But with the man she intended to marry, apparently she had told the truth.
“Then why the performance today?” I asked.
Denise looked embarrassed.
“Because I panicked.”
“The cake wasn’t yours.”
“No.”
“The ‘take you home’ speech?”
“That was mine.”
Ethan’s mouth tightened.
Denise looked at him.
“I had imagined you would be happy.”
“I was happy before you arrived.”
“I know.”
“I mean I’m not unhappy you came.”
She waited.
“I’m unhappy you came with a plan for me that I didn’t help make.”
Something in Denise’s face softened.
“That is fair.”
Jonathan nodded once, almost imperceptibly.
Ethan noticed.
“You agree with me.”
“I do.”
“Did you know she planned to say that?”
“No.”
Denise looked at him.
“You knew I wanted Ethan to spend part of the summer with us.”
“Yes. I didn’t know you intended to announce it as a decision.”
