14. Ashley #2
“A lot of families look forward to it,” he said. “It simply wouldn’t be Christmas without it.”
When she looked at Carter, she saw her first kiss, her first love, the boy who made her laugh, held her when she was sad. Over the last few days she’d seen the man he became, the man her grandfather and the staff of Winterridge relied on so much.
Right now? She saw someone who had spent eight years preserving pieces of her grandmother.
“You kept all of it going,” she said around the lump in her throat.
He shrugged as if it were just another day at the office. “I was just doing my job.”
“It was more than that.”
His eyes met hers with that intensity she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to.
Ashley thought about Glen at the Christmas tree stand and how he knew what Carter needed without a second thought. The wreath on the door when they arrived. The festival. How he helped her decorate and how he knew exactly where everything should go.
The traditions she’d assumed had continued on their own.
They hadn’t.
Someone had done the work.
Someone had remembered.
Someone had cared enough to make sure none of it disappeared.
He had been the only man she had ever truly loved, but right now something new was forming as if their tree was growing a new branch. “You could have let it all go,” she said. “But you didn’t.”
“No.” His blue eyes softened. “I couldn’t.”
While she avoided Winterridge, he stayed, protected it. He did it without recognition, without asking for anything in return.
“Thank you.”
His brow furrowed, little wrinkles creasing above the bridge of his nose. “For what?”
“For making sure there was something to come home to.”
A flash of vulnerability appeared on his face, but he cut his gaze from hers. “It wasn’t just me.”
Maybe not. But Ashley had a feeling Winterridge and her grandfather would simply not have survived the last eight years without him.
The sound of the front door knocker against wood echoed from downstairs.
“Looks like Lena is here,” Grandpa said. “With the three of you, working on the festival this year, I expect it to be the best one yet.”
“No pressure,” Carter said with a smile.
“Who are you kidding? You love pressure. Now get out of my office. I have work to do.”
Carter held his hand out for Ashley to go first. She nodded and headed into the hallway with Carter not far behind.
“I hope it’s okay. The last thing I want is to intrude on you and Lena.”
Carter grabbed her elbow, stopping her. She turned toward him, not realizing how close he was. Her breath caught as visions of last night popped into her head. She bit her lip as the feel of his mouth on hers was still palpable.
His head dipped, stopping just inches from kissing her. “There is no one who knows the Christmas festival better than you.”
“It’s been so long. Things have changed, I’m sure.” She swallowed as her eyes drifted to his mouth.
“All the core components have stayed. Sleigh rides, pictures with Santa, hot cocoa bar, fresh-baked Christmas cookies.”
“That was always my favorite part,” she said.
“I always knew I could find you there.”
“I’m that predictable?”
“No.” He leaned in closer, his breath brushing her lips. “I just know you.”
Her eyes blinked and widened. They might have been a part for so long, but he knew who she was at her core.
His mouth captured hers, and the world drifted away. All she could focus on was the feel of his cashmere sweater beneath her fingers, the hungry movement of his lips against hers.
“Who the hell are you?” The barking words drifted from downstairs.
Carter pulled away slowly, his forehead resting against hers.
“Gabe,” Ashley said.
“Lena Hart,” a sweet voice followed.
“Shit,” Carter bit out before rushing toward the stairs. Ashley followed behind him, taking each step at record speed, lips still tingling, and praying she didn’t break her neck.
A petite brunette stood in the doorway, one hand gripping a binder decorated with Christmas stickers; the other held a travel mug.
Snowflakes clung to the shoulders of her bright red peacoat.
She was locked in a staring war with Gabe, who had planted himself between her and the rest of Winterridge like an overprotective guard dog.
“Unless you plan on standing here staring at me for the rest of the day, not that I can blame you, I’d appreciate it if you moved.”
Ashley bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to let the laugh out. Tori was going to love this woman. Heck, Ashley already had, and she hadn’t even officially met her. But anyone who wouldn’t stand down at Gabe’s overbearing, class-A jerk act earned points in her book.
“Why are you here?”
“If you must know, Carter hired me to—”
“Carter hires people now?”
“Only the competent ones,” Carter said as he descended the last few stairs and forced his way around Gabe's hulking frame.
Lena’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Thank God.” She pointed toward Gabe. “I think you forgot to let the dog out this morning.”
This time Ashley couldn’t stop her laugh; it echoed through the vestibule, grabbing everyone’s attention.
Gabe all but snarled as she stepped off the last step and made her way right to Lena. She held her hand out in greeting. “Hi, I’m Ashley Wetherby. Sorry about my brother. He isn’t house-trained.”
“What the fuck, Ash?” Gabe muttered. “She was walking around as if she owned the place. Or was scouting out to steal something.”
Lena scoffed, her snowman earrings swaying as she turned toward Gabe. “If I were going to steal something, I wouldn’t be in the vestibule. I would be in the living room where all the priceless antiques are.”
“How do you know where the—”
She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Carter. Her smile was bright, almost too bright when Carter met her gaze. “I was admiring the Christmas decorations. Everything looks beautiful.”
“They’re just decorations,” Gabe said.
“Maybe to you.” Her eyes scanned the space now that she didn’t have Gabe blocking her view.
She looked up at the crystal chandelier that sparkled overhead and cast a glitter of diamond reflections against the garland wrapped around the staircase banisters like white Christmas lights.
She followed the garland down and across the floor to the Christmas trees that flanked the entrance, filling the air with the scent of pine.
“Exquisite detail with the bows and the way the light is hitting the garland.”
“That would all be Ashley,” Carter said.
Ashley shook her head. “Carter helped more than he’s leading on, but thank you.” She smiled at Lena. “My grandfather has given you great praise, and I hope you don’t mind I’ll be helping with the Christmas festival this year.”
“Christmas festival?” Gabe exclaimed. “I hope you don’t expect me to be there.”
“Of course not,” Lena Hart said. “We wouldn’t want your sparkling personality scaring away the children.”
Ashley added more brownie points to her tally.
Tori, who had appeared from nowhere, snorted so hard she nearly dropped her phone. She looked up, lips parting to speak, when her phone rang. With a sigh, she answered and disappeared out the other door.
“Are all event planners this annoying?” Gabe asked.
“Only the award-winning ones,” Lena declared.
“Jesus,” he muttered.
Lena smiled sweetly. “That’s not my name.”
Carter pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe we should start over so we can move on.”
“Good idea,” Lena agreed. She held her hand out to Gabe. “Hi, I’m Lena Hart. Professional event planner. Christmas enthusiast. Not a thief.”
Gabe stared at her hand, and Ashley wanted to punch him for being such an arrogant jerk.
“I’m undecided on that last one,” he said.
“Fair enough.” She dropped her hand to her side. “Anyway…” She motioned with her tumbler. “Festival. That is why I am here. We have a week and a million things to do. So if you’re not part of the Christmas festival committee, you should see yourself out.”
She turned her attention to Gabe. “Are you kicking me out of my own family home?”
“I would never do that, but I am asking you in a not-so-subtle way to get lost.”
“You heard the woman,” Ashley said. “Off with you before I volunteer you to play Santa.”
Gabe turned on his foot and high-tailed it out of the vestibule without a word.
“If I knew it were that easy, I could have got him out of my way much sooner,” Lena said.
“I do apologize. Gabe is…”
“An asshole,” Carter said.
“Protective,” Ashley corrected.
“No harm. No foul. It was fun to push his buttons. It’s actually quite easy.” A mischievous smile spread across her face. “But now I am ready to bring on the Christmas spirit!”
“Let’s head to the dining room and we can go over everything that’s done and what we have left to do.
” Carter held his hand out for Lena and Ashley to go.
Ashley let Lena lead the way, but mainly she wanted to hang back and see if Carter’s eyes followed Lena.
They didn’t. They couldn’t. Not when they were glued to her.
She followed behind Lena and sat across from her at the dining room table.
Memories of the gingerbread house contest were still fresh in her mind.
After voting, Taylor won, though it very well could have been a pity vote.
Dad came in second, but one look at the smile on Taylor’s face and he didn’t argue.
Now she sat, waiting to see where Carter would sit. Next to her, or next to Lena.