frightened. He was both sick and furious that he had brought even the
memory of that horror to her bed.
Dear God, had he let himself believe, for even an instant, that it could
be different for him? For them?
He forced himself to smile. "Just spooked me, that's all. Sorry I woke
you."
Reassured because she saw a shadow of the man she loved come back into
his eyes, she stroked his hair. "It must have been awful. Scared both of
us."
"Must've been. Don't remember." The next lie, he thought, abominably
weary. "Come on, lie back down. Everything's all right now."
She snuggled up beside him, hoping to comfort, and laid a hand over his
heart. It was still racing. "Just close your eyes," she murmured as she
would have to Aubrey. "Close your eyes and rest now. Hold on to me,
Ethan. Dream of me."
Praying for peace, he did both.
when she woke to find him gone, Grace tried to tell herself that the
weight of her disappointment was out of proportion. He hadn't wanted to
disturb her so early, so he hadn't said good-bye.
Now that the sun was up, he would already be out on the water.
She rose, slipped on a robe, and padded in to make coffee and to grab
those few minutes of alone time before Aubrey roused.
Then she sighed and stepped out on her little back porch. She knew her
disappointment didn't stem from finding him up and gone when she woke.
She'd been sure, so sure he was going to ask her to marry him. All the
signs had been there, the scene set, the moment perfect. But the words
hadn't come.
She'd all but written the script, she thought with a grimace, and he
hadn't followed it. This morning was supposed to begin the next phase of
their lives. She'd imagined running over to Julie's and sharing the joy
of it, of calling Anna and babbling, begging for wedding advice.
Of telling her mother.
Of explaining it all to Aubrey.
Instead, it was a quiet morning.
After a beautiful night, she scolded herself. A lovely night. She had no
business complaining about it. Annoyed with herself, she went back
inside to pour the first cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Then she began to chuckle. What had she been thinking of? This was Ethan
Quinn she was dealing with. Wasn't this the same man who'd waited---by
his own admission--nearly a decade to so much as kiss her? At the rate
he took things, it could be another one before he brought up the subject
of marriage.
The only reason they'd moved from that first kiss to where they stood
now was because shea well, she'd thrown herself at him, Grace
admitted. Plain and simple. And she wouldn't have had the guts to do
that if Anna hadn't shoved her along.
Flowers, she thought, turning so that she could smile at them, bright
and pretty on her kitchen counter. Candlelight dinner, moonlit walks,
and long, tender lovemaking. Yes, he was courting her--and would likely
continue to do so until she went mad waiting for him to take the next