face. “It’s nice to finally, officially meet you, Ms. Weston. I’m Dennis Wyne.”
“Please, call me Phoebe. And I should’ve known by the handsome resemblance.” She shook his father’s hand, then turned her attention on him. “Hello, Ethan.”
He slowly rose to his feet and nodded.
“You know her, too, Dad?”
Big brown eyes stared up at him with so much hope it hurt to look.
“Isn’t she great? Did she teach you how to jump, too?”
She taught him how to soar in ways he wasn’t about to discuss with anyone. “No,” he replied.
“Did I hear my nephew right? You never caught fireflies before?” Ben asked.
He owed his brother a beer for changing the focus.
She shook her head. “Never. They’re not exactly residents in the city.” Her indrawn breath echoed around them as she pointed to the tiny blinker in the sky. “Oh! Is that one?”
“Yep.” Tyler nodded enthusiastically, then tugged at the hand he still held firmly in his grasp. “Come on, there’s more by the trees.”
Rooted to the spot, Ethan stood there watching the woman listen to his son intently, then mimic his movements. Soon the two were smiling and grabbing lightening bugs, filling up the jar Tyler set on the ground. The joy on their faces matched the pure sound of their laughter, and Ethan rubbed at the ache in his chest.
He enjoyed seeing them both happy, he really did, but it brought home how much he lacked. His failures, and the fact his son suffered as a result. If he’d satisfied his wife, she never would’ve strayed, and their son wouldn’t need to try so hard to find a mom.
Because he was tired, in more ways than one, he was done. “It’s been a long day. I’m heading inside.” He glanced at his dad. “Please send Tyler in when he’s done.”
“Ethan, you can’t just go in,” Ben said, deep frown creasing his brow.
“Yes, I can. Watch.”
Without waiting for reply, he spun around and strode straight up the bank toward his deck. He knew Phoebe and Tyler together was a bad idea, but what he hadn’t counted on was his reaction to their connection. And, oh, hell yeah, the actress and his son definitely clicked.
Since it became abundantly clear the three of them couldn’t be in the same area, Ethan did the only thing he could—removed himself from the equation.
T he next evening, Phoebe stopped by Jill’s after rehearsal to help her friend pack. After a long night of tossing and turning, and an exhausting day of learning new routines that just wouldn’t stick in her foggy brain, she barely had any energy left for physical labor. But she’d promised to help, so she embraced her task of wrapping dishes for the past two hours. It was either that or head to the resort and chance bumping into Tyler and his dad again.
Not an option. She preferred to cause heat in Ethan’s gaze, not suck the life out of it like last night.
A shiver ran through her at the memory.
“Phoebe?”
She blinked her friend back into focus. “Yes?”
Jill frowned. “Is everything okay? You looked a little…I don’t know. Lost.”
Because she was. Totally and completely. She was in town to work on a play, on her career, not her social life. She was an idiot.
“No, just thinking about Ethan’s face last night when I showed up at the fire pit to catch lightening bugs with Tyler.”
“That’s sweet. What was the problem?”
“That I showed up to catch lightening bugs with Tyler,” she replied. “I’m not supposed to spend time with his son…but I didn’t know the boy I promised to catch the bugs with was his son.”
“Did you tell Ethan that? I’m sure he’d understand.”
She snorted. “No, he left and went inside for the night.” She still felt that sting today, even though she understood his reasoning. Bad idea for the three of them to be together at once.
Jill’s brows disappeared under her dark bangs. “Wow.”
“Yeah, he didn’t seem too happy, and I never got a chance to explain.”
“Please, call me Phoebe. And I should’ve known by the handsome resemblance.” She shook his father’s hand, then turned her attention on him. “Hello, Ethan.”
He slowly rose to his feet and nodded.
“You know her, too, Dad?”
Big brown eyes stared up at him with so much hope it hurt to look.
“Isn’t she great? Did she teach you how to jump, too?”
She taught him how to soar in ways he wasn’t about to discuss with anyone. “No,” he replied.
“Did I hear my nephew right? You never caught fireflies before?” Ben asked.
He owed his brother a beer for changing the focus.
She shook her head. “Never. They’re not exactly residents in the city.” Her indrawn breath echoed around them as she pointed to the tiny blinker in the sky. “Oh! Is that one?”
“Yep.” Tyler nodded enthusiastically, then tugged at the hand he still held firmly in his grasp. “Come on, there’s more by the trees.”
Rooted to the spot, Ethan stood there watching the woman listen to his son intently, then mimic his movements. Soon the two were smiling and grabbing lightening bugs, filling up the jar Tyler set on the ground. The joy on their faces matched the pure sound of their laughter, and Ethan rubbed at the ache in his chest.
He enjoyed seeing them both happy, he really did, but it brought home how much he lacked. His failures, and the fact his son suffered as a result. If he’d satisfied his wife, she never would’ve strayed, and their son wouldn’t need to try so hard to find a mom.
Because he was tired, in more ways than one, he was done. “It’s been a long day. I’m heading inside.” He glanced at his dad. “Please send Tyler in when he’s done.”
“Ethan, you can’t just go in,” Ben said, deep frown creasing his brow.
“Yes, I can. Watch.”
Without waiting for reply, he spun around and strode straight up the bank toward his deck. He knew Phoebe and Tyler together was a bad idea, but what he hadn’t counted on was his reaction to their connection. And, oh, hell yeah, the actress and his son definitely clicked.
Since it became abundantly clear the three of them couldn’t be in the same area, Ethan did the only thing he could—removed himself from the equation.
T he next evening, Phoebe stopped by Jill’s after rehearsal to help her friend pack. After a long night of tossing and turning, and an exhausting day of learning new routines that just wouldn’t stick in her foggy brain, she barely had any energy left for physical labor. But she’d promised to help, so she embraced her task of wrapping dishes for the past two hours. It was either that or head to the resort and chance bumping into Tyler and his dad again.
Not an option. She preferred to cause heat in Ethan’s gaze, not suck the life out of it like last night.
A shiver ran through her at the memory.
“Phoebe?”
She blinked her friend back into focus. “Yes?”
Jill frowned. “Is everything okay? You looked a little…I don’t know. Lost.”
Because she was. Totally and completely. She was in town to work on a play, on her career, not her social life. She was an idiot.
“No, just thinking about Ethan’s face last night when I showed up at the fire pit to catch lightening bugs with Tyler.”
“That’s sweet. What was the problem?”
“That I showed up to catch lightening bugs with Tyler,” she replied. “I’m not supposed to spend time with his son…but I didn’t know the boy I promised to catch the bugs with was his son.”
“Did you tell Ethan that? I’m sure he’d understand.”
She snorted. “No, he left and went inside for the night.” She still felt that sting today, even though she understood his reasoning. Bad idea for the three of them to be together at once.
Jill’s brows disappeared under her dark bangs. “Wow.”
“Yeah, he didn’t seem too happy, and I never got a chance to explain.”
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