Page 40 of Boss and Brat

The words slipped out before he could stop them. Ethan’s smile widened, soft and open in a way that made Carter’s pulse jump. He looked away, pretending to study the menu he didn’t need.

Careful, he told himself. Don’t let this turn into something it shouldn’t. But Ethan kept looking at him like he’d hung the moon, and Carter felt a slow, steady heat build low through his body. Not dangerous. Not yet. But close.

Carter wrapped his hands around the mug to ground himself. “Eat first,” he said. “Then we’ll talk about moving your stuff.”

The kid nodded, still smiling. And Carter knew he was in deeper than he meant to be.

Ethan wrapped his hands around his cup like he needed the warmth. Carter watched him for a moment—too long, probably.The kid had this way of looking hopeful and lost at the same time, and it did something to him. Something he shouldn’t let it do.

He cleared his throat. “You’ll move your stuff after work. Truck’s coming to the cabin later.”

Ethan’s eyes brightened again. “My truck?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s… that’s awesome.”

Carter looked down at his coffee. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“It is a big deal,” Ethan said. “No one’s ever—”

He stopped himself, but Carter heard the rest anyway. A tightness climbed up his throat, the kind that made it hard to speak without giving something away. He looked out the window instead of at Ethan’s face.

He told himself to keep things straight—clear roles, clear boundaries. Responsibility first. Nothing more. But when he looked back and caught Ethan smiling at him like he’d done something heroic, a quiet jolt ran through him, sharp enough to make his hands still on the table. Whatever boundary he’d tried to set felt like it was already shifting under his boots.

He’s your responsibility, not your… anything else.

Ethan was still grinning, and something hot flickered through Carter before he could brace for it. Damn kid had no idea what he stirred up. Carter forced a slow breath, steadying the sudden rush in his pulse. He needed distance, needed to keep his reactions under control before they slipped somewhere they shouldn’t. And he knew he was in trouble.

Chapter Sixteen

The sun pressed down on Ethan like a heavy hand, making the back of his neck prickle under his collar. Heat pooled between his shoulder blades as the horses moved behind him, their hooves stirring up thin trails of dust that clung to his boots and the cuffs of his jeans. Three of the girls recognized him before they even cleared the yard.

Lily, riding a paint mare, eased up beside him first. She’d always been sharp-eyed and sharper-tongued, the kind of girl who could spot a lie before you finished telling it. Her braid swung over one shoulder as she studied him.

“Ethan Evans? Seriously?” Her eyes narrowed like she was comparing him to an old photo. “Didn’t expect to see you out here. You look… different. Like you actually work now.”

Ethan snorted under his breath. “Guess I do.”

Maddie rode up on his other side. She’d been the shy one in youth group, always doodling in the margins of her Bible. Now she had a messy bun and a sunburned nose, and she looked him over with a half-smile.

“Last time I saw you,” she said, “you were wearing a pressed shirt and passing out hymn books. Now you’ve got dirt on your boots. Kinda weird.”

Ethan forced a small grin. “Yeah, well. Life changes.”

Tessa, the third girl, hung back a little. She’d been the social butterfly—cheer squad, choir, every church event. She gave him a once-over like she was trying to figure out if he was still the same guy who used to hold doors open for everyone.

“So,” Lily said, adjusting her reins, “you seeing anyone at college?”

Ethan blinked. “What?”

She shrugged. “You disappeared after graduation. Figured you had some girlfriend keeping you busy at Chico State.”

Maddie chimed in, “Yeah, like some artsy girl who drinks iced coffee and drags you to poetry readings.”

Ethan grinned. “No. No girlfriend.”

“Really?” Lily asked, eyebrows lifting. “Huh. Thought for sure you’d be dating someone by now.”