Page 51 of Sheltering Lawson
When I hadn’t heard from Ethan by closing time, I headed home, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had dinner and took a shower, curling up in the window seat. I leaned my head against the windowpane, my expression fixed on the lush bayou.
There was a knock at the door, and I rose. I knew it couldn’t be Ethan because he had a key. I peered through the pane and froze for a second. It was Ethan’s momma.
“Hi, there,” she said when I opened the door. “I’ve been meaning to get over here since you came into town. I’m the Welcome Wagon here.” She placed a basket in my hands filled with wonderful things.
“May I come in?”
I was still feeling a bit winded, and I stuttered a little as I stepped back. “Please do.”
She entered and looked around, a pleased look on her face. “He did a nice job in here. So cozy and sweet. It must be a joy to live here.”
“It is. I’m very grateful to everyone who helped, but especially to Brax, and most especially to Ethan.”
Monica studied me, the smile leaving her eyes, a thoughtful, perceptive look appearing. She didn’t say anything for a moment, her voice soft with reassurance. “Don’t look so scared, sweetie. I don’t bite, at least not often.”
That broke the ice, and I smiled. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a crazy time for me.”
“I’m sure and having the momma of the man you’re quite in love with showing up on your doorstep must be…disconcerting to say the least.”
I gasped, my stomach giving a little jump. “How did you know?”
“Oh, honey, I saw it the moment you came for lunch, a mother knows. He’s also quite in love with you. You must know that.”
I blushed and looked down. “He hasn’t said the words, but, yes, I know he loves me.”
“May I call you Haley?”
“Yes,” I said. The sound of my real name on someone else’s lips fortified me, reminding me who I was and what I needed to do. “You can. Everyone will know soon enough. When I come back I don’t want any more secrets.”
She nodded in full agreement. “No one will hold it against you.” She took a seat on the sofa and patted the place beside her. I set the basket on the counter and went and sat down. “I came by because he’s hurting, and I wanted to talk to you about him, hoping that you could understand a little better who Ethan is.”
“He’s wonderful.” My heart hurt that Ethan was struggling with my decision. I didn’t hold it against him that he had told his mother; she wouldn’t betray me. Obviously, Ethan gained his integrity from his parents.
“Yes, he is. But above all, he’s an honorable man and he measures his life by what is right and honorable, just like his daddy.” Her expression altered, and there was something almost feral in her eyes as she stared off, as if looking into the past. “We lost him for a while because my husband is an exacting man and his plans for Ethan had been laid before he was born. He had a lot of pressure in his formative years that molded him into the kind of man that goes into the Marines and serves his country. The fact that he’s a leader, a warrior, doesn’t surprise me.” She smiled and patted my hand. “Stay strong and true to yourself. Happiness is sometimes something you have to fight for and rely on him, not necessarily lean, but rely. He will never let you down.”
After she left, I couldn’t get her words out of my mind. Feeling as if the walls were closing in on me, and my brain would explode if I tried to guess at Ethan’s motivations, I couldn’t sit still and went outside to the water’s edge. I closed my eyes and tried to shut everything down. I couldn’t think about it anymore. I just couldn’t, the unpleasant thoughts only adding to my turmoil. I realized that I had made the decision to go back to Atlanta because I had to do it for myself. Of course, Ethan was tied up in my decision, but it was closure I needed. I wanted my life back for him and for me.
Concentrating on breathing, I inhaled all the fragrances that surrounded me—the perfume of wisteria and wild magnolia, the salty smell of the marsh and the rich odor of damp earth. Where I walked, the land squished, and I felt suddenly sad that soon traces of my passing would be gone. It made me think sharply of the last year of my life and all those places I had lived and worked.
“Babe?”
I whirled to find Ethan standing there, and I made a soft sound and ran to him, wrapping my arms around him.”
“Ethan. I was worried.”
“I’m sorry. I got caught up and have been tied up in tests and meetings all day. I wanted to call you, but I didn’t want to spoil my news.”
“What news?”
“I applied to be a Louisiana deputy sheriff. I’ve had tests, physical exams, interviews, psychological screening and a physical fitness assessment. Passed with flying colors. Mike fast-tracked it because the academy starts in a couple of weeks and he’s going out of town after Aubree’s graduation. They rented a beach house on the Florida Keys for two weeks for a family vacation.”
“Oh, Ethan, I’m so happy for you. How did your daddy take it?”
“He was disappointed, but he and I came to an understanding, finally. He really does want me to be happy. He was only pushing because he thought I was floundering without a set purpose. I should have talked to him a long time ago.”
“Well, it’s resolved now.”
He studied my face. “Did you miss me?”
