She chuckled. “Something like that. And Gabi does better at keeping Emily calm than I do.”
He frowned. “Why is that?”
“The usual sibling dissension,” she said, minimizing it. “It’s mostly all worked out. Nothing for you to worry about. Today’s all about happiness.”
He nodded. “Today we’ll focus totally on your sister,” he agreed, “but tomorrow you and I will talk. I want to know why you haven’t asked me about that land my father left me.”
Samantha gave him a startled look. “Grandmother told you about how I might be able to use that?”
“You know how she likes to ensure a certain outcome,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “She wanted me to be in a receptive mood when you asked. Since I’ve never been interested in claiming that land, I don’t know what she was worried about. It’s yours if you want it.”
“Just like that?” she asked, wide-eyed.
He smiled at her shock. “Even I am capable of the magnanimous gesture from time to time, especially if it will make one of my daughters’ dreams come true.”
“I’m not sure if it is my dream,” she admitted. “Or how ready I am for such a huge step.”
“Then we’ll talk about that, too,” he promised. “I think I can convince you that you are.”
Samantha laughed, despite his perfectly serious tone. “Boy, when you get into this whole fatherhood thing, you jump in with both feet, don’t you?”
“Only way I know to do things,” he agreed. “You might keep that in mind,” he added with a wink.
* * *
Ethan was so worried about getting Boone to the altar on time, not losing track of the rings and keeping an eye on the wayward parents that the ceremony pretty much passed in a blur. When it was over, he breathed a sigh of relief.
That feeling that his duty was done only lasted until the photographer rounded them up for pictures. It seemed an endless number of them were required. The only saving grace was being positioned by Samantha’s side for most of them.
When they’d been at it for what seemed like an eternity, he bent down and whispered in her ear, “Want to make a run for it? I know a restroom where we can lock the door and hide out.”
She laughed. “As intriguing as that offer sounds, I’m afraid we’d be missed,” she told him, though there was obvious regret in her voice.
“Not by Boone and Emily,” he countered. “Those two haven’t taken their eyes off each other since she appeared at the back of the church to walk down the aisle.”
“As it should be,” Samantha said. “If couples are ever visibly crazy in love, it ought to be on their wedding day.”
“Isn’t that part of the problem?” Ethan asked, unable to stop his cynicism from showing. “After that day of nerves and high romance, reality sets in. There are arguments over picking socks up off the floor, or putting the dishes in the dishwasher.”
“Those things are pretty petty compared to the big picture,” Samantha argued.
“But they eat away, just like a tiny drip of water eventually erodes the cliff beneath.”
“Hey, you two,” Emily suddenly interrupted. “You’re spoiling the pictures. Whatever has you looking so somber can wait.”
Ethan nodded. “Got it,” he said, forcing a smile.
Samantha’s was only marginally more sincere.
“You know,” she said, when the photographer finally released them, “just yesterday I was thinking your attitude toward love was improving.”
“Afraid not,” he said.
She stopped him from walking away and held his gaze. “You sure about that?”
“Of course I’m sure,” he said firmly.
“Want to know what I think? I’d lay money that you say those things automatically because cynicism is second nature to you. It’s your defense mechanism, the way you avoid getting involved. It probably makes most women run for the hills, at least the few you allow to get close in the first place.”
Ethan wasn’t sure how to respond to the accuracy of her assessment. Being cynical had become easy over the years. It had kept women at bay, leaving his emotions untouched and his life uncomplicated. No one had ever called him on it before. Well, no woman, anyway. Greg and Boone called him on it all the time. It was easy to ignore their well-meant opinions. They were great guys, the best of friends, but insightful? Nah.
Discovering that Samantha knew him well enough not only to figure this out but to call him on it made him think of her a little differently. He saw a new depth to her, an almost irresistible degree of sensitivity. He’d seen hints of it in her understanding of Cass, too. She was quite a woman, he concluded. She understood the things that mattered.
“You figured this out all by yourself?” he asked suspiciously, hopeful that one of his friends had filled her in on their theories. He was in deep enough without discovering yet another reason to stop holding her at arm’s length.
“Yes, Ethan, all by myself,” she responded with amusement. “You’re not that complicated.”
“So you believe the cynicism is an act,” he said.
“Not an act so much as a convenient way to get out of sticky emotional situations. I think on some level you do believe every word, but it’s starting to sound hollow, even to you.”
“Are you thinking I’ve undergone some huge transformation because of you?”
“Heavens no! I’m not taking credit for this. I just think the cynicism has outlived its usefulness. Sooner or later, I’ll bet even porcupines take a chance on love.”
He laughed despite himself. “I’m the porcupine here?”
She smiled. “If the shoe fits...”
“Why haven’t you long since given up on me?”
“You mean the way other women did?”
He nodded. “Not that there have been many other women, mind you. I could count my repeat dates on one hand since the breakup of my engagement.”
“Maybe I’m just stubborn,” she said lightly. She held his gaze, then added quietly, “Or maybe it’s because I think you’re worth fighting for.” She touched a hand to his cheek. “Something to think about,
