"Hotter," I corrected. "Damn, and the way he pushes in? Thought my damned dick was going to explode from the blood rushing to it."
"I know." He paused to wipe at his face. "You know, I missed this."
"Showering together?" And I let my eyes drop to his completely bald dick. "You used to have hair."
He returned the favor. "At least you learned how to landscape. Bet you Luke's a fucking forest."
I couldn't help but laugh because he was probably right. "I'll hold him down and you shave him."
"You wax your chest?" Ash asked.
I nodded. "Otherwise I start to look a bit like a bear. Ass too. You?"
"Born this way," he assured me. "Never grew more than a hair on my chest. But my balls? Shit, it all came out there."
"Where do you get a wax around here?" I asked.
"Fuck if I know," Ash admitted. "Figure Violet's going to need a salon soon too. I can see roots."
"Shit, don't tell her that. The pastels are fading too." Then I had an idea. "Maybe we should take Faith?"
"His kid? To get her balls waxed?" Ash grinned, proving he knew that wasn't what I meant.
"For a cut and style," I corrected. "Maybe nails? You know Luke would go, and we could gang up on him."
"He looks pretty good the way he is, though." Ash moved so I could have the water again. "Where's the conditioner?"
I reached back for that bottle, then passed it to him. "We really need to upgrade this bathroom. It looks like something out of the sixties."
"Could replace the tub with a walk-in shower," he agreed. "Don't need a tub since there's one downstairs. Bet Luke would know how to do it ourselves."
"I'm making him help me with the psych office. It's got fucking sponge-painted walls."
"I remember that!" Ash breathed. "Bea was so proud of herself when she did that."
"It's bad," I told him. "Like, early nineties kinda bad."
"It was out of style when she did it," he agreed. "But I can help you with that."
"Want to help me find a desk?" I asked, seeing a chance to spend a little more time with him. "I need something that isn't fiberboard."
"I'll buy you a desk," Ash told me as he moved to rinse his hair. "But I have one condition. You need a nameplate that actually says doctor on it."
"Dr. Cyan Marshall?" I asked. "Nah."
"Dr. Cy Marshall," he corrected. "Your color's your business. Let the kids call you Cy. Oh, and Luke said he'd hook up the thing for you to do the grass stuff."
"Wanna help?" I asked.
"Nope." He stepped out of the shower, leaving me to turn it off. "Getting hot and sweaty is your job. I have panties to design and a spring catalogue to prepare for."
I shut off the water and pulled back the curtain, only to find a towel held up waiting for me. "Thanks. You know, I don't really need a whole nurse's station. No reason I can't move that stuff into the psych office and we can get you a space of your own."
"Where's Luke's office?" he asked, wrapping another towel around his waist.
I moved around him for the sink. "The barn. I kinda put in a request to the board about it. Figured he'd make a pretty good handyman, hay guy, and equine therapist." Then I tilted my head, checking the edges of my beard. "Prolly should've shaved."
"I like it," Ash said. "Shave tomorrow."
