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Maeve blinked her eyes, trying to get rid of the sand blast they’d experienced during their walk. She rubbed at them, grumbling under her breath. “Stupid wind.”
“I don’t know,” Ethan quipped. “I always enjoy getting my skin exfoliated. I’m pretty sure it took three years off my face.”
Maeve glared at him, but couldn’t seem to stop from smiling. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you’re stuck with me.”
She shook her head, that dang smile still splitting her face. “Come on. I’m sure Mom and Dad will want to say hi.”
Barking met the couple as they came into the house and a small ball of fluff careened around the corner, jumping up to greet them.
“Hey, cutie,” Maeve cooed. She picked up the small dog. “What’re you doing here?”
“Surprise!” Riley said from the family room doorway.
“Oh...it’s the traitor,” Maeve said wryly.
Ethan coughed to cover a laugh, then tried to school his face when Maeve looked at him.
Riley put her hands on her hips. “I”ll have you know, I was taking care of very important business. I couldn't leave you in the office all by yourself.”
“Really...” Maeve responded with no small amount of sarcasm. “Then tell me, what was so important that you had to lock me in, then shove Ethan in against his will?”
“I was finding a home for him.” Riley beamed and pointed to the dog.
Maeve stilled as realization dawned. “You’re kidding.”
Riley shook her head. “Ethan said he couldn’t take him forever, so I found another home.”
Maeve looked at the panting bundle. “My parents actually agreed to you?”
“Bring him back, would you?” Dad called from his usual spot on the couch. “I’m trying to teach him a trick.”
Maeve continued shaking her head as they walked farther in. “Dad...you never let us have a dog. Said they were too much work.”
Dad shrugged and grinned. “And now I have no kids to take care of. Your mother’s going crazy. Not enough people to spoil.”
“Don’t listen,” Mom called from the kitchen. “This was all his idea.”
Maeve set the puppy on her father’s lap. “This is so unfair.”
“Why? You live here. You can enjoy him.” Tox had climbed into Dad’s lap and was turning circles.
“Seriously, Dad. I just...can’t believe you said yes.”
“Maybe I’m just really good at being persuasive,” Riley quipped from behind Maeve and Ethan.
“Somehow, I’m doubting your charm is the culprit here,” Maeve said with a raised eyebrow.
Riley grinned. “I don’t know...it got you locked in an office with Ethan.”
“What?” Mom came over, a dishtowel flung over her shoulder, as usual. “Who was locked in an office with Ethan?”
Maeve waved an arm at Riley. “You started it. Go right ahead.”
Riley shrugged. “Someone had to do something, Mrs. Harrison. They were both being idiots.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Dad muttered.
“Antony,” Mom warned. She pointed a finger at Riley. “No one said anything about locking them in a room.”
“How else were we going to get them to talk?” Riley defended herself. “Every time the subject was brought up, they ran screaming in the other direction. The only option left to us was to lure them with cake and force them into compliance.” She waved a hand at the couple. “It worked, didn’t it?”
Mom tsked her tongue, but Dad laughed.
“If the blush on Ethan’s ears is anything to go by, it worked too well.”
Maeve groaned and pressed her eyelids. “Dad...please don’t.”
“Maybe we need to turn on a few more lights and check for beard burn,” Riley mused.
“Okay!” Maeve put her hands up. “I don’t know why I bothered coming back to the house. Here is your one warning. Ethan and I have worked out our differences. We’re together again. And the next person who makes some kind of inappropriate joke is gonna be sleeping with Tox. Got it?”
“Do you know how he got his name?” Dad asked.
Ethan choked.
Maeve looked back, frowning. “Are you okay?”
His face was red and he kept coughing, but nodded. “Yeah,” he wheezed. “Just fine.”
She turned back to her father. “What are you talking about?”
Dad was smiling a little too wide for comfort. She had a feeling he was about to continue pushing boundaries. “Tox. The name Tox. I have a theory about where it came from.”
Maeve shrugged. “Why does it matter?”
“Because it has to do with you.”
“Aaaand on that note, I think maybe we need to go visit the workshop,” Ethan said loudly. “Come on, Maeve. If you’re nice, I’ll let you go over my accounting books.”
Riley laughed, while Mom clucked her tongue again.
Maeve held up her hand to Ethan. “Wait a second. What’s going on here? What do you not want me to know?”
Ethan widened his eyes and shook his head.
“Have you ever wondered where we got your name, Little Mae?” Dad continued. His smirk was driving Maeve crazy.
“Just spit it out, Dad.”
His eyes darted to Ethan, then back to Maeve. “Maeve is an old Irish name.”
“Irish?” She scrunched her nose. “I didn’t know that.”
Dad nodded. “And it means ‘Intoxicating’.” He paused, as if waiting for Maeve to figure it out.
She frowned. Intoxicating...Her eyes widened and she looked to Ethan. “You named the dog...after the meaning of my name?”
He glanced up from under his lashes before dropping his gaze back to the floor. “Maybe...”
Maeve’s heart lurched. She walked over. “You really were thinking about me before we got together.”
He shrugged and nodded. “Maybe.”
Maeve laughed softly. “Thank you. For not giving up.”
Ethan smiled, his shoulders relaxing. “What if I told you you were my muse for the board I built for Ollie?”
Maeve’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Ethan walked over to Dad. “Hey, Tony. Where’s the remote?”
*****
ETHAN HOPED THIS WAS going to be a good idea. He hadn’t really planned to share all of it with Maeve. But Tony, being Tony, had somehow figured it all out.
“I’ll get you for this,” Ethan whispered when Tony winked.
“You can thank me in grandbabies,” Tony whispered back.
“You did not just say that,” Maeve shouted.
Ethan felt as if his cheeks were going to melt off. “Careful, Tony. That might backfire on you.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“I’m going to move to Italy.” Maeve groaned. “I’m living with Grandma.”
Mama Em laughed. “Are you really telling me that you think your Italian grandmother is going to be less embarrassing and invasive than your father?” She snorted. “Please. I once watched her accuse your Aunt Grace of being a thief.”
Maeve huffed and folded her arms over her chest. “Okay. Fair point. But seriously? Bargaining for grandchildren? Too far, too fast, Dad.”
Ethan skimmed the channels as fast as he could. This was going downhill fast. “Okay...here we are.” He held back a sigh of relief when the room quieted down. He could just imagine how Riley was never going to let him live this down and every person in their friend group would probably hear about the conversation by the end of the day. The gossip chain among their friends was alive and well, but it was even better amongst the town. Ethan was pretty sure Mr. Theon over at the hardware store would never look at him the same way again.
Maeve stepped up next to him. “Is this a surfing competition?”
Ethan nodded and pointed. “See that guy? That’s the one I built the board for.”
Maeve’s eyes went up. “He’s...winning.”
“I told you he was the next up and coming thing.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I know, but it’s kind of surreal to watch it happening in front of us.”
“Will they show your board?” Mama Em asked.
“Probably. They were earlier this morning.”
The room grew silent, other than Tox’s light snores as they watched the coverage. After a couple minutes, the reporters flashed back to an interview earlier in the day and there, front and center, was Ethan’s board.
He tuned out the interview, opting to watch Maeve instead, since Ethan had already seen it live earlier that morning.
Her eyes widened, began to glisten with tears and shaking fingers came over her mouth when Ollie talked about where he’d gotten the beautifully painted surfboard. “Ethan,” Maeve whispered thickly. “You’re famous.”
He chuckled. “Uh...no. Ollie’s famous. But using my board should mean that my shop is safe from going under. I created the paint job from the night we were on the beach at sunset. You were my inspiration.”
With a quick lunge, Maeve wrapped her arms around his neck, a second bout of crying causing her to shake in his arms.
Ethan held on again. Maeve wasn’t one to cry much, but she’d done a lot of it in the last few hours and he was starting to wonder if he was the problem.
“Sorry,” she hiccuped, pulling back and wiping at her eyes. “I’m just so excited for you.”
“We all are,” Mama Em said softly.
When Ethan turned back, she smiled at him.
“Your parents would be so proud.”
Ethan felt his own tears well up. He didn’t spend a lot of time wondering if his parents were watching or what they thought of his life choices, but hearing those words struck a chord nonetheless.
Ethan’s surfing obsession had come from his father, though it hadn’t been a career for the man. But it was a pastime they’d enjoyed many times together. Thinking about them as he had a moment of triumph built a fire inside of Ethan. He wrapped an arm around Maeve’s waist. “Dad might be excited,” he quipped. “But I’m betting Mom is more worried about what happened with Maeve and me.”
Tony chuckled. “That’s a true statement. She was forever telling Emory that our families would be related someday.”
“Oh, you,” Mama Em scolded. She smacked her husband’s shoulder with the towel. “Quit putting the cart before the horse. Let them figure it out for themselves.”
“Yes, dear,” Tony said automatically. When his wife turned around, he faced Ethan again. “Remember. Payment in grandbabies,” he mouthed.
“And we’re going out,” Maeve announced loudly.
“Uh...” Riley raised her eyebrows. “You might wanna...” She pointed a finger to her own face. “You’re a little flushed,” she whispered loudly.
Maeve huffed. “Fine. Be right back.” Still sniffling, she stomped up the stairs, apparently headed to the bathroom with Riley on her heels.
Her mascara had been a little smeared and her cheeks flushed, but Ethan hadn’t minded. She still looked beautiful to him.
“Can I buy all of Tox’s equipment from you?” Tony asked once his daughter was out of earshot.
Ethan smiled. “I’m sure we can work something out.” He didn’t want to admit it, but he was going to miss the pipsqueak. Still, it was better to let Tony have the pup. Ethan could look into getting one later, after everything was settled with Maeve.
Tony scowled. “I have a feeling I’m not going to like your terms.”
Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Guess we’re even, then.” His smile grew when Tony grumbled some more. “How’s the addition coming? Did Matt say when they were going to be done?”
“A few more weeks,” Tony said on a sigh. He glanced hurriedly over his shoulder, then dropped his voice. “I have to admit, it’ll help. Those stairs are the bane of my existence.”
Ethan sat down on the coffee table so they could talk. “How bad is it, Tony?” He’d been so excited for his reunion with Maeve, and before that, too caught up in the board and his business to have a serious discussion with his neighbor. Ethan had spoken to Maeve, but he had a feeling that Tony kept some of the more serious problems from his kids. He’d never been one to enjoy worrying others.
Tony’s shoulders slumped, then shrugged. “Bad enough.” He glanced up. “Bad enough I’m not sure how many of those grandchildren I’ll get to meet.”
Ethan swallowed hard. “Have the doctor’s given you any indication....?” He couldn't quite finish the sentence. This discussion was more uncomfortable than being teased about Maeve. No one wanted to talk about death, especially if the person they were talking with was the person dying.
Tony shrugged again. “Less than most,” he said softly. “My case seems to be more aggressive and progressing faster than average. Two years? Two months? If we’re lucky, another five? I really don’t know.”
Ethan nodded, his knee bouncing. “You know I’ll take care of them, right?” He didn’t want Tony to worry about any of it. He needed to focus on enjoying what time he had left, not worrying about how his family would survive when he was gone.
Ethan wasn’t going anywhere. Now that he had Maeve back, he would pursue their relationship right up to the chapel and white dress like he’d planned from the beginning. They’d live next door and when Tony’s disease finally won, Ethan would make sure Mama Em and any other children left would have everything they needed. He wouldn’t let the Harrison family down ever again.
Tony gave him a half smile and a nod. “I know. Thank you. You’re a good man, Ethan. And I’ll be honored to call you my son officially when it all comes together. Between you and Austin, I’m not worried at all.” He leaned forward. “Just don’t take too long, got it?”
Ethan smiled back. “I don’t plan to.”