‘Brood King’.”
“See, like that. You’ve been taking pot shots at me all weekend. What the hell is up?”
“I don’t know . I really don’t.” She tried to push past him, but he moved to stand in her way. “Move, Ethan.”
“Not until we figure this out. In a matter of two days, everything’s changed. Somehow, something’s different between us, and I don’t like it.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? That’s why I want you to go away. I need to think . I can’t think when you won’t give me five blessed seconds.”
She started past him again, and he put his hands on her shoulders. “What do you—” His cell began to ring. “Son of a bitch.” He yanked the phone from his pocket as Sarah turned and gripped the edge of the countertop. “Ethan Cooke,” he snapped into the receiver.
“Ethan, where are you?”
“Nicky.” He closed his eyes. “This isn’t a good time.” He didn’t miss the hiss of breath Sarah blew out before she whirled and left the room. “Hold on,” he said. He swore under his breath when Sarah kept walking down the hall toward her bedroom.
“Okay,” Nicolette said.
“No, not you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Nicky, I’m going to have to call you back.”
“You keep me waiting and waiting, darling.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Maybe we should take a rain check for tonight.”
“Non, I will wait for you.”
He wasn’t interested in her waiting. “No, Nicky—” The phone beeped; she’d disconnected. “God fucking damn it.”
Ethan shoved the phone in his pocket and walked to Sarah’s bedroom. The room was dark but for two candles flickering in the windows. The French doors to her small outside sitting area were open to the salty breeze pouring in. He stepped on the polished, smooth stones of the patio, stared at the moon on its descent into morning.
“I thought you left,” Sarah said without any heat as she looked at the sky.
He didn’t say anything as she glided back and forth on the wicker swing. As she swung forward, the front of her robe lifted slightly, giving him a peek at smooth thigh. He let out a long sigh, determined to get them back on an even keel. “Are you going to bite my head off if I sit with you?”
She still hadn’t looked at him. “No.”
He sat next to her. They might as well have been strangers. The calm, easy feelings of friendship were absent. Tension built again when neither of them spoke. He didn’t know what to say. The distance between them was so new, so strange; he wasn’t sure how to fix it. Perhaps that was where they needed to start. “Sarah, what’s happening here?” He waited so long for her answer, he thought she wouldn’t.
“I’ve asked myself the same question a thousand times, and I don’t know.” She looked at him then.
“I’m not leaving here until we do. You’re too important to me.”
A smile touched her lips, and he put his arm around her shoulders, needing to touch her.
They lapped into silence again.
“Do I depend on you too much when it comes to Kylee? I’ve had some time to think, and I wonder if I’ve been selfish. Kylee’s my daughter, my responsibility. I don’t ever want you thinking I don’t know that.”
Shocked, he sat up straight. “Where the hell is this coming from? I love her like crazy. When I help you with Kylee, it’s because I want to and enjoy doing so.”
He heard her small sigh and moved closer, looking her in the eye. “Is that what all of this about?”
“Some of it, yes.”
“Well, this isn’t so hard to fix after all.” Relaxing, he pulled her to him until her cheek rested against his shoulder. “I don’t ever want you thinking those bullshit thoughts again. We’ve been through too much together.”
She relaxed against him, and her foot began to rock the swing again. “You’ve always been here, so I never thought about it until Nicolette said…” Her eyes widened and she stopped, trying to pull away.
He tightened his arm
“See, like that. You’ve been taking pot shots at me all weekend. What the hell is up?”
“I don’t know . I really don’t.” She tried to push past him, but he moved to stand in her way. “Move, Ethan.”
“Not until we figure this out. In a matter of two days, everything’s changed. Somehow, something’s different between us, and I don’t like it.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? That’s why I want you to go away. I need to think . I can’t think when you won’t give me five blessed seconds.”
She started past him again, and he put his hands on her shoulders. “What do you—” His cell began to ring. “Son of a bitch.” He yanked the phone from his pocket as Sarah turned and gripped the edge of the countertop. “Ethan Cooke,” he snapped into the receiver.
“Ethan, where are you?”
“Nicky.” He closed his eyes. “This isn’t a good time.” He didn’t miss the hiss of breath Sarah blew out before she whirled and left the room. “Hold on,” he said. He swore under his breath when Sarah kept walking down the hall toward her bedroom.
“Okay,” Nicolette said.
“No, not you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Nicky, I’m going to have to call you back.”
“You keep me waiting and waiting, darling.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Maybe we should take a rain check for tonight.”
“Non, I will wait for you.”
He wasn’t interested in her waiting. “No, Nicky—” The phone beeped; she’d disconnected. “God fucking damn it.”
Ethan shoved the phone in his pocket and walked to Sarah’s bedroom. The room was dark but for two candles flickering in the windows. The French doors to her small outside sitting area were open to the salty breeze pouring in. He stepped on the polished, smooth stones of the patio, stared at the moon on its descent into morning.
“I thought you left,” Sarah said without any heat as she looked at the sky.
He didn’t say anything as she glided back and forth on the wicker swing. As she swung forward, the front of her robe lifted slightly, giving him a peek at smooth thigh. He let out a long sigh, determined to get them back on an even keel. “Are you going to bite my head off if I sit with you?”
She still hadn’t looked at him. “No.”
He sat next to her. They might as well have been strangers. The calm, easy feelings of friendship were absent. Tension built again when neither of them spoke. He didn’t know what to say. The distance between them was so new, so strange; he wasn’t sure how to fix it. Perhaps that was where they needed to start. “Sarah, what’s happening here?” He waited so long for her answer, he thought she wouldn’t.
“I’ve asked myself the same question a thousand times, and I don’t know.” She looked at him then.
“I’m not leaving here until we do. You’re too important to me.”
A smile touched her lips, and he put his arm around her shoulders, needing to touch her.
They lapped into silence again.
“Do I depend on you too much when it comes to Kylee? I’ve had some time to think, and I wonder if I’ve been selfish. Kylee’s my daughter, my responsibility. I don’t ever want you thinking I don’t know that.”
Shocked, he sat up straight. “Where the hell is this coming from? I love her like crazy. When I help you with Kylee, it’s because I want to and enjoy doing so.”
He heard her small sigh and moved closer, looking her in the eye. “Is that what all of this about?”
“Some of it, yes.”
“Well, this isn’t so hard to fix after all.” Relaxing, he pulled her to him until her cheek rested against his shoulder. “I don’t ever want you thinking those bullshit thoughts again. We’ve been through too much together.”
She relaxed against him, and her foot began to rock the swing again. “You’ve always been here, so I never thought about it until Nicolette said…” Her eyes widened and she stopped, trying to pull away.
He tightened his arm
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