Chapter 15
Fifteen
Natalie
The low hum of the AC was a welcome sound, providing much-needed relief from the oppressive summer heat that had settled over Cedar Cove. Jess and I had spent the entire afternoon in her kitchen, preparing for a relaxed dinner with her husband, Mike, and Jude. The house was a sanctuary from the sweltering temperatures outside, and as I chopped vegetables and mixed ingredients, I found myself falling into the familiar rhythm of our routine.
"You have no idea how grateful I am that we finally got the AC fixed," Jess said with a contented smile, stirring a pot on the stove. "I don't know how we would've survived this summer without it."
"I can only imagine," I replied, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead with a napkin as I finished slicing tomatoes for the salad. "It's like being in a sauna out there."
Jess let out a light laugh, her voice bright and cheerful despite the heat. "No kidding. And to think, we're supposed to be setting up for the fundraiser next week in this scorching weather. I'm already dreading it."
"Maybe we'll get lucky, and it'll cool down," I suggested optimistically, though deep down, I knew the heatwave showed no signs of relief.
"Here's hoping," Jess echoed with a nod, giving the pot one last stir before turning her attention back to me. "So Nat, how are you holding up? You've been pretty quiet today." Her concern was evident in her gaze and tone.
I hesitated, my thoughts heavy on my mind. “I’m okay, just...thinking about Ethan,” I finally admitted.
Jess raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “Oh? What’s going on with Mr. Mysterious?”
A small smile tugged at my lips despite my unease. “I’m starting to think that nickname is more accurate than I realized.”
Jess’s expression turned serious as she set the spoon down and took a sip of iced tea. The kitchen was quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator. “You want to talk about it?” she asked gently.
I sighed, feeling relieved by her understanding tone. Leaning against the island, I gathered my thoughts before speaking again. “I don’t know. He’s been distant since he left town for his family. But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something else going on. And...” I hesitated, trying to put into words what had been bothering me for weeks now. “I feel like I don’t really know much about his past. He’s never really opened up to me about it.” A pang of worry shot through me as I realized how little I truly knew about the man I was in love with.
Jess's brow furrowed, and her lips slightly creased, showing her concern. "That's a tough situation," she empathized. "But you've always had good instincts, Nat. If something doesn't feel right, trust your intuition. Don't overthink things and drive yourself crazy trying to figure it all out. Sometimes guys need some time to sort through their thoughts on their own. And try not to compare Ethan to Jason. I honestly don’t see a parallel."
I let out a heavy sigh, my doubts still swirling in my mind. "Maybe," I conceded. "I only wish I knew what he was thinking."
Jess placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave me an encouraging smile. "You'll figure it out. Just take things one step at a time."
Before I could reply, Jude burst into the kitchen with excitement written all over his face. "Miss Natalie, can you play with me?" he exclaimed.
I couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. "Of course, buddy," I replied as he grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the living room.
Amusement twinkled in Jess' eyes as she watched us go. "Good luck hiding in this place," she called after us. "Jude's got all the best spots memorized."
A wide grin spread across my face as I let Jude lead the way, his hand firm and reassuring in mine. The earlier uncertainty that had clouded our evening dissipated as I ran through the house, darting behind furniture and playing hide-and-seek like a child. Each time he found me, my heart fluttered with a mixture of excitement and relief.
For a few fleeting moments, all of the worries and anxieties swirling in my head vanished as I lost myself in the simple joy of being with Jude. But soon enough, Jess's voice called us back to reality.
"Dinner's almost ready! Nat, can you grab the salad?" she called from the dining room.
"Of course," I replied. As I entered the kitchen the smell of succulent roasted chicken and freshly baked bread hit me, making my stomach growl in anticipation.
Mike walked in from the garage just as we finished setting the table, wiping sweat from his brow. “Hey, Nat,” he greeted me with a smile. “How’s everything going?”
"Good, Mike. And yourself? How’s the real estate business?" I replied.
"Can't complain," he chuckled, taking his seat at the head of the table. "Business has been booming lately. We've been selling a lot of lakefront properties." He paused, reaching over to grab something from the counter. "In fact..." His grin widened as he presented a glossy magazine spread in front of me. "One of our listings made it into this feature. Thought you might want to take a look." A sense of pride and accomplishment radiated from him as he handed me the magazine, showcasing a stunning property along the shore of the lake.
As I absentmindedly turned the pages, my eyes suddenly landed on a familiar face—Ethan, smiling confidently in a full-page spread. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly scanned the article.
CEO of Sterling Solutions, a Fortune 500 company, was ranked number one nationally in real estate sales. The bolded headline and the image of Ethan in a sharp suit, exuding authority, hit me hard. The man I thought I was getting to know was anything but ordinary.
I forced myself to stay calm, keeping my expression neutral as I closed the magazine and handed it back to Mike. “Impressive,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Mike nodded, oblivious to my shock. “Thanks. Anyway, let’s dig in before the food gets cold.”
I managed to get through dinner without giving anything away, but my mind was racing. As soon as I could, I made my excuses and headed home. The humid night air clung to me as I drove through the quiet streets of Cedar Cove, my thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. I knew I’d need to talk to Jess about this at some point, but I decided to wait until later. Tonight, I needed time to process everything on my own, to figure out what this revelation meant for me—and for Ethan.
When I got home, I didn’t even bother to change out of my clothes. I grabbed my laptop and sat at the kitchen table, my hands trembling as I typed “Sterling Solutions” into the search bar.
The results flooded the screen, confirming what the magazine had already told me. Ethan Sterling wasn’t just some guy from Dallas—he was a powerful, successful businessman with a life far removed from the one he’d been living in Cedar Cove.
My heart pounded as I clicked on the first article. It was a feature piece from a business blog highlighting Ethan’s achievements as the CEO of Sterling Solutions. The headline boasted about his knack for turning struggling properties into goldmines and his uncanny ability to close deals that others wouldn’t even touch. There was a picture of him standing in front of a high-rise building, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, exuding confidence and authority.
I stared at the image, trying to reconcile this polished, corporate version of Ethan with the man I knew—the man who wore worn-out jeans and t-shirts, who worked under the hood of a car with grease-stained hands. It felt like looking at two different people.
As I scrolled further down the page another image caught my eye. This one was taken at a lavish event—some charity gala. Ethan was at the bar, a glass of whiskey in hand, surrounded by a group of women, all of them vying for his attention.
He looked completely at ease, a charming smile on his face as he chatted with them. My stomach churned. This wasn’t the Ethan I knew—the one who had shared intimate moments with me, the one who seemed so out of place in the glitzy world of wealth and privilege.
I clicked on another link, and this time, the image was of Ethan standing next to a sleek private jet, the Sterling Solutions logo emblazoned on the side. He was shaking hands with another man, his expression serious and focused.
The caption mentioned a high-stakes real estate deal in New York, one that had netted his company millions. And standing a few feet away from him, dressed in a sharp business suit, was a woman I hadn’t expected to see—Sophia, the sister he had mentioned in passing.
My breath caught in my throat as I read the accompanying text: Sophia Sterling, CFO of Sterling Solutions. The article praised her business acumen and her role in managing the financial empire that she and her brother had inherited from their family. It was clear that she was just as much a force to be reckoned with as Ethan, and the two of them together were practically unstoppable.
As I stared at the images of Ethan and Sophia, questions flooded my mind. Why had he come to Cedar Cove? Why would a man like Ethan Sterling, with all his wealth and success, choose to work as a mechanic in a small, sleepy town like ours? What was he running from—or what was he trying to find?
I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. The more I learned about Ethan, the less I understood. The man I had been falling for was a stranger, living a life I knew nothing about. And the realization left me reeling, my heart heavy with confusion and a growing sense of betrayal.
I closed the laptop, unable to bear another glimpse of the pictures or read another word of the articles. My mind spun with confusion, and my emotions were a tangled mess. The man I thought I knew—the one who seemed so genuine, so down-to- earth—was he nothing more than a carefully constructed fa?ade? Had I been deceived by a fraud hiding the real Ethan Sterling?
The room around me felt stifling, the silence pressing in on all sides. Desperate for answers, I instinctively checked my phone, opening an email from Ethan for the third time that day. His words were warm, telling me how much he missed me, but even as I read the words again, doubt gnawed at me. If he missed me so much, why wouldn’t he tell me the truth?
Frustration bubbled up inside me. I needed to talk to him, to hear from his own lips what was really going on. But as my hand hovered over the phone, I hesitated. What if he didn’t answer? Worse, what if he did, and the truth was something I couldn’t handle?
With a heavy sigh, I set the phone back down, my mind swirling with uncertainty. I wanted to confront him, to demand the truth, but fear held me back. Was I really ready for whatever revelations might come? For now, all I could do was wait—wait and pray that the man I had started to care for wasn’t just a figment of my imagination.
But as I stared out the window, watching the shadows lengthen, the doubts crept in once more, stronger than before. The Ethan I had known was slipping away, replaced by someone I barely recognized. And the sinking feeling in my chest told me that my heart was on the verge of being shattered all over again.