Grandma dropped Asher’s arm to hug everyone. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said to Logan and Julia. “Don’t you have full schedules with the wedding?”
They exchanged an exhausted look. “We need a break from all the planning,” Logan said. “I had no idea so much went into a wedding.”
Julia deflated a little. “We’re supposed to pick out the food for catering …”
Eliana tuned them out, even though she knew she should listen and offer input for their perfect wedding. Instead, she sidled up beside Asher. He wore sky blue swim trunks with a white swim shirt that contrasted deeply with his tan skin.
“What did you sign up for?” she asked.
“Nothing. Winnie asked me to ref.”
“Oooh, a man with power. Did she give you a whistle?”
Making him chuckle was as heady as winning a game.
“A whistleanda flag,” he said.
She fanned herself. “Be still my heart.” Cameron wandered close to them, so she linked her arm through his and pulled him close. “Me and Cam are going to win all the games, aren’t we?”
“Yeah!” Cam yelled out with all the enthusiasm Eliana could dream of in a partner. Asher grinned. It was rare to see him so unguarded and happy.
“Asher! I’ve been looking for you all week!” Lydia, Smitty’s wife, unsteadily walked toward them through the sand. Asher lunged forward to take her arm before she stumbled or fell.
“Where’s your walker?” he asked, his voice low enough so only Eliana and Cameron could hear him.
She waved toward the sidewalk where it stood in the sun. “Over there. You sound just like Logan. I’m fine for a few feet.”
Asher’s smile was gone, a concerned frown replacing it. But she liked this expression too. It wasn’t the grumpy frown he had when he’d towed her car or when she’d blackmailed him or when he learned she was sleeping on a crummy air mattress or … Man, she saw that grumpy frown a lot.
But this frown meant his brain was whirring, solving a problem, trying to figure out how to help someone. And this time, it meant steering Lydia in the direction of her walker. Grandma Winnie said the walker was a new addition for the proud Italian woman, and she was not adjusting well to it.
“I wanted to thank you for the flowers on my birthday,” Lydia said.
The tips of his cheeks turned even pinker. “Oh, it was nothing—”
“Not to me,” she interrupted to say. Her bottom lip trembled like she might cry, but she straightened her back and the action seemed to tuck the emotion away. “With the wedding stress and Smitty being so busy lately … you were the only person who remembered.” Eliana’s heart sank. She knew Grandma was Lydia’s friend, but she’d been swamped with wedding too.
“You share a birthday with my grandma,” he replied.
She placed her hand on his cheek. “I didn’t know your grandma, but she must have been a lovely person to have a grandson such as you.”
“Let’s get you back to your walker,” he said.
“Must we?” she said, but she allowed him to lead her slowly back toward it.
A month ago, this conversation might have shocked Eliana, but not anymore. In the time she’d known Asher, she learned he cared deeply and showed that care in quiet but meaningful ways. Her heart squeezed as she watched him help Lydia get settled with her walker and remained to chat with her.
Logan hustled over as well to give his grandma a hug. He threw a grateful look at Asher over Lydia’s shoulder as he led her deeper into the shade, to a set of empty chairs near Julia and Cameron.
A shrill whistle broke her out of her reverie, and she turned to find Don standing on a platform, lowering his fingers from his mouth. “Volleyball starts in five minutes,” he barked. “Head to the net if you signed up to play.”
Eliana made her way over, the image of Asher picking out flowers for Lydia on her mind. She did a few stretches and met her team, which was mostly made up of grandkids from other Palms residents, but Don and Walt jumped in to play as well.
“Did you see a new sign was posted?” Polly whispered to Rosa from the sidelines. Eliana’s ears perked up and she listened.
“No. What did this one say?” Rosa paused. “Do I even want to know?”
Polly lowered her voice even further, and Eliana had to strain to hear. “Harry had a country album.”
