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“Paul said that?” Ethan blinked in surprise.
“I know, right?” She laughed. “It doesn’t seem like him at all.”
Ethan considered that for a moment. “I think his emotions go deeper than he lets on. He just needs someone he cares about to start breaking down his walls.”
Lia didn’t know how to respond, so she fidgeted with her phone. “While I was waiting for you to pick me up, I found a couple options at a dealer west of town.”
“We can check those out, but I have a friend who owns a dealership and can get you a deal on something brand-new.”
“I can’t afford brand-new,” Lia insisted.
“Paul and I discussed that and we’d like to help you out.”
“That wasn’t part of our original deal,” she murmured ungraciously, as she revisited her mixed feelings about accepting the dress from the twins.
Obviously neither Paul nor Ethan understood that she didn’t welcome the handout. While part of her acknowledged they perceived their offer as helpful, Lia resented being treated like a charity case.
“Well, we’d like to alter our original deal.”
“Alter it how?”
“We were wondering if you could stick around another week.”
For days she’d been bracing herself to leave on the date they’d agreed on. Lia contemplated Ethan’s offer with a mixture of relief and dismay. As much as she wanted more time with Paul, this increased the risk that someone besides Dallas might suspect something was going on between them.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked. “Grady is doing so much better. I don’t think there’s any chance that his health will be impacted when he finds out I’m not Ava’s daughter.”
“I agree with you,” Ethan said. “This was all Paul’s idea.”
Tears sprang to Lia’s eyes, forcing her to turn her gaze to the passing landscape. She knew better than to read too much into what Ethan said. Paul might only be thinking of his grandfather’s welfare and not have more personal motives.
“Is something wrong?”
She grasped for some explanation that would convince Ethan of the folly of her staying longer and recalled her conversation with Dallas the night before. Given how tight the twins were, how long could they count on Dallas to keep their secret?
“Something happened last night,” she said.
“You don’t say.”
His tone was so sly that Lia blinked her eyes dry and turned to look at him. Something about his knowing grin sent a spike of anxiety straight through her.
Did he know? She and Paul we
re playing a dangerous game.
“Dallas knows I’m not your cousin,” she blurted out, hoping to distract him.
“Oh.”
“Just oh?” She’d braced herself to deal with his dismay. “Why aren’t you more upset?”
“I guess that means the jig is up.”
“Not yet,” Lia replied, her frustration rising at his casual manner. Living in fear of being found out for nearly two weeks had taken a toll on her nerves. “I talked her out of telling anyone by promising it would only be a few more days before we tell Grady. So you see why we can’t keep going with this.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Ethan said. “Maybe if I explain and let her tell Poppy we can go a little longer.”
“What if I don’t want to stay?” Lia murmured.
