Page 41 of Fight Or Flight

Ethan whipped around and came face to face with his mother. Her gentle blue eyes were darting between Ethan’s and Adam’s, and her fisted hands were on her hips.

“Are you two fighting?” she asked.

Adam plastered an overbright smile on his face. “Of course not!” he said, then pulled her into a hug, lifted her off her feet, and twirled her in a little circle.

She smiled at Adam, but only for a second, before stepping toward Ethan. “What was all that about?”

Ethan looked over her head at Adam and shook his head. Adam nodded.

“Nothing. I didn’t know you were coming by.”

She pulled back. “It didn’t look like nothing. It looked like you were fighting with Derek.”

Ethan and Adam stayed stone faced and quiet.

“Nothing to say for yourselves?”

They both shook their heads.

As if unconvinced, his mother pursed her lips. “I came by because I haven’t seen you since the wedding.”

“Well,” Adam said, “he’s been travelling.”

She frowned and turned back to Ethan. “I wanted to see if you know how to get a hold of Natalie Monroe.”

Ethan pulled back, surprised. Why did everyone he saw want to talk about Natalie? “Why?”

“I want to invite her to the house for dinner on Sunday. Your father and I were disappointed that we missed her at the wedding. Aunt Barbara told me you were dancing with her. Is that true?”

“Uh . . . yeah. That is true.”

Adam cleared his throat. “Didn’t you plan to go to the pond on Saturday?”

Ethan ground his teeth together and glared at him. “Yes.”

“And,” he continued, “isn’t Saturday in two days?”

His mother clapped her hands together. “Excellent. You can just stop by and ask her on Saturday, then let me know what she says.” As she walked away, she called over her shoulder, “Tell her I’ll make her favourite meal!”

Ethan watched in horror as his mother walked away. Natalie had a favourite meal? What the hell was going on?

“Well, well, well,” Adam said with a smug voice. “Meeting the parents, eh? Big step.”

“That was not helpful.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes. And she isn’t meeting my parents. There is nothing going on between us. She’s leaving in a week, and I wanted to avoid her until then.”

“If there’s nothing going on, then why are you avoiding her?”

Ethan ignored the question and pushed past him to the field.

“You’re pretty defensive for someone who claims it’s nothing!” Adam called.

Ethan broke into a jog, ordering himself to calm down. It was just dinner. He’d invite her but not offer her a ride. Her filling up the space of his truck was too much. They would eat; she would leave, and he would never see her again.

This was going to be fine.

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