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“What about you?” he asks me.
“I’ve been here my whole life. I actually wanted to be a veterinarian my whole childhood, until we lost our dog. That’s when I realized that I wouldn’t be able to make those hard decisions. That’s why I opened the store. I pretty much get to do all the fun stuff.”
“Well, I’m definitely glad you didn’t go in that direction, we probably wouldn’t have crossed paths.”
“You’re probably right.”
After we finish, Ethan takes me home and we make plans for the following weekend to take Arthur to the zoo. I’m excited to spend time getting to know Arthur and getting to know Ethan the dad.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lily
Theweekflewby,I didn’t even have time to think about how nervous I am to spend the day with Ethan and Arthur, but right now it’s hitting me. I pace my apartment as I wait for them to show up, as I shake my hands at my side, hoping it will help calm me down.
It’s just the zoo. How hard can it be hanging out with an eight-year-old for a few hours?
The knock on the door startles me and I run over to open it.
“Hi, Miss Lily, are you ready to go to the zoo?”
“I sure am.”
“Great! My dad said that you really know your animals.”
Ethan stands behind him, smiling down at him.
“He would be right. And I have been going to this zoo my whole life. I know each animal by species and by the names the zookeeper’s gave them. Priscilla the puffin is my favorite.”
“Yes! Puffins. Let’s go, let’s go.”
Arthur turns, running back out to the truck. A little laugh escapes behind my smile. His excitement is humbling. To be a kid again. When I finally looked at Ethan, I think he had been watching me the whole time and the smile on his face says it all.
“What?” I shying away.
“Oh, nothing.”
“Mmhmm,” I nod my head once then step out of my apartment, shutting the door behind me.
Ethan grabs my wrist as I go by, his other hand lands on my lower back and he lays a kiss on my head. I hear him take a big inhale, his chest pushes on my arm and when he exhales, a low rumble echoes through his chest into my core.
“It’s going to be hard to keep my hands off of you. But I’ll do my best.”
I look up at him with a sly grin. “I’m sure we can catch moments here and there.”
He lets go of me and we continue to his truck. The drive to the zoo takes forty-five minutes, and Arthur tells me all about his prior week of school the whole way. He’s a very smart kid, he articulates things so well, like a little grown up.
We go from animal to animal, and Arthur reads every one of the information plaques. And every time he does, Ethan slips his arm around my torso and pulls me into him, sneaking a kiss on my neck or weaves his fingers through mine and brings my hand up to kiss it.
“And this is Priscilla.” I point to the smallest puffin.
“Are you sure it’s a girl?” Arthur asks me.
“Usually, females are smaller than males. So it’s an educated guess, I suppose.”
“You’re probably right.”
Arthur starts reading the facts about puffins and Ethan wraps his arm around my hip, leaning his head next to mine.
