She sucked in a breath, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. “This town is making me crazy.”
“If it makes you feel any better, old Mrs. Egger cornered me yesterday. Slapped me with that big purse of hers and accused me of not respecting you. Not only did she give me what for because I’d, and this is a direct quote, ‘ruined the reputation of a perfectly respectable girl,’ she pointed out that if I was going to let my sperm loose on society, I should keep track of them.” He shuddered. “I never want to hear a woman in her eighties talking about my sperm.”
Liz leaned her forehead against his shoulder and smiled. “I always liked Mrs. Egger.”
“I thought you’d say that.” He put his hand on her chin, pressing until she looked at him. “I know this is hard.”
“You really don’t.”
“I’m trying to understand. I want you to like it here.”
Meaning he wanted her to stay. Which wasn’t going to happen, but there was no reason to go over that material again, she thought, wanting to stay in his arms forever.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth. Wanting burned. Not just for how kissing him would make her feel, but because when she was with him, nothing else could touch her. There was only the man and what they could do to each other.
“I thought I was only going to have to deal with Roy’s kids,” she admitted. “You weren’t supposed to be a part of this.”
“Too late to get rid of me now.”
“I don’t want to,” she said.
“What do you want?”
An impossible question, she thought. One without an answer.
No. That wasn’t true. She had plenty of answers, just none she wanted to share with him.
“I want us to be friends,” she told him. “I want to be able to trust you.”
“You can.”
“I don’t think so.”
He kissed her. “Come on, Liz. You know me. I’m a good guy.”
“Are you saying there aren’t any more surprises?”
Before he could answer, his phone buzzed.
“Sorry to bother you, Ethan, but it’s that call from China.”
Liz stepped out of his arms. “When did you go international?”
“Not me. The windmills.” He frowned. “I need to take this call, but then I want to talk to you.”
“I’m fine. Go be successful. I have to get home.”
“Liz, I—”
She cut him off with the shake of her head. “International calls shouldn’t be kept waiting. I’ll see you later.”
She stepped out of his office and made her way to her car. Thoughts spun in her head. That there were multiple versions of the past. While she resented the fact that no one had bothered to step forward when she was growing up, she hadn’t been as ignored and forgotten as she’d thought.
Which meant what? That Fool’s Gold wasn’t evil? She’d never thought of it that way—at least not in general.
The information about a scholarship in her name shouldn’t have made a difference, yet she found herself feeling better about nearly everything and wasn’t exactly sure why.
LIZ WOKE EARLY THE NEXT morning with a growing sense of the inevitable. After showering and dressing, she went downstairs and started coffee. The kids would sleep until the construction crew arrived, which gave her a half hour or so of perfect quiet.
She took her coffee out onto the front porch to enjoy the stillness of the morning. The air was cool, the sky clear. The sound of birds greeted her as she settled on the top step with her mug.
Maybe she needed more time before making her decision, she thought cautiously. Yes, there were things she really hated about this town, but there were other parts she liked. Melissa and Abby were desperate to stay and after all they’d been through, shouldn’t she consider their feelings? Tyler would enjoy living close to his dad and Liz knew it was what Ethan wanted, too. Ethan’s mother was a problem, but better a rabid grandmother than one who wasn’t interested at all. Given time, maybe she and Liz could come to terms.
Of course Liz could be completely fooling herself. There was the possibility she was blinded by a scholarship, a few kind words and the feel of Ethan’s arms around her. Clarity would come with time, she told herself. She didn’t have to tell anyone she was having second thoughts about leaving.
An unfamiliar sedan pulled up to the curb and an older man in a suit got out. He stared at her a moment, shrugged, then reached for something in his car.
“Morning,” he said as he approached, an envelope in his hand. “You’re up early.”
She smiled. “It’s the only time it’s quiet.”
“I hear you.” He hesitated. “My workday starts in a couple hours. I was on my way to Starbucks. They’ve got me hooked on their lattes. Can’t get going in the morning without one.”
She rose and moved to the gate. While the conversation was pleasant enough, she felt uneasy with the man’s presence.
“Can I help you with something?”
The old man nodded slowly. “I would have come back later, but seeing as you’re already up… Elizabeth Marie Sutton?”
How did he know her name?