That he was thinking of a future that maybe she wasn’t ready to hear.
Just because he felt behind the eight ball in life, didn’t mean she was going to join him in those thoughts.
She was five years younger than him. He didn’t even know if she wanted a family or when she’d want to start.
Maybe it was one of those conversations they should have had.
He loved kids. He wanted his own. A few at least.
If she didn’t feel the same way, he wasn’t sure he could continue, even loving her the way he did.
“It’s always something to worry if you’re feeling it. Or don’t you trust me to know? I mean, like I can’t know right away?”
She thought it was business related. And some of it was. “I tell you things when I can.”
“Okay. You’re good with us though, right?”
“I am. Are you?”
Her smile was almost as bright as the sun. “I am. I think we are getting there. I know maybe not at the speed you want, but I appreciate you giving me the space.”
Which was why he was holding it all in.
“If you’re happy, then I’m happy.”
Her head landed against his chest, she looked up and waited for him to lean down for a kiss. Something she rarely did with him in public, which said more than words could.
34
YOUR BECK AND CALL
“We are taking a cooking class?” Nora squealed the minute Ethan told her what his surprise was.
“We are,” he said. He was laughing right with her. “It’s something you said you always wanted to do.”
“It is. I didn’t know they did it on the island.”
“They don’t,” he said. “My cousin Grace Stone-Harrington is doing it. She’s not easy to get some free time from, so it’s going to be a brunch class before she goes to work.”
“Grace Stone, the one who came in second on that reality show?”
“That’s her,” he said.
“This is awesome.” She moved into his arms for a hug and a loud kiss. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“I know I should have brought it up to you first.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “This is much better. And we’ve been talking about ideas the past few weeks. What to do and where to go.”
He’d been more open to discussing things and not just taking charge like it was second nature to him. She got it, she really did.
Someone who was used to being in an authority position couldn’t always just shut it off.
The fact he was trying was more than any other man had done in her life.
At least men she dated.
Her father had never tried before, but he appeared to be now.
