“The water there is so clear, Laura,” he said. “When you swim out beyond the reefs, you can see all the way to the bottom. It's not uncommon to look down and see whales swimming underneath you. It's happened to me before. Twice, actually. It's not like California ocean either. It's not cold at all. Picture crystal clear water the temperature of a nice bath.”
“I've got to be honest, you're making this place sound like a paradise,” she said.
He smiled and nodded. “That word wouldn't even do justice to what this little piece of the Caribbean is like.”
Laura rolled over onto her back and
stared up and the ceiling. Doubt still loomed in her mind, but somewhere, in the depths of her heart, something more powerful illuminated. It was dim at first but slowly got brighter. Something inside of her began to make her feel like maybe it was time to face her fears and start to live out her future instead of her past.
“So if I were to agree to go, all I'd have to do is get onto the plane?” she asked softly.
Ethan nodded. “That's it. Nothing else. Will you try? If you get there and change your mind, that's okay, too. We can turn around, and I'll take you back home without question.”
Laura looked over at him. She gazed into those beautiful green eyes of his and sensed his sincerity. If she was going ever to have a chance of facing this fear, this was going to be it. She felt safer with Ethan than anybody else and with his reassurance, she realized she might just have a chance at getting through this.
“I'll try,” she finally said. “If you're with me.”
He slowly smiled. “Always.”
“Thank you, Ethan,” she said, feeling the tension in her shoulders relax.
“You are most welcome,” he said.
Then he leaned in and kissed her. It was a profound and meaningful kiss, and to Laura, it reassured her that his words were true. That he was with her always and that he would keep her safe.
When the kiss was over, Laura snuggled into him, with her face against his chest. She listened to his heartbeat and his breathing. She realized right then, as Ethan held her against his body that she wasn't scared. He had made her feel so secure about everything. For the moment at least, the anxiety that had filled her with the idea of flying on a plane seemed to disappear.
I can face this fear, she thought. With Ethan, I feel like I can face anything.
Chapter 23
Ethan
“Sir? Do you need anything?” Craig asked, walking into the space Ethan was currently using as an office.
He'd rented out an office space in a building next door to his hotel, but it didn't feel like an office. It had a desk and chairs, but no people. It was just Craig and Ethan. He got more done here than in his hotel room, but not by much.
Ethan missed the hum of his old office. He missed having coffee with people and not having to drive all over town to attend meetings. Plus, he missed his desk at home. He missed his nice pens and the way he had everything set up. He couldn't find anything in his current space.
He couldn't wait for the R&D office to finally be set up. He was enjoying his trip to Colorado, especially the parts with Laura, but he missed his workspace. He wished there was a way he could have both, but for now, he was going to enjoy his time with Laura.
“Can I ask your advice?” Ethan spun in his chair to face the other man. This chair turned more than his office chair at home and had a tendency to tip over if he leaned in it.
“Anytime.” Craig smiled and leaned against the door frame. “I can't guarantee it will be any good, but I'm happy to give it.”
“What do you think about Laura?” Ethan knew it was a loaded question, but he wanted to hear an outsider's opinion.
“Laura?” Craig repeated as if that wasn't the question he was expecting. He shrugged after thinking for a moment. “She seems nice. A little high maintenance, but nice.”
“What do you mean, 'high maintenance?'”
“The kids,” Craig explained. He pushed himself off the door frame and sauntered across the office to sit in one of the chairs. “The kids limit what she can do.”
“So that makes her high maintenance?” Ethan asked. “I thought high maintenance girls liked expensive things and lots of money.”
Craig laughed. “I'm sure most of them do. She's a different kind of maintenance,” he explained. “You can't jet off on a surprise trip to Vegas because someone has to watch her kids. Your romantic evenings have to be scheduled. She can't go to things because she's got other people she has to work around. Dating a single mom is harder than dating a regular girl.”
“You sound like you've done it before,” Ethan observed.