Page 65 of Captivating Mr. Second Chance

Dean dropped his hand back down to his side. “Yes, I’m mad. I’m mad you guys had something going on way back then and you didn’t tell me. I’m mad something is going on now, and you’re still doing it behind my back.”

“I didn’t think you’d be too happy if you found out,” Ethan said.

Laney nodded in agreement. “And I didn’t want to come in between you two.”

“Well, you sure as hell did.” Dean ping-ponged his attention between them. “And I’m not too happy about it. What if it doesn’t work out between you? Where does that leave me?” He angled his body like he wanted to cut Ethan out of the conversation with Laney. “How do you think I felt when everything went south for you in California?” His voice wobbled at the end as he tugged on his earlobe. It wasn’t often he let his emotions get the best of him, and he stared down at the floor to hide it.

A few moments passed until he picked his head up. “I think I’m a pretty easygoing guy, but I wanted to kill that son of a bitch for what he did to you. And I don’t even really know him. What’s going to happen when something like that happens again?”

“What are you insinuating?” Ethan took a half step forward, enough of a movement to demonstrate he was pissed at Dean’s assumption, and Laney wrapped her hand around Ethan’s forearm. Even though both men were angry, she didn’t think it would come to blows, but…just in case.

“I’m not insinuating anything. I’m only saying it’s a pretty asshole thing to do. To go behind my back.” Dean shoved his hand out, palm up, to accent his point to Ethan. “You’re my friend.” He gestured to Laney. “And you’re my sister.” Then he pointed above him. “And you had sex in my house.”

Ethan reached for Laney’s hand, even as he talked to Dean. “I understand why you’re upset. I’m sorry I wasn’t up front with you from the beginning, but—”

“But,” she butted in, attempting to quell the argument, “we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. Why make a big deal out of nothing, you know?”

This time, Ethan cut her off with a stern look. “But thisisa big deal.” His attention turned to Dean. “Laney and I are a big deal.”

And Laney couldn’t help the grin that stretched across her face at his proclamation. It wasn’t a proposal or an I love you, but it was enough to make her heart sprout wings and try to fly from her rib cage.

Dean eyed them both critically for a few seconds then shrugged and spun back to his coffee. “Fine.”

“Fine?” she repeated.

“Yeah. Fine. I’m not happy about how I found out.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “But fine. If you’re going to date anybody, it should be someone I like.” Then he narrowed his eyes at Ethan. “Just don’t make me hate you.”

Ethan lifted one shoulder. “You could never.”

Dean carefully poured cream into his coffee. “I can if you make me. Don’t hurt my sister.”

“I won’t,” Ethan promised then Laney dragged him out of the kitchen, down the hall, and shoved him against the wall in the living room, kissing her appreciation into his lips.

“I said I’m fine with it, but I’m not fine with you guys doing it wherever!” Dean yelled, and Laney tossed her head back to the ceiling, grumbling.

Ethan stifled his laughter. “I should leave anyway.” When she pouted, he kissed it away, holding her hands between them. “Lane, I meant what I told your brother. I’m in this.”

“Me too,” she said, taking the leap with him. Despite not being sure of what her future looked like, she wanted it to be with Ethan, to figure it out with him. “I’m all in.”

19

The beginning of April brought about sunshine, the first inklings of warm weather, and the first holiday ofLaney and Ethan: Together Again.

Laney had to go to Easter brunch with her parents and Dean, but she’d planned to meet Ethan at his parents’ house later. Although, if she didn’t arrive soon, Trace would be facedown in a candy coma. He was already bouncing off the walls with chocolate smeared around the edges of his mouth from the missing bunny foot, and he’d been asking about the egg hunt every five minutes.

“Honey, I promise we’re going to do it,” Rita said. “In a little while.”

“Gigiiiiiiiiii,” Trace whined, hanging on to his grandmother’s leg. “I’m boring.”

Leah set her glass of iced tea on the counter. “Bored. You’re bored.”

“Yeah.” Trace reached for the handle on one of the cabinets, no doubt to empty all of its contents.

Leah cut him off. “Come on, let’s watchZootopia.”

Trace took his mom’s hand. “Okay, but at the song part?”

“Yes, at the song part.”

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