Chapter 16
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
ASPEN
I’m putting clothes away when someone knocks on my bedroom door.
“Come in,” I yell as I shut one of my drawers.
“Hey.”
I turn and see Asher shutting the door behind him.
“Hey, everything okay?”
He nods as he walks toward me. “Everything is fine. Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.”
“It’s fine,” I tell him.
He pulls me into his arms and kisses me deeply. Only when I whimper into his mouth does he pull away.
“Are you busy today?” he whispers against my lips.
I smile. “No, why?”
He presses a quick kiss to my nose. “I was wondering if you would like to spend the day with me.”
“Like a date?” I tease, heart racing.
“Yeah, like a date.”
A date. A real freaking date.
I, Aspen Alstone, am going on a date with one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen. One who makes my heart race and my palms clammy.
How is this even real freaking life?
“I would love that.”
Asher smiles. “Do you want to head out now, or do you need time?”
“Are we riding your bike?”
“I planned on that, but if you want me to see if I can borrow someone’s car or truck, I can.”
“Absolutely not. You promised me a ride,” I remind him, making him smirk.
“I did, didn’t I?”
Reluctantly, I pull out of his arms and go to my closet. I grab the leather jacket that randomly appeared one day and slip it on. Then I slip on the pair of riding boots I couldn’t help but buy the last time Maggie took me out shopping.
Spinning around, I face him. “Ready.”
Asher looks me up and down. “That looks good on you.”
“Thank you.”
I feel my cheeks flush, but ignore it.
Asher reaches out, and I place my hand in his. Side by side, we head out.
“Do you need to tell anyone we’re leaving?” I ask as he grabs a helmet that sits on his bike.
“No, I already gave your brother a heads-up. We’re good.”
“Where did this helmet come from?” I ask as he places it on my head.
“I went out and bought it after you told me you wanted to go for a ride sometime.”
Swoon.
I don’t know if anyone has ever done something so sweet for me. The helmet is sage green. It reminds me of the trees surrounding us.
“Thank you,” I tell him softly.
“You’re welcome.” He steps back and puts on his helmet.
When he grabs my helmet and presses his to mine, I can’t help but smile up at him.
“Hmm…I was right. That green matches your eyes perfectly.”
My breath catches in my throat as he flips down my visor.
He gets on the bike and holds out his hand to help me on, but I ignore it. I place my hand on his shoulder and swing my leg over. Instantly, I press myself up against his back, as close as I can be, and wrap my arms around his waist.
“Have you ridden before?” he asks once I’m settled.
“A time or two with Calloway when we were younger. Don’t worry, I’ll be the best backpack you’ve ever had,” I tease.
“You’re the only backpack,” he says as he turns the key, his bike roaring to life.
His only backpack.
The only person to ride on the back of his bike.
Giddiness rolls through me. Why the hell does that please me the way it does?
“Ready?” he asks.
“Ready.”
And off we go with me feeling lighter than I have in a long time.
I could get used to this.
We ride around for hours. My ass is numb, my hair is a mess, but I’m happy. I forgot how amazing it feels to ride around on the back of a bike.
I always enjoyed riding with Calloway when we were younger, but with Asher, it’s different. He holds onto my leg as we ride, and when he’s not doing that, his hand is covering mine where they rest on his stomach.
It almost feels like a dream. One I never want to wake up from.
When he pulled over for lunch, I almost begged him to keep riding and to never stop, but hunger won out. Especially when I saw we were stopping at a taco truck. Everyone knows taco trucks have the best shit and for cheap.
“This is delicious,” I tell him as I take another bite.
“I forgot how good it was, honestly,” he says, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“You’ve eaten here before?” I ask.
He nods as he wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Yeah, my sister doesn’t live too far from here.”
Sister. He has a sister. Did I know that or did I forget she existed?
“You’ve never told me about her.”
“I don’t talk about her often, if at all. It was safer that way for her with what I used to do.”
“That makes sense.”
I duck my head.
What else don’t I know about him?
“You’re not married, right?” I blurt out before I can think better of it.
Asher jerks back like he’s been hit. “No, why would you ask that?”
“Well, I realized that I didn’t even know you had a sister, or I forgot you did. Then my mind started to spiral, and I started wondering what else I didn’t know about you and…”
“Which led to you wondering if I was married…”
“Yeah.” I wince. “My mind is a crazy place. Sorry.”
“Well, to answer your question, no, I’ve never been married, and before you ask, yes, I would like to be someday. I’d also like to have kids if my wife wants them.”
Kids.
Before my brain can spiral on the thought of having babies, he cuts me off.
“Do you want to meet my sister?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Wait, what?”
“Do you want to meet my sister?” he asks slowly.
“Yeah, eventually.”
“What about today? I can send her a text to see if she’s busy.”
“You want me to meet your sister today?” The nerves kick up in my stomach.
Does he not realize how crazy that sounds? You don’t just meet someone’s sibling on a first date.
Then again, nothing between Asher and me is normal.
“Only if you want to.” He shrugs. “Who knows when we will be back in this area.”
“You know what, why not? If she’s not busy, I’m game,” I tell him before I can overthink it.
I think it would be good to get to know what he is like outside of the club.
A beautiful smile covers his face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, make the call.”
He pulls out his phone and starts tapping on the screen. “You won’t regret this. You’re going to love Ashley.”
Doesn’t he know by now that I’ll never regret anything when it comes to him? Not anymore, at least, especially when it makes him smile like that. I’d do anything to keep him smiling at me like that.
ASHER
I’m taking a girl home to meet my sister.
No.
I’m taking Aspen to meet my sister.
Not once in my thirty-two years of living have I ever thought about a woman meeting my family, but with Aspen, it feels right.
I know it’s right.
To say my sister was surprised to hear from me so soon after we last talked would be an understatement. When I asked if we could swing by, she didn’t hesitate to say yes. She also never asked who I was bringing with me.
This is it.
I pull into her driveway and shut off the bike. Aspen gets off, and I’m so busy watching her that I miss when the front door opens.
“Ash!” my sister yells.
I manage to get off my bike and onto solid footing before her body collides with mine. Just like when she was little, she clings to me like a monkey. I close my eyes and squeeze her tight.
I’ve missed her.
All too soon, she pulls away, and I really look at her.
I don’t know how, but I always forget how much it hurts when I see her for the first time after not seeing her for a while. Every time she looks a little bit older and more like our mom. It’s almost unsettling.
“It’s been too long, Ash,” she murmurs, reading my thoughts.
“It has been, Ash,” I joke.
We always used to pick on one another because our shortened names were the same. It feels good to do it again.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Aspen shift on her heels.
“Sis, I’d like you to meet someone. Aspen, this is my sister, Ashley. Sis, this is my girlfriend, Aspen.”
Aspen sucks in a breath when I call her my girlfriend, and my sister’s head whips back toward me, eyes wide.
Does she recognize Aspen’s name? Has she put two and two together why I’m with Mountain River instead of the bureau?
“Girlfriend?” my sister asks.
“Girlfriend,” I confirm.
My sister smiles and turns back toward Aspen and pulls her into a hug.
“It’s lovely to meet you, but girl, we need to talk. Your taste in men is…” my sister teases.
At first, Aspen is tense, but I watch as she slowly relaxes and returns my sister’s hug.
“My taste in men is amazing,” Aspen tells her.
“Eh, it could use some work. Trust me, I used to live with the guy, and I did share a womb with him for nine months,” Ashley teases as she pulls away. “Come on. Let’s head inside before we give the neighbors something to talk about.”
At the mention of her neighbors, I can’t help but scan the street.
Only two houses have cars in the driveways.
There is a lady standing in front of her screen door, waiting for the approaching delivery driver.
Otherwise, it’s quiet, which is one of the reasons I encouraged my sister to buy this place.
“You two are twins?” Aspen asks with awe in her voice.
“Yep. Built in best friend since birth,” Ashley tells her.
We follow my sister inside.
“This place is adorable,” Aspen tells her as I shut the door.
“Thanks. I’ve lived here for a few years, but it’s really starting to feel like mine,” Ashley says.
“You painted the front door since the last time I was here,” I add.
Ashley nods. “Yeah, I’ve decided I’m going to start painting it to match the season or holiday. Sit down, make yourselves at home.”
“That sounds like a lot of work,” Aspen says as she sits on the couch.
I move and sit next to her, putting my arm around her shoulders.
My sister smiles as she watches us interacting.
“It is, but I like it. It’s fun. Do you guys want anything to drink?”
“I’m good,” I tell her.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Aspen replies.
Ashley moves and sits in an overstuffed beanbag that she’s acquired since the last time I visited and pulls her blanket into her lap.
“That thing is huge,” Aspen says, referring to the beanbag.
“Isn’t it? I got it because I kept falling asleep while reading in my old chair. I wanted something bigger, and then I saw an ad for this thing. I can stretch out completely like I’m in a bed. I swear I sleep here more than I do in my bedroom.”
“Is there something wrong with your bed?” I ask, frowning.
We just got her a new bed two years ago. Surely nothing is wrong with it already, right?
Ashley rolls her eyes. “My bed is fine. I just didn’t want to keep reading in bed and hardly spend time out here in the living room. Now stop worrying.”
Aspen laughs. “Good luck with that. I swear, that’s all the man does is worry.”
My sister winks. “It’s part of his DNA. I swear he inherited it from our dad. Now tell me, how long have you two been together?”
“A while,” I say right when Aspen says, “It’s new.”
Ashley raises her eyebrows. “Alrighty then.”
“We’ve known each other and liked each other for a while, but we’ve finally decided to see where it goes,” Aspen amends.
“Hey, no need to explain it to me. I get complicated.”
“Are you seeing anyone?” I ask.
“No, big brother, and even if I was, it wouldn’t be your business.”
“You are my business,” I remind her.
“Okay, fine. It wouldn’t be your business until I was ready to tell you. Trust me, you don’t want to hear about all the dates I go on.” She huffs.
Aspen groans. “Dating is the worst.”
My sister nods. “You can say that again. I went on a date last week, and the guy’s wife walked up.
She said straight up that they were looking for a third, and I wasn’t her type.
She grabbed her husband, and they bounced.
Thank God we had only managed to order drinks.
Otherwise, I would have been stuck with a bill from hell.
He was talking about ordering a tomahawk,” she says, referring to a giant ass bone-in steak.
“Jesus Christ,” I hiss, shaking my head.
“I once had a guy keep buying shots for our friend group. What I didn’t know was that he had grabbed my card from the back of my phone case and given it to the bartender.
The bartender never checked the name. So the next morning, I realized my card was gone and decided to call the bar.
Sure enough, it was there, and I had a four-hundred-dollar tab,” Aspen says.
I shake my head as they bond over bad dates and shitty men.
This wasn’t exactly how I imagined them bonding, but I’ll take it.
As they continue to chat, I take a back seat and think about how right this feels. I always kept my sister at a distance, and I still will as long as I am dealing with dangerous shit, but maybe I can let her in a little more.
I smile at the two women who rule my life.
Yeah, I think things will work themselves out.