Page 43 of Ethan
The clinic door opened then, letting in a rush of cool morning air and the sound of hurried footsteps.
Naomi’s parents stood in the doorway, faces pale, her mother’s eyes already wet with tears.
“Naomi!” her mother breathed, rushing forward.
She gathered the girl into her arms, hugging her so tightly that Naomi gave a muffled protest. Her father stood close, his hand resting at the small of his wife’s back in silent support.
“Thank you, Ethan,” Mrs. Halloway said. She turned to me, her voice breaking. “Thank you for finding her.”
“She’s a smart girl,” I said, giving Naomi a small smile. “If she hadn’t waved down that hiker on the trail, we wouldn’t have gotten to her so quickly. She knew what to do.”
Mrs. Halloway let out another sob and smoothed her daughter’s hair. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. We never should’ve gone out of town. We should’ve been here. We’ll never leave you alone like that again, I promise.”
Naomi wrinkled her nose at the fussing. “Mom…” she muttered, clearly embarrassed, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
Before I could step away, there was a soft knock on the door. It creaked open slowly, but no one came in.
I turned, puzzled, only to find Micah peeking in. His dark eyes flicked to me before darting away again.
I gestured him inside with a nod. “It’s okay. Come on in.”
Micah padded forward, clutching something in his hands. As he got closer, I saw it was a handful of candy bars and a roll of mints.
“Those for your friends?” I asked gently.
He nodded.
I tipped my head toward Connor’s bed first. “Go on. Start with him.”
The moment Connor saw him, his face lit up, a big grin spreading across it. Micah climbed onto the edge of the bed and set the candy carefully on the table.
“Just one thing,” I said, raising a finger in warning. “No sweets until after you’ve all had breakfast. Deal?”
Micah scrunched his nose, but after a long pause, he gave a reluctant nod. With exaggerated care, he placed the rest of the candy on the bedside table.
Out in the reception area, I sank into the chair behind the desk and stared at the chaos waiting for me: paperwork, unfiled charts, half-finished reports. Stacks that had only grown higher since Devon left.
I rubbed a hand over my face. There was no way I had the energy to tackle any of it now.
With a sigh, I reached for my phone. Only an hour had passed since I’d left Dean’s place. Just an hour.
It felt like half the day had already dragged itself by.
I leaned back, closed my eyes for a moment. The muffled sounds from the room down the hall filtered through: the boys’ laughter, Naomi’s small voice soothing her mother’s tears.
The noises swelled and then faded again, leaving me in a strange kind of quiet. My thoughts wandered straight to Dean.
I remembered the way the morning had started. I’d woken up tangled against him, his arm heavy around my waist. I’d pressed back into his warmth, breathing him in, letting my fingers trail lazily across his chest.
When I’d nuzzled closer, I’d thought he was awake. He’d moved, after all, tightening his hold on me.
So I’d leaned in, whispered against his mouth, half-teasing, half-serious:one more round before I go?
He hadn’t answered, just shifted and let out a soft breath, lips parting under mine when I kissed him.
I’d deepened it, slow but hungry, imagining what it would be like if I didn’t have to leave, if I could wake him properly, slide my hand lower, coax him into rolling me beneath him, losing myself in the weight and heat of him all over again.
But then I’d realized he was still asleep. The pull I’d felt had been nothing but instinct, his body reaching for mine even in dreams.
