Page 84 of Hearts on the Line

And my mom won’t stop calling. I finally shoot off a text that I’m busy and will call later, before I toss down my phone. I grip the bathroom sink, taking a steadying breath before I apply mascara.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I ask, popping my head out a few minutes later.

Jack is wrestling Betty White away from Wally with a grin on that handsome face of his. “Go home? They love me.”

It’s been a few years since we last connected. Our schedules made it almost impossible to see each other.

I chuckle, peeking through the crack of Ethan’s door as he dresses. His back is turned toward me, but the memory of him carrying me to bed last night and burying his face between my thighs makes the blush I just swept over my cheeks unnecessary.

“You say that now, but June has been very mischievous since I’ve returned.”

“They all love me,” he says.

Ethan strides out of his room, sticking his head through his T-shirt. I catch a glimpse of the lighthouse etched across his ribs before it’s covered, and he’s staring at me as if he knows what I’m thinking. Then, he winks.

“We’ll take the truck, let’s go. I need to stop at the market and grab some scallops for dinner.”

Jack falls to the ground, letting Wally win. “What do you need to suck up to Nana for?”

Ethan grabs his keys off the counter. “Don’t make me regret calling you for help.”

“Wait up, I want to take the car tonight.” It feels a little nostalgic now that Jack is back with us. “So, I’ll drive.”

Ethan chuckles as I use Jack’s stomach as a stepping stone.

“Aww,” Jack groans. “Come on, Sloaney.”

I dash to the door and snatch my keys from the hook Ethan put up for me.

Once outside, Jack and Ethan bicker about who gets the front seat like they’re twelve. Finally, I snap.

“No one gets the front seat.”

They both climb into the back with Wally before Jack leaps into the front seat, turns around, and smacks his brother on the head.

“You both drive me nuts,” I mutter, pulling out of the driveway. I feel so much lighter all of a sudden, like things are starting to fall into place. Maybe I’m finally finding my way back to myself.

When I peek into the rearview mirror, Ethan’s sitting in the middle of the back seat, his arms crossed, glaring. A laugh catches in my throat, then softens into something warmer.

I’ve never just liked Ethan. I love him. I think I always have.

The wind rushes through the car as we pull out onto the old scenic route. The narrow road winds and curls along the rocky coast, past the tight cluster of beach houses, until they thin out to the bigger properties and estates. The salty marsh air mixes with the smell of fresh-cut hay drifting over from the nearby horse barns.

Jack glances over at me and knocks down his sunglasses, pinning me there with his vivid blue eyes that the puck bunnies go wild for. “Just like old times. You, me, that insufferable grump in the back seat.”

I swallow hard. “Almost.”

Ethan doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to. I can practically feel him thinking as I drive. I grip the steering wheel tighter, flashing another grin at Jack.

He fiddles with the radio. “So, you made a run for it, huh?”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”

“Just wait until I play Winthrope in October. So, you’re spending the summer…”

“The car broke down.”

“Well, she’s driving great now. And Ruth has you editing the newspaper?”