Almost Perfect (Fool's Gold #2)(60)

“What?”

“We’ll rent bikes. For all of us. Getting out of the house will make Melissa and Abby feel better and you won’t have to deal with them alone.”

“It makes me nervous when you’re nice,” she admitted.

“I guess I should be nice more often so you get used to it.”

“I find that unlikely.”

He gave her a slow, sexy smile. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Very funny. I was trying to indicate I’m not sure you can be nice.”

“Try me.”

She would like to, even if that made her the local idiot. “I think a bike ride would be safer.”

A HALF HOUR LATER, THEY HAD bikes and were making their way around the lake. Sunlight sparkled on the water where paddle boats glided. Families sat on the grass or under the trees. On the other side of the bike path, teenaged boys played with a Frisbee.

Ethan hung back, wanting to make sure that Melissa and Abby were both comfortable and safe as they rode. Abby stayed close to Liz, talking easily. Melissa was in front, her shoulders stiff, her pace determined. The teenager was obviously still angry.

Tyler was on the other side of his mother. Ethan watched his son weave back and forth, deliberately riding a serpentine course. Every now and then he took both hands off the handlebars, causing his mother to glance at him. Tyler grinned and returned his hands to the bars.

When a family on bikes came toward them on the wide, paved path, everyone moved to the side. Melissa wobbled a little and had to put her foot down to keep from falling. Ethan rode up to her.

“Been a long time,” he said with a grin. “It’ll come back to you.”

“Riding bikes is for kids,” she said, pouting.

“Ever hear of the Tour de France?”

She sniffed. “That’s some big race.”

“Right. Know what they ride?”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “Kids and weird people.”

He held in a laugh.

They were a ways back from Liz and the kids. He lowered his voice.

“Who are you really mad at? Your dad for being in prison or Liz for wanting to move back to San Francisco?”

She turned away. “I’m mad at Liz.”

“I don’t believe that.”

She glared at him, tears filling her eyes. “You don’t know anything.”

“I know some. I know this is hard. I know you’re about the bravest person I know, taking care of your sister like that. And I know Liz dropped everything to come here the second she got your e-mail.”

Melissa sucked in a breath. “Maybe.”

He didn’t know if she was talking about herself or Liz and decided not to push it.

“I don’t want to leave here and she’s going to make me,” Melissa said.

Not a subject he could be neutral about, he thought. He didn’t want Liz to go, either. But he also knew this was a chance for him to protect Liz’s back and show her that he wasn’t the bad guy in all of this.

“She’s taking you away from all your friends and never letting you come back, huh?” he asked. “That sucks.”

Melissa glanced at him. “She said I could still see my friends. You know, on the weekends Tyler’s with you. And I’ll have my cell phone.”

He didn’t say anything.

She sighed. “It won’t be the same.”

“That’s part of growing up. Things change.”

“But I don’t want this.”

“That happens, too.”

There were a lot of things he didn’t want. He didn’t want to have missed the first eleven years of his son’s life. But no matter how he yelled or complained or threatened, nothing about the situation would change.

“Sometimes you have to accept how things are,” he said as much to himself as to Melissa. “You can make it easy on yourself, or you can make it hard. The choice is yours.”

“Maybe I don’t want to grow up,” she argued.

“After what you’ve already been through?” He smiled. “Sorry, Melissa. It’s happening and you’re turning out great.”

“Can we get ice cream?” Tyler asked, looking back at Ethan.

“I think ice cream is a good idea,” Liz agreed. She pointed to the stand up ahead. “Something dipped in chocolate would be very nice.”

Beside her, Abby laughed. “You really like chocolate.”

“I do. It’s a chick thing.”

“Ice cream for everyone,” Ethan concurred. He turned to Melissa. “You okay?”

She nodded.

Fifteen minutes later they were all stretched out on the grass, in the shade, eating ice cream. Abby stayed close to Liz, as did Tyler. Melissa was a few feet away, by herself. Ethan found himself wishing Liz were leaning against him the way Abby leaned against her. Because being angry didn’t mean he stopped wanting her.

It had always been that way, he reminded himself. It had been the first day of his senior year of school. He’d been walking down the hallway when he’d spotted Liz. She’d had that shy, terrified look that told him she was unprepared for the transition from junior high.

Even then she’d been beautiful. Tall and slim, with curves in the right places. There’d been something about the way she’d carried herself—with a warning that you could look but you couldn’t touch. She didn’t make eye contact with anyone.