10. Ashford
TEN
Ashford
My session at the sheriff’s headquarters in Hartley went well. It was a joint training with other area departments, including the folks from Silver Ridge PD who’d driven in for the workshop. I taught the officers a variety of defensive moves based on Krav Maga to use against aggressive suspects without causing undue harm.
Teaching courses like this didn’t pay a ton, but I never turned down the opportunity.
“Thanks, Ashford. Great class,” Sheriff Douglas said afterward, shaking my hand. He was around my age with a reputation for being diligent and fair. Unlike a lot of elected sheriffs, who might skip a training session in favor of sitting at a desk, Douglas had been out on the mat with his deputies. He’d served as a Marine, and he had some skills.
“There’s a rumor that some of my deputies are grabbing dinner at Last Refuge Tavern after this,” the sheriff said. “You should join. Same with you and your officers, Chief Landry.” He nodded at Teller, the chief of our tiny Silver Ridge department.
But Teller shook his head. “I’ve got some work to do back at the station.”
He was Piper’s older brother. Teller and my brother Grayden had been best friends when they were younger, but then Teller went and served honorably as a Green Beret for almost twenty years until he was wounded, while my brother took pretty much the opposite path.
Teller was polite to me and my family, but we hadn’t talked much since he’d come back to Silver Ridge. He had a good reputation as chief though, and was around for Piper and Ollie. Hard to ask more of a man than that.
“I’ll have to skip this one as well,” I said. “I’m anxious to get back to my daughter.”
And actually, back to Emma.
From the pictures she’d sent, it had looked like she and Maisie were having a blast. I wanted in on that. I was ready to admit that I’d been wrong about the park outing.
Wrong about several things.
Dammit, Emma was proving to be much more than I’d expected. Great with my kid. Talented. No pushover, which I respected. And she was really, really fucking pretty. So pretty it was a personal attack on my willpower every time she smiled. Looking didn’t do any harm though.
Emma didn’t need to know that she’d starred in several of my fantasies the last week. Maybe I should’ve felt guilty about picturing her in various not-safe-for-work scenarios with me.
But I didn’t.
I did feel guilty for almost making her cry. I’d gotten worked up about the stupid trash can, and like an asshole, I’d blamed her. I’d made her sad.
Angry was one thing. But seeing her sad ? No, that was just wrong.
Some people in Silver Ridge might accuse me of having no heart for anyone outside my family, but it existed. Way down deep.
I got on the road and decided to head straight to the park, hoping they were still there. Locking my truck by the curb, I walked across the grass and spotted Maisie on a low climbing wall. Emma stood a few feet away, hands on her hips. I felt a smile tug at my mouth.
A flash of golden fur barreled toward me on my left. Stella ran circles around me in excitement, as if I was her long-lost best friend and not a guy she barely knew.
“What’re you doing over here?” I grabbed her by the collar and knelt to rub her belly, just to keep her from jumping up and getting dirt on my black T-shirt. That was the only reason.
I looked up in time to see Maisie leap down from the climbing wall. That made me grit my teeth, but she appeared to be fine.
Then Emma started turning this way and that, hand pressing to her chest. She seemed upset.
Stella and I started toward them. When Emma saw me, she clapped her hands to her mouth. She grabbed Maisie’s hand, and together, they ran to meet us.
“Daddy!” Maisie let go of Emma and jumped into my arms. Stella barked excitedly.
“Hey, monkey. Missed you.”
“We had so much fun. We got Stella from Dixie’s and did the swings and ate snacks.” I set her down. “Daddy, watch! I can play fetch with Stella.”
Maisie picked up a stick and threw it. The stick only went a few feet, but Stella obligingly ran over to grab it. Maisie wrestled it from her mouth and tried again, the two of them playing more of a running game than a throwing one.
Then I realized Emma had her arms wrapped around her middle, shoulders tight, a frown marring her features.
I rested my hand on her back. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“I couldn’t find Stella. And before that, there was somebody watching us. And I thought…”
“Wait a minute, slow down. Somebody was watching you? Who ?”
“I don’t know. Wearing a shiny blue rain slicker, so I couldn’t see his face. It just didn’t feel right. I decided we should leave, and I went to get Maisie. But then Stella was gone. It freaked me out.”
I stood up straighter, scanning the park for somebody in a blue raincoat.
The person was gone. Had they taken off when I arrived? What would have happened if I hadn’t come? Would this person have followed them home?
Silver Ridge was a pretty safe place. Most of the time. But that didn’t stop awful things from happening.
“Glad I got here when I did.” I still had my hand on Emma’s back. She leaned into me as we both watched Maisie and Stella play. Meanwhile, I kept glancing around us, all of my senses on high alert. More than anything, I wanted Emma and Maisie to feel safe.
I was here now, and one thing was certain. I wouldn’t let anyone touch them.
Eventually, Emma relaxed beside me. “Whoever that person was, he left. Maybe I was wrong, and he wasn’t watching us at all.”
“Maybe. I appreciate you being cautious and looking out for Maisie.”
“Always. I might not be great with cars, or possibly trash cans, but I wouldn’t let anything happen to Maisie.”
Her tone was light, but I tried to convey my sincerity when I replied. “I believe you.”
She looked up at me, blue eyes blinking.
I was suddenly aware of how close we were. How good it felt, how right , to be touching her like this. I wanted to put my arm around her shoulders and tug her against my side.
Reluctantly, my hand slid away from her back. Because those were not thoughts I should be having.
Maisie ran over with Stella on her heels. “Did you see me, Daddy?”
“Sure did. You’re the dog whisperer.”
She cracked up. “I wasn’t whispering. You’re so silly.”
“That’s me. Your silly dad,” I deadpanned.
Emma bit her lower lip and grinned. Damn, I wished she wouldn’t do that.
“I guess I should leave you to the rest of your evening,” she said.
Maisie’s eyes turned to saucers. “Not yet! You should have dinner with us. Daddy, can we take her out to dinner to say thank you? Please? That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
“I swear, I didn’t prompt this,” Emma murmured. “You don’t have to.”
But I shrugged. “I did say I’d be nice.”
“Can we go to Flamethrower and get cheeseburgers and extra tots and shakes too? ’Cause it’s a special occasion? They even have a patio for Stella. Please?”
“Special occasion, huh? Then I’d better say yes. If Emma wants to go.” I turned to her. “Would you join us?”
“I’d love to.”
“Yay!” Maisie shouted. “Shakes!”
“You just got played, big time,” Emma said under her breath.
“Probably.” Luckily, I didn’t care. Dinner was the least I could do as a thank you for watching my kid.
Not just so I could spend more time with Emma, though that was a side benefit.
“Want to walk there?” Emma asked. “It’s so beautiful out. Plus I doubt you want more dog hair in your truck.”
I grunted. “We’d better walk.”
“You were just fearing for your upholstery, weren’t you?”
“I was thinking of what an enjoyable stroll it would be.” I gestured at the trees and sky and…whatever.
“Right.”
Her teasing smile went straight to the least appropriate parts of me. Nrgh .
I reminded myself that my kid was close by. That sobered me up.
Emma put a leash on Stella. Maisie insisted on holding the leash, which I thought was a bad idea because that dog had forty pounds on her. But Emma assured me Stella would stay calm.
Since it was summer, the sun was still high though it was dinnertime. I noticed details of my town that I must’ve missed in the last few weeks. When had all these flowers bloomed? Everything was so green.
“Oh, I wanted to ask you something.” Emma dug into her messenger bag. I kept one eye on my daughter ahead of us and one on what Emma was doing. She produced a book-like object with unicorns on the cover, but no title written on the outside.
“What is that?” I asked.
“Shhh,” Emma scolded me, hiding the book in her bag. “It’s a surprise. Don’t be so loud.”
“I’m not loud.”
Maisie looked at us over her shoulder. “You’re very loud, Daddy.”
“Ganging up on me, huh?”
Emma smiled so big that a small dimple appeared in her cheek. “I bought it earlier,” she said, far quieter than me. “It’s a blank notebook. I thought Maisie could start a diary, or just draw in it. Whatever she likes. But I wanted to check with you first and see if it’s okay.”
“Sure. That’s…I think she’ll like it.” I cleared my throat.
“Good. I’ll give it to her later.” She closed her bag. “Tell me about the workshop you were teaching.”
Yeah. That was much safer ground than how sweet she was being to my kid. Time to talk about my badass martial arts moves. I stuck out my chest, flexing a bit for good measure.
Me, getting misty-eyed because this gorgeous woman had bought a unicorn notebook for my daughter? Nah. Never happened.
I’d deny it until the end of time. Or at least until the end of the summer.
“You’re kidding me,” I muttered.
We had just turned the corner, and Flamethrower was up ahead. But the line stretched out the door and partway down the block. It was a Thursday night in summer, so maybe I should’ve expected this. Damn tourists taking over my town.
“That’s okay,” Emma said. “We can entertain ourselves while we wait.”
I kept grumbling, but after a while, I gave up. Honestly, it took more effort to stay in a bad mood when she and Maisie were around. Between the dog and my kid, we made new friends and said hello to a bunch of people I knew. So maybe it wasn’t all tourists.
Just before we went inside, Emma tied Stella’s leash to a railing by the patio and made sure she had water available. Maisie tugged at my arm. “Daddy, can’t Stella come in with us?”
“Nope. No dogs allowed. We’ll come out here and find a table after we order.”
“Not fair.” Maisie pouted and stomped her little foot. But people on the patio were already fawning over the retriever. She was going to be fine.
Still, I noticed that Emma kept casting nervous glances through the windows as we headed inside. She’d really gotten a scare in the park.
“I’ll keep an eye on Stella,” I said. “I have a clear line of sight.”
Emma exhaled. “Thanks. I’m being ridiculous.”
“Nah, I get it.” Unable to resist, I let my fingertips brush the inside of her wrist. She exhaled again and didn’t move her arm. The contact lingered.
We reached the counter, where Elias was taking orders. I knew how that was. Running a small business meant you filled in anywhere and everywhere.
I gave him an up-nod. He grinned when he saw us. “Well look at you, O’Neal. Out and about. Emma, right? I remember you from Hearthstone.”
“Yep. Nice to see you, Elias.” Now she was grinning at him, and I didn’t like that as much.
“All right, we’re holding up the line. Let’s order.”
“He’s just a ray of sunshine isn’t he?” Elias joked, still focused on Emma.
“He has his moments.”
“Ashford, I’ve got a Peaches and Cream Ale on tap. My latest brew made with Palisade Peaches. Do you want an 18-ounce? Or just a pint?”
I glared. Elias knew I hated fruit in my beer. He thought he was funny.
We ordered burgers, a kid’s meal for Maisie, plus a sampler platter of tater tots and three chocolate shakes. I was going to need an extra-long session at the gym tomorrow. Did Emma work out? She had to. I leaned back, gaze sneaking down toward her ass in those shorts. When I looked up, Elias was giving me a smug, closed-mouth smile.
“Don’t say it,” I muttered as I swiped my debit card.
“Not saying anything. Callum told me how you jumped down his throat. I’d rather stay on your good side.” He handed me a number for our table, and we went out to the patio to find an open spot. Maisie went straight to Stella, showering her with hugs and pets since they’d been away from each other for ten minutes.
“What happened with Callum?” Emma asked as we sat down. “I seem to remember Maisie saying you called him a D-word.”
I bit back a smile. “Dumbass. As in, my brother couldn’t keep his dumbass opinions to himself.” I wasn’t even mad at him anymore. He’d made some decent points, now that I had distance from that conversation. Even though he was still wrong overall. I found Emma attractive, but that was the end of it. “Callum doesn’t know when to shut his mouth. But we’ll probably make up by tomorrow.”
“You have another brother, right? Callum mentioned him the other night.”
Which was a topic I liked even less. But at the same time, I didn’t mind telling her. “Grayden is the oldest. He’s not in our lives anymore. Not since he was courtmartialed by the Army, got handed a dishonorable discharge, and went to prison.”
There wasn’t any sugar-coating my brother’s fall.
“Oh. Wow. I don’t blame you.”
“I prefer not to discuss him in front of Maisie.”
“No problem. I won’t mention him.”
My daughter ran back over to us, wiping her now-messy hair from her face. “Daddy, can I play with those kids?” She pointed at a small group that had gathered around the dog.
“After we eat, okay?”
“Hey, I’ve got something for you,” Emma said, pre-empting Maisie’s protests. She pulled the unicorn notebook from her bag and set it on the table.
I nodded when Maisie looked to me for permission. She picked up the notebook, marveling at the shiny designs on the cover. “What is it?”
“Your very own notebook, but not just any notebook. This one is special. It’s a journal. A place for you to write things down, or draw, or anything you like. A place to hold all the treasures inside you that want to come out.”
Maisie’s mouth dropped open in awe. “I have treasures inside me?”
“You do. Everybody does, if they know where to look.”
“Even Daddy?” Maisie giggled. “He gets really mad when he can’t find things.”
“Even him.” Emma’s blue eyes slid to me, her head tilting. “Do you need a journal, Ashford? I can get another unicorn one.”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Maisie wanted to start on her journal right away, so Emma gave her a pen. The food arrived soon after, and I had to confiscate the notebook for a little while to make my kid eat, even though Flamethrower burgers and tots were the pinnacle of cuisine in her opinion.
“I want my journal to be just like yours, Emma,” Maisie announced, cheeks full of tots. “You must have lots of treasures in you because you’re so shiny.”
Emma set down her burger. “That is the sweetest thing anyone’s said to me. Thank you.”
We kept eating, but my eyes were doing that thing again. The one where I kept going back to Emma. Drawn by an irresistible force. My daughter had the right idea.
Emma was shiny. Way too shiny for me.
We were almost done eating when Piper showed up with Ollie. They pulled up a table to join ours. “Are you still pissed at Callum?” Piper asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Give me a break. Did somebody write an article in the local paper? Take out an ad? It’s not that big a deal.”
“I dropped by Grace’s a few minutes ago. I was bringing her a get-well-soon package.” Piper sipped her drink. “Callum was there too.”
“I’ll call him tomorrow,” I grumbled. “Just so he’ll stop whining to everyone.”
Piper snickered. She knew she was stirring up shit.
“Is Grace doing okay?” Emma asked.
Piper swiped a tot from our basket. “She has a bad cold. It was so sweet of you to step in and watch Maisie, Em. How did it go?” Piper eyed me as she said that. Probably watching my reaction.
She liked to claim she didn’t gossip, but everyone around here gossiped. It was a small-town rule. It sucked. Especially because my private business seemed to be the topic way too often.
I drank my shake while Piper and Emma chatted, and Maisie and Ollie petted Stella. Finally, the sun was going down, and I couldn’t fit another bite into my full stomach. “We should head out soon.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Emma got up to use the restroom.
“I have an idea,” Piper announced, once we were alone. “Maisie should come play with Ollie for a bit. He wanted to show her his new Lego set. And you can walk Emma back to her place. Feel free to take your time.”
I knew what was going on. This was a conspiracy.
She had definitely been talking to Callum.
“Stop meddling.”
“Who, me? I don’t meddle. Just trying to be a good friend. To both of you.”
I stood up, collecting our baskets and napkins. “For someone who claims she’s through with love, you seem pretty interested in other people’s love lives.”
Piper shrugged. “It’s a hobby of mine.”
“Set up Grace with someone instead.”
“Believe me, I’m working on it.”
I didn’t even want to know.
But I decided to take her up on her offer. Just so I could make sure Emma got home safe. I threw away our trash, returned the baskets, and met Emma when she emerged from the ladies’ room.
“If you’re heading home after this, I can walk you. Piper’s going to keep the kids for an hour or two.”
“Okay.” Emma smiled, adjusting the strap of her bag. “Thanks.”
I kept my hands in my pockets as we walked toward the Ponderosa Apartments. I didn’t need the temptation to touch her again. Even though I wanted to, and that urge kept getting stronger.
Damn my friends and family for meddling with my business. For being so obnoxious as to want me to be happy.
A summer fling wasn’t going to make me happy. It would be nothing more than a distraction. I couldn’t afford distractions. And Emma Jennings had already turned into a big one.
Besides, why would a beautiful woman in her twenties, with a sunshiny personality and her entire future laid out for her like a buffet, want to deal with me? I came pre-loaded with a shit-ton of baggage.
“Thank you for dinner,” Emma said, holding Stella’s leash as we made our way down the sidewalk. “I had fun tonight.”
“Me too. We shouldn’t make a habit of it though.”
“And why is that?”
“Because a couple of months from now, you’ll be getting ready to leave. Maisie will be sad when you go. I don’t want her to get too attached.”
“Sorry to break it to you, but I think Maisie is already attached. To Stella, for sure. Maybe even to me. You can’t stop her from caring about people.”
I glanced down the street, pressing my lips together. “It’s not that simple.”
She sighed. “It’s your call if I spend time with your daughter or not. But I thought you and I got along really well today too. Just admit it, Ashford. We’re friends. You like me.”
“Are you sure you want to be friends with me? It’s not that great.”
“I beg to differ. I think you’re a pretty nice guy. When you choose to be.”
I wanted to smile at her the way she was smiling at me. Wanted to reach out.
But I couldn’t let myself. Because if I reached for her, what if I didn’t want to let go?
“I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“Sure. See you at the Big Blue Monster.”
“The what ?”
“That’s what I call it. Blue bricks. And those two windows on the second floor look like eyes.”
My smile broke through my defenses. “I never thought about it. But they do.”
“Admit we’re friends,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“I’ll consider it.”
“And I’ll consider that a win.”
She and Stella went inside the building. I wasn’t happy to see that there was no lock on the outer door. Would the owner of the Ponderosa get angry if I came over here and installed one?
Hmm. It would be a pain in the ass. But I was seriously considering it.
I crossed the street, but I didn’t leave yet. A light switched on in a third-floor apartment. Was that hers?
She was home safe. It was getting dark. I should probably go.
Instead, I stood there with my thoughts going around and around in the same circles. Wanting something that I shouldn’t, couldn’t , have.
When I turned to go, I caught sight of a figure standing beneath a tall cottonwood tree. The person wore a long blue jacket in a fabric that caught the fading light when he shifted. A hood shadowed his face.
A navy blue rain slicker. Just like Emma had described seeing at the park. The person who’d been watching her and Maisie.
What the fuck?
“Hey, you,” I called out, starting toward him. “Excuse me.”
The guy bolted, dodging out of sight.
“Hey!”
I cursed, my muscles tensing to follow. But he hadn’t done anything illegal. And while I’d been hanging out with cops today, I wasn’t one myself.
If the guy came back, though, he could waltz right into Emma’s apartment building. For all I knew, there was a back door and the creep was heading there now.
I took out my phone and tried calling Emma. She didn’t answer.
I crossed to the entrance door, went inside her building, and started up the stairs. Except I didn’t actually know which apartment was hers. It could be anywhere.
Nice job thinking ahead .
But I had to warn her that the same creep from earlier might be hanging around. I would offer to call Teller. The Silver Ridge PD station was less than a mile away. If Emma wanted to, we could file a report.
Then I heard a woman shout. It had come from the floor above.
I barreled up the steps.