"Ready to head back?" Ashton asked, his hand finding its way to the small of my back again.
"Sure," I said, though my mind was still turning over Drake's comment. "So, you and Drake both just got back into town?"
Ashton let out a soft laugh, the corner of his mouth lifting in that half-smile I found so endearing. "Yeah, it's a funny coincidence, huh?"
"Is there a story there?" I probed gently, hoping for a bit more.
"Maybe," he said, his eyes locking onto mine before he glanced away and changed the subject. "Let's get home. Nyx is probably wondering where we are."
I felt a twinge of frustration at his evasiveness but decided not to push it. We were still treading the waters of our new relationship, and if there was something he wasn't ready to share, I could respect that. Still, the unanswered questions lingered like shadows at the edge of my thoughts.
We arrived home, and as soon as we walked through the door, Nyx in Laurie's arms her meowing filled the space. She sounded more demanding than distressed, and I smiled at her tiny, authoritative voice.
"She started as soon as she heard you coming up the stairs," Laurie said apologetically.
"She’ll have heard Erin’s voice, recognized her savior." Ashton explained, taking the small kitten into his large hands.
"Look at all this stuff we got for you, little one," I cooed as we set down bags filled with kitten supplies.
"Here you go, baby." Ashton opened a can of wet food and scooped some onto a small plate. "Not too much now. You'll overeat and give yourself a belly ache."
Nyx dove into the food with gusto, and I laughed, watching her tiny tongue lap up every morsel. Ashton's gentle tone and the careful way he watched over Nyx made warmth spread through my chest. Despite the lingering curiosity about his past, those little moments showed me more of who Ashton was than any story could.
"Easy there, Nyxie." Ashton stroked her back as she ate. "You have to wait a little bit longer before you can have more."
The sight of this big, powerful man being so tender with a kitten melted my heart. It was in those quiet moments I felt myself falling even deeper for him.
"Aw, Ashton, can we give her a bit more?" Laurie asked, as we watched Nyx finish the last bits of her meal, licking the plate like she could make more appear.
"No," he said without looking up from unpacking a scratching post. "She needs to digest that first."
"All right." Laurie wandered to her room while I sat down on the kitchen floor next to Nyx. Her small body vibrated with purrs as she nuzzled into my hand.
"Could you grab the litter box?" Ashton's voice pulled me out of the moment.
"Sure." I stood and fetched the box from one of the bags. We worked together, setting up Nyx's new space in the laundry room off the kitchen in silence.
"Let'sshow her where it is so she knows," I said.
Nyx sniffed around the box, her tiny nose twitching curiously. She stepped in, then out, seemingly satisfied with the discovery.
"Looks like she's going to be just fine," I said.
"Yeah, she's a smart little gal." Ashton smiled, and I wanted to run my fingers along the little smile lines that appeared.
The warmth returned to my chest, watching him with Nyx. It was easy to forget the questions that had been nagging at me earlier. For now, this was enough.
Chapter 24
Erin
The dropletsof water still clung to my skin as I wrapped the towel around me, stepping out of the steam-filled bathroom. Monday mornings had a certain quietness in the inn that felt almost sacred—a lull between the weekend's disorder and the week's promise. My phone buzzed on the edge of the nightstand, pulling me from my reverie.
I smiled at seeing a text.
Aurelia: Antiquing today? Need to find some treasures. You in?
A quick glance at the guest list confirmed what I already knew: Mondays were checkout days, and the place was empty until the next wave of visitors. No check-ins meant a rare free day.
