When she heard they were home, Mari psyched herself up to go and see them but nerves got the better of her and she put it off for another day, and that crept into another. The guilt she felt at being such a wimp when she had to face them almost swamped her. It was the right thing to do for many reasons. Even though Rake had made her promise to get in contact and mend the fences between them before he died, the shame of falling back on her promise to him was all encompassing. She still couldn’t face the Bensons. And now it’d come back to bite her in the ass just as she knew it would.
Ethan Benson stopped at the landing and smiled at her a second before the greeting faltered.
He tilted his head and blinked. “Mari?”
“Ethan. Hi.”
The boy she first fell in love with had turned into a man while she was gone. He’d filled out, grown taller and had an air of casual grace about him. It was hard not to compare him to his older brother but they were nothing alike. Rake was his own man; honest to a fault with those he loved. She had to remember the reason she ran away was because Ethan sided with his father against her, destroyed her faith in Ethan and his ability to love her as much as she loved him. Faced with his betrayal, he’d left her with little choice.
His face went through a myriad of changes before he stepped closer and wrapped her in a big, warm hug that brought a sudden rush of tears to her eyes. She’d been expecting anger, hatred even, for what she’d done when they finally crossed paths. But not this. Not from the man she’d deserted without a word. The man she’d sworn to love until her dying day. Planned a family with and talked about growing old with until he’d announced she was hemming him in, making decisions for him that he didn’t want to be part of any longer. The man who’d eventually let her down when she needed him the most and left her feeling adrift without a paddle in an ocean of doubt.
*
Mari tensed moments before she pulled away from him. “Sorry. That wasn’t part of the plan.” She pulled a tissue from her pocket, blew her nose and tried to pull herself together.
Despite the puffy eyes and tear streaked cheeks, she looked fabulous. Much like he would have expected. Time had been kind to her in that regard.
“Come in, Ethan.” She walked into the apartment and reached for another tissue, blowing her nose again and dabbing at her eyes. He waited while she poured herself a glass of water and downed it, all the while watching him.
“I didn’t mean to blubber all over you.”
He hated to see the red in her eyes. Tears did that to her and heaven knew he’d seen enough of them when they were younger. Her mother had a lot to answer for but so did he. He’d caused her more than her fair share but, in his mind, he’d had a right to.
“It’s okay. Bit of a shock seeing you too so I guess it went both ways.” He looked around the apartment. “I didn’t know you were the new owner. You are, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I am.” She leaned against the kitchen counter and stared at him, heat high on her cheeks.
“Christian said he mentioned to you that I’d be dropping in before I start work tomorrow,” Ethan said, eyeing her steadily. “We’re partners in the business. I’m in charge of your renovation work.”
Mari nodded. And an expression chased across her face too fast for him to catch. “He said you’d be calling in later today,” she said softly. “I wasn’t prepared to see you this early.”
“I had a break between appointments. Is this inconvenient for you?”
“No.” The look on her face said otherwise. “I’m so pleased you managed to realize your dream of being a carpenter.” She pulled at her bottom lip with her top teeth and frowned. “Knowing I’m the owner of the hotel won’t make any difference will it?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. Things didn’t end well with us, did they?” Because you ran away with my brother. I’m an adult now and I got over you, years ago.
At least, that was what he told himself. Even though his reaction at seeing her seemed cool and calm, inwardly his heart raced and all he could think of was the pain she’d caused him. The note he’d found under his pillow didn’t give many details. All she’d said was she was moving on and not to bother looking for her. What they’d had had been fun but Ethan had made his decision about their future clear and she wasn’t going to try and change his mind. It’d be better for everyone concerned if she left.
Not knowing where she’d gone was the worst experience. Worrying if she was okay or needed him. Even hearing from a reliable witness who claimed she’d left with Rake didn’t make him feel any better. The following months when guilt wouldn’t let him sleep at night and the realization he’d made a gigantic mistake. He still loved her but it was too late to take back the horrible words he’d said to her.
But, until he found out what her life consisted of until now, Ethan was prepared to keep it all locked up inside. Once he had all the facts he could make a better informed decision. That was if he could contain himself that long. He still needed answers and she was the only one that could provide them. And to top it off, she’d gone and married his brother. That was going to take some getting over.
