Free Breaking All The Rules (Book 1 - Second Chances Series) by Rhonda McKnight Page B

watch the Brits.”

Chapter 7
     
    I woke to the sound of my cell phone ringing, the smell of Ethan’s woodsy cologne and the feel of his hand on my knee. I careened my neck in the direction of the ring and in the sliver of moonlight saw the face of the clock. It was just after four a.m. I gasped. Ethan stirred, but didn’t wake. I tried to remember how I ended up on a couch in my father’s house with a twenty-nine year old, hot millionaire and then I remembered, Janette, the wedding…preterm labor, hence the four a.m. phone call. It had to be Terrance.
    I moved Ethan’s hand and he bolted upright like my knee had been the pillow his head rested on. I stood, stretched and moved in the dimmed light for my purse, which I’d probably left on the table in the foyer.
    “I was having a very good dream.” I heard Ethan groan behind me.
    When I reached the door I could see headlights bouncing against the house and recognized Terrance’s truck. I reached into my bag for my cell, removed it and returned his call.
    “What’s going on? Is Janette okay?”
    “She’s fine.” His tone was terse. “She’s with me.”
    I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at it like I hadn’t heard what I thought I heard. “Why are you sitting in the truck?”
    Ethan came up behind me and asked, “Is everything okay?”
    I moved the phone from my ear and pointed out the door.
    Ethan squinted. “Is that Terrance?”
    I nodded and returned the phone to my ear.
    “I didn’t want to walk in on anything,” Terrance replied.
    “Don’t worry about it. We’re almost dressed. Come on in.” I pressed the button to end the call.
    Ethan was noticeably shocked. “Wow! You are mad at him.”
    “What do you mean? I’m not…” I paused mid sentence. “I’m not mad. I’m just, I don’t know.”
    “That was beyond angry,” Ethan said. “Pretending you and I –” I shot him a sharp look. He shook his head. “What a waste of my rep. I didn’t even do anything but watch bad television.”
    The headlights on the truck dimmed. I moved to the table and picked up our ice cream bowls and glasses and took them into the kitchen.  Why had I done that? Why do I want to make Terrance angry? And more importantly, why does he care?
    I heard the screen door snap and readied myself to return to the living room.
    Janette had just taken a seat in her favorite chair when I entered. Terrance stood next to her, hand on her shoulder and his face twisted as if he’d just eaten some sour grapes. “You two seem cozy,” she said.
    Ethan and I looked at each other. He smiled a little. I cleared my throat. “I didn’t know they discharged patients this time of morning.”
    “They send pregnant women home as soon as they finish monitoring them,” Terrance replied. “Plus, your sister insisted she wanted to come home and finish the night in her bed and wake up to her bathroom.”
    “How are you feeling?” Ethan asked.
    “Better. I think the fluids from the I.V. helped hydrate me. I’ll be good as new in a few days.”
    “Great.” Ethan nodded.
    A beat of silence passed between the four of us.
    “You ladies could use some sleep and so could I,” Ethan said. “I should be going.”
    “I’m sure you should,” Terrance replied, through gritted teeth.
    Ethan had been walking toward the door, but Terrance’s comment stopped him dead in his tracks. “What’s your problem? You’ve been trippin’ for days?”
    “I don’t have a problem. I’m just disgusted that you’ve forgotten what a small town Garrison is.”
    “Meaning?”
    “Meaning you’ve got no business leaving this house this early in the morning.”
    Ethan rubbed a hand over his bald head and shook it. “Have you lost your mind?” he asked through gritted teeth. “I’m grown. You’re not talking to the boys in your youth group.”
    Terrance removed his hand from Janette’s shoulder and made a bee line right to Ethan with a pointed finger. “Then act like it. Grown