Chapter 24 - Ethan
“You’re getting too close to her,” Aiden says to my back as I watch Zoe walk away. I turn around as anger flares up inside me, but I know he’s right. “She’s here because of the fire that you and Dominic and Bill Whittaker started. Remember, you and Dominic and the Sheriff? Felony arson?”
“I fucking remember, Aiden,” I grumble. I glance back down the road to where Zoe disappeared and shake my head. “She’s okay. She doesn’t know anything.”
“Yet,” Dominic corrects. “She doesn’t know anything yet.”
He glances towards the house and I know he’s thinking about the newest visitor in town: Margaret McCoy. If anyone will be able to sniff out my weakness for Zoe, it’ll be her. And if anyone will want to exploit it, it’ll be her, too.
After a fitful sleep and a long day, I’m just about ready to head over to Dominic’s house for dinner. He and Mara have invited Zoe and her family over for dinner. When I pull on a clean t-shirt, I take a deep breath and hesitate. Will Margaret be there?
If she is, I don’t want to go. I grab my phone off the table, wanting to call Dominic and ask. My finger hovers over the ‘call’ button and I hesitate.
I think of Zoe yesterday, as she paced the floor of my living room. I think of the way she melted into my arms when I wrapped them around her, and how worried she’s been about this promotion. My heart ached for her. Then, she came with me to Dominic’s house without hesitation.
And now? Now I’m ready to let her down just because that woman is in town. I click my phone screen off and slip it in my pocket. If I want to be with Zoe, and I do want to be with her, I’m going to have to suck up my discomfort and face Margaret if she’s there.
A thousand thoughts run through my head as I drive down Main Street towards the other end of town, where Dominic and Mara live. I glance in shop windows and at everyone walking by, trying to spot Margaret McCoy. If I see her somewhere else, it means she won’t be at dinner. When I pass the last building and turn off onto the long gravel drive to Dominic’s house, I shake my head.
Get a grip.
If she’s there, I’ll deal with it. Plus, there are no guarantees that she’ll be at dinner at all!
I park my truck and jump out, scanning the cars that are parked outside. So far, I only see Dominic’s pickup, Mara’s car and Zoe’s rental. Things are looking positive so far, at least. I grab the pack of beer I brought from the passenger’s seat and head towards my brother’s house.
The front door is unlocked, as usual. They live in a small, two-room house. It’s more of a cabin, really. Dominic, Mara, Zoe, a little girl and an older woman are all crowded near the back of the room, in the kitchen. Aiden, Maddy and their two children are on the couch. Mara is pointing.
“We’ll build the second bedroom over here, so Hailey can have her own space. We’ve got so much room to build out, it just makes sense to add on to this house.”
“It’s gorgeous here,” the older woman says. She sees me in the doorway and smiles. Her eyes are kind, and they crinkle at the corners as she turns towards me.
“And this must be Ethan!” She exclaims with her arms outstretched. “Zoe, you never told me he was so handsome! The camera doesn’t do you justice, Ethan.
A blush warms my cheeks and I glance at Zoe. Zoe grins.
Before I know what’s happening, I’m being wrapped in a big hug. Zoe is laughing. “Ethan, this is my mother, Bernadette.”
“Call me Bernie!” She says, holding me by the shoulders and looking into my eyes. She narrows her eyes and then nods, satisfied. “You got a good one, Zoe,” she says with conviction.
I laugh. “You can tell that by just looking at me?”
Bernie taps the side of her nose and winks. “Mother’s intuition.”
Mara laughs. “I’m still waiting for mine to kick in,” she says, glancing at the baby sleeping in her cot in the corner of the room.
“So am I,” Zoe says, putting her arm around the little girl. She gestures towards me. “Audrey, this is Ethan.”
Audrey stares at me for a moment. “Are you my mom’s boyfriend?” She says the last word as if it leaves a sour taste in her mouth, scrunching her face and looking at me dubiously.
“Audrey!” Zoe says, her eyes widening. She looks at me and mouths the word ‘Sorry!’
I take a deep breath. I can relax. Yesterday was just a hiccup, and soon life will be back to normal. Mara takes Audrey by the hand and they start chopping something in the kitchen. Bernie grabs a bottle of wine from the counter and pours a few glasses, and we all slip into an easy conversation. Even Aiden looks relaxed, as if Margaret’s arrival yesterday didn’t worry him at all.
My chest feels warm as Zoe sits down beside me on the couch. She snuggles into my shoulder and I put my arm around her, kissing her temple and breathing in the smell of her skin. I close my eyes for a second and let the happiness of this moment sink in.
“So, Bernie,” I say, turning to the older woman. “What do you think of our little town?”
“I think it would be the perfect place for a retiree like me,” she says, winking at Zoe. “Zoe thinks she can just move away, but she won’t get rid of me so easily!”
Zoe laughs, and shakes her head. “Mom, if you moved here with us I would be over the moon. You know that.”
“Well that’s settled, then,” Bernie says with finality. “All three of us are moving here. You’ll have to find me one of these sexy mountain men,” she adds, waving to my brothers and me. “I like them a bit older, of course, but this general look is quite alright with me.”
“Mom!” Zoe exclaims, laughing.
Mara joins in the laughter from the kitchen. “They’re hard to resist,” she says. “I tried to get away but I was dragged all the way back.”
“Dragged!” Dominic exclaims, and everyone laughs again.
It’s an easy evening. The past two months, Zoe and I have been stealing moments together, trying to ignore her inevitable departure from Lang Creek. This is the first time that we’ve been together with our families, and instead of feeling overwhelming, it feels incredibly good. I squeeze Zoe’s shoulder and she leans into me. I glance over at Audrey, busy in the kitchen with Mara, and for the first time in a long, long time, I feel like I have a family again.
It’s not until I’m driving home with a full belly and a full heart that I realize how lonely I’ve been. Ever since my parents died over a decade ago, my brothers and I have been floating out here, on our own. I’ve watched them find their wives and loves and start families, and the gnawing envy inside me has grown.
Now, happiness actually seems possible for me.
As I pass the McCoy Hotel, I look up at the building. One of the lights in the top windows is on, and the curtain moves as I glance at it.
Margaret McCoy appears in the window. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I squint my eyes up to see her more clearly.
I can’t make out her face, but I know she’s watching me. She stays at the window as I drive down the road until I turn my head forward and try to shake the uneasy feeling away.
The warmth in my heart is replaced with an ominous chill, and the smile fades from my face. I tighten my hands over my steering wheel and press my foot down on the pedal, watching the road in front of me until the McCoy Hotel is out of sight.