suggested he had an easy way to accomplish that. So now he was Nicholas Hill. What a mess.
He wasn’t any closer to resolving his dilemma when he got out of the shower. With a towel around his waist, he dried his hair and avoided his reflection in the foggy mirror.
The ring of his phone jerked him out of his thoughts. Hearing the tone he’d assigned to close family members, he immediately picked up. “Hello?”
“Hey, Ethan. Just checking in on my big brother.”
His sister’s cheerful voice always made him smile. “Since when, Em?”
“Scratch that. You’re right. I’m way too busy to be checking up on the likes of you. Sophie begged me to call, but then she fell asleep. She wanted to talk to you, I swear, but by the time I got around to it, the kiddo had collapsed on the couch. Dear God, she had a traumatic night.”
“What happened?”
Hearing the clank of dishes in the background, Ethan pictured his sister in the kitchen, phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder to hold it in place.
“I refused to give her Nutella for dinner and she lost it. Cried when I gave her spaghetti instead. Do you have any idea how disgusting it is to watch a child cry and eat spaghetti at the same time? Too many things dangling. Seriously, it was a consider-having-your-tubes-tied moment.”
Ethan saw the scene play out in his head. Sophie did have a flair for the drama. “Never a dull moment in your household, Em.”
“Ain’t that the truth? So what’s going on with you?”
“If you must know, I have a date, and I’m going to be late if I don’t get off the phone soon.”
“One of those high-society types skilled at making you act like a jackass?”
Em always considered herself his protector and moral compass, no matter that she was the younger of the two. “Hold back you’re feelings, why don’t you, Em?”
“Sorry. I’m usually not that judgmental.”
“Bullshit.”
She cackled. “You’re right. Such bullshit. Okay, so if she isn’t a prima donna, who is she?”
“Someone I met doing community service.”
“Excuse me? Do you mean, actually serving the community? Or writing a check?”
“Ha, ha. Actually serving the community, wiseass. She’s the director.”
“Ooo. I like her already. There’s a snag, though. I can sense it.”
His sister always had a knack for ferreting out when he was troubled by something. “She has no clue who I really am.”
“Meaning?”
Ethan lowered his head and gave a bitter laugh. “Meaning, she thinks I’m just a computer consultant who’s done relatively well for himself.”
Em whistled. “Yikes.”
Her reaction didn’t surprise him, and it only strengthened the ache in his gut. He’d regret this, for sure. “I get it, believe me.”
“Well, look, you’re obviously beating yourself up about this, so there’s no need for me to pile it on. Be careful. If I know you, and I do, you’re thinking about how this might hurt her later. But maybe this time around, think about how this might hurt you later, too, okay?”
“Thanks for the advice, Em.”
“Always free and completely useless, big bro. I’ll have Sophie call you next week.”
“Give her a big hug and a kiss from her uncle, all right?”
“Will do.”
He walked to his bedroom, mulling over his sister’s observations. Em had a point. He’d been so concerned about hurting Gracie he hadn’t considered how the charade might cause him pain, too. Just great. Now he had more to worry about.
He darted a glance at the alarm on his nightstand. Shit. No time to think about it now, though. With any luck, Gracie would reconsider her proposal and make the decision for him. But Ethan didn’t bother to hold his breath.
* * *
The weekend had come too soon, and Gracie wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready for her liaison with Nic to begin. Trying to avert a wardrobe crisis, she paced her apartment as she listened to Mimi on the line.
“Where are you going?” Mimi asked.
“He
He wasn’t any closer to resolving his dilemma when he got out of the shower. With a towel around his waist, he dried his hair and avoided his reflection in the foggy mirror.
The ring of his phone jerked him out of his thoughts. Hearing the tone he’d assigned to close family members, he immediately picked up. “Hello?”
“Hey, Ethan. Just checking in on my big brother.”
His sister’s cheerful voice always made him smile. “Since when, Em?”
“Scratch that. You’re right. I’m way too busy to be checking up on the likes of you. Sophie begged me to call, but then she fell asleep. She wanted to talk to you, I swear, but by the time I got around to it, the kiddo had collapsed on the couch. Dear God, she had a traumatic night.”
“What happened?”
Hearing the clank of dishes in the background, Ethan pictured his sister in the kitchen, phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder to hold it in place.
“I refused to give her Nutella for dinner and she lost it. Cried when I gave her spaghetti instead. Do you have any idea how disgusting it is to watch a child cry and eat spaghetti at the same time? Too many things dangling. Seriously, it was a consider-having-your-tubes-tied moment.”
Ethan saw the scene play out in his head. Sophie did have a flair for the drama. “Never a dull moment in your household, Em.”
“Ain’t that the truth? So what’s going on with you?”
“If you must know, I have a date, and I’m going to be late if I don’t get off the phone soon.”
“One of those high-society types skilled at making you act like a jackass?”
Em always considered herself his protector and moral compass, no matter that she was the younger of the two. “Hold back you’re feelings, why don’t you, Em?”
“Sorry. I’m usually not that judgmental.”
“Bullshit.”
She cackled. “You’re right. Such bullshit. Okay, so if she isn’t a prima donna, who is she?”
“Someone I met doing community service.”
“Excuse me? Do you mean, actually serving the community? Or writing a check?”
“Ha, ha. Actually serving the community, wiseass. She’s the director.”
“Ooo. I like her already. There’s a snag, though. I can sense it.”
His sister always had a knack for ferreting out when he was troubled by something. “She has no clue who I really am.”
“Meaning?”
Ethan lowered his head and gave a bitter laugh. “Meaning, she thinks I’m just a computer consultant who’s done relatively well for himself.”
Em whistled. “Yikes.”
Her reaction didn’t surprise him, and it only strengthened the ache in his gut. He’d regret this, for sure. “I get it, believe me.”
“Well, look, you’re obviously beating yourself up about this, so there’s no need for me to pile it on. Be careful. If I know you, and I do, you’re thinking about how this might hurt her later. But maybe this time around, think about how this might hurt you later, too, okay?”
“Thanks for the advice, Em.”
“Always free and completely useless, big bro. I’ll have Sophie call you next week.”
“Give her a big hug and a kiss from her uncle, all right?”
“Will do.”
He walked to his bedroom, mulling over his sister’s observations. Em had a point. He’d been so concerned about hurting Gracie he hadn’t considered how the charade might cause him pain, too. Just great. Now he had more to worry about.
He darted a glance at the alarm on his nightstand. Shit. No time to think about it now, though. With any luck, Gracie would reconsider her proposal and make the decision for him. But Ethan didn’t bother to hold his breath.
* * *
The weekend had come too soon, and Gracie wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready for her liaison with Nic to begin. Trying to avert a wardrobe crisis, she paced her apartment as she listened to Mimi on the line.
“Where are you going?” Mimi asked.
“He
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