Eyes Wide Open

“Nope. That bloke’s not around here. We left him back in London.”

She held her hand out. “I’m Brynne, nice to meet you,” she said with a straight face.

Hannah snorted behind me and peeled the still bouncing Zara off my back while I caught Brynne’s offered hand to my lips for a kiss. I glanced at her expression and saw a glassy look in her eyes as she smiled and rolled her lips together. Those lips. She did magical things with those lips . . . Mine.

Hannah tapped me on the shoulder from behind. “You look like my brother, and your voice sounds the same, but you’re definitely not him.” She held out her hand. “Hannah Greymont. Who are you?”

I laughed at her and rolled my eyes. “You need to have some fun, E. Go out more and meet people. Relax and enjoy life a little,” I said, mocking the words I’d heard from my sister on more than one occasion.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing you horsing around and laughing like this.” Hannah held up a hand and gestured at me. “Just give me a minute to take it all in.”

“You’ll get used to it,” I said to Hannah while drawing an arm around Brynne and kissing her temple, breathing in the flowery scent of her shampoo. She always smelled so good to me. “How are you feeling this morning, baby?”

“I feel great.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what that was last night, but I feel totally fine today.” She took a drink from her mug. “Hannah makes a mean cup of coffee.”

“Yes she does,” I said, going over to pour myself some. “Have you eaten?”

“No. I waited for you.” Her eyes looked more brown than anything this morning. And she had a look in them that told me she wanted to discuss things. Fine with me. We had a lot to talk about. I had some convincing to do. Bring it.

“You didn’t have to wait for me . . . but I have an idea, if you’re interested,” I said, returning to her side with my mug of coffee, from which delicious-smelling steam was rising.

“What’s that, strange-man-who-resembles-my-boyfriend-but-can’t-possibly-be-him?” She teased me in a way that made me want to throw her over my shoulder and head back upstairs to our bedroom.

“Such funny ladies you all are this morning,” I said, giving each of them a look, including the five-year-old. “Where are all the men? I am seriously outnumbered here.”

“Scout thing. They’ll be home after lunch,” Hannah told me.

“Ahh, I see.” I turned back to Brynne. “You fancy a run along the sea path? It’s really beautiful and there’s a café down there where we can get something after.”

Her whole face changed into something indescribable, a mixture of beauty and happiness.

“Sounds perfect. I’ll just go change quickly.” She backed up and sailed out of the room with a grin. I loved when she was happy, and especially when I did something that made her that way.

“I want to come,” Zara said.

“Oh, princess, we’re running too far for you to come with us this morning.” I crouched down to face her again.

“You promised we could take Rags and get—” Zara did not look happy with her Uncle Ethan. Not at all. It did funny things to my insides too. Unhappy little girls were frightening as hell. Big girls too, for that matter.

“I know,” I cut her off and peeked up at Hannah, who rolled her eyes at me with arms folded. “We’re going in the afternoon. Remember I told you . . .” I whispered in her ear, “Ice creams are for the afternoon time, princess. Mummy’s watching us. You better go play with your dollies or something so she doesn’t get suspicious.”

“Okay,” she whispered back loudly, “I won’t say you’re taking me and Rags to get an ice cream in the afternoon time.”

I laughed silently and kissed her on the forehead. “Good girl.” I felt pretty proud of myself for handling that little problem so well. Zara waved good-bye as she went off to play and I gave her a big wink. I leaned back on my heels and looked up into the mocking gaze of my sister.

“You are nearly unrecognizable to me, Ethan. You have it bad, don’t you?”

I pushed up to my feet and reconnected with my coffee mug, talking a hot gulp before I addressed her comment. “It’s just ice cream, Han.”

“I’m not talking about you sneaking sweets to Zara, and you know it.”

I pegged her in the eye and told my sister, “Yeah. I have it bad.”

Hannah smiled sweetly at me. “I’m happy for you, E. Hell, I’m thrilled to see you like this. Happy . . . you’re happy with her.” Hannah’s gray eyes got watery.

“Hey, what’s this?” I pulled her into a hug.

She embraced me hard. “Happy tears. You deserve it, E. I wish Mum were here to see you like this . . .” Hannah trailed off, obviously choked up.

I looked over at the photograph on the shelf of the three of us together, Hannah, me and Mum sitting on the stone wall at my grandparents’ place. “She is right here,” I said.

4

 Ethan led me along a high coastal path that overlooked the sea at the Bay of Bristol with its sparkling blue water winking a million shiny breaks due to the wind. We followed that for a good while until the trail turned back inland. The sun was shining and the air was fresh. You’d think all the physical exertion would clear out my scattered thoughts, putting them into some semblance of order, but no such luck on that one. Nope. My mind just kept whirling. Engagement announcement? Moving in together? Marriage?! I so needed to schedule an appointment with Dr. Roswell for the moment we got back to London.

As I watched Ethan ahead of me, the way he moved, his natural agility and stealth, his physique of ripped muscles propelling his body forward, I still appreciated the view. My guy, my view. Yep, the scenery and my man were both mighty fine.

I did indeed love it here and was happy he’d brought me, in spite of the turn our conversation took last night. Ethan had come downstairs this morning cheerful and affectionate, as if we’d never discussed a thing of importance last night. It was truly infuriating as hell to me that he could just blow off something like getting married as if it was nothing more complicated than getting a license to drive a car!

I liked when he ran with me, though. We went together in the city when I stayed over and if it didn’t rain in the mornings. Ethan kept a competitive pace and I hoped he wasn’t going easy on me just because he could.