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Maeve ate her breakfast unusually slow the next morning. She was supposed to drive over to Ethan’s shop to go through his books and she wasn’t looking forward to it in the least.
You’re going to get hurt.
He can’t be trusted.
You owe him this for helping with your dad.
This is for Dad. It’s just business.
The back and forth in her head refused to budge and at times Maeve felt as if she was going to go crazy. She’d never been much of an actress, but she was going to have to learn...and quick.
“Are you coming in today?” Estelle asked as she rushed around, packing a lunch.
Maeve shook her head. “No. I’m meeting with Ethan at the shop.”
Estelle paused, her head slowly coming out of the fridge. “What?”
Maeve kept her eyes on her plate of scrambled eggs. The longer she sat there, the less they tasted appetizing. “I’m helping him with his books.” She shrugged. “He said his business is having a rough year.” Daring to glance up from under her lashes, she defended herself. “Ethan agreed to help us get together what we needed for an addition for Dad downstairs.”
Estelle nodded slowly. “Right. That sounds like a fair trade.”
“It is.” Maeve stood and took her plate to the sink, ignoring the fact that she’d wasted her mother’s good cooking.
“Good luck,” Estelle called out as Maeve turned away and left.
Not bothering to answer, Maeve raced up the stairs two at a time, brushing her teeth and making sure her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. As she walked out of the bathroom, she grabbed her fake glasses from her nightstand and plopped them on her nose. Today she needed all the protection she could get.
The drive to his shop took much less time than she wanted, since her heart was still beating out of control and she felt overly warm, though the morning was quite chilly. Jerking her keys out of the ignition, she marched up to the shop, forcing her trembling knees into compliance and pushing her glasses up higher on her nose.
Maeve hesitated in the doorway when something resembling a stuffed animal scuttled across the floor. “What in the world?”
“TOX!” came a deep voice from the back of the shop.
Maeve watched, wide eyed as Ethan stormed from the backroom, looming over what she could now see was a dog. A very tiny, very fluffy...dog.
“You can’t chew on my ropes,” Ethan scolded, holding up a shredded length of cord as evidence.
Tox whimpered and stepped back, away from Ethan.
Ethan’s shoulders immediately slumped. “Don’t look at me like that.” He moaned, bending down to pick up the tiny creature. Cuddling the puppy to his chest, Ethan calmly explained the situation again, but this time with a lot less frustration. “You’re gonna get sick,” Ethan continued. “Plus, I can’t afford to keep buying new supplies just because you’re teething.”
“I didn’t know you were such a softie.” Maeve could have bit her tongue in half. Seeing big, strong Ethan speak to the dog so gently was doing funny things to her stomach and causing her to forget that she was supposed to be keeping her distance.
Ethan’s head jerked up and Maeve could have sworn his cheek flushed pink. “Oh, hey, Maeve.” He scratched his stubbly chin. “I didn’t realize you were coming in quite so early.”
Maeve raised an eyebrow, putting up her protective shield once more. “I thought it best to get this done as quickly as possible.”
He gave her a smirk. “Of course you did.”
Maeve nodded toward the dog. “Since when do you have a pet?”
Ethan chuckled and walked over. “Since Riley was desperate for someone to foster the little guy.” He held out the wriggling bundle.
“Oh!” Maeve quickly grabbed the puppy and settled him into herself. “You’re fostering him?” She stroked his silky head and giggled when the puppy reached up, trying to lick her chin. “No face,” Maeve said, though she couldn’t help but smile.
Ethan’s grin was exactly the type that made all the ladies swoon around him. Lazy and handsome with just a hint of mischief. “If I’d known a dog would have gotten your attention, I’d have done that ages ago.”
Maeve’s smile dropped. She needed to remember why she was here and it wasn’t to hold a cute puppy. “Why don’t you show me the books?”
Ethan gave her a salute. “Yes, ma’am. Right back this way.”
Maeve rolled her eyes at Ethan’s back. She carried Tox with her as they headed to Ethan’s office. It was a simple room with a desk, computer, filing cabinet and a couple of bookcases. To her surprise, the shelves were actually full of books, not surfing nicknacks like she would have expected.
“Believe it or not, I do read,” Ethan teased as he pulled a second chair around to the computer side of the desk.
Maeve scowled. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.” He grinned. “Your face said it all.”
This time she rolled her eyes where he could see it. “You don’t need a second chair,” she said. “I’m sure you have classes and customers to help. If you’ll just pull up your financial documents, I’ll get started.”
Ethan huffed. “Already going back on your word, huh?”
The words were sharp...and a little ironic, since the trust issues went the other direction. “I didn’t say that.”
“No. But you’re trying not to have to spend time with me.”
Maeve sighed. “Look. We both know this really isn’t a good idea, but I’m willing to help. Believe it or not, I don’t want you to lose your business and we really do need help with Dad. With Antonio gone, we’re all kind of at a loss.”
Ethan nodded. “Believe it or not, I’m perfectly willing to help your dad and would have been happy to do so without you looking at my books.” He leaned forward. “But you’re wrong if you think this isn’t a good idea. I know you’ve got it in your head that I’m untrustworthy and you've held a grudge since we were kids, but I’ve changed, Maeve. Like most people, I grew up. I’m not the same lanky teenager who first took you surfing and accidentally hurt you.”
Maeve stiffened. This was exactly the conversation she was hoping to avoid. She hated talking about it. Absolutely hated it. She set down Tox, who was whining and wiggling. She used the few moments of broken eye contact to refocus herself. She was here for her dad. That’s all. She took in a deep breath when she stood. “I’m here to help with the books, Ethan. Nothing else.”
Slowly he shook his head and walked back around the desk.
Her heart beat in double time with every step he took.
“You might use that as an excuse,” he said in a low tone, stopping when he was toe to toe with her. He reached out and tapped the side of her glasses. “And you might put plastic between us, but I’m not going anywhere, Maeve. Not until you give me a fair chance.”
Maeve tried to swallow, but there wasn’t enough moisture in her throat. “What exactly do you want?” she rasped.
He leaned in just a hair more, sending her pulse into warp speed. “I want to show you who I am now. And I want to explore this pull between us.” He held up a finger. “Don’t even try to deny it. No one, not even Tox, will believe you.” He waited, but Maeve had no words.
What could she say to such a proposal? It went against everything she’d worked for these last eight years and yet it offered something she wasn’t sure she’d ever have again.
Closure.
Closure that would give her freedom from her feelings of fear and anger and would allow her to finally drop the facade she held onto so tightly. The deal wasn’t that she had to date him or even do more than spend a little time with him. He just wanted her to stop pushing him away.
“Well? Can you do that?”
Her mind was screaming in two different directions and after several seconds of indecision, she spoke honestly. “I don’t know.”
He gave her a small smile. “That’s good enough for now.”
*****
ETHAN KNEW HE HAD PUSHED as far as he could...for now. He hadn’t really planned to lay it all out so clearly, but the conversation had been right for him to state his intentions and if he was going to earn her trust, he was going to be as brutally honest as necessary...even if it meant he told her how much he wanted to be with her.
He tapped the computer chair. “Have a seat. I’ll pull up the documents and be back in twenty minutes or so, and we can start to chat.” He tapped a few keys on the keyboard and stepped back, giving her breathing space. “Tox!” Shaking his head, Ethan grabbed the puppy, who was playing What Else Can I Chew? with a pair of his flip flops.
The soft laughter coming from Maeve, however, made losing his shoes so worth it. She didn’t relax enough to laugh around him very often and the sound was enticing.
Ethan glanced over his shoulder. “You’ll only encourage him.”
Maeve shrugged. “Isn’t that the best part about not owning a pet? I can spoil other people’s and never have to deal with the consequences.”
Ethan laughed as he scooped up the miscreant. “Remind me to never leave him alone with you.”
Maeve only grinned and Ethan nearly ran into the wall because he couldn’t make himself look away in time to walk out without losing his dignity. Grunting at his own stupidity, he walked back out to the front of the shop. It was much too early in the morning for his normal customers to come around. Only the die-hards seemed to hit the early waves. Vacationers liked to sleep in and often came when the weather was warmer during the afternoon.
Walking around, he kept an eye on Tox while doing any last minute cleaning that his helper had failed to do yesterday. Who’d have thought that teenage boys wouldn’t dust as often as they were supposed to?
When a family unexpectedly walked in, Ethan found himself caught up at the front desk for the next couple of hours, much longer than he wanted to be away from Maeve, but it couldn’t be helped. She had planned this on purpose, knowing he’d need to work out front and it would let her do the work without him being there.
Grumbling under his breath, he realized with a start that it was almost lunch time. “Perfect.” Changing the sign at the front of the shop, Ethan walked to the back, feeling much more confident than he had earlier. “Lunch time!” he hollered, then felt bad when Maeve almost jumped out of her seat. Trying to act casual, he took Tox to his kennel and locked him inside.
“Oh my gosh,” Maeve snapped. “What the heck was that for?” She had a hand over her heart and Ethan chuckled.
“Were you seriously that caught up in the numbers?” He made a face. “Or is my bookkeeping really that bad?”
Maeve sighed and shook her head. “Actually, your financials are in surprisingly good order, though there are a couple places we can shift some expenditures around. But you’re right...things are unusually tight this year.”
Ethan nodded, then tilted his head toward the door. “Why don’t you tell me about it as I treat you to some food?”
Maeve leaned back in her seat. “Uh...shouldn’t I be treating you to lunch?” She looked pointedly at the computer screen. “I just saw your savings account.”
“If twenty bucks for a couple of sandwiches is going to break me, then I don’t deserve to be running this shop.” Holding out his hand, Ethan let his invitation sit between them. He couldn’t hurry her. He knew better. But she knew where he stood and he would keep offering until she accepted.
The fact that she’d been unable to flat out say “no” earlier gave him hope. The chemistry between them was tangible and he had no idea how she’d been putting it off for so long, so this time together was going to be his chance of breaking down that wall once for all.
All he was asking was a chance. A chance to prove himself and a chance to see if their pull was because of their past or something that could be cultivated for their future. Ethan had his suspicions, but he would let Maeve make up her own mind. To do any less would completely go against what he was trying to show her.
Maeve stood, shut down the computer and walked around the desk. She hesitated, but didn’t actually take his hand. Instead, she simply nodded and walked past him.
Progress, he thought. She wouldn’t have even acknowledged him before. He followed right behind her as they walked out to the parking lot. “I’ll drive,” he said, opening and holding the door to the passenger seat. Again, Maeve hesitated, but this time she actually gave in.
“I don’t know why I’m doing this,” she muttered so he could hear as she sat down.
Ethan paused before closing the car door. “Because you’re just as curious as I am,” he whispered.
Maeve looked up. She didn’t look happy, but she also didn’t look mad. In fact, if Ethan had to name the look on her face, he would call it...lost. It pulled at him, but he forced himself to keep at least a little distance.
Maeve wasn’t a little girl and she wasn’t ready for him to jump in with both feet. He was an adult now as well. He could keep a pace that would be comfortable for them both... He’d have to.
Ethan pulled into a small cafe that was known for their sandwich wraps and they walked inside side by side. Ethan could practically feel the heat of her skin and he had to remind himself a dozen times not to take her hand yet.
“Thank you,” he murmured to the hostess when she showed them to a table. Ethan pulled back Maeve’s chair and couldn’t hold back a grin when she gave him a side eye. “I’m sorry. Is it wrong to be a gentleman?”
“You’re treating this like a date,” she accused after sitting down.
Ethan sat and shrugged. “And that bothers you?”
“We’re not on a date.”
“Okay.”
Maeve frowned. “Okay? That’s all you have to say?”
“What do you want me to say? You don’t want this to be a date. Fine. It’s not a date. But that doesn’t mean I won’t treat you well or with respect.” Ethan held his breath as she studied him. She was trying to figure out if he was serious and he wasn’t going to give her any clues that he wasn’t.
He’d waited years just for the opportunity to have a conversation with her. No way was he blowing it now.
After they’d ordered, the table grew quiet and Ethan tapped his fingers in a rhythm. “So...tell me what all’s going on with your dad.”
Maeve raised her eyebrows. “You don’t want to talk about your books?”
Ethan shook his head. “We’ll get to that.” He folded his hands together and leaned onto the table. “Estelle told me he has Parkinson’s, right?”
Maeve nodded, all the wariness leaving her face. Though the sadness that replaced it wasn’t necessarily any better. “Yeah. He got the diagnosis several years ago. He held onto it for a time, but when his hands began to shake too much in his work, he couldn’t keep going.”
Ethan whistled low. “So he didn’t tell you kids until after he retired?”
Maeve shrugged one shoulder. “We knew right before he retired, but still...yeah...he and Mom knew a long time before we did.”
Ethan ran a hand through his hair. “That had to have been tough.”
She grunted quietly. “You could say that.”
“And the trip to Italy?”
“It was to see family before he got too bad to travel.”
“How long are they expecting him to live?” Ethan asked softly. His chest ached with the question. Tony Harrison wasn’t just a neighbor to him, he was like a second father figure. And loving Maeve and knowing she was hurting only made Ethan’s pain feel twice as heavy.
Maeve took a deep breath. “Dad was younger than most when he developed it, but most patients live ten to twenty years after their diagnosis.” She hesitated. “But his has been developing rapidly, so we don’t really know...” Her voice trailed off and she couldn’t seem to look him in the eye.
Taking a chance, Ethan reached over and covered her hands, which were picking at her napkin. “Hey...” He waited until she looked up. “You’re dad’s a champ. Have faith.”
She blinked, her eyes slightly watery. “Thanks,” she said, wiping at the side of her eye.
“For what?”
“For not offering a bunch of overused platitudes that aren’t true.”
Ethan smiled. “I’ll always be upfront with you, Maeve.” He squeezed her fingers one last time before reluctantly letting go. “And I’ll always be here.”