The Wrong Kind of Love

Jackson family dinner is a boisterous affair. The kitchen counters are overflowing with food, and the dining room table barely fits everyone. There are half a dozen conversations going on at any given moment, and Lilly is so full of energy she’s bouncing in her seat. But I’m nearly oblivious to it all, because I’m so focused on the hot tension between me and Ethan, the charge in the air that promises there’s more to come. When he takes the seat next to me at the dining room table, I can’t think about anything else.

“Is Ava joining us, Jake?” Brayden asks. “I thought she’d be here by now.”

Jake shakes his head and points out at the snow. “The snow hasn’t slowed all day. She doesn’t want to get stuck here, so she decided she’d better not drive out.”

Carter gives Jake a pointed look. “Damn shame. Maybe if you were snowed in together, you’d finally find your balls where she’s concerned.”

Jake’s jaw hardens and he avoids his brother’s eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Nothing worse than wasting attraction by refusing to acknowledge it,” Levi says.

Carter grunts. “Hey, pot, meet kettle.”

Levi flashes him a warning glare. “Don’t.”

I shoot a questioning glance to Ethan, and his lips quirk uncharacteristically. He dips his head to whisper in my ear, “Jake’s been in love with his best friend, Ava, most of his life, but he won’t admit it. Honestly, we all had to pretend he wasn’t for a long time because she was married to an asshole, but that’s over now. If you see him making eyes at her, do like the rest of us do and pretend you don’t notice.” He shakes his head. “One of these days, she’ll come around. She’s practically a sister to us already. They might as well make it legal.”

I grin. I’m learning there are a lot of sides to Ethan, and I like this side—family Ethan, brother Ethan, these are my people Ethan. Fuck the nanny in the shower Ethan. “And what about Levi? The whole pot-and-kettle thing?”

The humor falls from his face. “That one’s more complicated.”

I fold my arms and arch a brow, waiting.

Ethan sighs. “He has a thing for his best friend’s girl, who happens to be Ava’s best friend.” His jaw is hard when he says it. Clearly, Ethan isn’t as supportive of Levi’s secret love as he is of Jake’s. “Obviously he’s not going to do anything about it. So, they’re just friends.”

“Oh.” My gaze drifts across the table. I wonder if Ava has any idea about Jake. I totally missed that vibe between them, but I’ve never been great at picking up on stuff like that. I look back to Ethan, who’s helping Lilly cut her turkey. I can’t imagine any girl would want to be just friends with any of the Jackson boys.

I know I don’t.

“You probably need to plan on staying the night yourself, Nic,” Carter says, gesturing toward me with his fork. “The roads are getting pretty nasty out there. If you wait until tomorrow, it will be a lot safer.”

Ethan smirks. “Yeah. Definitely safer if you stay.” He winks at me, and my insides shimmy.

The truth is, driving in the snow is still new to me, and I’m not great at it. I don’t like the idea of driving home on slick roads in the dark. “Is there room for me?”

“Plenty of room,” Jake says. “There’s room for everyone at the Jackson cabin.”

“You can sleep in the bunk room with me,” Lilly says, clapping her hands.

“I’m not sure how your dad’s gonna feel about that, kid,” Levi says, and Carter gives him an elbow to the ribs.

Our attention is pulled from our plates at the sound of a phone ringing—a normal phone ring, not a ringtone on someone’s cell.

Ethan pushes away from the table and grabs a handset from the kitchen. “Hello?” When he walks back into the dining room, his expression is grim. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. She’ll understand. . . Of course you did, but it’s not a big deal. Let me put her on.” He holds his hand over the receiver and looks at Lilly. “Nana can’t video-chat today. She can’t get her internet to work right. But she wants to talk to you.”

My chest feels tight. The treatments must be taking a greater toll on Kathleen than she expected. She’s sounded so tired lately, and I imagine it’s easier to hide that on the phone than on camera.

“I wanted to see her face,” Lilly says. Her little chin wobbles.

“I know, baby, but we’re going to have to try another time.” He holds out the phone. “You can at least hear her voice.”

She nods and takes the receiver. “Hi, Nana. I miss you so much.” A tear slides down her cheek, but she keeps her chin high and her voice even. What an amazing kid. “Tell me what you saw today.”