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.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Please, please stop talking.”
She stirs the pot like she hasn’t just grossed me the fuck out. “I never thought Allison was right for you.” Here we go again. “She never had any spark. Boring as a dishrag.”
“She wasn’t boring.” I groan as I rub the ache in my chest. For some reason, I feel the need to defend her. “We grew apart. When we were at A&M, things were different. Our relationship was easier.” Of course shit’s easier before you have kids.
I guess I always knew Allison wasn’t exactly wired to be home all the time. To be so domestic. She liked hanging with her circle of rich friends. Being social. Being seen.
Rubbing that spot again, I shake my head. “I don’t think she realized how hard it was gonna be living out here in the middle of nowhere.”
I thought we’d be a team and help each other. Sure, it’s my parents’ ranch, but I was putting in long days for our family. For her and our kids. Not for shits and giggles.
My mom waves a wooden spoon at me. “Don’t be dramatic. Austin is forty minutes away, and there’s a Walmart down the road. We’re not total hicks.”
I chuckle. Beverly Carter is as feisty as they come. “You know what I mean. Being isolated on the ranch. I think she needed to be around more people. And it’s not like she was prepared to have a baby so soon.” Ain’t no way to prepare for a baby when you’re a senior in college.
“What she needs is to take care of her kids and be a good mother. What she needs is to be a woman of her word and live up to her marriage vows.”
That ache grows, and I open the fridge to grab a beer. “It is what it is. Nothing I can do about it now.” Trust me, I’ve tried.
“Good riddance. At least this way, I know Allison won’t be taking off with my jewelry when I die.”
“Ma, c’mon.” I reach for this teeny woman who somehow birthed me and my brother. Kissing the top of her head, I laugh. “No more talk about dying, okay?”
“Ethan?”
“Yeah.”
She puts her hand on my shoulder and looks up at me. “Your daddy would be proud of you. So proud of everything you’ve done here.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and nod. “Thanks. I try.” Filling my dad’s shoes when he passed six years ago was something none of us expected I’d have to do so soon. He was young and healthy. I thought I’d have more time. More time to travel with Allison. More time to enjoy being young. More time to learn from my father.
“I know it, son. I’m proud of you too. The last few years have been tough, but you hang in there. You’re a damn good father and a damn good rancher.” She presses her lips together. “I’m sorry your wife didn’t appreciate you.”
Blowing out a breath, I hug her tight and let her go before we both start crying like little girls. “What’s for dinner? I need something with beef before I waste away.”
She chuckles and pats my gut. “I got just the thing.”
The next morning, I skim my emails and am surprised to see a message from Kat. All it says is, “My sister may seem crabby, but she’s a sweetheart under that tough shell, and she’s wonderful with kids. Thought you might need this if she hasn’t scared you away.” When I open the attachment, Tori’s driver’s license pops up on the screen.
Yes, I was a dick to Tori yesterday. Yes, I deserved her animosity. But I wasn’t prepared to like her smart mouth and all that sass. In fact, I haven’t stopped thinking about it—about her—since.
Of course, she’s beautiful in this photo. Hazel eyes twinkling with mischief. Plump lips smiling. All that fucking hair.
Hair that would feel damn good dragging along my chest while she rode me.
Scrubbing my face, I groan. Jesus, the last thing I need is to be thinking about her like this.
“Why so forlorn, bro?” Logan plops down into the chair on the other side of my desk with a smirk and a shrug like he’s footloose and fancy-free.
I love my brother, but I really want to kick his ass for springing Tori on me. “That stunt you pulled yesterday was hysterical. Thanks for that.”
“No problemo. Thought you needed a nudge.”
“No more fucking nudges. I’ll do this when I’m damn well ready.” The sound of his snicker makes me lift my eyes. “You’re wearing down my last nerve.”
“What? I’m a problem-solver. I solved your problem.”
“You’re a pain in the ass.”