Norah made a sound that might’ve been a laugh, but she wisely turned it into a cough. “I’m just gonna leave you two to talk.”
Miranda didn’t try to stop her. One way or the other, she wanted this resolved tonight.
Miranda watched him with shuttered eyes as Norah made her escape. Ethan missed the usual open humor, but he understood she was pissed. More than pissed, she was hurt. He could see she’d been crying, and the idea of that gutted him. But it also gave him hope that maybe not all was lost.
The door shut behind Norah and they were alone with all the temper and hurt feelings and take out. “Look, can we sit and talk? Really talk? I’d say we can do it right here, but I’m not gonna lie to you—I’m exhausted. I’ve been up for two days, and I really don’t want to face plant into what’s left of that pie.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, as if she’d started to smile, then stopped herself. Without a word, she scooped up the pie and headed down the hall to the break room.
Ethan grabbed his own food and followed, glancing around at the progress. “You’ve gotten a lot done.”
“Rage cleaning is very efficient.”
“Certainly more productive than a lot of the alternatives.” If he’d had the time—and the actual energy—he’d have been going several rounds at Blanchard’s Gym in the boxing ring. “Are you planning on opening tomorrow?”
“By afternoon, if we can. My staff will be here in the morning to finish the reorganization and sterilization. I needed to do this part myself.” She dropped into a chair and set the pie on the table.
Ethan sat beside her. “Taking control of a situation where you’ve had none.”
She nodded and forked up a bite of pie. “You wanted to talk, talk.”
Straight to it then. After a moment’s hesitation, he turned off his radio. For the next little bit, he wanted to focus on nothing but Miranda.
“You said something earlier that’s been gnawing at me all day. That you’d been in a relationship where your beliefs were belittled. That you couldn’t share your life with someone who makes you feel like less. It kills me that I said or did anything that made you feel like that. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I was frustrated and worried, and I just don’t see the situation the way you do. I have no problem with your idealism.” Her expression hardened and he realized he’d said the wrong thing yet again. “But I felt like you weren’t willing to take necessary precautions for your safety, and that makes me nuts. And I made just about the worst possible choice in words to press my point.”
He leaned forward, staring into those hazel eyes and willing her to believe him. To let him in. She didn’t back away, but she didn’t lean toward him either.
“You’re not stupid. I would never think of you as stupid, ever. You’re smart and compassionate and beautiful, and one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. It takes guts to believe in people. To put yourself out there knowing you might not get anything back. You do that every day because you don’t know any other way to be. I don’t have that kind of courage. I’ve let my experiences define me. I’ve let them limit me. And I tried to use them to limit you. I won’t apologize for trying to protect you, but I will apologize for how I did it.”
Miranda stared at him for a long moment, eyes still glistening—shit, he didn’t want to make her cry again—before she set the fork aside and laced her fingers together. “I appreciate that. I do. I certainly never got anything close to an apology from Stephen. But this isn’t just about me and my sensitivity to being called stupid. It’s about a fundamental difference in how we see the world. A difference that’s led to you making accusations that could absolutely destroy the life of someone I care about.”
“I was wrong. It’s not Delaney.”
That set her back in her chair. Her eyes narrowed. “What changed from this afternoon?”
“You ever heard her mention Sean Murphy?”
Miranda frowned. “The firefighter?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve heard his name somewhere recently. I mean besides when he was at my house.” She snapped her fingers. “He went to the dance with Charlotte Ballard. We were talking about it just before you got to the community center for set up. And Delaney was upset when she heard it and left right after. I didn’t connect the two because I didn’t know who he was at the time.”
Ethan blew out a breath. “Mama Pearl says Delaney’s got a thing for him. I’d say that confirms it. He was also in my bowhunter safety class.”
Miranda crossed her arms with an unmistakable air of I-told-you-so. “So you’re dropping her as a suspect?”
“She had a prior history, opportunity, and motive. But I was wrong about the motive, so I have to look elsewhere, because I am a good cop.”
Her eyes dropped and she grimaced. “I’m sorry. I should never have said that. You put as much into your job as I do, and it wasn’t fair of me to lash out because I was angry at how you were focused on my friend.”
Ethan waved that off. “The point is, she’s no longer a suspect, and I’m not going to make trouble for her. And that means I am officially back to square one with this investigation.”
Her breath gushed out. “Thank God. I mean, not thank God, but you know what I mean.”
“That’s about all I know.” Ethan ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t presently have any other viable suspects.” And it was lowering to admit that. Not that he hadn’t had cases that took weeks or months—years even. But none of them had been personal.
“You don’t think this has anything to do with that string of robberies in Lawley?”
“I can’t rule it out conclusively, but you were being targeted already, and none of the other vandalism fits with the robberies. Judd doesn’t think this was his guy. Clay theorized that it might not be about you at all but somebody trying to get at me through you.”
Her brows drew together. “I don’t understand. How does targeting me attack you?”
How could she not understand what she meant to him? “If the answer to that doesn’t immediately occur to you, then I’ve done a shitty job of showing it.” Leaning toward her, he braced his arms on his knees. “I’m in love with you.”
All trace of combativeness melted from her expression. “Ethan.”
He took a chance and grasped her hands. “Look, I know I’m not perfect. I know I’ve been overbearing and overprotective. I know we’ve butted heads. But I never expected to be here again. After my marriage imploded, I never thought anybody would tempt me enough to take the leap into love again. You did. Almost from the first time I saw you. And I don’t want what’s between us to be over.”
The hands in his tightened, and hope leapt in his chest.
“Neither do I.”
The knot that had been lodged beneath his heart the last several hours finally unclenched. They’d survive this, and they’d be stronger. But he wanted to make sure there was no room for misunderstandings. “So you’ll give me another chance?”