Page 77 of Boss and Brat

Carter’s ears went a little pink under the brim of his hat.

They drove in a comfortable silence for a while, the landscape shifting from farmland to open stretches of road lined with tall grass. The air carried a subtle, clean, and sharp scent of salt, hinting at the sea.

Ethan leaned his head against the window, watching the sky widen as they approached the coast.

With Carter beside him, the world didn’t feel so heavy anymore.

The coast opened up in front of them like a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. The sky stretched wide, pale blue fading into soft gray near the horizon. Waves rolled in slow and steady, brushing the sand with a sound that felt like calm itself.

Carter parked the truck near a quiet stretch of beach. “C’mon,” he said, tipping his hat back just enough to look at Ethan. “Let’s walk.”

Ethan followed him down the sandy path, the breeze cool against his face. Carter walked a little ahead at first, hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxed in a way Ethan didn’t see often. The wind tugged at his shirt and ruffled his hair under the brim of his hat.

Ethan watched him for a long moment, the wind tugging at Carter’s shirt, the brim of his hat casting a soft shadow over his eyes. Something in Ethan’s chest shifted—quiet, sudden, undeniable.

He was falling for him. Hard.

The realization didn’t come with words. It came with the way his breath caught, the way the world felt steadier when Carter was near, the way warmth settled low and certain beneath his ribs. Like something inside him had clicked into place.

Carter glanced back. “You okay?”

Ethan nodded, catching up. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”

“Dangerous,” Carter teased lightly.

Ethan bumped his shoulder against Carter’s. “You’re one to talk.”

They walked along the shoreline, their footsteps sinking into the wet sand. The waves came close enough to brush their shoes, but neither of them cared.

After a minute, Ethan said, “I liked hearing about your family. Not because it was good—because you trusted me with it.”

Carter looked down at him, eyes softer than the ocean behind them. “You’re easy to talk to, Ethan.”

“That’s not true,” Ethan said with a small laugh. “I’m a mess half the time.”

“Yeah,” Carter said, “but you’re honest. And you listen. And you don’t judge me for the things I’m not proud of.”

Ethan’s heart squeezed. “I could never judge you.”

Carter stopped walking. Ethan did too.

The breeze lifted Carter’s hat just enough that Ethan could see his eyes clearly—warm, steady, focused entirely on him.

Carter said, “You make me feel… seen. Like I’m not the screw-up my family decided I was.”

Ethan swallowed hard. “You’re not a screw-up. You’re… you’re one of the best people I’ve ever known.”

Carter’s jaw tightened, as if the words hit deeper than he expected. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Ethan said, voice barely above a whisper. “You’re strong, and kind, and you care even when you pretend you don’t. And you make me feel safe. No one’s ever done that for me.”

Carter looked away for a second, as if he needed to steady himself. Then he said, “You make me want to be better.”

Ethan’s breath caught.

They started walking again, slower this time, closer. Their arms brushed now and then, and each time it sent a warm ripple through Ethan’s chest.

After a while, Ethan said, “I like your hat.”