Almost Perfect (Fool's Gold #2)(41)

The streak didn’t last. Five seconds later, someone spoke her name.

“Liz.”

She didn’t have to look up to recognize Ethan, who was very possibly the last person she wanted to see right now. Or ever.

“Tyler told me that you’d be here after lunch.”

She kept her gaze firmly on her screen. With practiced ease, she opened her word processing program, then loaded the book in progress.

He dropped to the grass next to her. “Did I mention that I’m sorry?”

Grateful for the big hat she’d pulled on and the sunglasses shielding her eyes, she turned toward him. At least she didn’t have to worry about him seeing she was more hurt than angry. He wouldn’t know about the bitter taste of betrayal on her tongue or the lingering sense of having been hit in the gut.

“I didn’t mean for you to hear that,” he explained.

“Right. So you’re apologizing for me hearing it but not for saying it. Thanks for the clarification.”

His gaze sharpened. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Isn’t it? It’s what you said.”

“Dammit, Liz, give me a break.”

“Why? You spent the first part of the morning telling Tyler that it’s my fault you and he don’t know each other and the hour before noon telling your mother that I don’t mean anything to you. I wasn’t expecting you to declare I was the love of your life, but a little respect would have been nice.”

“You’re right.”

“But that was too much. Instead you threw me under the bus. I’m not even surprised. You’ve done it before.”

His gaze never left her face. “Why is it you get to tell me to stop bringing up the past, but you get to do it as much as you want?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. She was angry and hurt and didn’t want to admit he had a point. One she was going to ignore.

“We slept together, Ethan. We didn’t plan it, but it happened. We have a child together. You can’t say we’re on the same team to my face, then undermine me every chance you get.”

He drew in a breath. “I know. I’m sorry. I keep saying that and I mean it. Everything is different. Complicated. I’m trying to figure out what happens next.”

“What happens next is we come up with a plan. A way for you to spend time with Tyler.”

“I am spending time with him.”

Despite the fact that he couldn’t see her eyes, she looked away. “For later,” she clarified. “When I go back to San Francisco.”

His jaw tightened and his eyes darkened. “You’re leaving? When?”

“I’m not sure. I want to fix up the house. I’m hiring a contractor to do the work. Then we’re leaving.” She turned back to him and pulled off her sunglasses. “This isn’t about keeping you from Tyler, I swear. We’ll do alternating weekends, share holidays.”

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“That’s not an option. I can’t live here. I have a life I need to get back to. A job.”

“You can write anywhere.”

“You speak from experience?” she asked, her voice sharp with annoyance. “I hate it here. Everyone is very comfortable getting in my face about my past and they don’t know what they’re talking about. I don’t see anyone blaming you. I want you to know your son. I want you to be a part of things, but whatever plan we come up with isn’t going to include me staying here. When the house is finished, we’re all leaving.”

Ethan stared at her for a long time. She tried to read his expression but couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He wasn’t happy, but it hardly took insight to figure that out.

Finally he stood. “Thanks for the update,” he said at last.

“You’re pissed.”

“You’re stealing him from me. Again.”

“What do I have to do to convince you that’s not what I’m doing? You keep forgetting I’m the one who tried to get you into his life five years ago. I want this to work. But it’s going to have to happen with him living in San Francisco.”

He nodded once and left. Liz checked on all three kids, then leaned against the tree and drew in a breath.

There would be consequences, she thought grimly. With Ethan there were always consequences. He would probably try to convince her to stay. Which was fine. Let him try. But there was nothing he could say or do to keep her in town. And the sooner he figured that out, the better for all of them.

LIZ STILL WASN’T SLEEPING, SO morning came early. With the kids out of school, she didn’t have to worry about getting them up and ready, but there were other considerations. Mostly that today the construction team would arrive to start the remodeling. Jeff, the burly fifty-something contractor she’d hired, had promised his team would be at her place no later than seven. The fact that they would be done by four each day was minimal comfort.

She had set her travel alarm for six, showered, dressed and made coffee. She was on her second cup when someone knocked on her front door.

She crossed the living room to open it and smiled at the three women and one guy she saw on her porch.

“Right on time,” she began, then blinked several times when she noticed the identical beige T-shirts they wore.