Page 87 of Chasing Honor

Chrissy blushed and lowered her head.

“You think?” She smiled.

“Oh, yeah,” I answered.

“Huh. Too bad I live on the other side of the country. And besides, I’ve found that doctors are a pain in the ass. I don’t date them.”

Maybe it was weird the three of us were sitting in a hospital room discussing the type of man Ethan’s ex now dated, but it was strangely nice.

“When are you leaving?” Ethan asked.

“In a few hours.”

“Will you leave me your email address?” I blurted out.

Maybe I should’ve checked with Ethan before I’d asked, but there wasn’t time. Chrissy was getting ready to leave.

She glanced at Ethan, and he nodded. “Sure.” Her answer was unsure and hesitant.

“If you’d like, Honor can email you some pictures of Carson,” Ethan told her, picking up on what I was offering.

“I’d like that.”

“Chrissy, I can’t say I’m happy with how you handled the situation, but I understand,” Ethan told her.

“I know I screwed up. I promise you it will never happen again.”

“But, I can’t say I’m not pleased you where there to take care of Honor and Carson. Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome.” Then her gaze was on me, assessing me the same way I’d done to her. “Thank you for loving them. I’m glad you’re all right.”

“It’s no hardship, and me too.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re eager to leave. I’m gonna go; I have a flight to catch.”

“Be well, Chrissy.”

“You, too, Ethan.”

She waved and just like that she was gone.

Ethan didn’t speak for a while and when he looked at me I wanted to flinch at the pain I saw. But I had to be strong for him. For us. So I waited until he was ready.

“Thank you for knowing what I needed even when I didn’t.”

His statement surprised me, and I was a little shocked he’d seen right through my intensions. I did want to thank, Chrissy, and I did want to hear for myself why she’d come back, but more than that I’d wanted Ethan to find the answers he needed.

“Did it help?”

“If by help you mean I feel like a jackass, then, yes. I’ve harbored some seriously fucked up thoughts about her over the years. Turns out my assumptions were wrong. I now believe she did have Carson’s best interest in mind when she gave her up. I can’t judge her for knowing what she could and couldn’t offer Carson. And I also can’t be upset that she gave me the greatest gift I’ve ever received.” He stopped speaking and moved to my bedside, lifting my hand from my lap. He brought it to his lips and kissed each knuckle. “That is, until you agree to be my wife and give me more children. Then that will be one of my greatest gifts.”

It was a start. Ethan could finally move on. And so could I.

“Take me home.”

“With pleasure.”

I really needed the nurse to hurry up. The no exertion rule was going to kill me. I wondered if kissing was considered a laborious action. Remembering the way Ethan’s lips felt on mine, and the way his tongue drove me into a sex-crazed frenzy, I figured it did. But it wasn’t going to stop me. It had been too long since I’d been in his arms.