Free Men of Courage by Lori Foster, Jill Shalvis, Donna Kauffman Page A

for his jeans, he realized that Rosie was just standing there, staring at him, and he grinned.
    “You know,” he said as he pulled on the jeans, “I was thinking about this marriage stuff.”
    Her breath caught. “And?”
    “I think it’s a hell of an idea.”
    She stood still for almost fifteen seconds before she let out a squeal and bounded around the bed to reach him. Ethan caught her, whirled her around once, then laughed out loud as she choked him with a tight hug. “I knew you’d be reasonable!”
    Still laughing, Ethan said, “It has nothing to do with reason and everything to do with loving you.” He cupped his hands over her bottom and kissed her. “Do you think we could get it done next week on my day off?”
    “Next week?” Her face went blank. “Of course not. I have to order a dress and rent a halland find a preacher and invite everyone…weddings take time, Ethan.”
    His heart sank like a stone into his stomach. “Rosie.” Gently he set her away from him. “I want no part of a big, fancy wedding. I thought we could just go to a justice of the peace and be done with it.”
    “But…I don’t want to just ‘be done with it.”’ She looked stricken, a little pale. “I want a big wedding.” She tried a smile that went flat, and teased, “I’m only getting married once, you know.”
    Ethan couldn’t bear to see her hope. He turned away, stalking to the window to look out. Her small backyard was immaculate, perfect for the dog and kids that she wanted. He gave a muffled curse.
    The silence behind him was suffocating, but damned if he could think of anything to say to her. The idea of a fancy wedding with guests staring at him…no. He couldn’t do that.
    “Ethan?” She touched his bare shoulder. “I love you.”
    “I know.”
    Her arms came around him from behind. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”
    “I know that, too, Rosie. But I swore I’d neveragain put myself in that position.” He turned to face her. “If we had a big wedding, you know what everyone would be thinking? They’d be remembering the last time, how I was left standing there looking like a goddamned fool when your brother ran off with my bride.”
    Rosie backed up a step. Her chin lifted. “You weren’t the only one humiliated that day, Ethan Winters. Every person at that wedding wanted to ask me about it, too, to see if I’d known what my brother was planning.”
    “Did you?”
    Her eyes narrowed, her mouth trembled. “I’ll pretend you didn’t ask me that.”
    He rubbed his face. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
    “You weren’t the only one to lose someone you loved, either.” Her voice got shaky, her eyes a little liquid. But she didn’t look away, didn’t lower that stubborn chin. “I haven’t seen my brother since. With Mom and Dad gone, he’s the only family I have left, but until you forgive him, until you let everyone know that you’re over Michelle, I have no one.”
    Ethan hadn’t thought of it that way, and now he felt sick. “You have me.”
    She didn’t smile. “Yes I do, and I love you. But…maybe that’s not enough.”
    She waited, and he knew what she wanted. Rosie never bothered with subtlety. But Ethan couldn’t relent.
    With a resigned sigh, Rosie glanced at her watch. “Wow, look at the time.”
    “Rosie…”
    “Darn it, I have to go or I’ll be late.” She tried to look chipper—and failed.
    “I’m off today,” Ethan told her. “I’m going to see if I can get the interview with Red out of the way early this afternoon, then I’ll come back here. We can talk more tonight.” He hated to give her false hope about a big wedding, when just the thought of it made him break out in a cold sweat and sent cramps to his stomach. But he also hated to send her out the door when she was upset.
    “All right.” She turned thoughtful, and Ethan had the faint suspicion she was plotting something. “I’ll be back around five. Make yourself at home, okay?”
    “Coffee