chapter fifteen

THE WOODS

Lilah

A few days later Ethan shows up at my door dressed in sports gear and hiking shoes, holding a bag from my favorite bakery. I’ve been home for all of five minutes and I’m still dressed in my scrubs.

“What’s this?” I nod to the bag.

“So you don’t have to stop for breakfast on your way to work in the morning.”

“That was thoughtful.”

He grins. “No stopping for breakfast means more spooning time for me.”

“Ah, ulterior motives to go with your sweetness. I see.” I step back, smiling, as he invites himself inside and drops his duffel on the floor. I barely give it a glance—if he comes for a visit now, it’s typically overnight. He’s about three hours earlier than I expected, though. “I thought you were coming over around eight.”

“Sorry. I got a little antsy. I thought we could go for a walk.” He wraps his arms around me and gives me a warm kiss.

I cringe as Merk runs a circle around us, nudges up with his nose, then rushes to where his leash is hanging by the door and barks. “You said the w word.” There’s no way we’re getting into any kind of make-out session now.

He kisses the end of my nose and grins. “Looks like I have a taker.”

“Awesome. Why don’t you take him for a nice long one? I have some reading to do for class.” I give him a cheeky grin.

“You’d rather read a book than spend quality time with me and Merk?”

I hesitate, weighing the things I have to do against this opportunity to spend time with Ethan. Despite it being early in the course, the load is already pretty heavy. “I have homework when we get back, though.” I suppose I could put it off for an hour or so.

His hands go lower, cupping my ass. “You’re sexy when you study.”

“I mean it, Ethan. If you’re a distraction, I’m sending you packing. I have an assignment due in two days that I haven’t started.”

“That’s not like you.”

“No. It’s not. There’s a six-foot-two hockey player who keeps interfering with my study time.” While I very much enjoy having Ethan around, I don’t want to lose sight of my goal—which is only two stats courses away from being possible.

“I promise not to interfere—just don’t make me go home.”

“Martin in a mood?”

“Nah. He’s good. Moving around so much better these days, and he needs a lot less help, but you know how it is. I’m on family overdose. I need my space.”

“So you’re planning to invade mine—is that it?”

“Your bed is nicer.”

“You take up ninety percent of it.” I poke him in the chest.

He grins. “You love it.”

“Don’t kid yourself. I tolerate it.” He knows I don’t mean that. I love it when he curls himself around me. Ethan’s love of spooning hasn’t changed at all.

“It won’t be long before I take possession of the Hoffman estate. Then we’ll have a king-size bed to make good use of.”

“Things to look forward to this fall, huh?” I push his wandering hands away so as not to disappoint Merk. He needs fresh air, and I’ll be more focused if I get some, too. Maybe it’ll help Ethan be less of a study distraction. “Just let me get changed, then.”

I leave Ethan standing in the foyer and rush upstairs to throw on a pair of yoga pants and a light tank. It’s still warm, but it’s cooling faster in the evening, so I grab a hoodie as well. When I come back downstairs, I find Ethan waiting on the front porch, Merk leashed and ready to go.

He looks me over, cocking his head to the side. “All set?”

“Yup.” I lock the door and follow behind Ethan and Merk.

His truck beeps and he heads toward it instead of the sidewalk.

“What’re you doing?”

He opens the passenger door. “I thought it would be nice to head out to the path that runs along the lake. I haven’t been down there in years.”

I eye him suspiciously. “You mean the one we used to take in high school?”

He blinks innocently at me. “Is that okay? We don’t have to.”

“No, no. It’s fine.” I climb into the cab and shift to the center of the bench seat when Merk jumps up beside me, tail batting me in the arm with his enthusiasm for the trip. Nothing beats a ride in Ethan’s truck and a walk.

Ethan rolls the window down as he pulls out of the driveway, and Merk sticks his head out, tongue lolling and ears flapping in the breeze. He’s a big dog and takes up a lot of room, forcing me close to Ethan. Every time we turn a corner, his arm brushes mine. I expect him to put a hand on my thigh, or one around my shoulders, but he keeps it surprisingly PG.

It only takes about ten minutes to get to the high school from my place. Ethan parks in the corner of the lot closest to the forest. Merk prances with excitement once we’re out of the truck, and I have to encourage him to sit while Ethan lifts the dog tags from the rearview mirror and slips them into his pocket. He takes them with him everywhere and apparently always has. Even when I wasn’t part of his life, he kept me close. It makes my heart ache as much as swell. He slings a backpack over his shoulder and locks up the truck.