Her mother blinked and shifted her attention back to Aspen. “Of course. They seem friendly.”
“Everyone in this town is friendly.” Which was saying something, seeing as she’d lived her entire life in the small town of Misty Peak, where the locals resembled the cast fromGilmore Girls.
Her mother cut into her croissant. “Oh, I meant to tell you, I read your last book.”
Aspen paused, toast halfway to her mouth. “You did?” Her mother never read her stuff. Not a single word.
Her mother nodded. “It was just wonderful. My favorite part was when Darren took Kathryn to the ball, and they finally put their differences behind them. It was a beautiful ending.”
Aspen looked at her mother like she’d grown two heads. Shehadread it.
“I was so sad when I finished,” her mother continued, “that I ordered three other books from your backlist.”
Okay, who was this sweet, supportive woman and what had she done with her mother? “You really read my book?”
Her mother lifted her gaze from her croissant and frowned. “I’m your mother. I want to support you. I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Aspen’s heart gave a little kick. Was it possible her mother was actually getting better?
She almost didn’t want to get her hopes up. She’d always craved a normal mother-daughter relationship, but it had never been possible. Could that change?
CHAPTER 11
Jesse leaned back in his seat. He was almost done. The day had been filled with speeding fines, warnings for minor offenses, and a house call to check on an elderly couple who hadn’t stepped outside in a few days. It hadn’t been a bad day—he was just ready to get home.
It was late, so Aspen should be home from spending time with her mother.
He was about to stand when his cell rang, his mother’s name on the screen. “Hey, Mom.”
“Jesse, honey, I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”
“Not at all. I’m just about to leave work.”
“Oh, your job worries me, honey. Are you keeping safe?”
She worried a lot. The day he’d told his mother he was joining a Ghost Ops team, she’d almost fainted, and that wasafterBecket had become a SEAL.
“There’s not a lot of danger in Amber Ridge.”
“Don’t jinx it. Not while you’re sheriff and Becket’s fire chief. At least Clara has a nice, safe job.”
“I would argue that jabbing people with needles could put her in more danger than me.”
His mother chuckled.
“Are you doing okay, Mom?”
“Better than okay. I just called to tell you that I met Aspen today.”
Something buzzed in his gut at the mention of her name. The sheer fucking mention. That was what she did to him. “Yeah? Where’d you meet her?”
“Clara and I were in the diner, and so were she and her mother.” There was a brief pause. “She’s pretty.”
He bit back a laugh. She wasn’t pretty. She was beautiful. “Yeah, she is.”
“And that smile of hers…you know, you can tell a lot about a person by their smile.”
“Is that right?” He rose and started to clear his desk.
