No, she wasn’t embarrassed and expressed that to him after.
She was fearful of judgment.
Of being labeled as a gold digger.
If preparing herself for the comments about her father getting her her job—which was false—took time for her, thenletting everyone know she was sleeping with her boss was way up on the list of things to slow the roll.
Did it change her feelings about Ethan?
No. Not that. Never.
Even whenhewas trying to make decisions.
And that hurt too. She wasn’t the one calling all the shots as he’d said. It was ludicrous for him to even consider that.
When they spent time together, it was alwayshimarranging it.
He hadn’t even been inside her apartment, just always picking her up outside.
She’d bet he didn’t even realize that.
She sure the heck had. And maybe it was time to bring that up too. That he was wrong with what he said, but she hadn’t wanted to make their argument worse yesterday before seeing more of his family.
After this visit, they’d talk.
Because the last thing she wanted was to cause another fight before she saw her mother.
They walked through the terminal, went to customs and got through faster than she’d thought, found their rental car and plugged in her mother’s address.
“How many times have you been to your mother’s new house?”
“Once,” she said. “Right after she moved, but I drove. It’s not that far. Should be less than twenty minutes and the hotel is only five minutes away.”
One that she secured and paid for even though he’d been annoyed.
Too bad. There was no reason she couldn’t pay forsomething.
He’d even cut her off when she brought up the cost of the flight and he’d laughed and said he was paying for it because it was a convenience that he wanted.
“Are you excited to see your mother? It’s been how long?”
“Almost five months,” she said. “I’ve been on the island for three. I waited a month until my mother was settled before I went to see her. I should have gone another time before I moved, but there was so much to do.”
She talked to her mother a few times a week, they texted almost daily, even if it was only checking in.
It wasn’t as if she was missing that connection or support.
She still had it, just from a distance.
And as her mother had reminded her, she had a man in her life now. One she had to learn to lean on and build that support and trust there.
Man, was she trying, but it was hard.
“You have vacation time to take if you want to stay longer,” he said. “I can fly back alone.”
“Stop,” she said. “I’ll come back again in a few months. I’m just thrilled we are getting this time now. So thank you for it.”
“I wanted to meet your mom,” he said. “You know that.”
