I look away, not needing to see some sentimental moment between these two.
Even though Ethan seems to have a stick up his ass, the living room is welcoming with cozy, overstuffed couches and a big flatscreen TV. Along the far wall is a stone fireplace with a mantel full of photos and horse trophies.
When we pulled up to the ranch, my sister said this property has been in Ethan’s family for three generations.
“Your house is gorgeous, ma’am,” I tell Beverly.
Her face lights up. “Ethan did all the renovations.”
He sets down Mila and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Ma, you know I had some help.”
I ignore the shiver that runs through me from the sound of his deep voice.
Beverly points down the hall. “He installed those beautiful counters in the kitchen, expanded the house, knocked down walls, added the bedrooms along the East side—the whole shebang. He really is very handy.”
Too bad he’s a dick.I smile awkwardly and nod, turning my back so I don’t have to look at Ethan and his throat-punching presence.
My sister tries to scoot off the floor, and I roll my eyes and rush to help her up.
“No more sitting on the floor,” I groan as I steady my sister.
When Izzy grabs her mom’s hand, I finally let go of her.
“I told her to sit on the couch,” Logan says, rubbing his jaw the same way his brother does.
Logan gives me a shrug and a wink, and I can’t resist smiling back. He’s a carbon copy of his brother except his eyes are lighter, and he’s leaner.Not to mention nicer.Ethan is all brawn with hard muscles, tattoos, and a roughness I can’t really explain.
It’s crystal-clear the Carter brothers are total lady-killers.
That means it’s time to go.
Because I’ve had my fill of these kind of guys for at least a lifetime.
Ethan
My mother stirs the pot on the stove and hums in the back of her throat. “Isn’t Tori a peach?”
“Stop it, Ma.”
“What? Ethan, she’s adorable. Did you see the way Mila lights up around her? I feel better about going to Chicago already.”
Propping my hands on my hips, I drop my head back with a sigh. “I’m not hiring her.” Even though it kinda kills me not to.
I don’t exactly have a string of available babysitters on call, and I’m not dumb enough to think I can take care of the kids on my own when my mom leaves. Why did I have to be such an asshole to Tori this afternoon?
“That girl is exactly what we need around here. She’s sweet as pie with the kids and doesn’t put up with your malarkey.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard what you said to her. All that bark, like you were trying to scare her away, and she just dished it right back. Not like Allison, who told you what you wanted to hear until she lost her noodle over something silly.”
That’s because Allison never let anyone see the real her. In private, she nitpicked me to death. Nothing was ever good enough or nice enough. To everyone else, though, she pretended things were fine because she wanted them to think she was perfect.
“Has anyone ever told you it’s not polite to eavesdrop? And anyway, Tori told me she doesn’t like children. That she’d fail a background check. Who says that?”
Though she obviously has a way with kids. Mila hasn’t stopped talking about her this evening.
My mom laughs under her breath. “Sounds like you were both lying to each other. You know, in my day, we called that foreplay.”
