one another for dear life.” Alex paused and then snorted. “It was the most damned romantic thing I’ve ever seen.”
Looking up, he smiled, laughing out loud at his brother’s expression. Alex had expected derision or ridicule from Bobby about his take on the tender scene he had witnessed between Ethan and ‘ Lise . Instead he saw a mirror of his own feelings –
“We’re getting you a new ride – pronto.” He flipped on his cell phone and called a tow truck.
“With that purse from the last win at the Mesquite Rodeo, combined with what I've already got saved up, I can buy the truck for myself. I can even pay cash for the most of it.” Bobby expected Ethan to argue with him – tell him that he needed to save his money, but Ethan was strangely quiet. It was obvious he had something on his mind besides a new truck.
Bobby stood by and let his big brother have his down time. In a few minutes, a friend of Ethan’s appeared, and in no time, the truck was hoisted and ready to be moved. They made arrangements to have it delivered to an area mechanic and soon they were ready to head back to Lost Maples. Ethan handed his keys to Bobby, “Here, you drive; I need to think.” Bobby looked at him curiously.
“What’s going on?”
“‘ Lise Evans is at the B&B.” Ethan said the words evenly; not betraying the upheaval that he was experiencing.
“ ‘ Lise ? The girl that disappeared on you so long ago?”
“Yeah, she’s back and I don’t know which end is up.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I know what I want to do.” Ethan didn’t have many secrets from his brothers. "I want to make love to her so badly that I ache with it."
“What’s stopping you?”
“Well, I am here with you . . . .” Ethan loved to pick at his little brother. “No. Bobby – so much has happened. There’s so much I need to ask her. I don’t even know why ‘ Lise left me in the first place.” Remembering the hot kiss that they had just shared and her obvious response to his passion, he had no doubt that they still desired one another. “It feels like things are the same between us, but we haven’t said the words. And the words have to be said.”
“Sounds like you’ve got some work to do.” Bobby concentrated on the driving, giving Ethan time to think of Lise . He had his own doll-baby to dream about. As Bobby parked the truck, Ethan spied Annalise walking down by the creek. He was out of the door and halfway across the lawn before Bobby could put two words together. "Have a good time!" he called after his brother. Hope speared him in the chest, he hadn't seen a smile like that on Ethan's face in many a day. Keeping his eye on them until they walked out of sight, he headed into the house – his stomach rumbling. "Alex!” Bobby called out for his brother.
“I’m in the kitchen.”
“You’re such a home body,” Bobby teased his broad, strapping brother. Alex lunged at him teasingly, but Bobby stood his ground. “Whatever you’re cooking smells heavenly, dear.”
“Watch it, stud,” Alex flipped a chocolate chip cookie at him and he caught it in mid air
“Ethan tells me that ‘ Lise Evans is here. What do you think about that?”
Alex pulled a chair out and joined Bobby, handing him the whole cookie jar. “Here, I know you can’t eat just one. Just don’t spoil your supper.” He slowly stirred the cup of coffee he had poured himself and weighed his words. “I think it could be the best thing that ever happened to Ethan,” he looked up at his brother with a wistful smile on his face. “You should have seen them. I have never seen Ethan react to a woman like that. It was like one of those romantic chick flicks; he swept her up in his embrace and she wrapped her arms around him and they clung to one another for dear life.” Alex paused and then snorted. “It was the most damned romantic thing I’ve ever seen.”
Looking up, he smiled, laughing out loud at his brother’s expression. Alex had expected derision or ridicule from Bobby about his take on the tender scene he had witnessed between Ethan and ‘ Lise . Instead he saw a mirror of his own feelings –
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