Chapter 10
Mark
Mark sat stiffly on the edge of the couch. His arms crossed as he watched Ethan scribble something into that damn notepad of his. The young man had been walking through the house as if he belonged there, and every room told him a story. And the worst part?
Mark didn’t mind it.
And that was unsettling.
It had been years since anyone other than Monica, his housekeeper, had moved so freely through his home. Years since anyone had touched things without him flinching, years since he let anyone see his life. But here was Ethan Williams, K9 officer, and part-time handyman, walking through Jessica’s house as if he understood her .
And worse— as if he understood Mark.
Ethan looked up from his notes. “So, no rush on the timeline, then?”
Mark exhaled slowly, nodding. “No timeframe. Come and go as you please.”
Ethan arched a brow, grinning. “Oh? I have full access now. Does this mean I’m promoted from ‘moonlighting handyman’ to ‘preferred live-in contractor’?”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Ethan chuckled, then tapped his pen against his notepad. “Diana told me I wasn’t allowed to be here past eight. Are you breaking your own assistant’s rules?”
Mark sighed dramatically. “I suppose I’ll have to deal with the wrath of Diana.”
Ethan smirked. “Good luck with that. She’s terrifying.”
“She is.” Mark leaned forward, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Why was he smiling?
Ethan shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re letting me set my hours. Is a lawyer trusting a contractor with an open-ended agreement? That’s dangerous.”
Mark tilted his head, studying Ethan for a long moment.
Then, without another word, he pulled a check from his shirt pocket and slid it across the coffee table.
Ethan looked down. His face fell.
“…Mark.” His voice was suddenly different. Quieter. More serious.
Mark lifted a brow. “You’ll ask for more when you need it.”
Ethan swallowed, his throat working. “Five thousand? I—.” He exhaled, shaking his head. “Mark, this is too much.”
Mark’s tone was firm. “It’s not.”
Ethan sat there, silent, processing, staring at the check like it was fragile and unreal.
And Mark— Mark knew that look.
He’d seen it a hundred times in the courtroom—the look of a man carrying more weight than he let on.
The way Ethan pressed his lips together and the slight clench of his jaw.
This means something to him.
Mark didn’t know Ethan’s complete story, but he knew when someone was struggling when he saw it.
And now?
Now, he couldn’t “not” see it.
Ethan finally let out a shaky breath. Then just like that, his grin returned.
“Well, damn,” Ethan said, shaking his head. “Guess that means I can finally buy that yacht I’ve been eyeing.”
Mark smirked. “Do you even like boats?”
“Not particularly. But imagine how great it’d be to roll up to the police station in one.”
Mark let out a reserved chuckle.
What the hell was happening?
Mark had always been a loner. Not because he didn’t know how to be social, but because he’d never needed to be.
Jessica had been his best friend, his partner, his entire world. She had been enough.
Now, four years later, there was a stranger in his home, building things she never got to finish, and Mark was… enjoying his company.
That was new.
And uncomfortable.
Ethan had a way of making things feel effortless, of saying things that pulled Mark out of his head.
He noticed too much. He saw through the mask Mark had worn for years, the one that kept the world at a safe distance.
But more than that?
Ethan made him feel like it was okay to exist in the present.
Mark wasn’t sure how to handle that.
Ethan stood, slipping the check into his pocket carefully. He gave Mark a half-smile, something genuine.
“Thank you,” he said.
Mark nodded, standing, too. “You’ll let me know if you need anything?”
Ethan tilted his head, cringing. “I will. So, I can call you from now on instead of Diana?”
Mark rolled his eyes. “You’re a police officer; how can you be afraid of my assistant.”
Ethan grinned. “I am good at reading people; I never want to make that woman angry.”
Mark grinned. “Good assessment. I pissed her off once, and I learned never to do it again.”
Ethan laughed
Mark froze.
The laugh should’ve meant nothing—just a smile, just friendly teasing.
But something lodged in his chest at his laughter, something he didn’t quite understand.
Ethan gave him a mock salute, grabbed his things, and headed toward the door.
Mark watched him go, exhaling slowly.
Jessica would have loved Ethan.
And for the first time in years, Mark wondered—
Maybe… just maybe , he wasn’t meant to be alone forever.
He’s found a friend.