I shook my head. "No. You did the right thing." But even as I said it, thoughts about how things might have been different swirled in my head. Once again, I shook those thoughts away. "What did he want?"
"He said he’d made a mistake. He knew it was probably unlikely that you'd forgive him, but he wanted to try. He seemed sincere, but I sent him away."
"Presumably back to Sandra and his child."
"I don't know."
I sucked in a breath. "Well, it doesn't matter. You were right to send him away. Just like he was right that I wouldn’t forgive him. That hasn't changed. I learned my lesson."
Ethan studied me again.
I made a face. "Stop trying to analyze me. It's done and over with. It was five years ago. I've moved on."
"But have you? You haven't dated anyone—"
"You know why I haven’t dated. I was essentially cast out of my social group after Grandfather disowned me. My only options for a relationship were with the low-class jerks who came into the bar. Do you really think I wanted to date someone who would grab my ass when I was waiting their table?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. Sometimes, I think I should've helped you move somewhere else where Grandfather's reach wasn't so wide or oppressive."
"I couldn't leave you. I may be hard and closed off from my experience, but I need one person in my life. In case you’re wondering, that’s you. And also Lucy and Kira."
He nodded, but his expression still suggested he wished he'd done more to help me. "The point is that despite what he did, I'm not so sure you're over him. I saw your reaction to seeing him—"
"Being shocked and annoyed doesn't mean I'm not over him."
He paused. "Remember before I met Lucy?"
"You mean before I sent Lucy to you for a job and you married her as a business deal?"
He showed me an annoyed expression. "Yes, before then. You used to push me to give up on Grandfather and hoping he’d name me as his successor. You urged me to pursue my own path. All work and no play made Ethan a dull boy."
"I just was tired of seeing Grandfather toy with you like a cat does with a mouse. If he couldn't see that you were the better candidate, then he's an idiot. He's a sadist. What sort of man enjoys watching his grandchildren fight and suffer?"
"You were right. I stood up to the old man and I walked away. I took back what was ours." For a long time, he’d thought of the company as his right because our father would have taken over had he lived. Now Ethan’s definition of what was ours was only what our parents left us—our trusts and stock in the company.
“Finally, you used those balls Lucy kept telling me about.”
He blanched. “She doesn’t talk to you about my balls.”
I made a noncommittal face. Lucy would tell me about the man in her life, but in this case it was my brother, and I didn’t want to know about his balls or his prowess in bed. That would just be weird.
“No. She doesn’t because I don’t want to know about your balls.”
He shook his head.
“Thank you for getting back what was ours.” If not for Ethan, I wouldn't own the Sea Siren. Instead, I’d be scraping by schlepping beers to assholes.
Getting my trust back allowed me to invest in the Sea Siren. A cherry on the top was that my success put the bar that Lucy and I had worked at out of business. Today, it sat vacant up the street. I don't know where all those patrons got their beer now, but they weren't allowed into my establishment. We had a strict no groping the staff policy.
"You proved yourself, Kate. You can put your shields down. You don't have to go through life acting like everyone you meet is going to destroy you."
I stared at Ethan, not comprehending why he was saying this. "Why would I put my shield down for someone who did destroy me?"
He sighed and stood up. "I understand the fear, but the man I saw five years ago was in love with you.”
“That was five years ago.”
“When he saw you, he was shocked and couldn’t take his eyes off you. I’m not a mind reader, but I’d bet my left nut that what I saw in his face was hope.”