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He leaned on the door, his bicep bulging a little with his added weight. My stomach went from doing a little jig to straight-up clog dancing like it was auditioning forRiverdance.
“Nah. I’m not offended. In fact, I think it’s smart that you’re being extra careful before crossing the country with some strange guy. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Ivy. I’m just messing with you.”
“Thanks,” I answered, and the way he smiled warmed me from the inside out. “Just don’t make me regret this.”
“The only thing you’re gonna regret is not doing this with me sooner. Road trip, here we come!”
With a giant grin, he slammed my door shut. I watched him walk around the car, appreciating every inch of his fit physique as he crossed in front. When he got inside, we buckled up our seatbelts, and he connected his phone to the speakers.
“Rule number three, remember?”
“Oh, boy. Here we go. What kind of horrible death metal are we listening to?”
Ethan grinned a smile showcasing those perfect pearly whites and pressed play, and soon the lyrics toHighway to the Danger Zonecame on. He began bobbing his head to the music, waggling his eyebrows at me as he slipped the car into gear. “It’s my road trip mix. I listen to these songs every time I drive from Paradise Isles to Wisconsin and back. A little eighties, some Johnny Cash, John Denver, Guns N Roses ... all the great songs to make up the perfect road trip soundtrack. They keep me pumped to cover some ground.”
I started tapping my foot along with the song. “Actually, I like this song. Ivy approved.”
His eyes flashed open wide. “Really? You can dig a little Kenny Loggins?”
“I can dig a little Kenny Loggins.” I started mouthing the words.
“Nice!” He stuck out his hand in a fist, and I bumped it back. “Then we’re gonna get along just fine, Miss Ivy.”
“Miss Ivy?”
“Yeah. Driving Miss Ivy.”
I started to laugh, then shrugged. “I can dig that too.”
“Then let’s roll, Miss Ivy!”
Ethan stepped on the gas, and I squealed as we buzzed out of the rental car lot. The music pumped through the speakers as we wound out of New York City and found our way to the freeway. He had to concentrate through the traffic and out of the city, listening to his navigation so hard we didn’t get a chance to talk until we hit I-80. Finally, we had an open road in front of us, so Ethan could settle into the drive.
“So, your brother’s wedding, huh?” I asked as I kicked my shoes off and relaxed.
“Yep. Big bro is getting married.”
“You like her?”
“Tami? Oh yeah. She’s great. They’ve been together for five years, so it’s about damn time he puts a ring on it.”
“And you? No rings on it for you?”
Laughter shook his whole body. “Me? Uh, no. No ring on it for me. I don’t do relationships.”
My eyebrows shot to my hairline. “Ever?”
He swung his head from side to side. “Nope. Never. Haven’t had a girlfriend in,” he paused as he counted, “seven years now? Maybe longer.”
“Wow,” I breathed. It seemed impossible he didn’t have a lengthy list of ladies wanting to be his one and only. “Mind if I ask why?”
“Don’t mind at all.” He moved the car into the fast lane and passed by a convoy of slow drivers. “I just don’t want to be accountable to anyone else is all. I live my life by the seat of my pants, go where I want to go, do what I want to do, and having someone dictating my every move just doesn’t work for me. I was in relationships before, but every time, I ended up giving up the things I needed to be happy to make them happy instead. And honestly, I just need to get out there and find myself and my happiness without having to factor in another person’s happiness. You know?”
“I guess. Yeah. That makes sense. Smart, really. I mean, I picked the college I went to because that’s where my high school boyfriend was going. And then he cheated on me, and we broke up. I liked the school, but in hindsight, I probably wouldn’t have picked it if it wasn’t for him.”
“See? I think it’s important to wait until you’ve figured out what you want in life before adding someone else in. Otherwise, you risk a life of regretting not doing the things you love or living the life you wanted. When I told the last girlfriend I had that I wanted to spend winters away from Door County to live somewhere tropical and expand my boat business, she totally let me have it. Even though I offered to have her come with me, she said I was nuts and selfish for not thinking about her needs. She was in school, so she wanted me to stay behind with her. But that’s the thing about relationships. To meet her needs, she couldn’t meet mine. I had to choose between her and the life I wanted to live.” He glanced over. “And spoiler alert, I chose the life I wanted to live, and it was the best damn decision I ever made. Since then, no girlfriends for me until I’ve got my life exactly how I want it, and she can accept me for who I am, and I can accept her for who she is.”
“Wow. That’s actually really smart. I’ve been in relationships for most of my adult life, and they are always factoring into the decisions I make. Hell, now that Jimmy and I broke up, that’s going to factor into my job. Imagine seeing your lying, cheating ex’s face at work every day.”
