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herself, she wasn’t in the market for anyone. It wasn’t easy to meet men when she worked like she did, and so far the men at the club didn’t interest her. But as for the suggestion that it was time to settle down, she had never heard from Ethan that he was looking for that. Fallon certainly didn’t fit the bill, if that’s what he’d been going for. “Ethan will find someone when he’s ready.”
    “Dear, have the two of you ever considered…” Mrs. Chambers let her words slide, but her meaning was obvious and her hand gestured toward the living room where Ethan was keeping his father company. At first Taryn thought she misunderstood. When Mrs. Chambers again used her hand to signify her meaning, Taryn was stunned. She didn’t quite know how to respond to that and she didn’t want to consider how she must look at the present time. When she opened her mouth, nothing came out and Ethan’s mother spoke once more. “Sometimes friendship can turn into something more. You’re already a part of this family and it’s obvious that Ethan cares for you. I—”
    “Mom, Taryn and I have to head out. We have a long drive tomorrow,” Ethan said, entering the kitchen. He walked around the table and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. He seemed to realize that a slight tension had overtaken the air that surrounded them. He looked between the two of them quizzically. “Everything all right?”
    “Yes,” Taryn replied, covering for Ethan’s mother. It was clear that Mrs. Chambers didn’t want her son to know what they had been discussing as she made herself appear busy with the leftover plates on the counter. “We were just talking about your birthday next week. Thirty years old. You’re still a youngin.”
    “What? That makes you an old cat lady?” Ethan laughed as he headed back into the living room. “You don’t even own a cat, so there’s still hope for you yet. Come on, decrepit woman. We need to hit my place so that I can pack before we drive to your apartment.”
    Taryn opened the refrigerator door and stored the leftovers, allowing Ethan time to disappear back into the living room. She turned back to Mrs. Chambers and thought of what she could say that wouldn’t hurt the older woman’s feelings. It was easy to see that Ethan’s mom wanted her son to settle down and give her grandchildren. That woman just wasn’t Taryn.
    “Ethan will find someone in time, but we’re just friends, Mrs. Chambers. He’s my teammate, my partner,” Taryn said softly, trying to ease the truth to her words and let Ethan’s mom down gently. She came around the small island and gave the older woman a gentle hug. “I think it’s sweet that you think I would be good enough for a daughter-in-law. Let’s keep that between us, and together we will make sure that Ethan finds someone who is good enough for him, okay?”
    She found herself wondering what Mrs. Chambers had been going say, but that wasn’t to be. Ethan once again had popped his head into the kitchen, hurrying Taryn along. She gave an apologetic smile to his mother and then followed him to the front door, hugs and goodbyes distributed. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers had been older in age when they’d had Ethan and Taryn could well and truly understand their need to see him settle down and give them the grandchildren they deserved.
    As Taryn and Ethan headed for her SUV, she couldn’t prevent herself from thinking about how a serious relationship for Ethan would change their friendship. It wasn’t something that she’d ever considered before, and a despondency came over her at the thought of their bond altering from what it had been over the years. She couldn’t deal with that now. She didn’t have it in her. After everything was resolved on the family front and Ryland was actually detained in federal custody or dead, Taryn would take the time to actually think about whether she was hindering Ethan from finding some nice girl and settling down. For now, the morning