Chapter 18 Legend Has It #3
Between mouthfuls, the conversation around the table flowed freely. We chatted about normal everyday stuff like the weather, good eateries, places to shop, and nice places to visit.
“Amy, you really should get Ethan to take you to Church Falls. It’s the most beautiful waterfall a few hours’ hike up through the mountains, but so worth it. You could take a tent and camp there—Robert and I have done it a few times. It’s lovely, isn’t it, Robert?”
“Yes, dear. The walk is a little harder these days, though. But okay for you young ones.”
“Yes, Amy, we should do that, don’t you think?” Ethan said.
“Sounds lovely,” I answered, shooting a kick into his calf under the table.
Despite Ethan’s teasing—which seemed to delight him to no end—and my reservations, I found myself enjoying the night, and the company.
Katrina and Robert were lovely, kind, down-to-earth people.
They had one child, Claire, who’d deferred her studies as an environmental lawyer and was away traveling in the Himalayas.
Bob and Marg had moved a lot in their life together.
This was Bob’s third bookstore. Each time they moved, he would have many of the older books he owned sent in containers, as he couldn’t bear to part with them.
He had a large room at home where he kept his dearest collections.
Their daughter, Sarah, was a nurse who also liked to travel.
She would be home soon for a holiday, and Bob would close the store for a few weeks to spend time with her.
A few hours later we were sitting in the lounge, and exhaustion rolled over my shoulders. I glanced at Ethan; he was standing at the unlit fireplace chatting to Bob. He looked down, and I wasn’t sure if he saw I was tired or if he’d had enough as well.
“Well, it’s getting late,” he said, glancing at his watch. “It’s time to go, if that’s alright with you, Amy?”
“Of course.”
We said our goodbyes.
“Don’t leave it so long next time, Ethan. You and Amy are welcome anytime,” Katrina said as we walked out the door.
“Thank you for having me, Katrina. It was a lovely night.”
“You’re welcome, Amy.”
She hugged Ethan and kissed his cheek as I headed down the steps. The air was mild, and the scent of roses wafted into my nose. It was peaceful, the kind of night I would have loved to light a campfire and lie back, looking at the stars.
“Take care of her—she’s a good one,” Katrina said in a hushed voice. I assumed she didn’t intend for me to overhear, so I pretended not to. Ethan responded, but I couldn’t make out what he said.
He caught up to me, then opened the car door, and I slid inside.
“How did you know I’m a vegetarian?” I asked as we pulled out onto the road.
He glanced across. “I was in the diner the first day you came in and ordered the vegetarian burger.”
I frowned. I would have noticed someone as hot as him in there . . .
“That hardly proves I’m a vegetarian.”
“True, but your crinkled nose when you glanced at the meat on the tray left little to the imagination.”
I grimaced and hoped Katrina hadn’t noticed. I changed the subject. “How long have you lived above the bar?”
“I don’t live above the bar; I stay there sometimes when it’s convenient.”
“You mean when you want to shag?” I responded dryly.
He raised his brows. “Shag? Really, Amy. That’s not very ladylike.”
I eyed him with half-feigned disdain. “Seriously? You hump anything that walks, and you’re questioning my decency?”
“Firstly, I do not ‘hump’ or ‘shag’—as you so elegantly put it—anything that walks. I have standards.”
“What, female?”
He laughed. “They must be pretty and female.”
“Such high standards, Ethan. It must be tough to find a suitable candidate. Where do you live then?”
“On the other side of town.”
“But you don’t stay there on weekends?”
“Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t—it depends.”
“On whether the girl you pick up is old enough or sober enough to drive you back?”
He shook his head. “I never take girls back to my place.”
“Never? Why not?”
He shrugged. “I’ve never met one I wanted to take home yet.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. “So, what’s Karson’s story?” I asked.
He frowned. “He owns the bar. We’re friends. He lets me drink and stay there—not much to tell really.”
“How long have you known each other?”
“A very long time.”
“How did you meet?”
“If you must know, he saved my ass years ago, and we’ve been close ever since.”
“Saved your ass, how?”
“What’s with the inquisition?”
“I don’t know, just making sure the guy driving me through the woods at night isn’t a mass murderer.” I smiled.
He didn’t return my smile. “I think you’re pretty safe,” he said, his voice monotone. “Oh look, here’s your driveway, right in the middle of nowhere.”
“What’s wrong with where I live?”
“I don’t understand why someone your age would live out here on their own.”
“Where would you have me live? In the middle of town, out drinking every night?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that what normal kids your age do?”
Normal? He hardly knew me, and he could sense there was something wrong. I shrugged and stared out the side window.
We pulled up outside the cabin, and he reached for his door handle.
“It’s fine, no need to get out,” I said, keen to avoid any thoughts of happy endings.
“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t walk you to the door?”
He jumped out before I could respond, and I moved fast, not wanting him to open my door. But he moved faster and was beside me as I exited the car. He closed the door as I stepped out into the warm night air. The automatic lights from the cabin flicked on, illuminating the darkness around us.
“How did you move that fast?” I asked, surprised.
“Superman, remember?”
At that, I smiled. “Thank you for picking me up. I had a nice night.” I had enjoyed the night. Enjoyed his company.
“Me too, Amy.” He was looking intensely at me, almost like he was considering what to do next. As if he was considering kissing me. It was awkward, and I clenched my hands together.
“I’d better go then.” I indicated to the door.
“Good night.” He leaned across, and with lips as soft as marshmallows, he kissed my cheek.
A thrill of delight vibrated through my whole body. My heart raced. I blushed and thanked god it was dark enough he wouldn’t see.
His eyes smoldered and lingered on mine, calling me silently to him. His lips were slightly parted. I wondered what they would feel like—soft and sensual, or crushing and breathtaking? Probably the perfect mix of both.
I’d never been kissed by anyone except Tom.
I didn’t want to think about him, about how I wasn’t enough to keep him happy.
Those thoughts left me riddled with shame, self-doubt and despair.
The way Ethan was looking at me, with a yearning—a hunger, had my heart thudding against my chest, and it made me feel wanted, made me feel attractive, made me feel desperate for anything but pain.
Eeny, meeny, miny, mo.
I stepped back. “Good night. Thanks for picking me up.”
“Anytime you need a ride,” Ethan teased me.
I smiled, rolling my eyes as I forced myself to turn away. My hands were shaking as I fumbled with the keys in the lock. Finally, it clicked, and the door opened. I bolted inside, then leaned my back up against the door.
He’d waited until I was inside before starting his car. The engine’s soft roar filled the mountains as he pulled away, fading into the distance.
From somewhere in the darkness, a wolf howled, as if it was lonely and broken and just wanted to be loved.