Page 15 of Always and Forever
I could sell.
It’s not the first time this week that the idea has crossed my mind. Sell the property and take the money to help figure out my life. But then I think of letting go of the one connection I have left to my dad, and I know I can’t go through with it. I need to make his plans a reality, for him and for me.
I lean the shovel against the side of the building and walk over to the water bottle I set down on the ground. I take a long drink as I watch the waves come into the shore. The ocean has always settled my soul and today is no exception. There is something about the relentless nature of the tide, the way it never gives up its pursuit of the shoreline that gets to me. The waves don’t care about material things. They will keep coming whether I clean this place up or not. They are constant.
I want to be constant. I want to be here, rooted in this town that feels like home, in this property that reminds me of my dad, despite the fact we don’t have any memories of being here together. He bought it with me in mind, and I will not let him down.
Renewed with fresh energy, I stand up and walk over to the first cabin. I need a break from weed pulling, and my next priority is getting started on cabin cleanup. So far, I’ve managed to get almost everything out and into a large pile beside the cabin; I’ll need Ethan to help me figure out how to take all the garbage to the landfill later. Grabbing a broom and a headlamp so I can see what I’m doing, I push open the door. Getting electricity out here is also a priority, and I add a generator to my running list of expenses that I’ll have to face sooner rather than later.
An old shelf hangs from the wall by only one bracket, and I decide to start there. Summoning my strength, I grab hold and pull sharply. It comes away from the wall easily, too easily, as I stumble backwards, dropping it.
“Oww, crap!” I cry, looking down to see a jagged cut in my pants. I hobble outside, sit down on the steps of the cabin, and roll up my pant leg to see a trail of blood coming from a long cut.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch.” Goddamn it stings, and I hate blood.
“Summer? Shit! What happened?” Ethan’s voice is frantic and I lift my eyes up to see him running toward me. He crouches down and gingerly takes my leg in his hands. I can see the tendons standing out in his neck as he runs his fingers down my leg.
“This is bad, Summer. What were you doing?” His voice is full of concern and the pain in my leg is eclipsed by the heat coming from his touch.
“I was pulling a shelf off the wall,” I say, gesturing to the cabin behind me, “and my hulk strength made it come off easier than I thought it would. It hit my leg on the way down in retaliation.”
That makes Ethan smile briefly, but his lips quickly turn down when he looks back at my leg. “I’ve got a first aid kit in the truck, but if it was a nail that cut you, you should get a tetanus shot.” He stands up and goes into the cabin, coming back out with the offending shelf in hand.
“Yeah, see here? I think this nail caught you. I’ll bandage up your leg and take you into town to see Doc. And next time you fight a shelf off the wall, wear something thicker than leggings, okay?” he says gruffly.
My heart is racing and it’s not because of the cut on my leg. It’s the way Ethan has taken control of things, all alpha male and hot as ever. I nod mutely and watch him jog over to his truck, where he pulls out a red bag before coming back.
This time he sits down on the step beside me and lifts my leg into his lap. He takes out some wipes and a bandage before looking up at me.
“This might sting,” he murmurs softly.
I wince because he’s right, the alcohol wipes do sting, and I’m a wimp. I keep my eyes trained on the top of his head as he is bent over my leg, carefully cleaning my cut. He’s so gentle, his touch feels more like a caress. When he finishes, he wraps a bandage around my leg and secures it with a piece of tape. Then he glances up at me briefly, his gaze trapping mine as he bends down and presses a soft kiss just above the bandage, making a tiny gasp escape my mouth.
“That’ll do for now, but let’s get you to Doc.” His voice is a low rumble that sends shivers down my spine. He stands up, reaches down, and lifts me straight up and into his arms.
“I can walk, you know,” I manage to say, pushing at him gently.
“I know, but this is faster.” His long legs cover the short distance to his truck quickly, and he slowly lowers me into my seat.
“Thank you,” I say, grabbing his hand in mine. Something is shifting between us; it has been ever since Reid asked me out for dinner. I am starting to think my attraction to Ethan isn’t all one-sided, and the way his eyes are burning into mine right now is confirming that.
His hand rests on my leg the entire drive into town and all the way to Doc’s office. I feel it there, a heavy, warm weight that excites me and calms me at the same time.
We pull up in front of the same old building that I remember from childhood visits to the doctor, making me smile.
“Does Polly still work for Doc? She had the best lollipops,” I say and Ethan chuckles. “Wait, is Doc even working anymore? He must be ancient!”
“He is and he is,” Ethan replies. “Doc opened a partnership with another doctor several years back. But we still call the place Doc’s. Who knows if he’ll ever retire fully, but he only works once or twice a week these days.”
“And Polly?”
“Her daughter works the reception now. No more lollipops, sorry.”
Ethan comes around and opens my door, but when he goes to lift me down, I shake my head at him.
“I can walk.”
He steps back, but still offers his arm, which I take gratefully. I hobble up the steps and into the office that still smells clean and medicinal. An unfamiliar woman is sitting at the desk; this must be Polly’s daughter. Ethan guides me to a chair before walking over to her and explaining why we are there.
