Chapter Twenty-Two

He hadn’t seen Lauren since the hospital.

Restless, Ethan stalked through his house, remembering all the places she’d touched. Such a short time, but she’d left an indelible mark.

He marched into the kitchen, reached into the fridge, cracked a beer open, and downed a large portion. It was tasteless, going down his throat like cotton.

So, Lauren was done with their relationship. “Fine,” he said out loud. “Run away.” That’s obviously what she was doing.

Was she really so unwilling to even discuss their relationship? And shouldn’t she have called him when she had those ligament pain things? At least a text message. He was the father of their baby. Didn’t that give him some kind of special place?

For a moment, he had to admit that he had no idea what had run through her mind, how scared she must have been, or what he would have done if it had been him.

That moment was brief.

He stormed through the back door, seeking fresh air and relief. Instead, he was greeted by a hot and humid day.

“Shit.”

He tried drinking more beer but once again didn’t taste it.

It was a different situation than his ex-wife. He knew that. Yet, it felt similar. Too similar.

Veronica hadn’t loved him. Neither did Lauren.

There was something he really didn’t want to think about ever. Luckily, his cell phone rang. He’d never been so happy for the interruption.

He saw his mom’s name come up on the screen. “Mom?”

“Were you expecting the Easter Bunny?”

He couldn’t stop the grin. Olivia McAllister had a sarcastic side that he’d always loved. She was the best mom in the universe. She’d worked hard at the local library while always managing to be at all his stuff growing up. She was also beautiful, funny, and smarter than anyone he knew. Perhaps from all those books she was constantly reading. The only con was that she and his dad had moved away from him when they retired two years ago. He missed them more than he’d anticipated.

“Sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts, I guess.”

“Thoughts about the fact that you are going to be a father and you haven’t told your mother about her first grandchild?”

Whoa. “Mom? What? How did you find out?”

She snorted. “You live in Seaside Cove. Your dad and I may have moved to Florida, but the gossip train actually has a route between Maine and the South. It’s called text messaging. We’ve been hearing some interesting things about you. Call it mother’s intuition if you want, but I just had this feeling that there was something more going on.”

“But who told you? Not that many people know.”

She laughed, a soft, light tickle. “Do you remember all those flowers I used to have in front of the house?”

Ethan was absolutely confused as to what was going on and why his mother was bringing up flowers at a time like this. “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

“Let’s just say that I didn’t have a green thumb naturally. I had to be taught how to garden.”

“Okayyyy,” Ethan said, still not following.

“There’s no better gardener in the state of Maine than Rose Josephs.”

Bingo. He got it. Ethan had no idea his mom and Grams had been friends.

“Rose became a great friend over the years. But imagine my surprise to hear from her that I’m becoming a grandmother for the first time.”

He was definitely in the running for worst son of the year. “That’s not how I wanted you to find out.”

“The question is, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Honestly?” he asked.

“That’s usually the best approach.”

“It happened fast. Really fast. I’ve barely processed it myself.”

“I’m sure you’ve been very busy with the bar and your friends and dating Lauren. And then breaking up with Lauren.”

Ethan’s heart sank at the sound of Lauren’s name, not to mention thinking how his mother must feel to be hearing all of the events of his life from strangers.

Worst. Son. Ever.

Silently, he cursed himself. He should have known better.

“Technically, I think she broke up with me. Or maybe we’re not broken up at all. I don’t really know what the hell we are.” He paused, collected himself. “So, you remember Lauren Wallace?” he asked quietly, as if simply saying Lauren’s name hurt. In a way, it kinda did.

“I do, and I’ve always liked that girl. Of course, I haven’t seen her in years. Is she still as pretty as she was back in high school?”

“More.”

She laughed. “I remember the two of you going at each other constantly. One time, I thought you’d actually come to blows over an English project.”

Ethan smiled, remembering.

“Despite that, you had quite the little crush on her back then.”

“Shit,” Ethan said, unable to come up with a more adequate word or reaction. His mom knew about his crush?

“Language, Ethan Oliver McAllister.”

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I’m just shocked that you knew about my crush.”

“It was hard to miss the little red hearts that would shoot out of your eyes every time she was around. Lauren’s done quite well for herself, too. That business of hers is flourishing.”

Surprise took over yet again. What was his mom going to say next? Did she know who really shot Kennedy? Could she tell him the real story with Area 51? “How do you know about her business?”

“We’re friends on Facebook and follow each other on Instagram,” his mom said simply.

Ethan sat back and shook his head. Lauren was connected with his mom on social media? Figured.

“The two of you reconnected and started dating. Now you’re broken up. You gonna tell me about this or what?”

What was there to tell? “I dunno,” he said under his breath.

“What was that?” his mom asked sharply. She hated when he mumbled.

“I don’t know,” he said a little too loudly, immediately regretting raising his voice with his mom. “She’s pregnant with my child. She kinda freaked out because she thinks I’m going to abandon her, and then she got these sharp pains and went to the hospital and—”

“The hospital?” She gasped. “Is she okay? What happened?”

“She’s fine. The baby’s fine. She had something called round ligament pains.”

He heard his mom’s sigh of relief. “That can be quite scary the first time it happens. Rewinding to something you said, though… Why does she think you’re going to abandon her?”

“Who knows?” he said stubbornly.

“Ethan Oliver,” his mother said with a stern voice.

He gave a half smile. “Middle name for the second time.”

“And don’t make me use it again. Now, explain yourself.”

“I don’t get it completely.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “Lauren is under the impression that I’m going to just get up one day and leave her. Like I’m going to go off on some adventure or live in Alaska or something.”

Olivia’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Now, why would she think that?”

Huh?

“Ethan, you can really be dense sometimes.”

“Gee, thanks, Mom. So glad you’re making me feel better.”

“My job isn’t to make you feel better,” she said. “It’s to knock some sense into you.”

“Then, please, continue.” He started picking at the label on the beer bottle. When his mom remained silent, he went on. “I thought we were going to have a life together. Live in the same house, raise our baby, be happy. Not for the first time, a woman didn’t want that with me, and she ran away.”

“Don’t compare Lauren to that little tart you married,” his mother snapped. “And stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

Anger began to rise in his throat. “Shouldn’t you be on my side?”

“Not when you’re behaving like an ass.”

“An ass? Mom, what?”

“I could have told you that Veronica was using you from day one. I would have done that if you’d introduced her to me before you said ‘I do.’”

Guilt at getting married without telling his parents washed over him. Had he already called himself the worst son? Did he need to get it tattooed on his chest?

“Remember when your father and I came to visit you in South America so we could meet your new bride? I knew within three seconds of meeting that girl that she was using you to get what she wanted. I don’t know Lauren all that well, but I’m sure she isn’t using you for anything.”

“I know. I’m just trying to make sense of this situation.

“You have no idea what’s going on inside her head right now. Or what’s going on inside her body, for that matter. Her hormones are going crazy. She’s probably having insane thoughts left and right. Her mind is full of excitement and fear and anxiety. Being pregnant is no joke.”

“I tried being there for her. That’s why I told her I loved her.”

“Oh, Ethan,” she said on a long sigh. “Think about it from her perspective. She becomes pregnant unexpectedly. Then you tell her you love her. Plus, she’s pregnant and dealing with all of that. And working full time.” She snorted. “That’s a lot to deal with in a very short time.”

He hadn’t thought of it that way.

“Is it over between the two of you?” she asked.

He pushed a hand through his hair. “I don’t want it to be.” But it might be. He may have messed this up too much to fix.

“Let me ask you this,” his mom said. “If you and Lauren don’t work out, what do you plan on doing?”

“I have a friend who might be starting a business in Alaska. He’s already reached out to me. You know I’ve always wanted to live there.”

“More travel, more uprooting. What a great choice for a soon-to-be dad. I’m sure your kid will love having a FaceTime relationship with you.”

He gulped. Watching his child grow up over FaceTime and Skype. Maybe getting to see pics on Facebook if Lauren ever friended him. His chest hurt. That wasn’t the type of dad he wanted to be.

“Why do you even want to leave Seaside Cove?” his mother asked. “I get why you wanted to travel in your twenties. I encouraged it. See the world. That’s wonderful. But now? What is it exactly that you think you need to do?”

“I don’t know, Ma. I want to get out there and experience as much as I can. I want to make the most of life.”

His mother let out a bad word that he’d never heard her say before. He nearly dropped the phone.

“You don’t want to travel. You want to run,” she said harshly. “There’s a big difference.”

He remained quiet, her words and their meaning soaking in.

She sighed, and he knew any anger that she’d just thrown his way had already dissipated. “You want to make the most of life. Well, you now have a woman you love and a baby on the way. Trust me, that is life. That’s the most there is. Family, love, raising a new generation. You won’t find anything more exciting, challenging, adventurous, or exhilarating than that.”

She was saying he was running. Wasn’t that what he’d just thought about Lauren? What a pair the two of them made. “I hope this kid got your resolve. Maybe even Grams’s.”

“We should all be as tough as Rose Josephs. Even though we’ve spent a lot of time gardening together, the woman still scares me, but damn do I respect her.” She sighed. “I want to respect you, too. So go out there and make some good decisions.”

How did moms always know what to say and when to say it? Was that a parent thing? Would he be like that when Lauren had the baby?

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too. Now, get your head out of your ass and get that woman back. And send a sonogram picture to me while you’re at it.”

He was laughing as they said their goodbyes and hung up. But when the laughter faded, he realized he had some real work to do to get Lauren back. And he had no idea where to start.

…

Lauren paced her room, still unable to believe her conversation with Grams.

There was so much to process that she didn’t know where to start. Thoughts and ideas about independence and autonomy were mingling with the story of Grams and Cap. Plus, she couldn’t believe she’d been wrong about Grams making her mother get married.

As much as it pained her to admit, Brooke had really gotten to her as well. Her sister told her that she had a good man with Ethan. As if Lauren didn’t know that. Ethan was amazing. But she was so scared at the same time.

When Gabby came to her bedroom, Lauren was thrilled for the interruption.

“Can you come downstairs?” Gabby didn’t wait for a reply, and Lauren had to rush to follow.

“What’s all this?” she asked as she walked into the dining room.

“Your new life plan.” Gabby waved her hands with a dramatic flourish.

“I already have a plan.”

“Might be time for a new one,” Brooke said. “And since we know how much you just love making lists and rules and organizing—”

“And vision boards,” Gabby added.

“Right,” Brooke said. “We want you to sit down and make a new vision board. Right now.”

Lauren took in her sister for a long moment. Brooke didn’t flinch. She’d never been one to back down. “Are you still mad at me?” Lauren asked.

“Nah.” Brooke waved a hand nonchalantly. “I got bored of that.” She snapped her fingers. “Now, stop stalling. Sit your butt down and work.”

“When did you get so bossy?” she asked, taking a seat at the dining room table.

“Learned from the best.” Brooke grabbed a large posterboard and put it in front of Lauren. “I’ve taken the liberty of starting for you.” On the board was a picture of a gorgeous antique bassinet with loads of ivory lace and delicate pink and blue ribbons. “This is a present from me, the fabulous Auntie Brooke. It will be delivered here in a couple of days.”

Lauren’s heart felt full. The three of them may be different, but when it counted, they were there for one another. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“As you know, I don’t have any money, so I haven’t gotten you anything yet.” Gabby laughed, her curls bouncing. “But sign me up for free babysitting.”

Grams came into the room, arms loaded with magazines. She dropped them in front of Lauren. “For your board,” she said, taking a seat at the table. “I don’t really get it, but that’s my contribution.” She gestured to the magazines. “Have at it.”

Gabby held up a bundle of different-colored markers. Brooke had a pair of scissors in her hands. Lauren looked from the poster board to the supplies to Grams, then back to the poster board and the beautiful bassinet. A bassinet for her baby. Her and Ethan’s baby. A smile broke out on her face.

She got up from her chair and headed toward the stairs. “Be right back.” Running to her room, she found what she needed and returned to the dining room.

“What’s that?” Gabby asked as Lauren began cutting pictures out. “Is that your yearbook?”

“Yeah, from senior year.”

“You can’t cut your yearbook,” Brooke said as Gabby continued to wear a horrified expression.

“Relax. I’m just cutting out pictures from two pages. Besides, this is just a yearbook, not antique lace or anything.”

She used a glue stick to complete her masterpiece. Stepping back when she was finished, she took in her new vision board. “What do you think?” she asked.

Grams, Brooke, and Gabby all looked at it, smiles breaking out on their faces.

Under letters that spelled out M-A-I-N-E were pictures of Lauren and Ethan from high school flanking the bassinet.

Grams handed over the keys to her car. “I think you know where to go,” she said, and Lauren ran out of the house.

She had always deeply believed in the power of a good vision board.

…

Thank goodness it didn’t take long to drive to Ethan’s bar. Lauren had never been in this much of a hurry before, but she’d finally realized the solution she’d been seeking. She was ready to admit her true feelings for Ethan. Out loud. For all to hear and know.

This felt right.

The bar must have been packed, because it took her multiple trips around the neighborhood before she finally found a parking spot. She started off walking, which turned into a light jog, and then a full-out run to get inside. To find Ethan.

She pushed open the door in a hurry and…it hit resistance just as she heard an ow and saw someone fly to the floor.

Oops. She’d done it again. She hit Ethan in the back and knocked him over.

“Ethan,” she said as he looked up, shook his head, and grinned.

“Lauren?” His smile quickly faded, and it broke her heart.

The bar’s loud music, which she’d been able to hear from the street, stopped. Every person in the joint turned to watch the two of them. And lucky for her, The Thirsty Lobster was definitely packed. Half of Seaside Cove was huddled around the bar.

Lauren took a long, deep breath. A normal person would tell everyone to mind their own business. However, she’d left normal when she’d first slammed into this bar and reconnected with Ethan.

She was going to do this. Her way. If the town wanted to watch, that was fine. Because she knew how she felt, and she was ready to tell Ethan.

She glanced down as Ethan rubbed his shoulder. After a few moments, he stood. Relief flooded her simply at the sight of him.

He opened his mouth, but before any words came out, she held up a hand to stop him.

“No, let me talk.”

“What?” someone called. “I can’t hear what she said.”

Peggy let out an oath from her regular seat at the bar. “She didn’t say anything important yet. She just wants to talk first.”

Lauren coughed. “Thank you, Peggy,” she said through gritted teeth.

She could feel every eye on her. But the only eyes that mattered were the light brown pair standing right in front of her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

With a final look around the room at their audience, she let out a nervous giggle. “Too bad there’s not a microphone.”

“We have one.” Joe smiled from behind the bar.

She aimed a pointed look in his direction.

“You were going to say?” Ethan crossed his arms.

She clasped her hands together. “Ethan, I…” She trailed off. She walked a few feet to the left, then back again. “Ethan, I came here because…”

“Maybe you want to sit?” he said, gesturing to a nearby table.

“Yes. No. This is fine. We’re doing this here. In front of everyone.”

“Great, because I didn’t pay for Netflix this month,” Wendy called. “I need the entertainment.”

“I want to apologize to you,” she said.

“What did she say?” another voice called.

Lauren groaned. But when she met Ethan’s soft brown eyes, she saw the amusement there.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she said quietly.

He held up two fingers close together, almost touching but not quite. “Just a bit.”

“You’re mean.” She pouted.

“You’re apologizing. And I keep interrupting. Go on.”

“Speak louder,” a man called from the other end of the bar.

She faced the bar. “Ethan and I have known each other since forever. In high school, I dated his best friend, and the two of us were frenemies.”

“We know all of this already,” Stu called.

Lauren grumbled under her breath. “I came back to Seaside Cove for my family. I wasn’t looking for romance. Hooking up with Ethan wasn’t in my plans.” She met Ethan’s gaze and offered a smile.

“He’s not my frenemy any longer. In fact…I love him.”

This declaration was met with oohs and ahhs. Lauren held up a hand. “But when he said he loved me, I wasn’t ready to hear it yet. So, I pushed him away.”

Peggy and Wendy were shaking their heads. Joe flipped a towel over his shoulder as he grinned at the two of them. A guy she’d graduated with yelled, “Just like a woman.”

Ignoring that comment, she continued. “I admit that I didn’t handle Ethan’s declaration of love very well.”

“Doesn’t sound like it.”

Good grief, every critic in town was here tonight.

“I’m here to apologize to him and…to ask him to take me back.” She took in the room. “You’ve all been gossiping about my family for a long time. Allow me to set the record straight. My father left us. Even though they fought all the time, my mom never fully recovered from him leaving. It was hard.”

She walked around the little landing. “I’ve always been really independent, and I thought I was over what happened in my childhood. But I’ve realized that I’ve been afraid of love because I thought loving someone meant losing yourself in the process. That’s why I pushed Ethan away.”

“Because you love him,” Wendy called out.

She felt Ethan’s hand on her shoulder. He turned her so she was facing him. “Just to be one hundred percent crystal clear, what exactly are you saying?” Ethan asked.

She stared at him for a long moment before taking a deep breath. “I’m saying that I love you and that I want a life with you here in Seaside Cove. I don’t want you to leave and go off on any more adventures, unless I’m with you. I want us to be a family.”

He pushed a stray hair off her face. “Because you love me.”

“Because I love you.”

Everything happened so fast. Ethan stepped toward her, took her face in his hands, and kissed the hell out of her. The bar exploded into applause and whistles.

And Lauren relaxed in a way she never had before in her life. She melted into the kiss, her arms encircling Ethan’s neck. She hung on for what seemed like hours, but she didn’t care. She would hang on to him for days.

Finally, he broke the embrace. He ran a finger over her dimple. “I’m so glad you keep hitting me with that door. I can’t believe you just did that in front of everyone.”

She laughed. “There’s no hiding the truth in Seaside Cove. And why would I want to hide my love for you?”

She leaned out of Ethan’s arms and hushed their audience. Everyone’s attention was once again firmly on her.

“Oh, and we’re having a baby, too!” She returned to kissing Ethan as more applause sounded.

This time, when they came up for air, Ethan said, “Ms. Wallace, you’re dangerously close to breaking a rule or two tonight. Would you like me to make a list of them for you?”

With a grin, she said, “Some rules can be broken, McAllister. As long as I’m breaking them with you.”