Page 50 of Ignite

I could trust the RFS and the Hawks.

But Ethan was the Hawks’ new Captain-Coach. At least daddy hadn’t lived to see me make another mistake with Ethan.

I took a photo of the grave, making sure to capture the date. Daddy’s birthday. I couldn’t believe it had almost been a year since losing him. He’d given his life to the bushfire services, defying doctor’s orders for the last five or so years to slow down and avoid the smoke.

Daddy had deserved to celebrate his birthday at the Pub, drinking free beers and surrounded by friends.

Daddy had deserved to die of old age.

He didn’t deserve to die from an asthma attack in the middle of a fire. He’d been prepared to put his life on the line for strangers when it got taken from him.

Selfless, caring. The sort of man I should be looking to fall in love with.

Not a selfish, arrogant, misogynistic bastard like Ethan.

I stretched out along the side of my father’s grave, brushing my hand across the dirt and crumbling clumps until I had a small hill of stones separated from the soft soil.

For one night only, I thought I was falling in love, and now?

No.

But there’d been the spark building between us since the car accident, and I couldn’t deny that I lived for our banter. He made me laugh and for a few hours, I’d forgotten to be sad. After I’d revenge-screwed him, Ethan could have let me storm out, but he’d cared enough to run through the street, half-naked, to catch me.

Yes, he seemed selfish by refusing to help the brigade, but Felicity and Sonia were singing his praises.

Ever since Ethan had come into the high school and offered training sessions for any boys looking to either get fit or keep fit during the off-season—with the only condition that they turn up to class and not to goof off, Flick had become his biggest fan.

According to Flick, some of her hardest students to teach were threatening to become her hardest workers. All because of Ethan.

And Sonia had let it slip last night that Ethan had done a couple of odd jobs for some of her tenants. They’d only been little jobs, but the way she’d explained it, hanging a new door and painting it had been the difference between a good end-of-tenancy report or a family losing their bond. Ethan had been buying coffee when Sonia had gotten the call, and with the guys out of town with the RFS. Ethan hadn’t hesitated to offer his services. He’d volunteered without being asked.

I couldn’t call him selfish.

Calling him arrogant or misogynistic was also a stretch. Korbin and Bailey had already sung his praises about how Ethan matched them in the beep test and weights—even though they knew he could go harder and longer. He’d even reached out to the female touch-football team to run joint fitness sessions and wanted to break down the barriers between the men’s and women’s clubs.

Ethan Cooper.

Sexy. Funny. Charismatic. One of his billion-watt smiles could have me tingling in all the right places. Bright blue eyes that could be darker than night when I riled him up or filled with light when he laughed. A footballer’s build with a smattering of chest hairs that demanded to be scratched and pulled.

He had all the characteristics of the perfect man, except that falling in love with him would disrespect everything my father stood for.

And I could do anything for love, but I wouldn’t do that.

Chapter 14

It Can't Be Over

“Ifyouareoutand about today, please raise a glass to Rylee Mettner as we celebrate his birthday and mourn his loss with his son and daughter, Campbell and Rylee. Yes, ladies, you heard right. Campbell Mettner is in town so lock up your hearts because you know he’s not here to stay. In other news …”

Ethan

Ethan to Rylee:What the fuck?

Ethan to Rylee:Throwing a tantrum because I won’t join your precious club? WTF?

Ethan to Felicity:I need help with damage control.

Felicity:Please find someone else.

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