“Do you want to come in?” He looked at her, anticipation in his gaze, and she couldn’t help but feel torn.
She should want to come in. They hadn’t spent much time alone together since he hurt himself, at least not beyond her helping him with logistics—getting groceries, picking up his dry cleaning, and shuttling him places when he couldn’t get another ride. Thankfully, he took a taxi to work but there had been times like that night when it made sense for her to be the one to pick him up and drop him off again. But when she thought about coming in, she remembered Matt, Taylor, Becca, and Gabe waiting at the bar on Church Street, and she got frustrated all over again.
Ethan made it clear he wasn’t up for socializing with her family, and it didn’t seem to matter that her cousin was only in town for another day or two. She should be more understanding. His leg probably still bothered him and it made sense he’d be more comfortable at home. But if that was the case, why hadn’t he invited the rest of them to come to his place? His cleaning service had just been there, and she’d been the one to stock his refrigerator, so that couldn’t be what held him back. She kept circling back to the fact that he just didn’t like her family enough to want to spend time with them, and if that was the case, what kind of future could they possibly have?
“I should probably go,” she said, not sure whether she wanted him to try to convince her to stay. “Taylor and the others are waiting.”
His brow furrowed, but he didn’t protest, and she realized she was grateful.
“If you change your mind, you know where to find me,” he said, giving her one of the cocky grins that had worked its way into her heart when they started dating.
“I’ll remember that,” she said, taking a step closer to make things easier for him.
Balancing himself on one crutch, he reached up to cup her face with his free hand. He slid his fingers into her hair, tugging gently the way he’d learned she liked, and pulled her to him. Pausing for a moment, his lips a breath away from hers, he searched her gaze and she had a flash of what had drawn her to him in the first place. The self-assurance she’d found sexy in the beginning.
She breathed in the intoxicating scent of his expensive aftershave and parted her lips for his kiss. It started as just a brush, the barest touch of his lips against hers before he took it deeper, tasting and teasing her. It was a perfectly nice kiss. Hot even by most standards, but as she pulled away and said good-bye, she couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t feel more.
SHE HEARD MICHAEL BEFORE SHE saw him. His rich, warm laugh carried across the mostly empty bar, tightening something low inside her. She hadn’t expected him to be there, but in hindsight, she should have known her sister and cousin would push for him to join them. They couldn’t help but meddle and the two of them together were exponentially worse than either of them alone. And now that Taylor was pregnant, she seemed to have a fierce desire to make sure everyone around her was happy too.
As she made her way across the room to the table where her relatives sat, it hit her how at ease he seemed with her family. Matt hovered over her cousin, somehow managing to shelter Taylor with his larger body, but she could tell by their expressions, they were clearly charmed by whatever story Michael was telling them. Gabe sat to the other side of him, his shoulders shaking with laughter, and she didn’t need to see her sister’s face to know she was as enamored with Michael as the rest of them.
She couldn’t decide how it made her feel. She’d be a bitch if she let it bug her that Michael seemed to genuinely like her family as much as they clearly liked him. That’s the way it was supposed to go for people who worked together on a team. But she couldn’t help but see the difference between the way her family acted around Michael and the way they acted around Ethan.The times Ethan bothered to show up.If he’d been a recluse, she could have understood it—made allowances—but that wasn’t it at all. He had plenty of friends he spent time with. It was her family and friends he avoided.
She caught herself scowling and smoothed her forehead. The last thing she wanted to do was field questions from her family about what was bothering her. She didn’t have any doubts they’d press the case if they saw any sign of weakness. Her sister could be ruthless when she wanted.
When she looked up, she caught Michael watching her and when their gazes met, he smiled, his eyes lighting up in obvious pleasure. She couldn’t help but return it. The man’s smile was contagious. He stood, and she was struck again by the way the river driver shirt he wore hugged his broad, muscular shoulders. The faded jeans hanging low on his hips were their own kind of distraction, and she quickly turned toward her cousin before he caught her ogling him.
“About time,” said Becca, glancing over her shoulder. “Did you get the invalid settled?”
“Shut up,” she said, closing the distance between her and the table.
Michael had already pulled out the chair next to him, leaving her no choice but to sit down or make a scene. She sat, quickly turning her attention to Taylor so she wouldn’t have to look at the tanned bit of skin peeking out of Michael’s open collar or think about what it would feel like to press her mouth to the base of his throat and feel his pulse beat warm and strong against her lips. That way led to dragons and she had no intention of looking for trouble.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” she asked Taylor, heading toward neutral ground.
Her cousin leaned forward in her chair and Matt somehow managed to follow her, sheltering her with his body without appearing to overwhelm her. They moved seamlessly together and Amanda felt a twinge of jealousy, wondering what it would be like to be that in tune with someone. She tried to picture her and Ethan working together as a team, but Michael’s face kept getting in the way.
“Mostly,” said Taylor, drawing her out of her thoughts.
“She’s ready,” said Matt. “She never thinks the work is done, but it is. Wait until you see it. This is her best show yet.” His pride was evident in his voice and her cousin smiled at him over her shoulder.
“If it is, it’s because you helped me stay on track.”
Amanda had a flashback to the last of her cousin’s shows she’d been to and the painting a crazy stalker ruined. She was grateful Taylor kept working and hadn’t let the incident knock her off her stride.
“I have nothing to do with your success, Southerland. It’s all you—you and your hard work.”
Taylor smiled up at her husband, clearly as in love with him as he was with her.
“Of course, you’re coming to the opening.” Becca reached across the table to squeeze Michael’s arm.
“Please do,” said Taylor, sounding like she meant it.
Michael glanced between her sister and her cousin before finally settling on her, a brow tipped up at a quizzical angle. She simply nodded. There was no reason for her to have an opinion on who Taylor invited to her show.
“I’d like that,” he finally said. “I’ve never been to an opening where I knew the actual artist ahead of time.”
“You’ve been to gallery openings before?” The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to consider them. Of course he’d been to openings. Just because he was built like a gym rat—admittedly a gorgeous one—didn’t mean that’s the only thing he knew. He’d probably taken a date to the openings.Chicks loved that kind of thing, she thought, trying and failing to push back the jealousy. She had absolutely no business being jealous of anything Michael did.
