“I’m too hungry to give you shit about eating pineapple on pizza.”He grabs two plates from the cupboard and, to my surprise, breaks off a slice of Hawaiian and sets it on the plate for me.
We stand at the island eating, and he takes out two bottles of beer, handing me one.I could so get used to this?—
No.Nope.Dangerous thoughts.Icouldget used to coming home to someone, sharing a beer, sitting on the porch and watching the sunset, but that someone isn’t Ethan Davis.
He’s leaving.
Don’t get attached.
Kat decides to make her appearance, her tail flicking in the air behind her as she trots into the room and wraps herself around Ethan’s ankle like she’d climb him if she could.You and me both, girl.
Ethan scoops her up, letting the little furball tuck herself into his chest.
“She seems to be settling in pretty well,” I say, a little jealous at how close she nuzzles.
“Yeah.It’s nice having someone happy to see me when I finish up for the day.”
It’s so funny how our thoughts are so similar, like he might be as lonely as I am.Don’t get me wrong—there’s no shortage of people I love in this town, my two girls being top of the list.But it’s not the same as having someone to cuddle under the covers with at night and wake up next to.
“How did the work go with the pergola today?”he asks, pulling back my thoughts.
“There wasn’t a lot of pergola work done,” I admit, “but Dad did get all the tables sanded and the first coat of paint on.”All in all, a successful first day.
“I wish I could help you out, but without a license and the right insurance in North Carolina?—”
“Don’t worry about it.”He has enough on his plate without me adding to it.“Rick is actually helping me.”For once.“He ordered all the lumber, and my friend over at the surf shop has the boards ready to go.You might even get to see it finished before you head back north.”
My stomach churns at the thought of him leaving.
The joys and sorrows of a fling.
I stick around until Ethan starts to yawn.Usually I’m the first one to tap out, but he looks like he’s hanging on by a thread.It doesn’t help that he has a mini hot water bottle curled in his arms, purring away.
I push off the counter and bring both our plates to the sink.“I should get home.”
“Or you could stay here.”
Icould, except… “I really need a shower.”
“If only I had one of those,” he says with a roll of his eyes.
“Okay, smartass.Let me run home to grab something to throw on later.”
“There’s no need.I’m only going to strip you out of it.”
Ethan makesgood on his promise, and when we fall asleep on his bed, my body aches in the best way.
The next morning, at exactly five o’clock, my alarm goes off.For the first time in forever, I don’t feel like getting out of bed to surf.Technically, I had an intense workout last night, so I should probably give myself time to recuperate.
Ethan doesn’t budge, not even when his own alarm goes off thirty minutes later.I turn the thing off, only to find seven more alarms set between now and noon—all of them labeled.
Oh my God.The poor guy deserves one day to sleep in without having to—Does that say “shave at 8:15?”
Yeah.That can wait.
With a few click, click, clicks, all the alarms are turned off.I slip out of bed and pad downstairs to a symphony of mewing coming from the laundry room.
Kat scratches the door with her tiny claws.I let her out, fill up her food bowl, and give her enough belly rubs to placate her, then I head over to my place to get ready for work.
