Chapter 10
A week later, Maggie and Ridge hosted a party at the common room of their housing development. The rental also included the pool for the day, good news for Ridge’s former navy buddies who loved nothing better than being in the water.
“If a SEAL goes too long without a swim, his skin dries up and falls off, or so the legend goes,” Jordan told Amelia as they sat poolside with Jordan’s new baby. Amelia spent a long time holding him, giving Jordan a break so she could eat. It was also a handy way to soak up baby time. Between that and Ridge and Maggie’s new puppy, she was in heaven.
Unfortunately for Amelia, Jordan and Shimmer didn’t stay long. “There’s no tired like new baby tired,” Jordan told her.
“If you ever need a break, please give me a call. Seriously, I could hold him all day,” Amelia said.
“I may take you up on that. Having a new baby and being away from family is no joke,” Jordan said, her lip quivering with unshed tears.
“I’m off work in two days. I’ll come over and you can nap or read or do whatever you want to do,” Amelia promised her.
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Jordan said, hugging her goodbye. When she was gone, Ethan emerged from the water and stood over Amelia.
“If I didn’t know better, I might think you’re avoiding me,” he said.
“I’m not avoiding you; I’m avoiding the water,” she said.
“Why?”
She pointed to her head. “Brazilian blowouts and chlorine don’t mix.”
He squinted. “What gibberish are you speaking, lady? Are you trying to tell me you’re so fussy you don’t want to get your hair wet?”
“Not wet, chlorinated. What part of Brazilian blowout do you not understand?”
“All of it,” he said. He reached down, plucked her phone from her fingers, set it aside, and scooped her into his arms.
“Ethan, don’t.”
“Yep,” he replied as he carried her to the water and jumped in.
“Ugh, boys,” she said when she emerged.
“What is the big deal about your hair? It always looks amazing,” he said.
“It’s supposed to. It’s sort of my calling card, and you are not helping at this moment.” She tried to swim away from him, but he pulled her back.
“Amelia, your hair could turn puce and fall out, and you’d still be the most beautiful woman I know,” he said sincerely.
She blew out a breath. “You’re making it really hard for me to maintain my irritation at you.”
“That’s sort of my calling card. I frustrate people to the point of murder and then charm them into loving me again,” he said.
“You’re super good at it,” she said. Still, she turned and headed for the side of the pool.
He grasped her hand and pulled her back again. “Why do you keep trying to get away from me?”
“Why do you assume everything is about you? I’m merely trying to stay alive here. We’re in the deep end, and I can’t tread water forever.” The pool was deep, eight feet where they were swimming
“I can,” he said and fastened her arms around his neck, holding them both afloat while he kicked.
“This is intimate,” she noted, but it wasn’t necessarily a complaint.
“This is nostalgic. I used to have to tread for hours,” he said.
“You miss being in the SEALs,” she said.
“Sometimes. I miss being a part of something, of being on a team.”
“You still have them,” she pointed out, gazing around the pool. “Theoretically,” she added when she realized they were alone. “Where did everyone go?”
“To see the new puppy,” he said. “You must have missed my text this week because you didn’t reply.”
“Our last conversation made me reevaluate a few things.”
“Me, for instance,” he said.
“No, our friendship. If I’m going to make a go of things with Piedmont, I need to prioritize.”
“So that’s it, we’re done?”
“Of course not. We’re still friends,” she assured him.
“Can we text and call?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“But we can’t get together and grab coffee,” he clarified.
“Friends can get together for coffee,” she said.
“So, what can’t we do?” he asked.
“Namely this,” she said as they swayed gently in the water, her arms around his neck, his hands on her waist.
“Swimming?” he guessed.
“You know what I’m talking about. The touching, the intimacy. The almost moments.”
“How does one stop an almost moment?” he asked.
“One never lets it begin in the first place,” she said.
“Hmm, I see. So when does this new order start?” he asked.
“As soon as I can touch bottom and am no longer in fear of drowning,” she said.
“Let’s move this conversation to the ocean,” he replied.
She laughed. “I have to go dry off. Piedmont’s stopping by whenever he can get off work.”
“You mean he could walk in here any minute?” Ethan replied, his grasp on her waist tightening.
“This is the very definition of not helping,” she said.
“It’s your rule, not mine. If it were up to me, we’d roll all those almost moments into a big, cataclysmic life event,” he said.
“You’re so ridiculously charming it’s nearly irresistible,” she said.
“Nearly’s not a good word in this context,” he said.
“It ranks up there with maybe,” she said.
“You’re the comeback queen.”
“I was a math major. For survival’s sake, it was imperative I also be cute and witty,” she said.
The door to the common room opened and someone stepped out. Amelia swam to the ladder and exited the pool, bypassing her brother-in-law, Ridge, as she made her way inside. Ridge remained by the pool surveying Ethan for a moment before bringing two fingers to his eyes and pointing them at Ethan in the universal, I’m watching you, gesture.
Ethan drew an imaginary circle around his head, a halo.
Ridge held up horns behind his own head and smashed his fist into his palm.
“Are you trying to tell me you’re a Satanist now?” Ethan asked.
“Pretty sure you get what I’m trying to say,” Ridge said. “She’s twenty three; she’s a baby.”
“You know I’m only twenty eight,” Ethan said. “Not exactly Father Time.”
“You ceased to be a child on your first mission,” Ridge said, reminding him of all he’d seen and done. “She’s an innocent, a civilian who has no idea how far we’ve gone in our jobs.”
“She’s more mature than you realize,” Ethan said.
“Are you?” Ridge asked. “I’ve seen what you do to women. I don’t want that to happen to Amelia.”
“You’re really getting into the big brother thing,” Ethan said, aiming for a lighter tone.
“I’m not joking, Ethan. This is my wife’s beloved little sister. I love you like a brother, but you hurt her, and we’re through.”
“You’re in luck; I’m not the one she wants,” Ethan said.
Ridge’s eyes narrowed on him, morphing from anger to concern in a heartbeat. He was looking at him the same way he used to after a particularly difficult mission. “You doing okay, Beck?”
“What’s okay in our world, Cam?” Ethan asked. He took a deep dive and didn’t come up for a long time, until he thought his lungs might burst. When he emerged, Amelia was sitting on the side of the pool, wearing the same look of concern Ridge had used a few minutes ago.
“You were down a long time. I was starting to worry,” she said.
“I can hold my breath for a long time,” he reminded her.
“It felt long from up here,” she said.
“It’s supposed to,” he said.
“I’m leaving,” she said.
“I’ll walk you out.” He slipped out of the pool and she handed him a towel.
“I’m watching Shimmer and Jordan’s baby in a couple of days so she can get a break. I thought maybe you could pick up dinner and eat with us, thereby saving her the trouble of making a meal.”
“Good plan,” he said, toweling his hair as they walked. They reached her car, coincidentally parked beside his motorcycle. She leaned on her vehicle while he leaned on his.
“Ethan Becket, Becket Ethan, I hope you understand that my decision to pull back on our relationship has nothing to do with you. It’s more of a self-preservation thing.”
He was growing weary of the alternating viewpoints that he was either a charity case or an ogre. Sure, he’d broken a few hearts in his past, but he wasn’t a monster. He gave a harsh laugh. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a relationship, Amelia. I mean, we’ve had a few laughs and a couple of good kisses, but we barely know each other. I’ve had a longer and more meaningful relationship with my dry cleaner.”
By her wounded expression, he knew he’d cut her. This is why people think you can’t be trusted with women’s hearts—because you can’t. Before he could try to make amends, another car pulled up beside them and Piedmont Bonvoy emerged, smiling at Amelia like she was the winning Powerball lottery ticket that was going to change his life forever.
“I made it,” he announced, stating the obvious. Ignoring Ethan as if he weren’t there, he reached for her and kissed her neck. It was a blatantly possessive gesture that signaled he was possibly more cognizant of Ethan than he let on.
Amelia closed her eyes and hugged him, as if his presence was a relief to her because it provided a reprieve from him, Ethan, and his hurtful comment. “I was just leaving,” she said, keeping her eyes closed.
“But I didn’t get to see the puppy,” Piedmont protested.
“You don’t like puppies,” she reminded him.
“You do, and I know it’s important to you. Besides, it’s not like I hate puppies. I’m not psychotic. I just prefer cats. And I was hoping to talk with your sister and brother-in-law.”
“Really? After a long day of work you want to spend time with my family?” she asked.
“I want to do anything that matters to you,” he said.
Ethan felt like he should be taking notes on, “How to impress a woman and her family,” because he was getting a master class in it. “Well, I’m going to take off,” he said. Jutting his hand out, he added, “Bonvoy, nice to see you again.” Piedmont shook his hand with zero recognition. “Melly, see you Tuesday.” He didn’t wait around to see the effect of his words or hear Amelia try to explain who he was or why she’d be seeing him again on Tuesday. Instead he got on his bike and drove away, trying hard not to think of anything at all.