Free Forever This Time by Maggie McGinnis

His eyes drank in her gorgeous body. “Come here.”
    He reached out his arms, and she paused, then moved carefully toward his embrace, wobbling the canoe dangerously. He gathered her into a bear hug, then purposely rocked the canoe just enough to topple them both into the lake.
    Josie sputtered as she emerged, splashing him soundly. “Ethan Thomas Miller, I hate you!”
    â€œI know you do, sweetheart.” He dodged her, then swam around behind her and pulled her close. “But it’s impossible to kiss in a canoe.” He stood on the sandy bottom and turned her to face him. She flailed, unable to reach bottom, but finally melted against his bare chest. “You do want to kiss me, right?”
    â€œYes, Ethan. I do.” Her hands clasped his shoulders as his tongue found hers, and he lifted her so her legs wrapped around his waist. In the fading sunlight he undid the thin strings of her bikini top, and then the bottom, and it was well dark before they recaptured the boat and dragged it back onshore.
    When his truck rolled up her driveway a little while later, he felt Josie’s hand tense inside his own as her mother’s voice sailed through the open windows. Mariah Carey tonight, and good God, Diana was no Mariah.
    Josie jumped out of the truck before he’d even stopped, waving as she jogged to the porch. The crash of a bottle from inside the house had him reaching for the door handle, but Josie called out, “It’s fine! Good night!” and had the front door of the house closed before he could figure out whether he should try to go inside with her.
    But that was stupid. He already knew the answer. He’d been dating her for almost a year, and he’d never ever been invited further than the driveway. “The house is messy,” she’d say. Or, “My parents don’t let me have people over when they’re not here.”
    But Diana was always there. Half the time she was looking out a window as Josie claimed she wasn’t home, but Ethan never let on that he saw her. He knew there must be a damn good reason Josie didn’t want him in that house, but he still hated the powerlessness he felt every time he dropped her off.
    He’d heard the rumors, of course. Who hadn’t? Even Pops had had a few things to say about Diana, and Pops wasn’t the type to entertain the rumor mill. But it was a small town, and there was only one grocery store, and Mrs. Triggs at the front register was only too happy to raise one judgmental eyebrow as Diana trundled her groceries to the car, then turned to ring up Pops and Ethan one evening.
    â€œFour twelve-packs and an apple this time,” she’d said.
    â€œNot our business,” Pops had answered.
    â€œStill. That poor child.” Mrs. Triggs had clucked while Pops bagged, and back in the truck, Pops had turned to Ethan.
    â€œI’m not judging, and I’m not telling you who to hang out with and who not to, but you watch yourself, son. You watch yourself good.”

 
    Chapter 9
    â€œAnybody in here who needs some sherbet?” Ethan poked his head around the half-open doorway to Emmy’s favorite room on Monday afternoon. Yes, he should be at Snowflake Village, not here at Avery’s House, but he hadn’t been able to wait to see Emmy. It had nothing to do with avoiding Josie, who was once again at the park.
    Nothing.
    Emmy had taken off her wig, and in the rocking chair by the window, she looked tinier than her eight years would suggest. There was nothing tiny about her smile, though, as she saw Ethan come through the doorway.
    â€œUh-oh. Better hurry before Mommy gets back. She says I’m already getting spoiled here.”
    â€œThat’s our job at Avery’s House—to spoil you absolutely, positively rotten.” He tweaked her nose. “And as one of our five-star guests, you get first dibs on the sherbet cooler this afternoon.”
    â€œAll of us are