She used the end of her fork to push a green grape around her plate, taking a deep breath. She had to set this up right, explain everything best as she could. It would be a big change for their family, and Sadie wanted Ethan to know every detail.

“As much as I’ve loved and appreciated this time at home with Lincoln—” Almost on cue, Lincoln began to cough. Sadie handed him his juice and waited until he had three successful swallows to continue. “Ethan, I would like to go back to work.”

Ethan stopped eating. “At the design firm?”

Sadie colored. “No, not the design firm. I would be up here in the Cove. I’d like to work with Renee.”

“At the doctor’s office?”

Good God she was doing a lousy job of explaining this.

“No, honey.” She took a moment to pause, to catch her breath. “Renee and I are considering opening a pie shop together.”

“A pie shop,” Ethan repeated.

“A pie shop,” she confirmed. “Remember those pies she made for Lincoln’s birthday party? Well, we’d be serving a mix of Renee’s recipes as well as Grandma Hester’s. The Old Red Mill has a space up for lease, and Renee has the money to take it. We would be the anchor shop. I thought it was all a little crazy…but then I visited the space, and it just, it just feels right.”

Not waiting for Ethan to reply, she continued. “Renee would be in charge of the kitchen, and I would run the front of the house. I would also get to oversee the renovation. But before we move forward, I wanted to discuss it with you. Of course. Obviously.” She stopped. She was clearly rambling.

Ethan stared at his half-finished plate, shaking his head in a sort of stunned silence.

Finally, he spoke.

“Sweetheart, while I think the pie shop is a fantastic idea for Renee, why do you need to be involved?” His words stung. “Running a restaurant is extremely hard work. It’s long shifts without much profit—particularly in the early days when you’ll have a newborn and a toddler to look after.”

His words made Sadie see red.

“Don’t you mean when we’ll have a newborn and a toddler to look after? They’re your kids, too.” Sadie used all of her strength to keep her voice calm because Lincoln was in the room. “But I don’t see you thinking twice about your long hours and extended time away from your family.”

“Of course I know that they’re my kids, too. I work hard so that you don’t have to. I want to provide for you guys the same way my dad did for us,” Ethan responded as though that was obvious.

“Seriously?” She forced a laugh. “I mean, Ethan, come on. It’s not 1950.”