Chapter 12
The sound of tires crunching slowly across the gravel driveway pulled Aria's attention away from the porch swing.
She had been sitting there for the better part of ten minutes, gently rocking back and forth, trying not to overthink the fact that she had agreed to go on a date.
Well.
Not a date.
She corrected herself for what felt like the fiftieth time that evening.
Dinner.
With a guy she didn't know.
At least... she knew Parker had vouched for him.
The headlights cut across the yard before the truck rolled to a smooth stop near the porch.
Aria straightened slightly, pulling the sleeves of her sweater down over her wrists out of habit. The early evening air had cooled just enough to make the oversized knit comfortable.
Then the driver's door opened.
And Ethan stepped out.
For a moment, Aria just blinked.
The man she had bumped into in her kitchen the other morning had looked good then.
Now he looked... different.
Better.
He closed the truck door with an easy movement before adjusting the brim of the cowboy hat resting low over his forehead.
He wore a dark charcoal Henley, the sleeves pushed up just enough to reveal strong forearms. The fabric hugged his shoulders and chest without looking like he was trying too hard. A pair of well-fitted jeans and a large belt buckle completed the look; the leather belt was clearly expensive.
But what caught her attention most were the boots.
Ostrich leather.
She recognized them immediately.
Expensive.
Very expensive.
Aria leaned back slightly on the swing, watching him walk toward the porch.
"Well," she said dryly. "Someone cleaned up."
Ethan stopped at the bottom step, glancing down at himself like he hadn't thought much about it.
"I usually try not to embarrass myself on a first date."
She tilted her head.
"This is a date now?"
He grinned.
"I'm still hoping."
Aria shook her head as she stood from the swing.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
He lifted his hands in surrender.
"Fair enough."
She walked down the porch steps slowly, studying him a little more closely now that the initial surprise had worn off.
The cowboy hat.
The boots.
The truck sitting in the driveway.
Her eyes flicked toward it.
"Are you playing into the whole Nashville cowboy thing for my benefit?"
Ethan blinked.
Then laughed.
"Oh, man."
"What?"
"You think this is a costume?"
She crossed her arms.
"Is it not?"
He turned and gestured toward the truck.
"I'm just visiting Tennessee."
That caught her off guard.
"You are?"
"Yep."
"Then where are you from?"
"Alabama."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"Alabama."
"Yes, ma'am, for the last six years it's been my home."
"And the hat?"
"Practical."
"And the boots?"
"Also practical."
She gave him a skeptical look.
"They look like they cost more than my car."
He shrugged casually.
"Occupational hazard."
"Your occupation being?"
"I'm a farmer."
Aria blinked.
"And a rancher," he added.
She studied him again, recalibrating slightly.
The hat suddenly made more sense.
The boots, too.
"So you're not just pretending to be a cowboy."
"Nope."
"Good to know."
He leaned casually against the truck.
"I've been staying with Parker while I'm in town."
"How long have you been in town?"
"About a week now."
Her eyebrows lifted.
"A week?"
"Yeah."
"And all you've heard about is me."
He laughed.
"You're not wrong."
She groaned softly.
"Fantastic."
"The small-town gossip network is... impressive."
"Please don't tell me you came here cause Parker called in reinforcements to babysit me."
"Actually," he said thoughtfully, "I came because Parker's my cousin and he asked for help with something."
"And the gossip?"
"That was just a bonus feature."
She rolled her eyes.
"Wonderful."
Ethan opened the passenger door of the truck.
"Ready?"
Aria hesitated for a moment before climbing in.
The interior of the truck was immaculate.
Leather seats.
Clean dashboard.
Smelled faintly like cedar and something earthy.
"Nice truck," she admitted.
"Thank you."
"Expensive truck."
He didn't deny it.
"Work vehicle."
She snorted.
"Sure it is."
He closed her door before walking around to the driver's side.
When he climbed in, the truck hummed quietly to life.
For a moment, neither of them spoke as he backed carefully out of the driveway.
Then Aria said it.
"Before we go any further..."
He glanced at her briefly.
"Yeah?"
"I need to be really clear about something."
"I'm listening."
She stared out the windshield as she spoke.
"I'm not ready to date."
He nodded slowly.
"Okay."
"I'm serious."
"I believe you."
She looked at him then.
"I mean it."
He met her gaze calmly.
"I heard you the first time."
She hesitated before continuing.
"I just need... normal."
"Normal."
"Someone who isn't going to look at me like I'm fragile."
His brow furrowed slightly.
"Do people do that?"
"Constantly."
She sighed.
"Everyone means well. Parker, Lila, the guys from Chase's unit... but they all treat me like glass."
"Glass?"
"Like if they say the wrong thing, I'm going to shatter."
He nodded slowly.
"That sounds exhausting."
"It is."
She leaned her head back against the seat.
"I just want a friend."
He considered that.
"Someone who doesn't know your history."
"Exactly."
"Someone who won't constantly remind you of it."
"Yes."
"Someone who will let you have fun."
She nodded.
"Yes."
Ethan drummed his fingers lightly against the steering wheel.
"I can do that."
She turned toward him.
"But I'm not looking for anything physical."
"Okay."
"Or serious."
"Okay."
"And if you're expecting this to turn into something romantic..."
He cut her off gently.
"I should probably be honest about something."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"That sounds ominous."
"It's not."
"Then what is it?"
He glanced at her.
"I have absolutely no intention of pretending I'm not interested in you."
She blinked.
"What?"
"I'll give you the friendship," he continued calmly. "I'll give you the fun night out. I won't push you for anything you're not ready for."
He paused.
"But I'm not going to lie and pretend I don't want to pursue you."
Aria stared at him.
"That's... very direct."
"I try to be."
"You're aware I just told you I'm not ready."
"Yep."
"And you still want to pursue me."
"Yep."
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"Because I like you."
"You barely know me."
"From what I've seen so far," he said, "you're interesting, stubborn, sarcastic, and strong enough to survive something most people wouldn't."
She looked away, suddenly uncomfortable.
"That's not exactly a dating profile."
"It works for me."
The diner came into view up ahead, its neon sign glowing warmly against the darkening sky.
Ethan pulled into the parking lot and parked the truck.
Before either of them got out, Aria spoke again.
"I need you to understand something."
"I'm listening."
"No matter how good looking you are..."
He smirked slightly.
"...you don't compete with Chase."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Immediately, she regretted them.
But Ethan didn't look offended.
He simply nodded.
"I figured."
She frowned.
"You did?"
"Hard to compete with a ghost," he said lightly.
Her chest tightened.
"I didn't mean..."
"It's okay."
She studied him carefully.
"You're not bothered by that?"
"I'm realistic."
Silence settled between them.
Then Ethan smiled slightly.
"Besides."
"What?"
"I'm not competing tonight."
"You're not?"
"Nope."
"What are you doing then?"
He opened his door and stepped out of the truck.
"Having dinner with my new best friend."
Despite herself, Aria laughed as she followed him out of the truck.
And for the first time in what felt like weeks...
She felt something close to normal again.
The bell above the diner door chimed as Ethan pulled it open.
Warm light and the smell of fried food washed over them instantly.
It was the same diner Aria had been coming to since she was sixteen. The red vinyl booths were worn smooth with years of use, the floors carried the faint scuff marks of countless boots and sneakers, and the familiar low hum of conversation filled the room.
For the first time since agreeing to dinner, Aria felt something loosen in her chest.
Normal.
Ethan stepped aside and gestured toward the door with an exaggerated sweep of his hand.
"After you."
She rolled her eyes but walked inside.
The waitress behind the counter looked up immediately.
"Aria! Haven't seen you in a..."
Her voice faltered when she noticed Ethan behind her.
The woman's eyes flicked between them, curiosity lighting her expression.
Aria recognized the look instantly.
Small town.
Ethan leaned closer to Aria and murmured quietly, "Is she about to interrogate me?"
Aria snorted under her breath.
"Probably."
The waitress recovered quickly, grabbing two menus.
"Well, look at that," she said, handing them over. "You brought company."
Aria forced a casual smile.
"Just dinner."
"Mmhmm."
The woman nodded knowingly before pointing toward a booth near the window.
"Sit wherever you want."
Ethan leaned toward Aria again as they walked toward the booth.
"I feel like I'm being judged."
"You are."
"Fantastic."
They slid into the booth across from each other.
Ethan set his hat carefully beside him and glanced around the diner with interest.
"I like this place."
"It's been here forever," Aria said.
"Feels like it."
She picked up the menu but didn't really read it. She already knew what she would order.
"What do you usually get?" Ethan asked.
"The Bill's Special burger."
"Good choice."
"You?"
"Whatever you recommend."
She lowered the menu.
"You're trusting a stranger with your dinner?"
"I asked you out," he said. "Seems like a safe bet."
The waitress returned with two glasses of water.
"You ready to order?"
Aria nodded.
"Two Bill's burgers," she said. "Fries. And a chocolate shake."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Two shakes."
The waitress smirked.
"Coming right up."
As she walked away, Ethan leaned back in the booth.
"So."
"So."
"Tell me something about you that nobody in town already knows."
Aria thought for a moment.
Then she shrugged.
"I hate hiking."
Ethan blinked.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Why?"
"Because every time someone convinces me to go, it turns into five hours of sweating and regret."
He laughed.
"Fair."
"What about you?"
"I love hiking."
She groaned.
"Of course you do."
"But only if there's a horse involved."
She blinked.
"You hike on horseback?"
"That's why with a horse it's called riding."
She laughed.
"Right."
The conversation flowed easily after that.
Ethan told stories about the ranch in Alabama.
About calves escaping fences.
About one stubborn goat that apparently hated him with a passion.
Aria found herself laughing harder than she had in weeks.
At one point, she had to wipe tears from the corner of her eyes.
"You're making that up," she said.
"I swear I'm not."
"The goat chased you?"
"Three times."
"That's embarrassing."
"It was terrifying."
Their burgers arrived, and the conversation continued between bites.
At some point, Aria realized something strange.
She had stopped thinking about everything else.
The hospital.
The confrontation.
Will.
Emily.
For the first time in weeks, her mind was quiet.
Ethan noticed the shift, too.
"You look lighter," he said suddenly.
She tilted her head.
"Lighter?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
"Like someone took a weight off your shoulders."
She looked down at her plate.
"I guess I just needed a night where nobody treated me like a tragedy."
Ethan nodded.
"I can respect that."
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment.
Then Ethan leaned forward slightly.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Depends."
"Fair."
"Ask."
"What was he like?"
The question didn't feel intrusive.
Just curious.
Aria thought about it.
"Chase?"
Ethan nodded.
She smiled softly.
"He was... loud."
"Loud?"
"In the best way."
"How so?"
"He filled every room he walked into with energy."
Ethan listened carefully.
"He made everything feel bigger," she continued. "Fun. Alive."
She paused.
"And he believed in me before I ever believed in myself."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Sounds like a good man."
"He was."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan lifted his shake.
"To good men."
Aria clinked her glass against his.
"To good men."
The bell above the diner door chimed again.
Aria didn't look up at first.
But Ethan did.
His expression shifted slightly.
Curious.
Then cautious.
Aria followed his gaze.
The air left her lungs.
Will stood just inside the doorway.
Emily beside him.
And Parker behind them.
For a moment, the entire diner seemed to go quiet.
Will's eyes moved across the room slowly.
Until they landed on her.
And the man sitting across from her.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
Emily noticed the tension in his body and followed his line of sight.
Her expression changed, too.
Parker saw it a second later.
"Ah," he muttered under his breath.
Aria felt Ethan's attention shift back to her.
"Is that him?" he said quietly.
She nodded once.
"Yes."
Across the room, Will's jaw tightened.
And suddenly, the normal night Aria had fought so hard to reclaim felt like it was slipping through her fingers again.
Aria felt the air leave her lungs when their eyes met.
For a moment, the world seemed to narrow to the space between her booth and the diner door.
Will stood there, tall and still, his hand resting loosely against the doorframe as if he'd stopped mid-step. Emily stood beside him, her posture tense, her gaze already moving between Aria and Ethan.
And Parker stood behind them, smiling.
Parker's eyes met Aria's for half a second.
He gave the tiniest shrug.
Like, even he wasn't sure how this had happened.
Aria's stomach twisted.
Across from her, Ethan noticed the shift in the room immediately.
He leaned back slightly in the booth, turning his head to glance toward the door again.
"Well," he murmured quietly.
Aria dragged a hand across her forehead.
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Make a scene."
Ethan's lips twitched.
"I wasn't planning on it."
Across the diner, Emily leaned toward Will and said something quietly.
Aria couldn't hear the words.
But she saw the moment Emily made a decision.
The blonde woman placed a gentle hand on Will's arm.
Then she walked toward their table.
Aria straightened slightly in the booth.
Ethan watched the approach with open curiosity.
Emily stopped beside their table, offering a small, polite smile.
"Hi," she said softly.
Aria nodded once.
"Hi."
Emily glanced between them briefly before speaking again.
"I'm really sorry if we're interrupting anything."
Her tone was calm. Careful.
"Parker suggested we eat out, and we didn't realize you were here."
Behind her, Parker rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
Emily continued.
"If it's uncomfortable, we can absolutely go somewhere else."
Aria opened her mouth to respond.
But Ethan beat her to it.
"Oh no," he said easily. "Please don't."
Aria turned her head slowly toward him.
Her glare could have melted steel.
Ethan smiled innocently.
"There's plenty of room."
Emily hesitated.
"You're sure?"
"Absolutely."
Then Ethan leaned back slightly in the booth, glancing past Emily toward Parker.
"Although," he added casually, "I do have one question."
Parker narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What's that?"
Ethan folded his arms across his chest.
"Why exactly did you pick the one diner in town where you knew we'd be eating tonight?"
Parker blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
Aria dropped her face into her hand.
"Ethan."
But Ethan was already looking at Parker with a faintly amused expression.
"You knew I was taking her here."
Parker raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
"And yet you still brought them here."
Emily looked between the two men in confusion.
Parker held up his hands.
"I did not orchestrate some kind of awkward dinner party."
Ethan squinted at him.
"You're telling me this is a coincidence."
"I swear to God," Parker said.
Ethan leaned back again, considering that.
Then he shrugged.
"Well."
"What?"
"If you're lying," Ethan said calmly, "I'm beating your ass later tonight."
Parker snorted.
"Good luck with that."
Emily stared at both of them.
Then she laughed softly despite herself.
Aria slowly lowered her hand from her face.
"You two are unbelievable."
Ethan gestured toward the open space beside the booth.
"Sit."
Emily hesitated again.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Ethan said easily. "The more the merrier."
Aria shot him another look.
Ethan leaned toward her slightly and murmured under his breath.
"I promised I wouldn't let this ruin your night."
She muttered back.
"You're doing a terrible job."
"Trust me."
Reluctantly, Emily slid into the booth beside Aria.
Will and Parker pulled chairs from a nearby table and joined them.
The arrangement was slightly ridiculous.
Ethan sat across from Aria.
Will ended up directly across from Emily.
Parker took the end seat.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The tension sat thick in the air.
Then the waitress returned.
She stopped dead when she saw the group now crowded around the table.
"Well," she said slowly.
Aria forced a smile.
"We added more."
The waitress nodded.
"What'll you have?"
Emily ordered a salad.
Will asked for a burger.
Parker ordered steak and potatoes.
Once the waitress walked away again, the table settled into an awkward silence.
Ethan broke it first.
"So," he said casually.
Everyone looked at him.
"I'm Ethan."
Parker rolled his eyes.
"Yes, we know."
Ethan ignored him.
He looked at Emily.
"Nice to meet you."
Emily smiled politely.
"You too."
Then Ethan turned toward Will.
"And you must be the famous husband."
Aria kicked him under the table.
Hard.
Ethan winced.
"Ow."
"That was deserved," Parker said.
Will didn't look amused.
But he didn't look angry either.
Just... tense.
Emily spoke quickly, trying to smooth things over.
"We didn't mean to interrupt your night."
Ethan waved a hand dismissively.
"You didn't."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"Really."
"Really."
Parker leaned back in his chair.
"This is the weirdest dinner I've had in a while."
"You should come to Thanksgiving at my ranch," Ethan replied. "This is nothing."
Emily laughed softly.
"What happens at Thanksgiving?"
"Three arguments, one broken chair, all because someone inevitably brings up politics."
Parker snorted.
"Sounds about right."
Slowly, the tension began to ease.
The conversation started flowing.
Ethan asked Emily where she and Will had been staying.
Emily explained about the hotel near the VA.
Parker chimed in with a story about getting lost earlier that afternoon, trying to show Will the high school football field.
Aria mostly stayed quiet.
But she noticed something.
Will barely spoke.
His attention kept drifting.
Back to her.
Back to Ethan.
Back to the space between them.
Ethan noticed too.
At one point, he leaned closer to Aria and murmured quietly,
"He looks like he wants to punch me."
She sighed.
"He probably does."
"Do you want him to?"
"No."
Ethan nodded thoughtfully.
"Good."
The waitress returned with the food.
Plates clattered against the table.
The momentary distraction helped.
People started eating.
Parker launched into another story about Chase from years ago.
Emily listened with interest.
Aria noticed Will watching her again.
Not angry.
Not exactly jealous.
Just... confused.
Like something inside him didn't like what he was seeing, but he didn't understand why.
Across the table, Ethan caught Will staring.
He raised his glass casually.
"To unexpected dinners."
Parker lifted his drink.
"I'll drink to that."
Emily smiled.
Will hesitated.
Then he lifted his glass too.
Aria followed a second later.
For a moment, the strange group sat together in a quiet truce.
But beneath the table, Aria could feel the tension humming like electricity.
Because no matter how normal the evening tried to be...
Nothing about this situation was normal at all.