mores.”
“Hell no. You know me. Every man for himself when it comes to a possible lynching or divine retribution. I don’t expect you to have my back when the reaper comes a-knocking for me. I promised Al I’d say something to you about it and I did.”
Ethan shook his head. “Great. Anything else?”
“Yeah, since you’re not going to listen to me on all that—can’t say as I blame you there, that would be like the pot calling the kettle black—I thought I’d do you a solid. I called down to the city to one of my buddies and had him push up the final inspections. You may not be able to sleep there, but you’ll be able to use the facilities without fear of any inconvenient interruptions.”
“That was a good thought. Thanks.”
There was a pause, as if Ted expected him to say more but he wouldn’t. In fact he was just about to say bye, when Ted finally asked, “What is it about her, E? I don’t get it.”
Ethan weighed his answer carefully because at the moment he wasn’t sure he understood what was driving this. “I’m feeling it.”
“The question is, is she?”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know it.”
“Is this a mentor thing or…”
Ethan rubbed his thumb over the brown leather cover on his steering wheel and shrugged even though Ted wouldn’t see it. “I don’t know. Ask me the next time we talk, okay? And hey, if I call on you, you’ll be available, correct?”
“I’m always ready to help with the process.”
“Good, I was hoping you’d stay at the cabin. You’ll be closer if it turns out I need you.”
“She’s got you worried.”
“Not me worried about her. More me worried about me.”
“That strong?”
He wasn’t going to lie. “Yes. I can’t explain it. No matter how hard I’ve tried to rationalize this I’ve got nothing.”
“I think I know.”
“Shoot.”
“Unlike Jade, this woman needs you in a healthy way.” Ethan hung up and stared at the fat raindrops that splashed against the windshield. Was that it? It couldn’t be that simple and yet so fucking complex, could it?
* * * * *
“So, let me get this straight. You agreed to go to Silver Lake and spend time with him.” Jo Nehr tossed the glossy magazine that had a full-page picture of Ethan White on the cover. It skated across the linen duvet and hit the suitcase Colin was currently packing in a flutter of pages. “As a paid educational and business experience?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“Are you fucking crazy? That guy will eat you alive.”
Colin paused and gave her a scowl. “Hey, don’t you think I can take care of myself?”
Her friend scrutinized her and Colin was smart enough to prepare herself. Jo was brutal when it came to throwing out point-blank opinions. “No. Ever since John you’ve been isolated. Unavailable. Shriveled up. Huh, maybe a little time with White will do you good because he may not eat you alive, but I bet he’ll eat you.”
“Jo!”
Her friend fell across the bed and reached for the magazine. Lying on her stomach, legs bent at the knees with ankles crossed, she examined his image. “He’s one dead-sexy fucker, isn’t he?”
Colin returned to stacking her clothes in the case. “Gee, I hadn’t noticed.”
Jo snorted and tapped her finger on his lips and asked, “Do you really believe a guy that looks like this is going to keep his hands off you? I’ve heard—”
“Don’t go there, Jo.” She didn’t want to think about that or why she’d clung to the threat of the lawsuit as an excuse, but the closer the day came, the more she realized it was just a rationalization. Ethan was the real draw. She knew it, he knew it and if Jo pushed she’d know it too.
“Tell me you have a plan or something. A weapon or two in your arsenal?”
She shook her head. Jo was such a drama queen. “Why? I’m not going to war.”
“Wanna bet?”
“He’s not my type.” She almost choked over that lie.
Jo didn’t let her get away with it either. Turning
“Hell no. You know me. Every man for himself when it comes to a possible lynching or divine retribution. I don’t expect you to have my back when the reaper comes a-knocking for me. I promised Al I’d say something to you about it and I did.”
Ethan shook his head. “Great. Anything else?”
“Yeah, since you’re not going to listen to me on all that—can’t say as I blame you there, that would be like the pot calling the kettle black—I thought I’d do you a solid. I called down to the city to one of my buddies and had him push up the final inspections. You may not be able to sleep there, but you’ll be able to use the facilities without fear of any inconvenient interruptions.”
“That was a good thought. Thanks.”
There was a pause, as if Ted expected him to say more but he wouldn’t. In fact he was just about to say bye, when Ted finally asked, “What is it about her, E? I don’t get it.”
Ethan weighed his answer carefully because at the moment he wasn’t sure he understood what was driving this. “I’m feeling it.”
“The question is, is she?”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know it.”
“Is this a mentor thing or…”
Ethan rubbed his thumb over the brown leather cover on his steering wheel and shrugged even though Ted wouldn’t see it. “I don’t know. Ask me the next time we talk, okay? And hey, if I call on you, you’ll be available, correct?”
“I’m always ready to help with the process.”
“Good, I was hoping you’d stay at the cabin. You’ll be closer if it turns out I need you.”
“She’s got you worried.”
“Not me worried about her. More me worried about me.”
“That strong?”
He wasn’t going to lie. “Yes. I can’t explain it. No matter how hard I’ve tried to rationalize this I’ve got nothing.”
“I think I know.”
“Shoot.”
“Unlike Jade, this woman needs you in a healthy way.” Ethan hung up and stared at the fat raindrops that splashed against the windshield. Was that it? It couldn’t be that simple and yet so fucking complex, could it?
* * * * *
“So, let me get this straight. You agreed to go to Silver Lake and spend time with him.” Jo Nehr tossed the glossy magazine that had a full-page picture of Ethan White on the cover. It skated across the linen duvet and hit the suitcase Colin was currently packing in a flutter of pages. “As a paid educational and business experience?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“Are you fucking crazy? That guy will eat you alive.”
Colin paused and gave her a scowl. “Hey, don’t you think I can take care of myself?”
Her friend scrutinized her and Colin was smart enough to prepare herself. Jo was brutal when it came to throwing out point-blank opinions. “No. Ever since John you’ve been isolated. Unavailable. Shriveled up. Huh, maybe a little time with White will do you good because he may not eat you alive, but I bet he’ll eat you.”
“Jo!”
Her friend fell across the bed and reached for the magazine. Lying on her stomach, legs bent at the knees with ankles crossed, she examined his image. “He’s one dead-sexy fucker, isn’t he?”
Colin returned to stacking her clothes in the case. “Gee, I hadn’t noticed.”
Jo snorted and tapped her finger on his lips and asked, “Do you really believe a guy that looks like this is going to keep his hands off you? I’ve heard—”
“Don’t go there, Jo.” She didn’t want to think about that or why she’d clung to the threat of the lawsuit as an excuse, but the closer the day came, the more she realized it was just a rationalization. Ethan was the real draw. She knew it, he knew it and if Jo pushed she’d know it too.
“Tell me you have a plan or something. A weapon or two in your arsenal?”
She shook her head. Jo was such a drama queen. “Why? I’m not going to war.”
“Wanna bet?”
“He’s not my type.” She almost choked over that lie.
Jo didn’t let her get away with it either. Turning
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