Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
T hat settled it. Who was he to disappoint a woman who invited him in? “I’d love to.”
They shucked their coats in the front hall. Ethan noticed wood already set up in the fireplace.
“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.
“Are you having something?”
“I think I’ll have a glass of sherry.” She glanced around the room. “It’s a perfect night for it.”
Okay then, they were doing this. “If you have scotch or bourbon, I’ll have a glass, and I can light the fire, if you want.”
“Definitely light it. I have bourbon. Is that all right?” Jane said.
“Works for me.”
Jane walked back into the kitchen while Ethan found long matches, checked the setup of the wood, adjusting it a little to burn better, and ensured the flue was open. No sense lighting it, then burning down her house on the first date.
Ethan glanced around the room, taking in details he’d overlooked before.
Framed pictures of family were on the bookshelves. He picked one up. A smiling man had his arms around Jane. He’d bet that was Mike. They looked so happy together.
The walls were adorned with pictures capturing family moments at the beach, possibly in Florida, as well as pictures of friends and different events. Everyone was smiling.
He looked at the bookshelves. There was a selection of books by famous authors, books on the history of Beaver Creek—he’d like to read one of those—and Jane’s novels. She’d written quite a few.
He picked one up and flipped through it. It seemed well-written, and she seemed to have a good deal of knowledge about crime. He winced. That was kind of scary, considering her pond was the scene of a crime. He placed the book back on the shelf.
Why had she given up writing? One of these days, he’d ask her about that.
“Here you go.” Jane returned with their drinks and handed one to him.
“Is this your husband?” He pointed to the one picture.
“Yes.” She gave a small smile. “Mike was always smiling like that.”
“You must miss him a lot.” It was a statement. No one could deny the love in their eyes. Had Corrine ever looked like that at him? Bah. No sense getting maudlin over what was. He was here with a beautiful, sexy, smart woman.
Jane placed the drinks on the coffee table and sat next to him. “I do, but a lot of the pain of his passing is gone, and now I just have good memories to replace it.”
“The pain of loss never goes away, does it?”
She shook her head. “No, but it gets easier with time. Do you still feel the pain of heartbreak when you think of Corrine?”
Corrine! Ethan wondered how she found out about her. He shouldn’t—small town, big gossip. And her friends knew about Corrine and him. No mystery there.
He sighed. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Tanner and Leah and my friends have been working on me to put myself out there, date again. But you know that it isn’t possible until you’re ready to move on.”
“True. I’ve mourned Mike for months. However, I know he would be really upset if I didn’t find someone else to love. Although he’ll always be in my heart.”
For a moment, Ethan thought about Corrine. It was true; he’d never forgive her for leaving him, but she was his first everything—first girlfriend, first kiss, first time making love, and they did have a lot of fun together.
“Well, enough of sad. Tell me about you,” Jane asked.
She picked up her wineglass and took a sip, waiting.
“Well, okay. Condensed version. My family has been in Beaver Creek for generations. I spent some time in the Army before running for sheriff, and I love my job. I like to play pool or cards with my friends, get together with family and camp out.”
She laughed. “Wow, that was short and sweet. You managed to get your whole thirty-five…?” She cocked her head.
“Thirty-two.”
“Condensing thirty-two years of life into four sentences that don’t really tell me who you are.”
“Well, I could say that I’m deeply committed to the community, dedicated to my job and like structure. Also, I’m a skilled marksman and can spot a lie from twenty paces. Some people would say that I am stubborn and judgmental, but I don’t agree.” He smirked. “Does that help?”
She shrugged. “A little.”
“What about you? What makes Jane tick?”
“Hmm.” She tapped her fingers on her wrist. “Jane is determined, passionate, and motivated. She is creative and loves her friends. She is courageous.”
He nodded. “You could add trouble magnet.”
Jane’s green eyes widened, then she broke into a giggle. Ethan couldn’t stop smiling.
“Trouble does seem to follow me.” She sighed, took a sip of wine, and placed the glass down. “This is nice,” she murmured, staring into the fire.
“Yeah, it is,” Ethan replied. He looked over at her. The room seemed to shrink, and she leaned closer to him.
She looked at him, her breath coming a little faster. “Ethan…”
He didn’t need her to finish. Slowly, he reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. His thumb grazed her cheek, and he relished the softness of her skin.
Jane leaned in, her breath warm against his face, her eyes closing for a minute. When she opened them, they were deep forest green, filled with desire.
Ethan’s hand slid to the back of her neck and drew her close. Their lips met with a soft kiss that deepened quickly. The crisp taste of her wine lingered on his lips.
She responded eagerly, pulling him closer. They kissed again but with more feeling. It was everything he’d been missing with a woman. He could feel his heart racing.
He kissed her again and again. When they finally broke apart, the room was filled with the sound of their breathing and the crackling of the fire.
“God, I’ve wanted to do that all night,” Ethan said, his voice rough with emotion.
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Me too.”
She leaned back against the sofa; Ethan followed and slipped his arm around her shoulders. Jane snuggled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.
Ethan let out a heavy breath. He felt a sense of contentment that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
He didn’t know where this would lead, but he was happy to sit here with the taste of their first kiss lingering on his lips. Shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath.
Movement against his chest woke Ethan up. He looked around. It was dark, but the embers from the fire cast shadows around the room, and for a moment, he was disoriented. A familiar scent of vanilla jerked him back to reality. Jane was curled up in his arms, her soft breath tickling his neck.
Ah shit! He looked down. Okay—clothes still on, that was good news. Not that he wouldn’t have been okay if they had ended up in bed.
He carefully freed his arm from her shoulders so as not to wake her. He got up, found a soft throw, and covered her.
Ethan paused to stare at Jane. Her dark hair fanned out against the back of the sofa, her lips parted slightly. He closed his eyes, remembering the kisses they shared—perfect. Ethan wished he could stay, but they weren’t at that part of a relationship. Yet.
He grabbed his jacket and slipped away, making sure the door locked behind him. Taking in a deep breath of the cold night air released some of the tension and doubts he had.
However, he had a job to do and needed to stay focused. Find a murderer. Keep Jane safe. Protect his heart. Ethan sighed. Could he have it all again?
The job? The woman? The relationship?
Warm sunlight woke Jane and caressed her face as she slowly opened her eyes. She was still on the sofa; the fire was cold, as was the empty space beside her. She sat up, pushing off the throw he’d covered her with, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to piece together what happened.
When had Ethan left? She felt a small twinge of disappointment.
Jane licked her lips, remembering the taste of bourbon on his as he passionately kissed her, the warmth of the fire, and the comfort and desire she felt in his arms. It had been a while since she felt such a strong connection with a man.
However, she knew Ethan wasn’t a man to rush things. Was he still hurting from Corrine’s betrayal? Maybe not. If he were, he wouldn’t have kissed her. Was she ready for a new relationship? Maybe—perhaps even more than maybe. She was very attracted to Ethan. He was sexy as hell, but more than that, she admired his values and liked his friends. She knew she could trust him to keep her safe.
With a sigh, Jane stood and made her way to the kitchen. A double jolt of caffeine was needed. When the coffee was ready, she poured herself a cup and stared out at the view from her window. She could see the McQueeney farm and wondered if Ethan was thinking of her.
She had no idea where things would head with Ethan. She hoped in time it would lead to something deeper. But now she had two men to worry about when it came to matters of the heart. Although she was attracted to Victor, there were still lingering concerns about his personal life or business. Jane was torn between two very different men who intrigued and scared her in different ways.
She didn’t know what the future held for her love life, but right now she was content with enjoying her coffee and pondering the future.