Page 70 of Every Beautiful Mile

Derek points at something on the shore everyone looks at. I do the same—it’s a house. I can’t make out his words, but the home is stunning.

The exterior is wood, maybe cedar, with black trim all around it. It’s two stories, built into the gentle slope of the land. The entire backside of the house that faces the river is covered in windows. The single-angle roofline and thick wire railings give it a modern feel without being cold.

There’s an ATV in the yard and a couple of kayaks lying in the grass on the shore. It’s not huge, but it’s the kind of place you can imagine drinking coffee on the porch or skipping rocks into the river.

“What do you think?” Ethan asks, bumping my board gently with his.

“It’s beautiful.”

His response is an annoying whistle as he paddles.

“So, you have two sons, it seems. And dates at 11:30 with people named Zoey. Were you ever married?”

“I was. To their mom.”

“What happened?”

He puffs out his breath before dropping his head back to face the sky.

“If you would have asked me that right after it happened, I would have said my wife had an affair, but now, because there’s been some time, that was just one part.”

I’m astonished that he says it without an ounce of animosity. Like he isn’t the least bit angry.

“Early on in our marriage, I was building my name, and my life was my work. That’s hard enough on a marriage, especially with the hours, but she left her career to be home with the kids. As they got older, she got lonely, and I wasn’t there.” He shrugs. “We got married young and grew up into different people. The normal progression of life, ya know?”

He faces me, and his eyes are a clear blue against the sky.

“I would never expect someone to be the same person at forty as they were at twenty. We all change as life chips away at us. Some couples have what it takes to make it through those changes—to put in the effort—some don’t.”

“Are you close with her now?” I ask.

“Very,” he says with a nod. “She told me about the affair. Said she was in love, and it wasn’t with me. Obviously, I didn’t enjoy that, but somehow, I got over it and owned my part in it all. She’s a great mom, and we co-parent well together. And she married the man.” He shrugs again. As if it’s just the way things are supposed to be.

“So, is that why you go on dates at 11:30 at night and flirt with every woman that struts up to your bar?” I tease.

The slightest of smiles pulls at his lips as he cuts the blade of his paddle through the water.

“Part of it. I did a lot of things wrong as a husband—I can own that. My focus now is on finding a balance between work and the boys. Casual is manageable. Dates at 11:30 don’t usually interfere with family dinners.”

I snort at his honesty then we fall into silence. Ethan doesn’t try to fill it with chatter, and surprisingly, neither do I. We paddle and pause, paddle and pause, breaking the pattern only when our eyes hook for a blink until one of us—me—looks away.

Minutes upon minutes pass with him next to me.

“Want to race?”

There’s a playful spark in his eyes that makes my own narrow.

“Race?” I scoff. “What are you, twelve? What’s in it for me?”

“Bragging rights, of course.” He grins like it’s the best idea he’s ever had.

There’s no way I can beat him. He’s much stronger than me, but if my night behind the bar proves anything, it’s that I appreciate a challenge. I look down the river and back at him as I weigh my options.

I spin my board around so it’s even with his and touch it almost completely along the entire length. My eyes meet his, and I bite my lip shyly and lean close to him. I’m thankful for the first time I’m wearing a ridiculous scrap of fabric for a suit.

“Ethan,” I whisper.

His eyes widen in surprise as he takes the bait. His eyes drop to my mouth, my small excuse for cleavage, then back to my face.

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