Saved by Love (Willow Valley Book 3)(19)
Ethan didn't know how he would feel in her position. He'd been an only child, too. "I can't imagine the shock it must have been."
She nodded, her eyes far away. "It was pretty surreal. I almost didn't believe my mom when she told me. She was on her deathbed and hadn't been very coherent for a few days. But she told me that I had a brother and that I would find all the details in a letter in her lock box." She took a deep breath. "It was all in there. How she and Charles Kincade had a brief affair and how she never told him about me. She hadn't known at first that he was married, and once she did, she didn't want to break up his family.
"But she also didn't want me to be left alone in the world. She was all I had after... Well, it was just me and her. So she wanted me to at least know that I had family out there."
They had just arrived at Kate's Diner, and Ethan pulled into a parking spot and cut off the engine, then reached for Abby's hand. He didn't know what to say that wouldn't sound trite, so he just laced his fingers through hers and squeezed gently.
Abby took another deep breath and met his eyes. Whatever she saw there must have given her comfort because she smiled at him and squeezed back. "Coming here was actually one of the best decisions I've made in a while. It wasn't the kind of welcome I expected from Charles—my dad—but I'm finding some really great people. Lissa, Jesse, Cassie. I haven't had that in a really long time." She gave him a playful grin. "And you aren't too bad."
Ethan laughed. "Hopefully after you eat this world famous ice cream, you'll be worshiping the ground I walk on for bringing you here."
"You're setting the bar pretty high. You know not to mess with a girl and her dessert, right? If this ice cream isn't all it's cracked up to be, you may have blown your shot."
"And if it is?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"That remains to be seen."
He opened his door. "Then what are we waiting for?" He walked around to open the door for her and help her from the car, then slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close to him, kissing the top of her head.
"I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject," he murmured. "I'm sorry."
Looking up at him, she shook her head. "It's fine. It actually wasn't as difficult to talk about as I expected. And you didn't really ask. I didn't have to tell you any of that."
He stopped and turned her to face him just before they reached the door of the diner. "I'm glad you did. I want to get to know you, Abby. But I won't push."
Something like relief flickered in her eyes, and she gave him a small smile. "Thanks for that. This is all very out of the ordinary for me. Now let's go see what all the hype is about this ice cream."
She flashed him a grin and reached for the door to the diner, going in before he had a chance to say anything else. He was glad she had opened up some to him, but he was equally relieved that she seemed to be able to turn the heavy conversation around and was ready to have a fun night. He tried to ignore the feelings she stirred up in him, but she was making it more difficult by the moment for him to convince himself that he could spend time with her and not get in over his head. There was just something about her that drew him in, tugged at his heart in a way that he'd never experienced.
It flew in the face of everything he had said he would do. Or rather, wouldn't do. He'd told himself he couldn't get involved with someone again. The risk was too high. They could both end up hurt, and hurting someone else—especially Abby—was the last thing he wanted. The problem was, the more time he spent with her, the more he realized he could easily fall for her in nanosecond.
If he hadn't already.
***
It was a huge accomplishment. Not only was she out on a date, but she had managed to talk about something personal and not retreat behind her walls. What was it about Ethan that always seemed to put her at ease? At least mentally. Because physically, just being near him had her blood buzzing in her ears.
Abby chose a booth at the back of the diner, hoping they would have at least a little privacy, and she sat down facing away from the main part of the restaurant, expecting Ethan to take the other side of the booth. But no, he slid in right next to her, his broad shoulders and long legs invading her personal space. Not that she minded in the least.
When he slung his arm over the back of the booth, she snuggled in closer as they waited for the ice cream that he ordered. The choices had been so overwhelming, so she'd left it up to him.
"I still can't believe we're having ice cream for dinner," she said.
"Yep, living on the edge, that's what we're doing." Ethan laughed, tickling her ribs until she squirmed away from him and backed up to the wall so she could get a better view of his face. God, was he hot. It looked like he hadn't shaved that morning, and the stubble only made his jawline even more defined. His hair was just long enough that it looked a little messy, and her fingers itched for her to run them through the sun-streaked waves.
Abby shook her head and glanced around the restaurant at what some of the other customers were eating. "Giving ourselves stomachaches is what we're doing if those orders are any indication of what we're getting."
"Just you wait." He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers trail down to the ends, not taking his eyes from hers.