in life. And even if there was, it wasn’t worth searching for. He just wanted a pretty decoration for his arm and a woman waiting at home for him.” She snorted. “Luckily, he wised up and realized before too late that there was something more than that.”
She looked at Ethan and poked him in the chest so he was paying attention. “There’s more than that.”
He took a swig. “I think I’ve realized that.”
“So now it’s time to go win her over.”
“Did Grandfather have to win you over?”
“You bet your balls he did. You think I’d just swoon as soon as he started chasing me?”
Ethan looked down into the beer bottle. “How did he win you?”
Ellen sat next to him and put her hand on his arm. “He gave me what I needed.”
He looked up. “What did you need?”
She laughed. “Oh, I needed proof that he respected me as an equal. Now, that won’t work for Mackenzie because that’s not what she needs.”
“What does she need?”
“How am I supposed to know?”
“You’re a lot of help.”
She patted his arm. “You know. You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what she needs, except maybe change everything about myself.”
She shook her head. “She already loves you. You don’t need to change anything about yourself.”
He blinked. “You think she loves me?”
Ellen barked out a laugh. “Looks like we’re still working on dumb.” She shook her head. “Come at this as if she already loved you. What else does she need?”
“She needs someone who doesn’t remind her of her father.”
“Mmm. But she already loves you, so that’s not what she needs.” She pushed herself up. “You think on it, numnuts. It’ll come to you.”
She picked up the phone, punching in a number.
He said, “What are you doing?”
“Getting the plane ready. You’re not going to give her what she needs wallowing on my couch and drinking my beer.”
He looked down into the amber liquid. What did Mackenzie Wyatt need?
He had no idea. But he was pretty certain she’d say it wasn’t him.
He looked up at his grandmother. “You really think she loves me?”
She patted his head. “Poor clueless boy.”
She tried to pull him up and he helped her by rising. She started pushing him toward the door.
He said, “I still don’t know what she needs.”
She took his bottle and pushed him out the door. “It’s a long flight. You’ll figure it out.”
Ethan knocked on Mackenzie’s door six hours later. He knocked and he knocked and she answered by finally whipping the door open and shouting, “What!”
He said, “I was going to break a window to get in but I thought you wouldn’t appreciate it.”
“I don’t appreciate you trying to knock my door down, either.”
“I have something to say to you. I don’t want to say it. You probably don’t want to hear it.”
“Sounds like a win-win.”
“But if I don’t say it I will regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomo–”
She rolled her eyes and started to close the door. He stuck his shoe in the doorway and said, “I knew you would never fall for me. I knew I could trust you. . . I just didn’t realize I couldn’t trust myself. I didn’t realize that I would fall in love with you.”
She sighed and closed her eyes. “Ethan. How many women have you fallen in love with since you were sixteen?”
“None.”
She opened her eyes, the disbelief clear.
He said, “I’ve loved them all. Still love them all. And have been in love with none of them.”
She waved away the distinction. “And how many of them didn’t fall in love with you?”
He didn’t say it. Knew she would think he’d fallen in love with her only because she hadn’t fallen in love with him.
She said it for him. “None. You don’t love me. You just don’t know what to do with a woman who doesn’t fall all over you.”
He took her hand. “But you pass my test. I’d give you half of O’Connor Capital without even blinking. If you wanted it.”
She looked at him, so sad, and he dropped her hand. He said softly, “But you don’t want it. Because you don’t believe me. And won’t ever let yourself love me if you don’t believe it first.”
He pushed something into her hand and she looked down. He said, “Don’t get excited. It’s not that half mil.”
She took the envelope from him, opening it and finding a plane ticket inside. She looked up.
He said, “He won’t trick you again. You’re not a