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Ethan finished unpacking the groceries while Blair wrapped up her phone conversation. Once done, he started to leave the kitchen so she could have privacy, but she shook her head, making it clear she didn’t mind if he stayed.
So he started dinner, trying not to listen in on her call. But he was six feet from her; how could he not hear what she said?
Her father was coming to visit, that much was obvious. And although Blair was saying how excited she was by the visit, Ethan could tell from her tense stance that something was bothering her. He waited until Blair hung up the phone, then leaned against the counter and studied her.
“My dad is coming,” she said after a few moments.
He nodded, still watching Blair closely. No doubt about it, she felt unsettled. She paced the kitchen, idly straightening things that were already tidy.
“Will you be happy to see him?” he asked.
Blair stopped, turning to face him. “Sure. My father and I get along fairly well these days.”
“So what’s the problem?”
At first he thought Blair might ignore his question, but after releasing a heartfelt sigh, she said, “He’s arriving on Saturday to see Justin and to catch the last performance of the play.” She shot a quick look at him, then glanced away. “I was hoping you and I might go out to dinner or something that last evening.”
Suddenly, it all made sense—she wanted to be alone with him his last night in town.
“That’s no problem. What do you say I take you to dinner a couple of times before then?” He came to stand next to Blair. “Does that work?”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
He smiled. “Um, no. I don’t mind taking a pretty woman to dinner,” he said, trying to figure out what she was thinking. She still seemed upset.
“Can I do anything to help you get ready for his visit?”
She shook her head. “No. There’s nothing you can do.”
Ethan studied her for a moment, then said, “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
She sighed deeply. “It’s all ending so soon, and it’s been so wonderful.”
He knew she wasn’t talking about the play. She was talking about their time together. She was right—their time together had been wonderful. Unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
He turned to her and studied her face, losing himself for a moment in her deep gaze. Without fanfare, he suddenly knew he loved her. Loved her deeply and completely. Expectantly, he waited for panic to settle over him, but instead he felt only emptiness at the thought of never seeing Blair again.
The words felt like a knife to his soul. Why did things have to be like this? Why couldn’t they be different?
Maybe they could keep seeing each other even after he started his new job. It wasn’t that far away. Just a few hundred miles. He could talk to his new boss, Ed Pattinola, about traveling back to Falling Star every week or so for a visit. Lots of workers took one long weekend off a month. He knew maintaining a long-distance romance would be difficult, but wasn’t Blair worth it?
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Blair said.
“I’m not upset.” Looking at her with love in his heart, he couldn’t help thinking a better man would walk away from her now. A better man wouldn’t expect her to put aside her dreams of a home and family to spend time with him.
“I’m selfish,” he admitted, mostly directing the words to himself. “I like being with you.”
He really was selfish. He knew Blair loved him, he could see it in her eyes, feel it in her touch. If he asked, she’d probably say yes, she’d make do with seeing him only occasionally.
But was it fair to ask her?
He was still wrestling with the problem when Blair said, “Being with you makes me happy, too.”
Indecision flooded Ethan. Could they really continue things long-distance after he left? Before Saturday, he’d have to decide whether he should ask her.
But he wouldn’t decide right now. Instead, he suggested, “I have an idea. Why don’t we make tonight memorable? I’ll take you out to dinner at the fanciest restaurant in Falling Star.”
“Mr. Wilson, are you trying to lead me astray?” Blair asked with a smile.
Ethan chuckled. “You have no idea.”
**
“SO, YOU THINK YOU’LL survive after he leaves?” Tara asked, dropping into the chair next to Blair’s. They had about twenty minutes before tonight’s performance would begin. The rest of the cast was busy dressing, but Tara was ready.
Despite the casual tone of her question, Tara’s expression was sympathetic. With a groan, Blair realized it had started already—people in town felt sorry for her, and Ethan hadn’t even left yet. It was only Friday. Ethan wouldn’t leave until after the afternoon performance tomorrow; they still had a few more hours together.
“I’m fine, Tara, and I’m going to continue to be fine,” Blair said, knowing in a way it was true. Ethan’s leaving would hurt; there was no doubt about that. But over the last few days, she’d decided that the joy she’d experienced with Ethan was worth the sadness she’d feel after he left.
In a way, it was like buying the car. In the past, she’d always followed the safe road. But look where that had landed her with Marshall—she’d still ended up with heartache. This time, she had followed her heart, but at least she knew the rules going in. Sure, she’d be sad after Ethan left, but she would survive.
“I really am fine,” she told her friend when Tara’s expression made it clear she didn’t believe Blair.
“You’re such a liar,” Tara said. “And a bad liar at that. You’re in love with him, and you’re going to be miserable when he leaves.”
There was no sense pretending, so Blair admitted, “Yes, I am in love with him, but I’ve known all along he was leaving.”
“Oh, honey, when it became obvious you two were falling for each other, I’d hoped maybe Ethan had changed his mind about leaving.”
The sadness on Tara’s face tugged at Blair’s heart. Refusing to be a baby, she forced herself to remain in control. “No, nothing’s changed. After the performance tomorrow, Ethan will be gone. He has a job he needs to get to.”
Tara sighed. “Have you at least talked to him about your feelings? You’ve told him you love him, right? You’ve asked him to change his mind?” She leaned forward in her chair. “You’re at least going to try to stop him from leaving, right?”
“Of course not.” Blair glanced around the stage. The activity level was increasing. She needed to make final preparations for the play to start.
“You, my girl, are a wimp,” Tara announced. “A full-fledged, card-carrying wimp.” She raised one arched brow. “And I mean that in the kindest way possible.”
Indignant, Blair looked at her friend. “I am not a wimp. I’m a realist. I know Ethan doesn’t want to live in a town like Falling Star, and to tell you the truth, I don’t want to waste my time with a man who doesn’t share my dreams. Okay, I love him. And sure, I’m going to miss him when he goes. But I’ll survive.”
And she would. Life didn’t make any promises, and the memories of her time with Ethan would be with her forever. Someday in the future, she was certain she’d find a man who wanted a settled life. When she did, she’d appreciate him all the more. She’d understand that finding the right partner was something truly magical to be cherished.
“I’m not a wimp,” Blair maintained again. “But I won’t make Ethan unhappy by asking him to stay. I love him enough not to kill his dreams.”
“Ha! He should be so lucky as to have a great woman like you in his life. You shouldn’t give up.” Slowly, Blair shook her head. Tara just wouldn’t understand. The job waiting for him meant a lot to Ethan’s career plans. He had a golden opportunity there to expand his credentials; it was an opportunity he couldn’t lose. Blair wanted him to have his dream; she wanted him to be happy.
Wasn’t that what love was about?
Turning to face Tara, Blair said, “I’m not giving up. For all I know, Ethan doesn’t love me in return. I know when to let go.”
Tara stood and looked at Blair. “Seems to me you could use a few lessons in hanging on.”
**
ETHAN LOOKED AT HIMSELF in the dressing room mirror, then quickly turned away. He still hadn’t asked Blair about having a long-distance relationship, and time was running out.
The bottom line was, he wasn’t sure it was fair to her. Turning it over in his mind some more, Ethan wandered out onto the stage. He could see Blair across the way, talking to Tara. After a moment, she looked his way and smiled. As always, her smile cut straight to his heart, but these days there was more than a hint of sadness in her smile. He knew she dreaded tomorrow. He dreaded it, too. He hated seeing her upset, especially since he knew he was the cause of her sadness.
Blair was still smiling at him, so Ethan smiled back. Tonight, when they got back to her house, he’d mention the possibility of seeing each other occasionally. He had to see if Blair felt the same way he did—that seeing each other once in a while was better than not seeing each other at all.
A long-distance relationship might not be the perfect solution, but it was the only one he could come up with.
**
“TALK ABOUT A NIGHTMARE,” Tara muttered as she came to stand next to Blair halfway through the performance. “I can’t think of anything that hasn’t gone wrong tonight.”
Blair nodded slowly. Tara was right. Everything that could go wrong, had gone wrong. So far, three major props couldn’t be found and both Olivia and Bob kept flubbing their lines. Blair didn’t know whether she wanted to scream, cry, or laugh.
Deep down, though, she knew the problems with the play weren’t the only things bothering her. Her talk with Tara had left her jumpy. It had driven home the fact that Ethan was leaving tomorrow, and she hadn’t even told him that she loved him.
“Do you think the audience has noticed the problems?” Tara asked.
Blair pulled her attention away from the stage for a moment and looked at her friend. “The only way we’ll be okay is if everyone spontaneously falls asleep.”
Tara chuckled. “Oh, good. Then we still have a chance.”
Despite all the trouble, Blair smiled. “Yeah. Maybe.”
Glancing back at the stage, she groaned when Olivia forgot yet another line. This time Ethan helped cover the awkward silence. As always when he was around, Blair couldn’t stop herself from watching him. He was so tall and handsome any woman would find him attractive. But Blair loved him for more than his good looks. She loved the way he cared, the way he made everyone around him feel good about themselves.
Whether Ethan liked to admit it or not, he truly was a hero. He’d proven it to her over and over again. Even tonight, he was coming to Olivia’s rescue, and when one of the doors on the set started to fall off, he simply walked over and removed it like the faulty scenery was part of the play.
The man was . . . Blair sighed. He was terrific.
The last few days had been difficult. They’d worked furiously to get her house ready for her dad’s visit. Now, thanks to Ethan, Blair’s new house looked phenomenal. Not at all like the ramshackle fixer-upper she’d bought a few short weeks ago.
All she wanted now was to be alone with him. To listen to his outrageous tales of his childhood and to hear him laugh. But that wasn’t going to happen if tonight’s performance didn’t end. When Olivia forgot her lines yet again, Tara sighed.
“Looks like Olivia’s falling for that new boyfriend of hers,” Tara said.
“Why do you say that?”
Tara grinned. “Being in love has a way of making even the sanest person flustered and forgetful— just like you.”
“I’m not forgetful,” Blair said, watching the stage closely. Bob tripped over a prop.
“Too bad. Being forgetful could come in handy for you over the next couple of months.” She patted Blair’s arm. “I’ll come over tomorrow after the performance and hold your hand. I know you’re going to be sad.”
Blair wanted to argue with her friend, but she knew it was hopeless. She would be sad. “I’ll be okay. Ella is still staying with me, and my dad is arriving in the morning.”
“Wow. One look at you, and he’ll know you’re in love with Ethan. Do you think he’ll give you a hard time about it?”
If it was that obvious, her dad would certainly realize she was in love with Ethan. And if it was obvious, did Ethan know she loved him? Possibly. Okay, probably. He was a smart man. No doubt he’d known for a long time.
Glancing out at the stage, she watched Ethan dance with Olivia. It didn’t matter if he knew she loved him. In some ways, she wanted him to know. Not so it would hurt him, but because she hoped someday he’d come to realize how terrific she thought he was.
Blair’s vision blurred, and she was surprised to realize she was on the verge of tears. With effort, she blinked them away. She wouldn’t cry. Not tonight, their last night together. Tonight, she would savor every second she had with Ethan.
Tomorrow would be soon enough for her heart to break.
**
“YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS place is pretty spectacular,” Blair said, wandering out onto the back porch. They’d had dinner as soon as they arrived home from the play. It had just been the two of them since Ella was still out looking at houses.
After dinner, Blair volunteered to do the dishes since he cooked. Deciding to finish a few things on the back porch, he came outside. Since it was too late to hammer, he settled on painting the only section of railing he’d replaced so far.
Blair came to stand next to him, a smile on her face. “Although it’s sweet of you to work on my house, it isn’t necessary.”
“I don’t mind helping,” he said.
“Still, it seems wrong for you to work on the house considering you already cooked dinner on your last night in town.”
Ethan turned to face her. She looked so pretty and sweet under the overhead light. Whether it was the right thing to do or not, he wanted to keep her in his life.
“Let’s not forget to look for falling stars,” she said, looking up at the sky. “They’ve been saying on the weather that there should be a meteor shower tonight.”
Ethan glanced up at the sky. Nothing was moving. “You sure about that? All the stars I see look pretty stable.”
Blair laughed, the sound soft and inviting. “Yes, I’m sure. You just have to be patient.”
For a few minutes they stood looking at the sky. Finally, he decided it was now or never. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something,” he said before he could change his mind.
“What?”
There was a breathless hitch in her voice, almost as if she realized what he intended on asking her. “I know I’m all set to leave tomorrow, but maybe we could still see each other occasionally. You know, date.”
Confusion crossed her face. “I don’t understand how—you’ll be working your new job.”
“I thought I might come visit now and again.”
A frown wrinkled her forehead. “Visit? Aren’t you hundreds of miles away?”
Ethan replaced the lid on the can of paint and then faced Blair. “Yeah. But I might be able to convince my boss to let me have a couple of days off once a month. And after the job finishes, I can swing by here before I head off to another job.”
His words seemed to hang in the air. He could tell he’d surprised her. A lump of doubt settled beneath his breastbone while he waited for her reaction.
Finally, Blair moved forward a couple steps. “And you’d come here?”
Ethan studied her closely, unable to tell what she was thinking. “Yeah. I could drive or even fly back to visit.”
“Visit?”
He smiled. “Honey, either I’ve stunned you, or you’ve forgotten how to talk.”
Blair didn’t return his smile. She just stood there, staring at him. He knew she was debating his offer. He also knew the arrangement wasn’t what she wanted... not really.
When she blinked and looked away from him, he half suspected there were tears in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say,” she said softly.
“Why don’t you think about it? We don’t have to decide right now.” His voice sounded rougher than he intended, but he couldn’t help being disappointed. He wanted her to say yes.
“Why do you want to keep seeing me?” Blair asked softly.
“I think it’s fairly—”
“Look,” Blair said loudly, pointing at the sky. “Falling stars. Watch one and make a wish.”
Ethan looked up. As he watched, a light streaked across the sky. Without hesitating, he made his wish.
“Did you do it?” Blair asked, her excitement obvious.
“Yes,” he said.
For a second, she just looked at him. Then she asked, “What did you wish for?”
Ethan chuckled. “No way. If I tell you, the wish won’t come true.”
“It doesn’t work that way.” Blair leaned her weight against one of the older sections of the porch railing. Before Ethan could warn her that the wood there was rotten, the railing broke. With a yelp, she tumbled off the porch, crashing onto the hard ground.
Ethan felt his heart slam in his chest with worry. “Blair, are you okay?”
He jumped to the ground. As much as he wanted to gather her into his arms, he didn’t want to move her until he knew the extent of her injury. A quick inspection showed she had a nasty cut on her forehead. Before he could stop her, Blair sat up, blood leaving a trail down the side of her face. Slowly, she stood, and Ethan helped her steady herself.
“Well, that was coordinated.” She dabbed at her forehead with her fingers.
“Let’s go inside, so I can see how bad this cut is.” With one hand around her waist and the other holding her elbow, Ethan helped her up the porch stairs and into the kitchen. He felt like his gut was tied in a square knot. He loved this woman—seeing her hurt like this tore him to pieces.
Gently, he sat her in a kitchen chair, then cleaned the wound. She definitely needed stitches. After finding some clean gauze pads, he created a makeshift bandage, wishing all the while that he’d moved faster and caught her before she fell.
“Keep that on the cut.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?” She kept the pad pressed firmly against her forehead, yet blood still trickled down the side of her face.
At the sight of her blood, Ethan said, “I need to drive you to the hospital.”
Blair looked for a moment like she might argue, but apparently thought better of it. “Okay. I guess I could use a couple of stitches.”
Ethan nodded and helped her stand. Slowly, they headed toward his truck. After he helped Blair settle into the passenger seat, he climbed in the driver’s side. As he headed toward the hospital, he glanced at her. The flow of blood had slowed to a trickle.
“It looks better now,” he said, trying to reassure her.
Blair gave him a weak smile. “Thank goodness you were here tonight to help me.”
Yeah—he’d been here tonight. But he wouldn’t be around the next time Blair needed him.
Once they got to the emergency room the wait seemed forever. The small hospital was overflowing with patients, so after a quick check by a tall dark-haired nurse who said hello to Blair and then determined she wasn’t bleeding too badly, Blair settled in one of the plastic chairs.
Ethan started to pace. Fortunately, before he could wear a rut in the floor, the same nurse led Blair to an examination room. Ethan went with her.
“So, Blair. You trying to outdo Justin?” the nurse asked.
Blair smiled at the woman. “I don’t think my injuries come anywhere near his.” She glanced at Ethan. “Ethan, this is Mia Clark, a friend of mine. Mia, this is Ethan Wilson, a friend of Justin’s.”
Turning to Ethan, she explained, “Mia and I have known each other for years.”
“Yep. We were in a gang together,” Mia said as she inspected Blair’s cut.
A laugh burst out of Ethan. “A gang? Why don’t I believe that?”
Blair tried to shake her head, then stopped and said, “It wasn’t a gang. It was a group of girls who did fun things and called themselves the Falling Star Stars.”
“Right. You’ve mentioned that rowdy gang,” Ethan teased. “More wishing on falling stars.”
“You bet. Those stars are lucky. How do you think I was able to snag this job once I got out of nursing school? It was a falling star wish,” Mia said as she placed some equipment on a tray. Blair definitely was going to have stitches.
“I hope you won’t take it personally if I say phooey to that,” Ethan said.
“Did you wish tonight?” Blair asked, sitting on the bed.
“Couldn’t do it,” Mia said. “We’re much too busy.”
“That’s sad,” Blair said. “I try to never miss a chance.”
“If memory serves, you used to think wishing on a falling star was dumb,” Mia pointed out.
“I’m smarter now,” Blair maintained, flashing a smile at Ethan. “Now I even convince other people to make wishes.”
Mia started cleaning the cut. “Hey, Ethan, are you the guy playing Prince Charming in Blair’s play?”
“Yes,” Ethan said.
“Good thing her prince was there to save the day,” she said.
Her comment was meant to be funny, but it drove home the fear eating at Ethan. Truthfully, he knew Blair didn’t need him. She was a smart, capable woman who could handle life on her own.
But that didn’t change the fact that he wanted to be there. He wanted to be there whenever Blair needed him.
But he knew next time she needed someone, he’d be long gone.