13. Emma
THIRTEEN
Emma
By the time I woke up on Saturday, I felt like myself again. If a little more worn out than usual.
Tilting my head to the side, I listened for the sounds of Ashford and Maisie talking, laughing, moving around. But the apartment was quiet. I couldn’t remember if Ashford taught on the weekends or not. Maybe he had another personal training client?
I picked up my new journal from the nightstand and ran a hand across the smooth cover, thinking of Ashford. He kept surprising me. We had spent over an hour straight-up snuggling in my bed yesterday when he was trying to make me feel better. We’d taken a nap together. An intimate kind of moment to share. Now, we would be living together through the rest of the summer.
And I was pretty sure he’d almost kissed me yesterday. Again . I hadn’t felt my best, but I would’ve kissed him back. Maybe kisses from Ashford could be my new headache cure.
If I had wanted to avoid the temptation of falling for another older man, this was not the best way to go about it.
After journaling for a bit, my stomach started rumbling, and I went to find some food. After eating little more than soup and ice cream yesterday, I was ravenous. Also I needed to focus on something other than the ridiculously sexy man I was living with.
Unfortunately, the kitchen didn’t help. Everything about the space reminded me of Ashford and his daughter. Poking around in the cabinets revealed juice boxes and snack packs. One of the few items that could only be for him was a box of protein bars.
My curiosity got the better of me once I had some food in my stomach. Instead of going straight back to my room, I ventured further down the hall to Ashford’s.
His door just so happened to be open, and I just so happened to look inside. His bed was unmade, which only made me think of Ashford lying there. Tangling up those sheets with his long legs. The room smelled like him, hints of cinnamon and clove and anise.
Heat prickled all over my skin.
Ashford was gruff and difficult, sure. But when it counted, he had shown me more kindness and generosity than my ex ever had in the entire time I had been with him.
It made me want to do something more for Ashford. Cleaning up the kitchen and living room seemed like a small gesture, but one he would appreciate. I grabbed my AirPods, queued up some music from one of my favorite contemporary composers, and got to work.
What kind of music does Ashford like? I wondered.
I lost track of time. Until someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I whirled around, yanking the AirPods from my ears.
A woman in her late twenties stood there. She jumped back, hands going up. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you. You didn’t hear me when I came in. I’m Grace. Ashford’s sister.”
“Of course. Hi, I’m Emma.” I set aside the cleaning supplies and wiped off my hands.
“Believe me, I’ve heard all about you. Yet somehow, I keep missing the chance to meet you.” She held up a takeout bag from Flamethrower Burgers & Brews. “Thought I’d swing by with lunch and say hello. I heard you’ve been out of commission with a migraine. How are you feeling?”
“Much better. You had a cold, right?”
She made a face. “I did, and it was the worst. I hate being sick.”
“Same. It’s really sweet of you to drop by. Ashford and Maisie are out though.”
“I know. Ashford takes her to the farmer’s market in the square every Saturday. I will admit I came here with an agenda. I was hoping to chat with you alone.”
“Uh oh.”
She laughed. “I promise I’m not that scary. Just…curious.” Grace glanced around the kitchen. “This place looks amazing, by the way. So clean.”
“Trying to help out, since Ashford’s done a lot for me lately. He’s a great guy.”
“He is.” Grace smiled again, but I felt the way she was assessing me.
We unpacked the food she’d brought. To my surprise, not burgers. “Elias makes really good turkey-avocado club sandwiches. I asked for blue cheese dressing on the side. Might sound weird, but it’s my favorite.”
“I’m up for it. Bring me all the cheese.”
She held up her hand for a high five. “Yes. I can already tell we’re going to get along.”
Grace looked like her brothers, with her straight nose and the prominence of her jaw. But all of her features were the feminine version. Her bright brown eyes matched theirs, hers with even more flecks of amber, though partially hidden by her oversized glasses.
She’d tied her hair up with a pencil. Unlike Callum and Ashford, hers was lighter, a mix of brown and gold with auburn tones. Grace was stunning, but she had the kind of beauty that could go unnoticed because she was so unassuming.
“So you moved in here.” She dipped a corner of her sandwich in the dressing. “I was surprised when I heard that from Elias. Especially because Ashford hadn’t told me.”
There it was. The awkward part of the visit. “It happened a couple days ago. When you were sick with the cold. I babysat Maisie, and Ashford walked me home afterward. I was staying at the Ponderosa Apartments.”
She grimaced. “That place? No offense, but it’s kind of…”
“A dump? Trust me, I’m well aware. We got all that rain, and my ceiling was about to fall in. Ashford offered me his guest room. It was incredibly kind, and I’m so grateful.”
Last night, I had given notice to Sheldon at the Ponderosa that I wouldn’t fulfill my lease. Dixie had assured me that she and her friends would pressure the landlord to return my security deposit. Which meant I could use that money elsewhere. Maybe toward getting a new car, once I’d saved up more, since my old Nissan was never going to recover.
Grace frowned at her sandwich. “Like you said, my brother is a great guy. But he hasn’t known you very long. It’s one thing to help out a friend. But inviting you to live with him and Maisie? It was sudden. Really sudden.”
“Are you asking if I’m sleeping with him?”
“Since you mentioned it…”
“I’m not.” I almost told her that it wasn’t her business, but that was a tough call to make. Ashford and Maisie were her family. Of course she was protective of them. “I realize it might seem like I’m trying to take advantage. But I already told Ashford I’m going to pay rent. Plus helping out around the apartment and taking care of Maisie.”
“He trusts you with her. That’s impressive. And it’s obvious how much she likes you. The past few weeks, she’s hardly talked about anything except Emma the music teacher.” Grace folded up her trash into a neat square. “Here’s the thing I’m worried about. Ashford hasn’t dated anyone since Lori. I know he seems tough on the outside, but my brother feels things intensely. He always has. He’s the kind to make sacrifices for the people he cares about.”
“I gathered that. But I told you I’m not dating him.”
“I’m just asking you to be careful. Don’t start anything with him unless you’re sure about what you want. Ashford has been through too much in the last few years. I just want to look out for my big brother, since that’s what he always does for me.”
“No, I get it.” My first reaction was to defend myself. She didn’t know me. If Ashford was interested in me, his sister wasn’t his keeper. “But it’s not necessary.”
“Good.” She blew out a breath. “I brought cookies for dessert. Silver Linings has these amazing chocolate-dipped shortbread ones. You in?”
“Absolutely. Bring it on.”
What would Grace say if she knew my past? I had slept with a married man. Not on purpose, of course. But I still blamed myself for not seeing the truth. If Grace had known that, then there was no way she’d ever want me involved with her brother.
That wasn’t the real issue though. Grace had reminded me of all the legitimate reasons Ashford and I shouldn’t cross the line. But when I got close to him, I seemed to forget everything except how much I liked him.
My bedroom door was open, but Ashford still knocked. “Hey, there you are. What’s been keeping you so busy?”
“I have a bunch of new students for private lessons. Just doing some lesson planning.” I closed my journal and set aside my pen on the nightstand.
Ashford stuck his hands in the pockets of his athletic pants. Those sexy, formfitting ones. Which I should not be noticing.
“I thought maybe you were avoiding me.”
My gaze shifted away from him. “Why would I do that?”
Since Grace’s visit, I’d been making an effort to keep my distance. At least as far as Ashford was concerned. I had been filling in as a babysitter for Maisie whenever he asked, and in the evenings, the three of us had cooked dinner together a few times. Those were some of my favorite parts of each day.
But after Maisie’s bedtime, I always made sure I was busy in my room. No alone time between me and Ashford.
Because that was the way of temptation, and I was determined to be good.
“Aren’t you supposed to be teaching your jiu-jitsu class?” I asked.
“Not on Fridays. What are you up to?”
“Just about to take Stella on a walk.” At that magic word, she looked up from her doggy bed, where she’d been lazing.
“I’ll go with you. We should hit up the park.”
“Maybe another time. I need to run some errands. It’ll be boring.”
I got up from the futon and went to squeeze past him through the doorway. But then Ashford said, “ Emma ,” all low and growly, making me freeze right there an inch away from him. Like that bossy tone had connected with some instinctual part of me and forced me to be still.
He rested his elbow on the door frame above my head. I blinked up at him, endorphins flooding my body at having him so close, his scent in my nostrils, his heat like my own personal sunbeam.
“I think you are avoiding me. What I want to know is why. What did I do?”
I swallowed, bracing my hands behind me against the other side of the door frame. “Nothing. I promise.”
He studied me for another long moment. “Okay. Then how about I help you with your errands, and then you and Stella come with me to the park. Maisie is playing baseball with Callum. Piper and my sister are going to be there too. Same with Elias and Judson.”
“A meeting of the Lonely Harts club?”
He groaned. “I hate that name. But yeah, I guess. Club meeting. There’s a cart that sells bad hot dogs and half-melted popsicles. Dogs and kids running wild. A Silver Ridge summer tradition. Stella will love it.”
“She will?”
“Yep. It’s doggy paradise. You don’t want to deprive her, do you? Look at that face.”
We both looked at Stella, whose eyes ping-ponged between us. Her tail wagged.
I didn’t want to say no. Besides, I wouldn’t be alone with Ashford. We’d be surrounded by his family and friends, including his sister.
I assumed Grace would be keeping a watchful eye on us.
“I guess I could save my errands for another day.”
One side of his mouth curved, a sexy half-smile that made my breath catch. “Good answer.”
On our way to the park, I could hear the laughter and shouts of dozens of people from a couple of blocks away. The park was a happening place in Silver Ridge on a summer Friday night.
The Lonely Harts crew had a red gingham picnic blanket laid out beneath a huge shade tree. Over in the grassy area, Callum gently pitched the ball to Ollie. They had a tee set aside, I assumed for the younger kids. Maisie stood with her glove in the air in the outfield.
“I’d better head over there and help,” Ashford said. “Callum is dangerously outnumbered.” He reached out and squeezed my arm before jogging away, such a small, simple gesture. Yet it made me feel like I belonged here. And set off a flurry of tingly sensations in my stomach.
I let Stella explore a bit, and then we went to cheer on the ball game with the others, especially when Maisie got a base hit off the tee.
Piper nudged me. “Ashford is great with the kids, isn’t he?”
I nodded, aware of Grace a few feet away. “You’re like the devil on my shoulder,” I murmured.
Piper laughed evilly. “I’m very innocent, I’ll have you know.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
She was right, though. Ashford’s grins came easier when he was surrounded by kids, and it seemed like the usual stress he carried had disappeared. I loved seeing him like that.
And every time he looked in my direction, it was hard not to think that smile was for me, too.
This wasn’t just a fleeting attraction or a silly crush. I was starting to develop actual feelings for the man.
I just had to keep remembering all the reasons nothing could happen between me and him. No matter how much I wanted it.