Chapter 24 Ashton
ASHTON
Some weeks, I can move mountains.
This week, I can’t even keep my breakfast down.
—Ashton’s Secret Thoughts
“Come here, sweet girl,” Lexie coos at Kyrie as she steals her from my arms and sits in a green-velvet chair tucked behind the biggest table in Sweet Temptations. “I’ve missed you.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” I ask, laughing as Dillan hands me a cup of tea.
“Ginger peach. Hopefully it settles your stomach.” She slides in next to me on the bench and grabs a muffin from the plate in the center of the table. “Want one?”
“No thanks,” I smile, just happy to be here and not puking.
Kaleigh places a pretty package wrapped in silver-foiled paper that’s tied with a giant white bow on the table in front of me. “Has anyone ever eaten chopped liver? I mean, it sounds pretty disgusting.”
“What’s this?” I ask, looking between the three women who may truly never know how much they’ve come to mean to me.
I’ve heard about friendships like this before, the kind of women who accept you for who you are. The ones who want to be there for you, no questions asked and nothing expected in return.
I thought they were a myth until now.
Until these women.
Saturday mornings have become our time to meet for coffee, or tea in my case, before my shift at Hart & Soul.
Dillan and Kaleigh have been opening Hopeless Romantics after our weekly breakfast dates, so the four of us can catch up.
The guys have crashed once or twice, turning it into a book club meet-up which, I’m not going to lie, is hilarious.
Watching them dissect all things romantasy is fantastic.
But today, it’s just us for now. And this giant box.
“Why don’t you open it and see?” Kaleigh pushes it closer.
“It’s so pretty. I don’t want to ruin the packaging,” I tell them, my fingers running along the satin ribbon before I tug it, and the bow comes undone.
Carefully, I slip the lid off and look inside.
An envelope sits nestled on top of white and pink and red tissue paper, and I look between the three of them. “Guys . . .”
“Read the card after class, Ash. We don’t need you turned into a hormonal blubbering mess while you teach the baby ballerinas,” Dillan teases as she takes it out of the box and places the card under it. “I may have gotten a little sappy.”
“Me too,” Lexie admits sheepishly.
“Not me,” Kaleigh grins. “I went naughty. It’s so much more fun that way.”
“Yeah well, she’s not marrying your cousin. I don’t particularly want to think about the naughty things they do,” Lexie singsongs the words as she bounces Kyrie on her lap, making them sound baby appropriate. “Jamie’s special, and so are you, Ash. You deserve each other.”
“Jamie is also holy-fucking-hell hot, ladies. Like seventh-circle-of-hell hot. You guys seriously grow them different in Kroydon Hills. Who needs sappy when our girl gets to go to bed with that every night.”
“Oh my God,” I laugh and toss the tissue paper at Kaleigh. She’s not wrong. My man is seventh-circle-of-hell hot and I really, really love going to bed with him every night.
“Why are you blushing, Ash?” Kaleigh tosses the paper back at me, and I bury my face inside the box.
“I’m not blushing,” I lie as I sift through the contents and pull out a beautiful planning journal in pale pink, with our soon-to-be monogram in raised white calligraphy on the front.
“Guys . . .” Emotion catches in my throat, and I look back into the box.
There’re bridal magazines and baby furniture catalogs.
A business card for Ever After Event Planning.
And a smaller box, wrapped in the same white wrapping with a pink satin bow tied around it. “Guys, this is all too much.”
“Open it.” Lexie smiles.
I worry I’m about to lose the battle with the insane pregnancy hormones I’m going to blame for the tears burning the backs of my eyes.
Slowly, I untie the bow and slide open the slim, square box, the kind jewelry suites would typically be resting in. But it’s not a matching necklace and earrings set inside, thank goodness. It’s another business card. This one for Everly Wilder Designs.
The couture dress shop on the corner of Main Street.
Wait . . . I hold it up and turn toward Dillan, who looks a little choked up herself.
“Everly is our cousin. She’s also one of the most sought-after wedding gown designers in the world.
She’s pretty amazing, and she loves Jamie.
So . . .” Dillan wipes at her eyes. “When you’re ready, whether that’s before or after the baby comes, she’d like to design and create your wedding gown.
Lexie, Kaleigh, and I told her we wanted to buy it for you, but Everly refused.
She said you’re Jamie’s, and that makes you family.
And we do anything for family . . . It doesn’t hurt that she’s also your boss’s daughter either, I’m sure. ”
I lean my head against Dillan’s and take her hand in mine. “You guys . . . It’s too much.”
“It’s not,” Lexie stops me. “We love you.”
“Don’t even try to fight it, Ash,” Kaleigh adds, smiling, but even she’s a little emotional, and I’ve never seen this girl emotional.
“Learn to go with it. These ladies don’t really take no for an answer, and once they’ve brought you into their circle, they hang on pretty tightly, luckily for you and me. ”
That’s it.
That’s when I lose the battle.
The first tear falls, breaking the damn seal, and I can’t even try to stop the rest.
“I love you guys too.”
“Why’s Ashton crying?” a young voice asks, and I feel Jamie’s presence before I ever see him.
“That’s a great question, kid. What did you girls do to my girl?” he demands of the table, his eyes horribly confused but not angry as he and Jonah stand beside Lexie.
Lexie reaches up and pinches Jamie’s arm.
“Ow! What the fuck, Lex? Dillan’s the violent one.”
“Hey,” Dillan snaps and wipes her tears. “We didn’t do anything. Leave us alone.”
Jamie doesn’t look convinced. “You’re all just crying for the fun of it?”
“My mom says it’s a girl’s prerogative to cry when she wants,” Jonah shrugs. “I don’t get it, but ice cream usually makes her happy, and then she’s better. You want me to get you ice cream, Ashton?”
Oh, this kid.
“Not today, Jonah, but thank you. And your mom’s not wrong. I was crying because I was happy.” The butterflies that have been taking flight in my stomach all morning flutter again, even stronger this time, and I push up from the table as realization dawns.
“You okay, Ace?” One of Jamie’s big hands slides to my rounded stomach and the other to my face where his thumb sweeps away my tears. “I don’t like it when you cry.”
I ignore the awws from the peanut gallery behind us and move his hand lower on my stomach and press down. Hoping . . .
It takes a little maneuvering, and Jamie’s eyes narrow as he watches my face.
Then the flutters happen again, and his entire face morphs from concern to elation. “Was that him?” he asks with so much beautiful awe in his voice I want to wrap myself up and dance in the sound. “Was that our baby?”
I bite my lip and nod. “I think so.”
Jamie drops down to his knees in front of everyone in Sweet Temptations and kisses my belly. “Hey, little guy. You be good to your mommy in there so you can grow big and strong and meet us all in a few months, okay?”
Oh man . . . and now I’m crying for a whole new reason.
“Well ladies, thanks for letting us crash your coffee date, but Kyrie and I have a meeting with my agent to get to. You want me to drive you home, kid? I can put your bike in the back of the SUV,” Jamie offers to Jonah as he takes the bag of cookies he bought for the house in one hand and pulls me against him with the other.
“Nah. I’m going to go shoot some hoops.” He and Jamie do some super-secret handshake that’s adorable, even if I’m sure me saying that would make it far less manly. “Think I could have a cookie for the ride?”
My charmer looks to me for permission.
What a joke. Like those cookies were for me in the first place.
“Of course you can have one. I think Jamie should give you the whole bag.” I smile and kiss Jamie’s cheek. “Love you. Have fun at your meeting.”
He begrudgingly gives Jonah the bag, then brushes my lips with his and takes Kyrie from my arms. “See you at home, Ace.”
Jonah and I watch them leave, and the handsome little devil turns to the girls and me. “Why does he call you Ace?”
“You know what, Jonah?” Lexie leans in conspiratorially. “That’s a great question. Why does he call you Ace?”
I gather the contents of the box and put them all back as my knees threaten to buckle from the force of the memory that hits me square in the chest.
The four of us, sitting around his parents’ kitchen table in Maryland, with Evan teaching us to play Texas Hold’em. We were so young and so naive, and he was already the most handsome boy I’d ever seen. “Let’s just say Jamie is a horrible poker player. His face gives everything away.”
“Yeah, he is,” Dillan giggles.
“Okay, but why Ace?” Jonah pushes, and my smile grows.
“Because I am not,” I tell him and pick up the box. “Thanks so much for this morning, ladies.” Jonah clears his throat. “And gentleman,” I add. “I’m going to go put this in my car and then hope and pray the baby ballerinas are good today.”
After a round of hugs and goodbyes, I head for the parking lot behind Sweet Temptations and Hart & Soul with Jonah at my side. “Are you planning on coming with me to the dance studio?”
He shrugs as color blooms on his cheeks. “I heard ballet is good for football players.”
“I didn’t know you played football . . .” I narrow my eyes as we step behind the buildings, feeling like him playing football is something Jamie would have mentioned.
“I was thinking about trying out this year, and maybe didn’t want to tell Jamie until I knew whether I was good at it or not . . .”
“Oh, Jonah. Jamie won’t care if you’re good at it. He’ll just care that you like it. Do it to have fun, and the rest will come. And maybe mention it to him, and he could give you a few pointers . . . you know, if you wanted.”
I open the back door of my car, just as shadows fall over us, and a hand covers my mouth from behind.
The rancid scent of burned rubber threatens to make my stomach revolt, and I scream soundlessly, pulling and kicking, desperately trying to break free.
Fighting for my life.
Holy shit.
What is happening?
The world around me slows.
Moving frame by frame.
“Ashton—” Jonah yells, and I fight to see him.
The hand around me tightens, digging into my chest.
A massive figure blocks my view.
A dark spot against the beautiful blue sky.
I can’t see Jonah until he’s lifted from the ground.
His face appears in my periphery.
Ghostly white.
Petrified.
Staring at me in horror and shock.
And I can’t do anything to stop it.
To save him.
To save us.
I kick and stomp, desperate to make contact. He might have my arms held in a vice-like grip, but my legs are free, and my legs can withstand anything.
I will not give up. I will not die today. I will not let these men have me or my baby or Jonah.
I hear the crunch as much as I feel it when I finally catch what I think is my captor’s kneecap.
His roar is agonized as he drops his hold on me for a split-second.
One I don’t waste.
Moving as fast as I can, I try to dart around the massive figure clad in black in front of me. The one blocking me from Jonah. From safety.
“Jonah, run—”
But the man behind me is faster.
He grabs me around my waist, pushing against my stomach, and my heart stops.
My baby.
An unholy scream rips from the depths of my soul.
“You fucking bitch.” His vicious voice sears into my psyche.
But I don’t have time to fear for the future, too afraid of what’s happening right now.
The hand around me lets go and a fist comes down against my cheek. Pain ricocheting through my head. I crumple. “Hurry up, man. I think she broke my knee.”
“No,” I scream. Fighting. Harder. I have to do something. But my vision is swimming as blood pools in my mouth, and I fight to breathe.
I can’t see Jonah. Just hear his muffled screams as the figure in front of me moves.
“You tell Jameson Murphy if he calls the cops—she dies.”
“Ashton—” Jonah’s scream is ear-piercing before it cuts off completely.
“Tell him to wait by the phone.”
No . . . Jamie.
It feels like a bee stings my neck as my vision darkens.
Jonah’s body crumbled on the pavement is the last thing I see before the world goes black.