Page 51 of Ethan

He looked down at her. “I was born to do this too.”

She held his gaze for a moment, then nodded slowly like she understood exactly what he meant.

“Yes,” she said. “You were.”

“I have to meet Seth and Cole for breakfast.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll see you when I get back. Do you want to get together this evening?”

She smiled. “I’d like that. Come up when you’re ready.”

“Alright.” He touched the brim of his hat and turned toward the house.

“Ethan.”

He looked back.

“Tell your brothers I said hello.” Her eyes were dancing.

He shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

She laughed as he walked away and he kept his expression straight until he was around the corner of the barn. Then he smiled.

He pulled onto the road, let his mind wander and it kept coming back to her.

He enjoyed her company more than he’d enjoyed anyone’s in a long time, and last night had only made it worse. Or better. He wasn’t sure which. The thought of not having her around felt strange that he hadn’t expected, like something had already shifted without his permission.

But he wasn’t going to push. That wasn’t who he was.

He just wasn’t sure what she wanted beyond what they already had, and he wasn’t willing to assume. She’d been hurt before. She’d come here for a fresh start and the last thing he wanted was to be another thing that complicated her life.

He turned into town and told himself to stop thinking about it until he had reason to think about it.

He pulled into the diner parking lot.

Cole’s and Seth’s trucks were already there.

He was going to need coffee before they started in on him.

He pushed through the diner door and nodded at the few people who called out to him as he made his way to the counter. Cole was on the end stool, Seth beside him. Ethan dropped onto the stool on Cole’s other side.

Connie appeared with the coffee pot and smiled as she filled a cup and set it in front of him.

“Morning, Ethan.”

“Morning, Connie.”

She moved off down the counter. He wrapped his hands around the mug and took a sip.

His brothers said nothing. He could feel it coming.

Seth leaned forward on the counter and looked past Cole at him. “Ryan hasn’t stopped talking about your new trainer since she met her.”

“She’s a good trainer,” Ethan said. “That’s why I hired her.”

“That’s not why Ryan keeps talking about her.” Seth picked up his coffee. “She said the two of them got along like they’d known each other for years.”

“Ryan gets along with everybody.”

“She also said Naomi couldn’t keep her eyes off you.”