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“I’m sure you could ask?—”
He shifted the truck into park, making her realize she’d lost track of time. Had she really rambled that long? Ethan set a pair of dark eyes on her and if she focused a little too hard, she could almost see the pain he hid so well behind them.
“I’d really appreciate it if you’d just drop it. I’m not going to do any of that testing stuff.”
Without another word, he pushed open his door and slipped out of the vehicle.
Her eyes followed him as he walked around the front and came to her door. As much as she wanted to beg him to reconsider, she couldn’t. This was just one more thing she could add to the growing list of embarrassing and awkward moments she’d shared with him.
Ethan held out his hand. While his lips smiled, his eyes did not. There was no joy or spark left after everything she’d brought up.
This was why she was single. She couldn’t leave well enough alone.
They headed into the airport, and the whole way to the waiting area, Becca berated herself for not taking the hint when he told her he didn’t want her to discuss the issue of his dyslexia any further.
Each passing second was pure torture. It made her wish she could turn back time and return to the ranch to hide her head inher comforters. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, she heard a loud squeal.
Her eyes darted toward the gate, where a fresh wave of people flooded the area. The source of the squeal was a smaller, thinner version of Ethan. Besides her face being a little rounder, they could have been twins. They had the same eyes, the same nose, and the same smile.
The young woman threw her arms around Ethan and he picked her up, spinning her in a circle. Becca had never felt like she was on the outside more than she did in this moment. It was strange, seeing Ethan with his sister. He hadn’t talked about her much, but that was to be expected when they were so focused on Tina.
The two siblings turned to face who could only be their mother, and all three of them shared a tight hug.
Becca’s heart twinged. She’d always longed for a family like that—one where time and distance didn’t matter. She wanted to have someone she could lean on.
Her eyes darted to Ethan, and she allowed herself to get a good look at him. She could actually see a future with him. What had started out as a lie to get Tina off his back had turned into so much more.
The trio looked over to where Becca stood, and she gave them a little wave. They moved the few feet toward her and introductions began.
“Becca, I’d like you to meet my sister, Rose, and my mother, Angela.” Ethan turned to his family. “This is Becca. The girl I was telling you about the other day.”
Angela smiled broadly and pulled Becca into a warm hug. “What you did for Ethan was so sweet, though admittedly unnecessary.”
Becca pulled back with a jerk and stared at Ethan. He’d told his family about the little lie they were telling. Who else had he told? The more people that knew, the more likely it was that Tina would find out.
Ethan chuckled. “Don’t worry. I had to tell them. My mother would have been able to figure it out anyway. She’s a pro at reading people.”
Off balance, and unprepared for this turn of events, Becca took a step back. She wasn’t part of this family. These women weren’t likely to invite her into the fold after everything was said and done. They knew Becca was only a placeholder and when Tina left, so would Becca.
She forced a smile and her eyes darted to their feet. There was a great deal more luggage than would be necessary. The wedding was just over a week away.
Rose must have seen the question in Becca’s eyes because she leaned in close. “Oh, don’t worry. We’re not the kind of people who have to take everything with us for a week’s stay. We’re moving here. Now that Ethan has a stable job and he’s been looking around for a homesite, we’ve decided to reunite the family.” Rose glanced at her brother lovingly. “My mom needs extra help and I’m going back to school soon. It’s going to work out better this way.”
Ethan didn’t meet Becca’s eyes. No wonder he wasn’t interested in going to Utah for the literacy program. He likely didn’t haveany intention of going to Utah at all anymore. Strange how he had neglected to mention he was putting down roots here.
The mild ache in Becca’s chest continued to grow. Ethan had practically put all the safeguards in place to make sure their fake relationship didn’t extend past the wedding. His mother and sister knew it was fake. He was cutting ties with the state where she lived. Her only shot at keeping in touch was because her friend lived here.
Perhaps this was the wakeup call she needed to realize what she’d known from the start. She wasn’t cut out for romance. Sure, she could weave the stories, but she would never be a player in one.
Once again, she felt the awkward smile being painted on her face. “That’s wonderful,” she said stiffly. “It sounds like everything is turning out exactly how you want it to.”
This time, Ethan did glance in her direction. She turned quickly so he wouldn’t be able to catch the way her face burned with disappointment as she realized just how caught up in the romance she’d allowed herself to become.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ethan pulledthe door to the motel shut, not sure why he was dreading the conversation he was bound to have with Becca during the ride back to the ranch. His mother and sister were planning on staying with the Reese family as soon as the wedding was over, opting for the motel in the meantime.
He shouldn’t be feeling so put on the spot. While it was true that he hadn’t told Becca about his family or his plans to move here permanently, that shouldn’t matter. He didn’t owe anything to her nor did she owe anything to him.
