Chapter 29
29
ASHER
Liam and I strolled down Centennial Street together, huddled beneath an umbrella. Water trickled down the back of my collar and onto my neck, and I shivered. It was one of those wet winter days when I never felt warm no matter how many layers I wore.
“Have you seen Summer since Saturday?” I asked, glancing at the entrance to Taste of Destiny up ahead, where we’d temporarily find shelter.
“No.” Liam glanced over at me. “Kennedy checked in on her and said she was doing all right.”
I grimaced. “I would have liked to drop by yesterday, but Mum called and asked for help clearing out the garage. By the time we were done, the day was basically over.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t expect you to hover over her just because you happened to be driving past when she fell,” Liam said. “She’s not hurt that badly. Max took a look at her ankle and said you were spot on. It’s a sprain and should heal by itself in a few weeks.”
“She won’t like having to take it easy.” Summer was always in action. I hardly ever saw her being still.It was my fault she’d have to slow down. I should have taken the lead, rather than sending her ahead of me down the trail. If I’d been in the front, she never would have hit that branch and come off.
I hated that I’d proved to both of us how inadequate I would be as the man in her life. I wanted to prove my fears wrong, not right.
“He told her not to use it too much, but I can’t see her paying any attention to that,” he agreed.
“Stubborn.”
He elbowed me. “Not at all like someone else I know.”
He pushed open the cafe door and held it open while I retracted the umbrella and shook the moisture off it. The morning was quiet, so we made our way to the counter and gave Eden the fire house’s order. Eight coffees and one herbal tea.
We sat at a small, round table near the counter while we waited. There was a jingle as the door swung inward and a sopping wet woman ran inside.
“It’s crazy out there,” she exclaimed, automatically scanning the shop’s interior.
I stiffened. I’d recognize those bright blue eyes anywhere, even if the rest of her looked like a bedraggled cat. “Hi, Ashley.”
Her eyes widened, and then she grinned. “Ash! It’s so good to see you!”
She strode toward me, her arms open for a hug, but something in my expression must have warned her off because she stopped before reaching me.
“Oops.” Her smile faltered but returned quickly. “I forgot how wet I am.”
“You must have been out in the rain for a while,” Liam said, eying the dripping ends of her hair.
“Yeah.” She scrunched her nose. “It wasn’t raining this heavily when I left Mum and Dad’s place. I wasn’t expecting it to go south so quickly. But Asher, I can’t believe I’m just running into you like this. We should get together properly sometime.”
“It’s nice to see you too,” I lied, unsure what to do in the face of her enthusiasm. “I heard you’re back for good.”
She nodded. “For a while, at least.” Her smile turned sly. “Definitely longer if I have a reason to stay.”
My chest constricted. I didn’t like the way she was looking at me, or the meaningful way she’d said that. “How are your parents? I haven’t seen them around for a while.”
It was the best thing I could think of to deflate any romantic ideas that might be whirling through her mind. No one could have sexy thoughts while discussing their parents.
“They’re fine. Both keeping busy. Dad did a course to renew his first aid certification on the weekend so he can continue being part of the search and rescue team. Speaking of, do you need more hands on deck there? I could take a course as well.”
I glanced at Liam, who knew more about those details than I did.
“More hands on deck is always good,” he replied. “You’re best to talk to Connor though. He’s the one who runs the team.”
Even while he spoke, her gaze never left me. “Maybe I will.”
Thankfully, Eden called over to let us know our drinks were ready.
“We’d better go,” I said, standing and pushing the chair in.
“Wait.” She touched my arm, stopping me in my tracks. “Let’s do something this weekend.”
I looked over at Eden, who’d arched an eyebrow as she watched the show. “I’m busy this weekend. Sorry.”
Ashley’s lips pursed. “I didn’t say what time.”
“The midwinter dip is on Saturday,” Liam said, saving my ass. “And then Ash and I have an all-day hike planned for Sunday.”
“Oh.” She looked disappointed, but then brightened. “I like hiking.”
She stared at me. I glanced down at my hands. Liam shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. No one said anything even though she was clearly angling for an invitation.
“Maybe I’ll see you at the midwinter dip,” she said finally.
I tilted my head in acknowledgement and ducked around her. Liam and I carried a tray of drinks each out of Taste of Destiny. Outside, I used the wall to help balance the drinks while I opened the umbrella.
“What was that about?” Liam asked quietly as we began to walk. “You were a bit rude to her.”
I groaned. “I’m afraid she wants to get back together. You know how she kept coming around every time she got moody before she left town, saying how sorry she was to have ended it, and that she’d never find anyone better than me. Even though she was the one who told me I worked too much and was never emotionally available to her when she needed me.”
He winced. “Yeah, I remember. Our jobs aren’t exactly relationship friendly.”
“You make it work,” I pointed out. Surely, if Liam could manage a healthy relationship with Kennedy, I had a chance at doing the same with someone else. Although he had always been better at balance than me.
“Only because Kennedy matters more to me than anything else.” His soft smile took the wind out of my sails. “If you prioritized Ashley…”
I blew out a breath. The problem was that I didn’t want to. The only woman I’d been tempted to prioritize over the job was Summer, and I had to admit that being preoccupied with her was already making me careless.
“I just don’t have the emotional bandwidth to go through that with her all over again,” I told him.
“Fair enough.” He was quiet for a moment, then added, “But you are looking to settle down, and she does seem interested. Maybe it’s worth giving it another shot? Look what happened when I gave Kennedy a second chance.”
I shook my head. “I’m not interested in her.”
Liam stopped suddenly. I slowed and looked over my shoulder at him.
“But you are interested in someone,” he said, as if he’d had an epiphany. “That’s why you don’t want Ashley. There’s someone else. Who?”
I hesitated and considered denying it. After all, hadn’t I proved that I was exactly what Summer didn’t need? Careless, reckless, irresponsible. But even thinking of keeping my distance from her exhausted me. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could do it.
“Yeah, there is,” I admitted. “I’m still figuring out where we stand though. I promise, as soon as it’s official, you’ll be the first to know.”