Page 4 of Ethan's Command

Good-looking and smart, Nate worked in finance in New York City. He was going places, and he wanted someone to keep him organized and do all the menial tasks that life threw his way. Brooklyn didn’t mind when she thought he loved her as well. He made money and they had a great lifestyle. He was so desirable on paper, but it hadn’t taken her long, once she paid attention, to discover that Nate, in reality, was just an arrogant jackass.

“Yeah, I’m not really over the sting of the affair.” She rubbed her face with one hand. “It makes me question my judgment, you know?”

“I do, but I think you’re being too hard on yourself. Nate took advantage of you, and you loved him so you believed him. We all do things like that. I think you should give yourself a break. Now, go to bed and try to get some sleep. Put all of this behind you. Call me if you need to. I’m here no matter what time, okay?”

“Thanks, Christie.”

“I know you’d do it for me as well.”

Brooklyn disconnected the call, feeling much better than when she’d answered. Christie was a miracle worker like that. Taking another sip of wine, Brooklyn’s mind wandered back to Nate.

The affair shouldn’t have been a surprise, but she’d been blindsided. His cheating had been a total shock. She’d said shewas going to go with friends for a girls’ weekend, but her friend’s car had broken down and another friend had been called back to work. Brooklyn hadn’t seen the point of staying on her own. She was already lonely enough without her brother and Liam. So, she’d turned around and gone back to their apartment in Hoboken.

Opening the door to find her boyfriend fucking his assistant on her counter was the shock of the century.

Well, until those men tried to grab Liam.

She’d stood in the doorway, mouth open in shock, staring. It had taken Nate a few thrusts to even know there was something wrong. Then he’d turned and saw her. Instant limp dick. The assistant, Candice, had tried to continue, but when he didn’t respond, she’d said, “Fuck, Nate, what the hell is your problem.” Then she turned and stared at Brooklyn.

“Get the fuck out.” Those were the words that left Brooklyn’s lips. She didn’t scream or holler. She didn’t freak out. Just, “Get the fuck out.” The irony was, the apartment was hers. She’d bought it with her parents’ help years ago when it was still affordable. It had a fantastic view and a central location. Nate loved it. He crowed about it every chance he got.

He’d left with Candice in tow, but he’d come back hours later trying to argue that it was her fault. Because she’d ignored him for so long. But now that she was more focused on him, things would be better. He wouldn’t stray again. She’d stood there in the hallway listening to him spew his lies, wondering how she could have gotten it so wrong.

Nate wouldn’t leave, so she’d told him she was hungry and suggested he go to get food from their favorite Chinese food place, promising they could discuss their relationship over dinner. The moment he got into the elevator, she’d gone back into the apartment and finished packing his stuff. She had it all out and down in the lobby before he was back. She’d giventhe doorman strict instructions not to let Nate back up and to call the cops if necessary. That was the last time she’d spoken to Nate. He’d called repeatedly and left pleading messages, which escalated to nasty ones when she hadn’t responded. She’d ignored it all.

When Jackson had called, practically begging her to come live with them after only a few months in Hawaii, she’d sold her place, packed her bags, and left without so much as a backward glance. She’d never felt so much relief as she had on the flight across the Pacific. A fresh start was just what she needed.

Jackson had invited her to live with him and Liam, and as much as she loved her brother and her nephew, Brooklyn refused to sponge off them. She needed her own space and time to get herself together. She found a job at a dental practice and then bought this little house. To her surprise, she loved it. All of it. She’d fallen in love with the house as soon as she’d set eyes on it. The Big Island had quickly become home.

Her new life was idyllic; surfing, hanging out with friends, and feeling a part of the community. The patients at her dental office were mostly elderly, and she loved helping them. And Hawai’i was paradise. Sure, she missed the seasons in New Jersey, but didn’t miss the snow. Besides, she reminded herself, she had a birthmark that resembled the shape of the Big Island on her back so it must have been fate that she come here and start her life over.

The only dark cloud that lingered was her constant second-guessing herself when it came to men. She’d made the wrong choice once, and the way it ended was humiliating. She grimaced.Make that twice.She’d made the wrong choice again when she’d first come to Hawai’i. She blew out a breath and tried to banish the image of the man who’d captured her attention, if not her heart, from her mind. Christie was wrong. She wasn’t being hard enough on herself when it came to the men in her life.

Her phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen—it was Jackson. Should she tell him about what happened today? She didn’t want to worry him, especially when this meeting was such a big deal for his career. But he was Liam’s father, and if the roles were reversed, she’d want to know.

Brooklyn answered the call.

“Brooklyn! How’s it going? How’s Liam?”

“He’s fine. He’s asleep.”

“Yeah, I figured. I just wanted to check in. Is he still upset about me missing the science fair?”

“Yes,” Brooklyn said honestly. “He really wanted you there.”

Jackson sighed. “I know. I really wanted to be there too, but I can’t pass up this opportunity.”

“You made the right decision,” Brooklyn reassured him. “He’ll get over it.”

“How’s his project going?”

“Really well. He’s almost finished. He’s going to get up early tomorrow to work on it some more.”

“Kid’s got a future in engineering,” Jackson said with a laugh.

“I know. It’s shocking.”

“Must come from Deanna’s side of the family because you and I can barely build anything with LEGOs,” Jackson said.

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