Page 129 of The Holiday Fakers
“I volunteer for the local search and rescue service,” Ethan says, not noticing I’m having a moment of deep self-realization. “You should come to the next meet-up if you’re around. You could teach a few old dogs some new tricks.”
“I’d like that, although I expect it would be the other way around.”
“Not at all. Don’t sell yourself short. You’ll have so much value to share with the team.”
I take a sip of water to buy myself a moment.
“I’ll never be able to forgive myself for not being at your wedding, Martha’s birth, and Olivia’s funeral,” I begin quietly.
Ethan gives me a small nod, his jaw set.
“I left Hideaway to make something of myself. Prove I wasn’t like either of my parents. And after Mom died, I didn’t want to be around anything that reminded me of her. And I was also terrified each job would be my last. That I couldn’t ask for time off, or call in sick. I nearly got peritonitis on a job because I wouldn’t see the medic until we wrapped.”
“Jesus, Brody!”
I raise my hands. “I know. It was fucking stupid. When I woke up from the op, the surgeon said my appendix was about an hour away from bursting.”
Ethan shakes his head, his gaze passing over the photos of Olivia on the wall.
“I wanted to become someone who was good enough for Piper, even though I pretended she wasn’t who I was thinking about all the time. I’m good at denial,” I continue.
“I know we spoke after Olivia passed, but every day after that my guilt grew, until it seemed impossible to ever come back. I didn’t have the guts to face you. And I’m sorry. I truly am.”
“Me too,” Ethan replies. “I missed you. And I never realized I’d made you feel you weren’t worthy. Because you are. And I want you to be with Piper. If you can love her for this long then I’ll know you’ll love her forever.”
“I will.”
He nods, seeming satisfied, and we settle back to watch the game.
But even as my eyes follow the action on screen, my mind is with Piper, wondering how we can make it work, and counting the minutes until I’m back in her arms.
CHAPTER 24
PIPER
“Hey.”
Brody’s voice startles me, and I glance up to see his head poking around the bedroom door.
I’ve been so focused on the drawing I was making of him that now, seeing the real thing, my brain short-circuits and words fail me.
“Earth to Piper Locke?”
“Oh, um, sorry!” I gesture at the tablet on my lap. “I was …”
He closes the door behind him. “Can I see?”
Nervous excitement whooshes from my belly to my cheeks. “It’s not finished,” I hedge, then show it to him.
“Holy shit! That’s incredible!”
His genuine delight and astonishment fill me with champagne bubbles of pride. “You like it?”
“I love it. Wow, this is fucking hot.”
I’ve drawn him as a smoldering elf lord, one hand braced on a stone arch as he leans down to gaze at an elf princess whomight, perhaps, look a little like me. His other hand rests on my, I mean,herback, the flowing dress bunched up as if he’s about to pull it off completely.
“You should post it to your art account.”
