I find grey hairs in places that I wish I didn’t, but aside from that, age suits me. I might have aged a lot more slowly if I chose a different wife. The hot water feels good and I fight every urge in my body tobegGabby to join me. She’s still afraid of me and I shouldn’t blame her for that fear based on what she saw.
Once I get out of the shower, Gabby hops in and I promise her that I’ll go upstairs and stir up some clothing for her. When I get to the kitchen, Amanda and Ethan are draped over each other, booking a vacation on Expedia at their kitchencounter together. That’s what it looked like at least before Amanda quickly minimized the tab.
“Good morning, Isaac. How did you sleep?”
“Fine. Gabby’s in the shower. We didn’t have a chance to grab clothes.”
Amanda nods and hops off her seat. “I have some extra sweatpants. Does she like the Patriots?”
“Whatever you have works.”
Amanda steps out of the room to grab some clothes for Gabby, but Ethan lingers behind.
“Can I get you coffee?” Ethan offers with unusual hospitality that instantly rouses my suspicions.
“Sure.”
Ethan grabs his filled coffee pot and pours me a crimson red Harvard University mug. I take it eagerly and decline his offers of milk and sugar.
“I’m heading out all day. Think you and Gabby will be okay here?” he asks. There seems to be subtext there, although it’s not unusual for Ethan to work all day. He has to keep this operation out here running. Zeb hasn’t returned from his west coast trip yet, and I heard some rumors that there’s a woman out there with him – some girl he picked up out there who got into trouble and needs his help.
“I’ll be fine,” I tell Ethan. “I haven’t caught up on that show I’ve been watching with the kids…”
“Cocomelon?” Ethan asks with genuine surprise that I might be watching that oddly hypnotic kids show that I had to wean Kyler off of like he was an addict. (I didn’t make the same mistake with the other kids.)
“No… That British show with all the cakes. The show puts me right to sleep…” I mutter. I don’t need Ethan investigating what kind of television shows I enjoy. He’s judgmental.
Ethan raises an eyebrow skeptically. “Right. Well, Gabby should enjoy that.”
“She’s going to kill me if she can’t run around and do whatever she wants today.”
“Like going to the cops?” Ethan asks. I don’t think he trusts her, and I don’t blame him for that since I don’t know her enough to trust her either.
“No. But… She doesn’t like me very much.”
Even if I saved her life. There was something she saw in me when I killed that man and instead of feeling flattered by how much I would do for her, she treats me like I’m a thoughtless monster.
“Why?” Ethan asks, grinning. “Did you screw up with her and start talking about your ex?”
Ethan pisses me off. He’s no expert with women either. While I was married with a family, he couldn’t keep a girl in his bed for longer than a weekend. Still, I understand that I’m in his debt right now, so I avoid turning this into a fight.
“No. But she thinks I’m a cheating scumbag like her ex because of this Tylee situation.”
Ethan visibly tenses when I mention his sister. He never had the same relationship with Tylee that Wyatt did. “Tylee deserves the whip.”
I don’t comment on that. Never laid my hands on a woman, much less a whip.
“If what you’re saying about Scum is true, I’ll have to leave eventually. Find out where my wife is. Get my kids back.”
“Wyatt won’t like it if you take matters into your own hands.”
“I can’t keep Gabby here against her will,” I explain to him. “I hardly know her enough to let her run off and possibly run her mouth.”
Ethan shrugs. “She’s a woman. Dazzle her with gifts and sex. Treat this like a vacation.”
Sex. I’ve obviously thought about it. I noticed Gabby’s pretty face and her prettier skin tone the first time I saw her at the bar. She doesn’t trust the fact that I’m married on paper, which I don’t blame her for. I doubt I’ll be getting laid anytime soon…Thanks, Tylee.
Marriage never stopped my soon-to-be-ex-wife… But I can resist temptation at least temporarily. Not like I expected to get that kind of advice from Ethan.