Still the One

by Michelle Major

  It’s a test, he told himself. He measured his own resolve, his instinct for survival. Let’s see how much willpower I have, what I’ve learned in the past decade. He was smarter now and knew enough to protect himself against the pain that Lainey was bound to cause him. Seconds ticked by, and he wasn’t sure if the pounding in his ears was his heart or hers.

  I can do this.

  I can let her go.

  Her tongue snaked out and traced the seam of her lip. An involuntary gesture, he knew. But as soon as he saw the pink tip he was a goner.

  What the hell, he thought and leaned in to kiss her. Just one time wouldn’t mess him up that bad.

  Ten years disappeared in the space of an instant. She might look and sound different, but Lainey Morgan tasted exactly like he remembered.

  She tasted like home.

  Lainey felt her eyes drift shut as Ethan’s mouth brushed hers. She must have knocked her head really hard or this would never happen.

  When a cart clattered nearby, the reality of the situation hit her, and she bolted up then grabbed the side of the Land Cruiser as stars exploded behind her eyes.

  “Whoa, there.” Ethan stood and steadied her.

  “What were we thinking?” she said with a gasp, swatting away his arm. She pointed her finger at him. “What were you thinking? Anyone could have seen us.”

  “Don’t start poking me again.” He wrapped his palm around her finger and lowered her arm. “There are worse things that could happen.”

  “Not for me. Not in this town. We can’t get involved.” She paused. “For a lot of reasons.”

  His mouth thinned into a hard line. “It was a kiss. I didn’t ask you to go steady. We’re adults now. Things change.”

  That’s where he was wrong. The jumble of emotions bouncing around her stomach sent a clear message that nothing had changed. “I just can’t,” she whispered.

  “Is your head okay?”

  She touched one finger to the scratch. “It’s fine. No big deal.”

  “Put some ointment on it when you get home and call me right away if you get a headache or feel dizzy. I mean it. Anything out of the ordinary.”

  “I’m fine, Ethan,” she repeated.

  His hand lifted then pulled back. “Good night, Lainey.”

  She nodded and he turned and stalked across the parking lot to his truck.

  She wanted to call after him but knew it wouldn’t do any good. She rationalized the way her skin tingled by telling herself she hadn’t had a decent date in over a year.

  She was...the words desperate and hard up came to mind. Casual relationships were her forte, but it had become easier not to bother.

  She wasn’t going to bother now either. Not with Ethan. She had enough complications in her life without looking for more.

  * * *

  “I ran into Lainey the other day.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Have you seen her? She looks great—grown up in all the right places.”

  Ethan took a long swig of beer and studied Tim Reynolds over the bottle. He knew Tim and Lainey had been friends in high school, so it didn’t surprise Ethan that Tim had seen her. But it still got under his skin to discuss Lainey in that way. “Did you come here to gab or watch the game?”

  Dave Reynolds, Ethan’s best friend and Tim’s older brother, grabbed a third slice of meat lovers from the pizza box on the coffee table. With his cropped hair and stocky build, Dave still looked every bit the defensive lineman he’d been in high school. “Where’d you see her?”

  Tim’s wary gaze switched from Ethan to Dave. “She came into the newspaper office. Press stuff for her mama’s event. I guess she’s helping out since Vera’s sick.”

  Ethan saw Dave’s eyebrows lift. “Did you know, E?”

  Ethan took the last swallow from his beer and dropped the empty bottle on the table. “Yeah, I knew.” He turned his attention back to the Braves.

  “So you’ve seen her?” Tim asked again.

  Tim Reynolds was a persistent little twit, Ethan thought. Maybe that’s what made him a good newspaper reporter. Although if he was that good he probably wouldn’t have left the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to become the editor for The Brevia Times.

  “I’ve seen her.” He reached for another slice of pizza. “Her dog had some problems.”

  “Was it weird?” Dave asked.

  “It ate a pair of underpants.” He turned back to the game but realized both men stared at him.

  “What?”

  Dave shook his head. “Your job is foul. I meant was seeing Lainey weird?”

  To Ethan, weird was the green fuzz that grew on leftovers in the back of his fridge. Seeing Lainey had been like free-falling off a cliff—exhilarating, mind-blowing and scary as hell. He liked his life the way he’d arranged it—simple and uncluttered. His friends accused him of caring more about the animals he treated than real people. That worked for Ethan. He wouldn’t let Lainey complicate things again.

  He took a deep breath to clear his mind. “It was fine.”

  “I’m going to talk to her for the paper. A success story piece—someone who actually made it out of Brevia and lived to tell the tale.” Tim stood and picked up the empty pizza box. “Plus she’s hot, huh?”

  “Shut up, Tim,” Ethan and Dave said in unison.

  “What’s the big deal? You said it was fine.”

  Before Ethan could answer, Dave said, “Hey, Tim, grab more beer from the garage, will ya?”

  Tim watched Ethan but answered, “Sure thing, bro.” He turned and headed through Dave’s kitchen.

  “Thanks,” Ethan said when he’d disappeared.

  “Sorry about that. I’m glad he’s back home because it makes my mom happy, but sometimes I wonder how we came from the same parents. Tim can be kind of out there, you know?”

  “He’s okay.”

  Dave looked skeptical. “You’ve always been like a second brother to him—especially after you kept an eye on him in college. I still owe you for that. So how long is Lainey going to be in town?”

  “The rest of the summer. She’s taken over plans for the fundraiser and adoption fair. It’s no big deal.”

  Dave whistled low. “You worked pretty close with Vera on last year’s deal. Is it going to be the same with Lainey?”

  Ethan thought about her soft lips under his and how sweet her breath had tasted in his mouth.

  Nothing was the same with Lainey.

  “We’ll see,” he said with a shrug. “Seriously, it’s no big deal.”

  “This is me, E. I’m the one who found you knee-deep in take-out bags and beer cans a month after she ran off.”

  “I survived.”

  “Barely,” Dave argued. “Dude, I thought you might go all Unabomber and hide out in the woods for the rest of your life.”

  “I was young and stupid.”

  Dave shoved the last bite of pizza crust into his mouth. “At least you’re older now,” he said around a mouthful.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Tim came into the room holding three beers. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Ethan and Dave answered at the same time.

  “Whatever,” Tim mumbled as he handed each of them a bottle.

  Ethan knew Tim felt like the third wheel, but right now he didn’t care. He was glad for the quiet. Atlanta came to bat at the top of the seventh inning. Ethan sank against the cushions and watched the Braves try to even the score. Framed photos of his friend’s two young daughters and wife filled the shelves around the flat screen.

  Ten years ago Ethan had imagined this life for himself—a couple of kids and a wife. He’d expected Julia to be the woman in the pictures cradling his kids. That was how it was done in Brevia.
Maybe that’s why it had been so hard when Julia had taken off to New York City.

  Lainey had brought him back to life. He sure hadn’t planned on her getting pregnant the first time they’d been together. Hell, he hadn’t even planned on being with her. Dating his ex-girlfriend’s sister, that was the lowest of the low. But he couldn’t help it—everything about Lainey had drawn him in.

  She hadn’t gotten pregnant on purpose. He’d known it even with the town trying to convince him otherwise. But it wouldn’t have mattered. As soon as he’d found out about the baby, he’d been determined to create a better life than the one his messed-up family had given him. He was going to be the kind of father he’d wanted. The kind who took his kid fishing and not to the racetrack. The kind who grilled burgers on the patio while the kids played in the backyard, not one who sat in the darkened living room while the rest of the family tiptoed through the house, trying not to disturb him.

  Ethan had never gotten that chance.

  After a few rounds at the bar, guys would still slap his back and toast to how he’d dodged the marriage bullet. He’d smile and raise a glass but he never swallowed. He could not bring himself to drink to the absolute worst day of his life.

  He stood, setting his still-full bottle on the table. “I’ve got a long day tomorrow,” he said as he stood, wiping his palms against the sides of his cargo shorts.

  Dave stretched his arms over his head. “Me, too. I want to get the walls up on the Perry Park building before Vicki gets back.”

  Dave owned the largest commercial construction company in the county. His business was thriving thanks to the recent influx of residents wanting to escape to the mountains.

  “I drove by last week. At this rate you’ll be done by end of summer.”

  “How’s your place coming?”

  Ethan shrugged. “I’m hoping to be in by Labor Day.”

  “I should have a couple weekends to help out.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  “I can help, too,” Tim said as he finished another beer.

  “Sure, bud.”

  Tim’s eyes narrowed and his voice grew loud. “That crap with the chain saw was not my fault.”

  “You cut through my front door.”

  “The damn thing got away from me. Could’ve happened to anyone.”

  Ethan smiled. “You bet.”

  Tim sprang out of the chair and around the coffee table. “You think I can’t handle some stupid power tool.” He shoved his palms into Ethan’s chest. “Are you saying I’m not good enough to build your high and mighty house?”

  “Dude.” Dave rose from the couch. “Chill.”

  Ethan crossed his arms and stared at Tim. The other man’s cheeks were red with anger, but his eyes didn’t quite focus.

  “How many beers have you had?” Ethan asked.

  Tim used the sleeve of his T-shirt to wipe the side of his mouth. “A few,” he mumbled. “Who are you—my mother?”

  Ethan tilted his head toward the front door. “Let me drive you home. You can get your car in the morning.”

  Tim hesitated then glanced at Dave. “Fine.” He wobbled to the front door and let himself out without looking back.

  “Thanks for taking care of him,” Dave said.

  “You’d do the same for me. Hell, you did the same for me. I’m not going to lose it like that ever again.”

  Dave nodded then settled back onto the couch. “You better get out there. I don’t want him taking a leak on my shrubs.”

  Ethan grinned. “See ya later, buddy.”

  They didn’t speak as Ethan drove toward Tim’s apartment in the north end of town.

  “Sorry I flew off the handle back there,” Tim said, breaking the silence as Ethan pulled to a stop at the curb.

  “No worries,” Ethan answered, tired and ready to crawl into his own bed.

  “I’ve been stressed at work. Maybe I need to let off a little steam.”

  Ethan let his eyes drift shut. “I know the feeling.”

  As Tim opened the door of the truck’s cab, light flooded the interior.

  “Hey, Tim?”

  The other man looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

  “Even stressed-out, don’t start something you can’t finish. It’ll just cause trouble.”

  Tim’s back went rigid, and Ethan saw his knuckles tighten around the door handle. “Sure thing, E. I got it.” He climbed out of the truck and slammed the door shut.

  Ethan drove away thinking about how his night had gone to hell so fast. After seeing Lainey in the parking lot, he’d wanted a distraction, and watching the game at Dave’s had seemed as good as any. Then Tim had opened his big mouth about Lainey and how good she’d looked. Tension knotted in Ethan’s stomach at the thought of another guy looking at Lainey, kissing her the way he had.

  Do not go there.

  He eased his foot off the gas pedal. This time of night, the only thing he’d run into on the dark road leading to the clinic was a random deer, but he didn’t want to take chances. He rolled down the window and let the air calm his boiling blood.

  How hard could it be to deal with Lainey for the summer? Hell, he might not see her much. Between the clinic and his house he could stay plenty occupied. He’d pawn off most of his responsibilities for the adoption fair to Steph. Then Lainey would be gone and his life would get back to normal.

  By the time he started down the long dirt driveway toward the clinic, he felt more in control. More like the practical man he’d worked to become.

  He swung the truck in next to the converted trailer where he currently lived. Something near the door caught in the glow of his headlights. He turned on the brights and leaned over the steering wheel to get a better look. Then realized he was looking directly at a woman’s shapely backside. A string of expletives exploded from Ethan’s mouth as the figure turned.

  In the glare of his lights, she shaded her eyes with her forearm. Still, Ethan would have known the halo of curls that cascaded around Lainey’s shoulders anywhere.

  She was the last person he’d want to see standing on his front porch this late at night.

  At least that’s what he told himself.

  Chapter Six

  Cutting the brights, he climbed out of the truck. In the porch light, she looked as much like a deer in headlights as anything that would have crossed his path.

  “What are you doing here?” His voice sounded rough in his own ears.

  “I didn’t...you weren’t...” She whirled around to the front step then turned toward him. “Here,” she said, pushing a plate into his stomach.

  His hands curled around the sides of it, brushing her fingers in the process. She snatched back her hands.

  “It’s my way of saying thank you,” she said, her voice quiet. “For helping Pita. What happened earlier...well, I don’t know exactly what happened.” She hugged herself and looked away. “But I still want to thank you. So there. I made brownies.”

  Ethan quirked a brow. “You bake now?”

  “They’re from a box,” she said with a frown then added, “but they’re good. I had one on the way over.”

  “I see that.” He reached forward and with one finger flicked a chocolate crumb from her bottom lip.

  Big mistake. Just that tiny contact with her made his insides explode like the night sky on the Fourth of July. Once again, all thoughts of being practical drained from his head.

  She looked so beautiful standing in front of him, backlit by the hazy glow of the porch light. She wore a pair of cotton shorts and a faded blue tank top. While some women went to great lengths with hair, makeup and fancy clothes, Lainey never needed to try that hard.

  To Ethan, she’d always looked best when she was natural—half awake and curled in his arms in
the morning or fresh out of the shower, her hair damp. Or like now with a smudge of chocolate on her face, curls flying around her head.

  He lifted one long strand. “I used to love your hair.”

  She smacked at his hand. “Don’t do that.”

  “What?”

  “I can’t think straight when I’m near you.” She blew out a huffy breath. “You’re messing with my mind. I just wanted to give you brownies.”

  He glanced at his watch. “And you had to bring them over at eleven o’clock? It couldn’t wait for morning?”

  She shifted from one foot to the other. “I needed to get out of the house,” she said, not meeting his gaze. “It’s too quiet without Mom. Weirds me out.”

  “Do you want to come in for a bit?”

  Her eyes widened. “I didn’t come here for that.”

  “I wasn’t talking about that,” he said, exasperated. “A cup of coffee, that’s all. Trust me, Lainey, I’m happy with my life just the way it is.”

  She shook her head. “I’m okay. The drive over here calmed me down.” Her brows rose as her chin lifted. “Why are you home so late? Hot date?”

  He grinned. “Maybe.”

  “Who’s the...uh...lucky girl?”

  His smile widened. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  She huffed again and kicked the toe of her shoe into the dirt. “I couldn’t care less.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  She rolled her eyes and Ethan felt something he didn’t want to name unfurl in his stomach. Damn. This is how it had always been with Lainey—too easy. Long conversations late at night, the quick banter back and forth. She made it too easy to remember how much he liked being near her. Too easy to forget how she’d ruined his life long ago. She was only here for the summer before she left again, taking another big chunk of his heart with her if he wasn’t careful.

  “Well, thanks for the brownies,” he said and started to move past her.

  She stopped him with her hand on his forearm, her palm cool against his skin.

  “Ethan?” Her voice was hesitant, barely a whisper.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you think I can handle everything for the adoption event?”