Page 75 of Captivating Mr. Second Chance

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Hi is a good start,” Justin joked, and Ethan shot him a glare as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, handing it to his older brother with his email draft open. Justin took it, reading it over to himself.

“Is it good?” Ethan asked after a while.

Justin handed Ethan’s cell phone back. “Yeah. It’s the basics. You want to get to know her, and you’re hoping to stay in contact.”

“You don’t think I need to tell her anything about myself? Where I live? I had a really long one written up but deleted it. It felt like I was on a first date.” Ethan laughed at himself. “Hi, my name is Ethan, and I live in West Chester, and my favorite color is blue, and I like to cook and play in a band.”

Justin shook his head. “You’re not auditioning for anything. You have nothing to prove, all right?” Then he dropped his hand around Ethan’s shoulders. “No matter what happens, you have your family, and we love you.”

Ethan shifted to hug Justin, patting him on the back. “Thanks, man.”

“Love you,” Justin replied quietly, ruffling Ethan’s hair like he was a kid again, and his chest burned with love for his big brother.

“Love you too.”

When they pulled apart, Trace ran over to them, screeching with his arms out. “I’m a pterodactyl! Look at me, Uncle Efan.”

He caught his nephew, hauling him into his lap. “Whadya eat today, guy? You’re going a million miles an hour.”

Leah sauntered up to them, pointing to Justin. “Made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, let him have leftover Easter candy for a snack, and a waffle with syrup for lunch.”

“What?” Justin raised his hands. “It’s the weekend, and weekends are for eating whatever, right, Trace?”

Trace nodded, spinning around to face Ethan. “Where’s Laney?”

“Funny you should ask,” Ethan said as Justin snorted. “Let’s call her up.”

Ethan held his phone so he and Trace were both on the screen when the FaceTime call went through.

“Hey!” Laney said, waving, her smile as big as ever. “What’s going on?”

“What are you doing?” Trace asked, moving his face so close to Ethan’s phone that only his forehead and left eye were on the screen.

“What am I doing? I’m out running errands for your daddy’s party.”

“Party!” Trace bounced on Ethan’s lap. “We’re having a party?”

“Yeah, baby.” Leah ran her fingers through Trace’s curls. “Remember when I told you we’re going to have a big party in a few weeks to help people like Daddy.”

“Oh, um…” Trace poked his finger against his chin. “Yeah. So are you coming over, Laney? Uncle Efan is eating dinner wif us. Can you eat wif us too?”

Ethan glanced at Laney’s raised brows on his phone then smiled down at Trace. “You want Laney to come over? I think you need to ask your mom.”

Leah shrugged, saying in a loud voice, “Come on over, Laney. Justin’s grilling.”

Ethan raised his palm to Trace for a high five and moved the phone so only his face filled the screen when he asked, “Are you going to come over?”

“Okay. Should I bring anything?”

Ethan shook his head. “Just your pretty little self.”

“All right. Text me the address.”

“Okay, love you,” he said, hanging up to text her, and Justin repeated his words in a high voice, taunting him.

Ethan punched his brother in the arm.

---