Today he’s wearing baggy blue jeans and a thick cream coloured fisherman’s sweater. His dark hair is artfully tousled and there’s two spots of colour on his cheeks like he’s come in from outside.
He’s carrying a to-go cup from Coffee for the Sole, so chances are he did just come in from outside.
The coffee smells good.
I awkwardly pour myself another cup of tea.
“You’re a tea drinker,” Ashton says as he takes the seat beside me again. Today, the tiny black Freddy has joined Bono, and the two sleeping cats create a welcome barrier between me and Ashton.
“I prefer coffee,” I admit. “Mrs. Theissen brings me a pot in the morning and the afternoon, and I feel bad not drinking it.”
“You could ask for coffee instead.”
“She’s nice enough to bring me anything, and I don’t want to be a bother.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I sense a trend here.”
I shrug. “I’m a people pleaser. What do you want me to do about it?”
“Stop pleasing people?”
I turn away and sip my tea. Stella is always telling me to stop being so nice to people, and I always thought it was because she wasn’t. It’s not that my sister isn’t nice, it’s just that she’s grumpier than Ashton.
Not that Ashton has been very grumpy to me.
He’s been… nice. Attentive. Considerate, maybe?
All very unlike Ashton things. At least, the Ashton I know.
“So what do you do here in Battle Harbour?”
Scratch all that because the question comes with a note in Ashton’s voice. It’s maybe condescending, like nothing can happen in Battle Harbour that would amuse or entertain him. That nothing going on here would be his idea of fun.
Why would there be? Ashton Carrington treats the world as his playground. He’s always flying here, flying there. Driving here, driving there. Hanging out with his group of fabulous friends, andgorgeous girlfriends and women who fall in love with his blue eyes and sardonic smile before he even says a word.
He does have a point. Battle Harbour is quiet, not full of parties and yachts and extreme sports. But it’s my home, and I love it. I do things around here.
“I do things,” I say out loud. There’s that eyebrow again.
“Like, what do you do for excitement?” Ashton lounges on the couch, his long legs stretched out in what is sure to be a tripping hazard.
“There isn’t much excitement,” I admit reluctantly. “There are hiking trails. There’s the stargazing place near the water in the summer.”
“Do you prefer outdoor things?” Ashton asks like it’s the worst idea in the world.
“I guess?”
“Because that’s all you mentioned. Outdoor excitement. I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s flipping cold outside, so I’m not very interested in doing things outdoors.”
“Are you looking for things to do?”
“I’m always looking for the next big thing.”
“I don’t think you’ll find it here.”
Why are you here? Ireallywant to ask him.
Not just here, in my room in the castle, but here in Battle Harbour. In Laandia, even. If he’s too afraid of the cold, then the Northern Lights and the ski hills on the Quebec border wouldn’t be much interest to him either.
