17. Emma
SEVENTEEN
Emma
From the corner of my eye, I watched Ashford chatting up some blond. Unbelievable.
The man had kissed me two days ago, but just like that, he’d moved on to the next.
“I’m going to head out,” I said.
Josh, the out-of-towner I’d been sitting with, looked disappointed. “We were just going to play some pool. You don’t want to stay for a round?”
“No, thanks. Have fun though. It was nice meeting you.” I finished my soda and got the heck out of there.
The last thing in the world I wanted to see was Ashford hooking up. I now had confirmation that our kiss the other day had meant nothing to him.
Ugh, my chest was in a vise.
Just outside the brewery, Main Street was busy, but the crowd thinned as I walked. It was a cool summer night with a bright moon overhead. The air smelled of pine, and I tried to focus on all those pleasant sensations instead of the fist currently crushing my heart.
The only reason I’d gone out tonight was to get away from Ashford’s apartment. Maisie had a sleepover at Piper’s, so I would’ve been alone with him. Not something I could handle. But the brewery had been the wrong call.
I had been taking some space the last couple of days, just for my own wellbeing. Cuddling up with Stella, writing in my journal. I’d been spending just as much time with Maisie as before, since this had nothing to do with her. But after two days of rehashing what had happened and writing about my feelings, I still felt the same about Ashford.
I liked him. Wanted to be around him.
Which made me such a fool.
In the brewery tonight, it had been so hard not to stare across the room at the burly, bearded martial arts instructor. Even when Josh had invited me to join him and his friends. I’d tried to appreciate the distraction, but there was no hope of some new face taking the place of Ashford in my thoughts.
It wasn’t even about him being sexy as hell. It was the man underneath the gruff exterior. The sides of him he let me see when he finally let down his guard.
The man who’d listened to me play my work in progress for the very first time—a nerve-wracking thing for any artist—and who’d kissed me right after.
And then pushed me away that same night.
I turned the corner. There were fewer streetlights over here, leaving the sidewalk mostly in shadow. At least I didn’t have too far to go. But I couldn’t stay at Ashford’s anymore, not now.
I had to move out of his apartment. There was no other solution. It would be a stretch for my budget unless I moved in with Dixie’s friend and her potentially creepy grandson. Or accepted Dixie’s offer of her couch, but as much as I loved her, that wasn’t my top choice. She had a tendency to mother, and I already had two of those.
I hoped I would be able to find a new place that was in walking distance of the Big Blue Monster.
But even if I moved, I would still have to see Ashford almost every single day . Especially if I continued babysitting Maisie, which I wanted to keep doing. There was no escaping him.
The sound of footsteps snapped my attention back to the present moment.
I didn’t think much of it at first. Silver Ridge was no metropolis, but there were always people out and about, especially this close to the business district.
But when the footsteps didn’t disappear, instead continuing to echo behind me, I glanced back.
Nobody was there. Nobody I could see.
“Hello?” I said. No answer.
My skin crawled with a sense of unease.
While I had grown up in a small beach town, I had spent the last year living in LA. I knew how important it was to have situational awareness. And don’t even get me started on my dad’s lectures about safety. I had experienced danger myself when I was younger.
Something felt off.
I thought of that creep in the blue rain slicker who had been watching me and Maisie weeks ago. There hadn’t been any sign of him since. Or of anyone else following me or doing anything suspicious. Until tonight.
Maybe I shouldn’t have left the brewery alone. In LA, I never would’ve walked home by myself in a million years. But I’d gotten so comfortable here. After a month of living in Hart County, it felt like a second home. A far safer one than where I’d come from.
But now, my mind went to Lori. To the person who might’ve been on the highway with her that night three years ago. Who’d pushed her. Silver Ridge wasn’t always safe.
Call Ashford , I thought. But he was busy tonight with his new friend . The blond. Calling 911 wasn’t an option either. Not unless I knew for sure I was being followed.
I stuck my hand into my messenger bag to close it around my pepper spray.
“If you’re following me,” I said loudly, “don’t. I have a weapon and know how to use it.”
I sped up, ducking around a corner at the next building, and hid in an alcove. The footsteps started again and kept coming.
Breathe , I told myself, remembering all the advice my dad and Madison had given me over the years. And what Ashford had said in the self-defense class the other day.
Move fast. Be aggressive.
When the footsteps had almost reached me, I lunged out, holding my pepper spray up with my finger on the trigger. “Are you following me?”
The man on the sidewalk reared back, his face a mask of shock. “Jesus, you scared me.”
“Are you following me?” I demanded again.
“No!” He brushed off his polo and khakis, blowing out a breath. Then he laughed, and I recognized his perfect white smile.
He was the dentist, Dr. Carmichael. Piper’s ex-husband.
“Didn’t expect my night to get so exciting. You thought you were being followed?”
“Pretty sure I was.”
“Well, not by me. I was just heading home. I’m Danny Carmichael.”
I lowered the pepper spray, though I didn’t put it back in my bag. “I know. I’ve seen your photo in your office window on Main Street.”
He laughed again. “Of course. And you must be the new girl who’s staying with Ashford O’Neal. I’ve seen you around. Sadly, I don’t recall your name.”
His eyes traced down my body, slowly moving back up again.
I gave him a brittle smile. Eyes to yourself, buddy .
“I’m Emma. I know your ex-wife, Piper. She’s a good friend.”
His smile dulled.
“I should get going,” I added.
“Happy to walk you.”
After the way he’d just ogled me, I didn’t relish the idea of him escorting me home. But maybe it was better than nothing. Especially if I texted several friends that I’d be with him.
Then a gruff voice said, “I’ll walk her,” and a very different kind of shiver passed across my skin.
Ashford had just turned the corner. He frowned at Danny, whose smile turned into a smug smirk. “Ashford.”
His nostrils flared. “Danny. You can go now.”
“I see you haven’t learned civility since the last time we spoke.”
“Nope, I’m the same. I assume you are too.”
Danny’s gaze slid back over to me. “Pleasure to meet you, Emma. See you around.”
“ Asshat ,” Ashford muttered as Danny walked away and disappeared around the corner. “Never liked that guy.”
I was about to ask why, but then I noticed how hard Ashford was breathing. “Are you okay? You’re out of breath.”
“I just ran up and down all the surrounding streets trying to find you.” He pushed back his hair from his forehead. “Didn’t know which direction you were heading after you left the brewery.”
I tucked the pepper spray back into my bag. “You could’ve called my phone.”
“Would you have answered? I thought you left with that tourist you were cozying up to and went back to his hotel room.”
I’d had similar thoughts about Ashford and the blond. Which only stoked my anger. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“Because I assume he’s not a jerk if you spent so much time with him tonight. And he’s age appropriate. Probably has a carefree lifestyle and multiple zeros in his bank account.”
My brow wrinkled. “Do you think I should’ve gone with him?”
“Fuck no,” Ashford growled, and closed the distance between us.
His hands cupped my face. I inhaled, chin lifting as I looked up at him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Warmth spread from every place he was touching me. “What about the blond?”
“What blond?”
“The woman you were with.”
“Callie? I told her about you. She wanted me to go after you.”
“ She’s the reason you came after me?” I started to push back from him, but he held on to me, not letting me move an inch.
“No. I came after you because I’ve been a complete dumbass.”
“You mean a D-word?”
He huffed a laugh. “Exactly. I’m sorry. It wasn’t a mistake, kissing you before. I should never have said that.”
My hands traced a path up his T-shirt from his stomach to his chest. “I had no interest in that guy at the brewery. There’s only one man I can’t stop thinking about. Even if he is a D-word sometimes.”
“So you don’t hate me?” His nose brushed mine.
“How could I possibly hate you? But we still need to talk.”
“We do. I have a lot to explain. If you’ll give me another chance.”
I whispered, “What do you think I’m doing right now?”
Ashford rested his forehead against mine, eyes closing. And it felt so right . The cold chill of the night air didn’t matter anymore. The unease I’d felt earlier. It all disappeared.
I wanted this man so much. He had the power to hurt me. Yet my whole heart told me to trust him.
When he pressed a kiss to my temple, it felt even better. Then he took my hand. “Come on. Let’s go home. I’ll tell you everything.”