Chapter 7 Asher
Icouldn’t stop staring at her.
Even as I spoke to my nephew, promising to keep his secret for now, and then my sister, I couldn’t stop pacing in the living room, trying to keep an eye on my princess like I was afraid she would disappear as quickly as she’d appeared in my life.
My sister couldn’t believe I was so close yet so far.
I promised to try to get over to her house as soon as it was safe to not only dig my car out of the snow but navigate the snow-filled roads.
She had understood but definitely been bummed out.
And for some reason, maybe because Ember had so sweetly requested, I’d kept Dane’s little business venture a secret from her.
Once I was done, I walked into the kitchen, and when the sight of Ember sitting on the bench seat by the window looking like a princess deep in thought, who turned to meet me with a look on her face that made me think of all sorts of dirty things, I swear my damn heart expanded to three times its size.
Ember made me want things I’d never let myself want.
Things I had been sure weren’t for me.
But as she sat next to me, watching me serve us from the takeout containers, I got to know her. We talked. And laughed. So damn much, my side almost started to hurt. How long had it been since I’d laughed like this? Really laughed and enjoyed someone’s company? Had I ever?
We shared all about our lives and why the two of us found ourselves where we were stuck together.
That’s when the conversation turned serious, and the two of us indulged in a couple of glasses of wine. Sitting next to her, I found myself completely engrossed by her, on the edge of my seat, clinging to every word she said.
“That’s how I knew I wanted to be a nurse.” She shrugged like what she had just told me wasn’t a big deal. Seeing her dad get sick and watching how nurses had helped him til the end of his days had changed her.
“You’re incredible,” I noted. Incredible wasn’t the right word. I didn’t think there was a word that existed to describe just how wonderful she was. But my girl was so damn humble. She chuckled.
“I’m really not.”
“You are,” I pressed, taking liberties I had no right to take as I took her hand in mine. “You’re an emergency room nurse, Ember.”
“Who needed a break from life because she couldn’t hack it anymore,” she countered, but I shook my head.
“That’s not true. You said you took a break because you needed a moment. A breather. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Everyone needs a break once in a while. If anything, it’s healthy.”
“Really?” She tilted her head, making those blonde, almost white tresses slip from her shoulder. “When’s the last time you took a break? From life?”
“I’m here,” I said, and she gifted me with a laugh so genuine and real that it did something to me.
“And before this?” We both knew she’d made her point as I opened and shut my mouth. I was a workaholic.
“When’s the last time you came home?”
“Honestly? Five, maybe six years ago.” Her eyes widened.
“Wait? How? Didn’t you say you had this place built two years ago?” I nodded.
“You would be surprised what you can do now through the magic of video calls and emails.”
“Wow… So, you had a place built in your hometown without coming to check on it?”
“My sister helped keep an eye on things.” Her brow rose, and she nodded.
“I see. Busy man.”
“You could say that.” My throat felt tight. Something in the way she had been looking at me changed. Her eyes dimmed like she was almost slightly disappointed in me. And I hated it.
“So, umm…” She pressed her lips together. “Working hard, unable to come home. What does your wife say about that?”
“Wife? I’ve never been married, princess.”
“Well, girlfriend, then.”
“I haven’t had one of those since… high school.”
“Really?” She leaned in a little closer.
“I’ve been busy. Building my company,” I explained even though I knew it sounded lame.
“Guess we both work hard… really hard.”
“That we do.”
“And we somehow found our way here at the same time. During a blizzard.” I loved the way her eyes started to brighten back up.
“I’m not here for a whole week.” I swallowed, hating the thought of not staying with her the entire time.
“Right… but for now, we’re here. Together.”
“We are,” I confirmed, unable to remember what I even had waiting for me back in LA as I let myself drown in the pools of her beautiful eyes. “What about you?”
“What about me?” she asked with a glint in her eyes that told me she knew exactly what I was asking but playing hard to get. Unable to help myself, I scooted a little closer to her.
“Do you have someone waiting at home for you, princess?”
“Princess, huh?” She grinned, her pale cheeks changing colors to the prettiest shade of pink. Almost as pink as her lips.
“Do you have a boyfriend or husband waiting for you back in Moonlit Pines?”
“No.” Her lips twitched like a naughty little minx. “I’m not dating anyone.”
“That’s good to know.”
“The only ones waiting for me are my best friends.”
“Tabitha the teacher, Abby the event planner, and Rosie the model?” I recounted, and her eyes softened.
“You remembered my friends?” she asked gently, taking my hand with hers. “You’re really sweet, you know that?”
“I don’t think anyone has ever called me sweet.” I chuckled.
“You are, though.”
“You don’t know me.” But I wanted her to. Suddenly, dread started to grow in the pit of my gut. If she only knew what my employees thought of me. How much they hated me. They thought I was the Grinch reincarnated.
“Maybe… but see, when you do what I do—“
“Nursing.”
“In the emergency room,” she added, as if I could forget. I could only imagine what people thought when she showed up to help them. The relief at seeing an angel of mercy ready to help them on their worst day. “You pick up a sort of sixth sense about people.”
“You do, huh?” I asked, leaning closer, skimming a strand of her hair with the back of my fingers.
“Yeah, you get really good at learning people. Their character. All from the first moment you come in contact with them.”
“You do?” I swallowed slightly, worried about what the hell she could have sensed about me.
“Oh yeah.” She smiled. “The overreactors. The ones faking it. The ones keeping calm but quietly freaking out. The others who don’t tell you the whole story about how they got in whatever position they walk through the doors in.”
“I bet you do.” I couldn’t imagine doing what she did. Seeing people on their worst days.
“And when I met you…” She paused, and my heart did, too, as it waited for her to keep talking. “I knew you were different.”
“A bad shopping cart driver?” I teased, but the dreamy expression on her face didn’t change. It didn’t even crack to a slight half-smile.
“No. You have a good heart, Asher…”
“Tilbury.”
“Tilbury,” she repeated. “Asher Tilbury.” I liked hearing my name on her tongue.
“And you’re Ember Thomas”
“I am.”
“Very nice to meet you, Ember Thomas.” The sentiment was an understatement.
I’d never met anyone like her. Not even close.
She’s the on,. a voice in my head whispered, and I didn’t have it in me to try and lie to myself.
We shook hands, but this time, we didn’t let go.
We simply snuggled in closer on the couch.
Our conversation flowed. Easy with a steady pace as the wind blew hard against the cabin. She jumped in my arms, but I pulled her close, loving the way her body fit mine. Like she’s made for me.
“Don’t worry. I promise I made sure to build a very strong cabin.” I’d never been sure of why I’d done it.
After my mom passed, returning to Sugarloaf had hurt way too much.
But there was a day about three and a half years ago when I’d woken up, and all I’d wanted to do was get the place built on the land I’d purchased in Sugarloaf.
As I held her and breathed in the scent of her hair and skin, a note unique to Ember, I was convinced, truly believed, I’d done it for her.
For the day I’d meet the woman who would flip my life upside down with a single smile.
“I believe you,” she whispered. The lights flickered, and she stilled in my arms.
“Two back-up generators,” I reminded hoarsely against her temple. “But just in case, let me get the fire going a little stronger.”
“Okay,” she answered. I moved from the couch and added more wood into the fireplace, feeling her eyes on me the entire time.
When I returned to the couch, neither of us pretended that this attraction wasn’t a palpable, breathing, living thing between us.
I sat, and she moved right into my side.
She shivered, and I pulled the blanket over her.
The smile she gave me fed more than my soul; it kickstarted a heart I hadn’t been sure would ever recover after grieving for so long.
Fuck, she was adorable.
The perfect combination of sexy and sweet. And mine, I thought. My girl. Daddy’s girl.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, shifting in my arms as I tossed the blanket over the two of us.
“That I’m not sure I’ve ever been more thankful for a blizzard in my life,” I answered. It wasn’t lie.
“It is really coming down out there,” she said, a touch of fear in her voice. “This is going to sound horrible, but I’m really glad you got stuck with me.” I brushed a blonde strand of hair behind her ear.
“Stuck would have a connotation that I’m somewhere I don’t want to be, and, princess, there isn’t a better place in the world I can think about I’d rather be.”
“Charmer.”
“Not even a little bit.”
“So… when you’re not surprising your sister on a whim, what do you usually do for New Year’s? Are you a party guy or more of a homebody?”
“Honestly? I’m usually at the office.” It sounded… pathetic.
“Wow.” I couldn’t get a read on her pretty face as to what she thought about me working. “How long do you think it will take before you’re itching to get back?” she teased, and I found the words that slipped past my lips next were drop-dead honest.
“Something tells me work is going to be the last thing on my mind this week.” She grinned and chewed on her bottom lip. “What do you think about watching a movie?”
“Depends,” she said, sass shining in her eyes. Fuck me, my princess had a bratty side. I really needed to get my cock to calm the hell down.
“On?” I was seriously enjoying the way she challenged me.
“What kind of movie you’d wanna watch.” She grinned, and I reached for the TV remote.
“If you stay with me like this, I’ll watch anything with you.”
“Anything, huh?” I nodded, meaning it completely.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on what she was going to choose, the lights went out completely before she could turn something on.