by Diana Tobin
“He didn’t settle down after becoming a father?”
“Sort of. I think after Dani was born, it was like playing house for them. Denny still went out with his friends, leaving Nancy to care for the baby and the house. She had to be lonely. Imagine being Dani’s age, your friends are at school or hanging out together, no real responsibilities. Instead, you have a baby to care for. A husband who will be home eventually, maybe for supper, maybe with a friend or two. That’s not a family life, that’s more like frat boys in college.” Michaela pulled her hand away, placing it in her lap. “You don’t want to hear all this.”
“Actually, I do. Have you talked to anyone about your friends? Nettie?”
“She knows most of it. I didn’t meet Nancy until Charley was born. One look at that baby girl and I was a goner.” She smiled as she remembered. “I’d been around babies before, but something about her just struck me. I liked Nancy, and I was glad to have her for a friend. I just thought, well, I’m being judgmental again.”
“Go on. I want to know how you felt,” he urged.
“It’s like she wouldn’t think for herself. She acted the way Denny wanted. Like that outfit Dani wore to work one day.”
“Oh, God! I’m sorry, baby. She said it was good enough for her mother and I thought she meant you.” He placed his hand on her knee. “Not that I didn’t like seeing you in your bra, but that whole hooker outfit just isn’t your style.’
“Thanks. I think,” she said, with a small laugh. “Nancy wore that outfit, if it can be called that, to go out with Denny one night. I had volunteered to babysit, but couldn’t believe it when I saw her dressed like that. I told her if she thought so little of herself to go out in public that way, it was her problem, but I wasn’t going to be around to witness it. She said Denny thought it was sexy. Well, Denny was an idiot. I left, and didn’t talk to her or see her for weeks.”
“Obviously, you must’ve made up.”
“We did. She came to see me at work, begged me to talk with her. I don’t know why she bothered, I wasn’t very nice to her. I told her she was a grown woman with two children she needed to set a better example for. She wasn’t her mother, and didn’t have to act the same way. Nancy should want better for herself and her family. I also told her she deserved a man for a husband, not a kid who drifted from job to job and party to party.”
“And, yet—you married him?”
“That was years later and for the kids.” She reached a hand toward her hair, but stopped mid-air as if remembering it was pinned up, not flowing loose over her shoulders. “Nancy started changing. I’m surprised she didn’t tell me to take a hike, but I was pretty much her only female friend. She’d wrapped her whole life into Denny. As she gained more confidence she started getting after Denny to drink less, party less, get steady work and be a true husband and father. He realized she was serious when she threatened to throw him out.
“He truly loved Nancy. He got a job with a construction company and stayed with it, that time. Went to work on time, didn’t take days off because he didn’t feel like working. You know, the way responsible adults do. He drank less, having a beer or two when a friend would come over. He started spending more time with Nancy and the girls, just the four of them.
“That weekend, the one of the accident—they were going up to the mountains for a snow weekend to celebrate their new start on life together. Instead, it was the end of Nancy’s life, and the Sparks family was broken.”
Ethan pulled into the lot of a restaurant, parking and turning off the engine before he looked at her. “I’m sorry for your loss, honey.”
“Who did I think I was?” she demanded. “Telling Nancy how to live her life.” She turned her face to his, her eyes filled with sorrow. “She deserved better than she’d gotten. I knew it, and wanted her to know it, too. She was beginning to get that, then it was all taken away. I never should have meddled.”
Ethan cupped the side of her face with his big hand. “Sweetheart, it’s not your fault. You told her how you felt, but it was her decision to make the changes. Don’t blame yourself for that.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
Michaela tried to smile. “Bet you didn’t expect your date to be such a downer. I’m sorry. No more talk of sad things. I promise.”
“I want you to be able to talk to me about anything.” He framed her face in both hands as his mouth came down on hers. He’d meant to keep the kiss light, reassuring, but one taste, and he dove in. Eating at her mouth, licking her lips, tangling his tongue with hers. Finally, he came to his senses. “We’d better go in before I make love to you out here in the truck.” Slowly, he released her and stepped out of the truck.
****
When they were seated at their table and had ordered wine, Michaela looked up from her menu to find him staring at her. “What?”
“Nothing.” He watched the color flood her cheeks and smiled in satisfaction. She was no longer thinking unhappy thoughts. She was thinking about him. Only him.
As their salads were placed before them Michaela asked about his family. “They’re down in Georgia. That’s where I grew up.”
“Hmm. Kinda figured that from the accent.”
“I don’t have an accent.”
She gave him a long look. “There are times it’s more pronounced than others.”
“Such as?”
Michaela shifted in her chair.
He grinned and winked at her.
She cleared her throat and poked at the lettuce in front of her. “How did you end up in Webster? Why aren’t you home in Georgia?”
That cooled his body down. “For one thing, my mother tends to be a helicopter. She hovers,” he explained at Michaela’s blank look. “My dad doesn’t say anything, but he’s sad that my career came to an end. It got hard to take on a daily basis.”
“I thought your career was coaching hockey.”
“It is, now.” He drew in a deep breath. It was time to tell Michaela what had happened to him. He wasn’t sure he was ready for how it would change her feelings for him, whatever they may be. “I played for the NHL. Dad didn’t understand how a Georgia boy could fall in love with cold and ice, but there it was. I loved the game, loved playing. And, I was good. Damn good! I got injured.” He rolled his shoulders. “Freak accident during a game. Got cut by a skate blade. That wouldn’t have been so bad, but an infection developed.” He moved his shoulders again in a restless motion. “End of my playing days. Through the grapevine I heard Web was looking for a coach…and here I am.”
“Your leg, it’s okay now?” Her brows came together in a frown.
Ethan leaned back in his chair pushing the plate with the remains of his salad aside. “Sure. There are times I have a little weakness. Nothing serious. But, I understand how Dani has felt, what she’s gone through. I’m glad she decided to give skating a try.”
Michaela reached across the table for his hand. “Thank you, for all you’ve done for her. I see her self-confidence growing each day. I think Billy has helped, too. Not to mention my mom.”
“It had to be hard on her, losing her parents, dealing with an injury. She’s lucky to have you.” He gave her fingers a squeeze, then moved his hand so the waiter could set down their entrees.
“I’m not sure she sees me that way, but she is growing close to Mom.”
They dug into their meals and Ethan kept her wine glass filled.
“What made you leave Webster?” he asked her.
“I feel pretty silly about it now.”
“Why? Did some guy break your heart and you had to get away?” he grinned at her.
She moved food around on her plate and wouldn’t meet his gaze.
Ethan placed his hand over hers to stop her restless movement. “Is that what happened, honey? Did you leave heartbroken?”
“No,” she said on a sigh and met his gaze. “I got tired of not measuring up and being compared to a failure.”
“I don’t think I understand.” He frowned.<
br />
“New Englanders tend to be stoic, keep to themselves, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know what’s going on around town. My brother knew he wanted to be a doctor. Everything he did was working toward that goal. My sister, younger sister,” she added, “decided she wanted to be a lawyer.” She smiled a bit. “Lynn loves to argue.”
“What about you?” he asked quietly. “What did you want to do?”
“That’s just it, I had no idea.” She leaned back in her seat, pulling her hand from under his. “The closer it got to my high school graduation, the more pressure I felt to decide my future.”
Ethan resumed eating his meal, but made it clear he was listening. “That doesn’t sound like Nettie.”
“Mom was the only one who didn’t pressure me. Or, not much.” Michaela picked up her own fork, scooping up a bite of her twice-baked potato. “I’m not stupid, but school didn’t interest me the way it did Marc and Lynn. Both were straight A students, and I just did what was needed to get by. Not a wise decision, but there it was.” She moved her shoulders a bit and concentrated on slicing a bite of her steak. “By the time I graduated, I’d had a number of jobs. I liked learning new things. But people kept asking when was I going to stop being like my dad and make something of myself. The same questions over and over. What was I going to do? Where was I going to college? Whose footsteps would I follow in, Marc’s, Lynn’s, or my dad’s?”
“You were expected to have all the answers at seventeen or eighteen, was that it?”
She swallowed the bite she’d taken, then set down her fork again. “Yes. I know some people do, like my brother and sister. You probably did, too. Right?”
Ethan nodded. “True. I knew at a young age I wanted to play hockey. I never gave a thought as to what would come later.” He finished off his meal before saying, “So, you decided to get out of town to see the world? Figure out what you wanted to do?”
“Something like that. Between well-meaning townspeople and my perfect sister, I couldn’t take any more, packed up, and left. Turned out, I was just like Dad—as everyone said.”
“Who decided your sister was perfect?” his brows raised at the term.
“She did,” Michaela said on a laugh. “Besides liking to argue over everything, she liked the idea of making a lot of money, too. And, dressed the part. If she wore jeans, she always pressed them with a perfect crease down the front. I swear, she rolled out of bed with her hair combed, her makeup on, and wearing the right outfit for any occasion. I felt like such a slob next to her, as she pointed out all too often.”
“Sounds like you don’t get along with your siblings.”
She placed her knife and fork across her plate before pushing it a bit to the side. “I wouldn’t go that far. I haven’t seen my brother for years. Between med school and his practice, he’s been busy—and we haven’t been home at the same times. I came home for Lynn’s graduation, but could only stay a couple of days.” She glanced up at him. “I was in the midst of beauty school, so I couldn’t take off too many days. She went off to college and law school. I was busy learning a craft and building a clientele, then raising two girls, and…” She trailed off with a shrug.
“Why beauty school?”
A waiter removed their plates and brought them coffee after they declined dessert.
“My thought was to go someplace warm. The Carolinas, Florida, or maybe all the way out to California. But, I had limited funds.” She sipped at her coffee, then wrinkled her nose a bit. “I had treated myself a bit on my trek from Webster. I went to Boston, thinking I’d visit my brother, but he was busy. Didn’t really have time for me.” She made a small dismissive movement with her shoulders. “So, I headed for the Cape and spent a few days there. My car started acting up by the time I got near Norwich. That pretty much made me decide to find a job and get it taken care of.”
“Beauty school seemed like the answer?”
“No,” she said, grinning back at him. “I got a job at a pizza place.” She wrinkled her nose again. “Nice during the cold winter, terrible during the heat of summer. There was an opening at my local bank and I was hired. Much better working conditions, until we were robbed.”
Ethan swore his heart stopped for a few seconds before it began resuming its beats. “Were you hurt?” He leaned across the table to take her hands.
“No,” she shook her head. “Just scared spitless. The robber came to me—I was the first teller in line. He pulled his jacket open to show me he had a gun. I just shoved the money from my drawer at him and tried not to faint. He stopped at two more tellers before going out the other door.” She pulled a hand away to push back a lock of hair by her eye. “By the time the police had come and gone, I was a wreck. The next morning, I couldn’t make myself go inside. I called my boss from the parking lot and quit.
“I was driving around, wondering what I was going to do, when I saw a sign for the beauty college. It sounded a lot safer than a bank. Ever heard of a beauty salon being robbed? Maybe, but I bet they don’t have to deal with the FBI, too. Besides, making people pretty sounded more fun than counting dirty money that wasn’t mine. So, I went in and signed up—and here I am.”
“Lucky for me.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Have you made plans for Thanksgiving yet?” he asked.
“Gosh. It’s next week, isn’t it?” She set her cup down and looked at him. “I got so caught up in Homecoming I forgot about it. Are you going home for the holiday?”
Ethan chuckled. “You haven’t paid attention to the hockey schedule, either, have you? We have home games that weekend. We’re playing a team from New Hampshire. We thought we might draw a crowd, considering how many people tend to come back to be with family. If it’s a bust, we’ll know not to do it next year.”
“Do you want me to make dinner? Let me talk to Mom. I’m sure she and Wil would want to join us.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” He finished his coffee and sat back. “My parents wanted me to go home for the weekend and when I explained we were hosting games, they thought they might come up here. How would you feel about adding two more to the table?”
“Will we all fit in your dining room?” She, too, had finished her coffee and didn’t want more. “That was delicious. I didn’t have to cook it and I don’t have to clean up from it.”
“I’m sorry. Thanksgiving is too much to ask.”
“Don’t be silly,” she scoffed. “Thanksgiving is a whole different deal. What about Web and Gusta and their guys?”
“I haven’t talked to them. I just spoke to my mother this morning.” The waiter interrupted them to inquire about anything else. Ethan asked for the check.
“You get me a head count and Mom and I will take it from there. How long will your parents stay?”
“Maybe five days or so. If my mother gets to hovering too much I may be begging Nettie for her room again,” he said with a grin.
“Does she cook?”
“She does, but I’m not asking her to take on me and the guys. Unless you have plans that weekend and don’t want to do it.”
“No, I’ll continue. I didn’t know how she’d feel about me coming into your house and taking over.”
Ethan reached across the table to hold both her hands again. “Darlin’, my house, my rules. That means you can take over any room you’d like.” He winked, his grin widening as color flooded her cheeks. “You ready to go? I really want to be alone with you.”
She nodded and he took care of the check. At the door, he wrapped the fur around her shoulders and kept his arm about her, leading her out to the parking lot. He opened the driver’s door, lifting her up to the seat and quickly got in behind her. Then, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
“We can’t keep doing this in a vehicle,” he ground out. “We’ll fog up the windows in no time.”
“I haven’t done that since high school.” Her voice was a bit dreamy, then she pulled away from him. “Oh, no! Now I’m going to think about what Dani and Billy are
doing.”
Ethan drew in a deep breath and turned to the business of starting the truck and heading for Webster. “We could go by the dance and check on them,” he offered reluctantly.
“No. I can’t do that. Much as I might want to, I need to show Dani I trust her.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her hand around his arm. “I do wish we could be alone some place. Even just to sit and talk without someone else butting in.”
“You’re okay with that? Being alone with me?”
“Yes, but it’s not going to happen. My house has people, your house is full. Even if Mom’s shop was open, the minute we sat down you know she or someone in town would come along and join us.” She snuggled against his side. “It’s nice to have friends and neighbors who care, but all the same there are times I’d like two minutes to myself.”
“I hear ya, sweetheart. And I have an idea.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
He could see the surprise on Michaela’s face when he pulled up behind Moose-ley Coffee. “I still have a key.” He held it up to show her in the light from a full moon. “Keep forgetting to give it back to her. Now, I’m glad I didn’t.”
She started to slide out of the truck, but Ethan placed his hands around her waist and lifted her out, letting her body slowly glide down the front of his. “People will be at the door the minute we turn a light on.”
“No lights,” he promised. “At least, not downstairs. I left a small one upstairs.” He didn’t add the light had been to keep him from tumbling down the stairs in the dark, something he’d have given little thought to in the past. “Come on, baby,” he said taking her hand. “It’ll be fine.”
Soon he had them inside, the back door locked behind them. Using the light from his cell phone he led the way up the stairs to where he’d stayed his first few weeks in Webster. When they reached the top, Ethan turned on the small lamp near the staircase. It shed some light on the stairs, but couldn’t be seen from outside, and gave the area a warm glow.
