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Sophia shrugged. “It’s what little sisters are for.”
I followed her to the door, feeling a pang of something—regret, maybe—as I realized she was heading back to Dallas—back to the world I’d left behind. A world I wasn’t sure I wanted to return to.
Sophia paused before stepping outside, turning to face me with that familiar, knowing look. “Just remember, Ethan,” she said, her voice gentler now, “this bet isn’t about proving anything to me. It’s about finding out what you really want.”
I nodded, her words striking a chord I wasn’t ready to deal with just yet. “Yeah. I’ll remember.”
She reached up to give me a quick hug, her expensive perfume lingering as she pulled away. “Take care of yourself, okay? And don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t,” I promised, watching as she made her way down the stairs and back to my Lamborghini. She gave me one last wave before sliding into the driver’s seat, the car purring to life with a sound that made my heart ache just a little.
As I stood in the doorway, watching the car disappear down the street, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss—not just for the luxury of my old life but for the simplicity of this one. Cedar Cove was growing on me, making me question what really mattered. And the more time I spent here, the more I realized I might be starting to figure that out.
After Sophia left, the apartment felt emptier than usual. The quiet was something I’d grown accustomed to, but tonight, it seemed more pronounced. I grabbed my jacket and headed to the local bar.
The place was small, nothing fancy, but it had its own kind of charm. I found a seat at a corner table, ordered a beer, andpicked at my dinner; not really hungry, but needing something to do with my hands.
Sophia’s words replayed in my mind, mixing with thoughts of Cedar Cove and the people I’d met here. People like Joe who treated me like one of his own despite knowing the truth. And people like Natalie, who didn’t care about a person’s last name or the weight it carried.
My thoughts stuck on Natalie. Was she at home, relaxing after a long week with the kids? Or maybe she was out with friends, laughing and enjoying herself, completely unaware that I couldn’t seem to get her out of my head.
The beer tasted bitter as I took another sip, the sense of uncertainty in me growing stronger. I wasn’t sure what it was about Cedar Cove—about Natalie—that made me feel like I was on the brink of something important. But whatever it was, it scared the hell out of me.
As I finished my beer, I saw headlights flash through the bar’s window, catching my attention. I glanced up, my heart skipping a beat as I thought I recognized the person stepping out of the car. It couldn’t be…
Natalie?
Four
Natalie
The familiar buzz of The Rusty Anchor greeted me as I pushed open the door, the smell of fried food and spilled beer instantly hitting my senses. The bar was already filling up with the usual Saturday night crowd—locals looking to unwind after a long week. I headed straight for the bar, my mind still running over the week’s events and, annoyingly, the memory of the incident with Joe’s new mechanic.
I slid onto a barstool, letting out a sigh as I leaned forward. “Whiskey sour, please,” I said to the bartender, hoping the drink would help me shake off the lingering concern from earlier.
The bartender nodded and set to work on my drink. I scanned the room, noting a few familiar faces but not really in the mood to engage. All I wanted was a quiet drink, a moment to myself before I headed home to my lesson planning, and maybe a trashy rom-com to take my mind off everything.
When my drink arrived, I lifted the glass to my lips, savoring the first sip. But just as I started to relax, the bartender leaned over, a smirk playing on his lips. “By the way, your tab’s beentaken care of,” he said, jerking his thumb toward a dimly lit corner of the bar. “The guy in the corner sent it over.”
I turned, my brows knitting in confusion until my gaze landed on the figure seated in the shadows. Ethan. Of course. I should have known. My chest tightened slightly as our eyes met, his expression unreadable, but there was something in the way he looked at me that sent a small shiver down my spine.
He was leaning back in his chair, one arm resting casually on the table beside an empty plate, the other holding a half-empty beer. His brown hair was tousled like he’d been running his hands through it, and there was a hint of stubble along his jawline that hadn’t been there a few days ago. He looked... different. More rugged, more at ease in his own skin, and damn it, if that didn’t make him even more irritatingly attractive. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, exposing muscular forearms that hinted at the strength beneath, and the top few buttons were undone, giving me a glimpse of his chest.
I took another sip of my drink, trying to keep my expression neutral as I made my way over to him. If he thought he could smooth things over with a free drink, he was about to find out that I wasn’t so easily won over.
“Trying to buy your way out of trouble?” I asked as I reached his table, my tone sharper than I’d intended. I wasn’t sure if it was the remnants of my earlier frustration or the fact that he looked so damn unbothered by everything that had gone down between us.
Ethan looked up at me, one corner of his mouth quirking up in a lazy smile. “Just trying to make up for our last encounter,” he replied smoothly, his voice low and rich, like he knew exactly how to get under my skin. “Figured a drink might be a good place to start.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, but I couldn’t deny the pull I felt, the way his gaze seemed to draw me in despite my better judgment. “I’m not that easy, you know.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to be,” he said, his smile widening. “But I’m willing to put in the effort.”
I hated how his words sent a flutter through my chest, how the cocky confidence in his voice made me want to push back just to see how far I could go. But I wasn’t about to let him off the hook that easily.
“You think a drink and a few smooth lines will make me forget you were a complete jerk earlier in the week?” I shot back, though there was less bite in my words than I’d wanted.
Ethan’s smile didn’t falter, but there was a flash of something in his eyes—something that made my breath catch. “No,” he said, his tone softening just a fraction. “But maybe it’s a start.”
