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“I know,” he said, pushing up from his chair to walk around the table and pull her to her feet. “I love you, Pam Cassini Donatello.”
She gave him a watery smile and leaned into his chest, sighing when his arms came around her. “I love you, too, Gabe.”
“Isn’t that lovely?” her mother said. “Maybe we’ll get a wedding to plan, too.”
“Mom!” Mortified, Pam turned her face into Gabe’s chest as he laughed.
Ethan shook his head at his younger brother and Sadie could almost hear him thinking Not love, Gabe. Anything but that. And her heart hurt as she realized there was no happy ending in this story for her. She and Ethan would part ways and all she’d have were the memories she’d made over the last weeks. That sounded unbearably sad.
Ethan turned to Richard. “So the deal’s still in place? No more negotiating?”
“It better be in place,” Marianna said. “I just made reservations for the cruise today.”
“We have a deal,” Richard said, and held out one hand. “I know better than to disappoint my wife. But if you don’t mind my saying, you should hire my son, Tony, there. He’s a hell of a chocolate chef.”
“Dad!”
“Done,” Ethan promised, as the two men shook hands.
* * *
A half hour later, Ethan and Sadie left the house together. Gabe stayed with Pam and Sadie had a feeling that Marianna was going to get the wedding she was hoping for. Sadie felt a pang of envy she tried to bury. Just because she wouldn’t end up with her hero didn’t mean she couldn’t be happy for someone else.
“I’m glad that all worked out,” she said, as Ethan held the car door open for her.
“Yeah.” Ethan glanced back at the house. “Me, too. Gabe’s in love. Never thought I’d see that.”
Sadie took a breath and held it. She could let this go, but what would be the point? “It can happen to anyone, Ethan.”
He looked down at her and shook his head slowly. “No, it can’t. What you and I have is different, Sadie. I don’t want to hurt you.”
God, she felt cold. “Then don’t.”
Pulling her into the circle of his arms, Ethan held her close for a long minute. Sadie inhaled the scent of him, wrapping it around her like a cloak. She held on to him, luxuriating in his strength, his warmth, for as long as she could, because she felt like this was already a goodbye. He was letting go of what they had. Even if she wasn’t leaving yet, a part of Ethan already had.
When he stepped back suddenly, his eyes were shadowed, like a forest in twilight. “Sadie, it’s not that easy.”
“I wonder why you’re looking for the easy way, Ethan,” she said softly. “Nothing worth having comes easy.”
She couldn’t keep looking into his eyes, watching as the shutters came down and the walls went up. So she slid into the car and he slammed the door after her. A couple seconds later he was in the driver’s seat, turning to fix a hard stare on her.
“I’m not looking for easy. None of this is easy.” It was a demand that she understand, and she’d heard that tone so many times over the last five years, Sadie didn’t even blink in the face of it.
“It is,” she said flatly, and watched a flash burst in his eyes. “It’s much easier to walk away than to stay and work for what you want.”
“I’m doing this for you,” he said, clearly angry and just as obviously trying to control it.
“Doing what, Ethan? Turning away? Shutting me out? Thanks, but I didn’t ask you to.”
“You didn’t have to,” he countered. “You think I don’t see what’s happening between us? What you’re hoping for? I already know I make lousy husband material, Sadie. I made Marcy miserable. I don’t want that for you.”
Under her breath, a short, sharp laugh escaped her. “And it’s all about you, is that it?”
“In this, yes.” He snapped his seat belt, fired up the engine and pulled away from the curb with a squeal of tires. “You should be thanking me,” he muttered.
“Right.” Sadie turned in her seat and glared at him. “I should thank you for breaking my heart.”
