“There’s a problem at the shelter. Molly is upset but she doesn’t give any info. I’ll hop over on my way home. It’s not too out of the way. See you Friday afternoon at Tabitha’s.”
“Okay, be careful and call me when you get home so I’ll know you made it. You know I hate you going down to the shelter by yourself all the time.”
“Yes, mother,” Ashley replied. “Later, chickie.”
With a wave, she disappeared from Pippa’s apartment and headed down to catch a cab to the shelter.
* * *
It was later than he’d have liked when Devon entered the apartment. His day had been long and full of endless meetings and his ears were still throbbing from the number of people who’d talked to him.
The only person he wanted to see was Ashley, and he was looking forward to seeing what disaster she’d come up with for dinner.
He grinned as he loosened his tie and headed for the kitchen. The past weeks had been hilarious. Oddly, he hadn’t minded the sheer number of ruined meals he’d been served. It had become a contest for him to correctly guess what the meal wassupposedto have been.
He sniffed as he reached the doorway into the kitchen and the delicious aroma of…something…floated into his nostrils. It didn’t smell burned. Or even slightly scorched. It smelled like gooey, bubbly cheese and a hint of tomato.
His stomach growled and he scanned the kitchen area for Ashley. He frowned when he realized she was nowhere to be seen. Deciding he’d better check on whatever was for dinner, he hurried to the oven and pulled open the door.
Inside was what looked to be a perfectly put together and perfectly cooked lasagna. He snagged a potholder and then reached inside to take out the casserole dish.
After setting it on the stove, he turned off the oven and then went in search of Ashley. As he neared the bedroom, he heard the low murmur of her voice.
She was standing by the window overlooking the city and she was on her cell phone. He started to detour into his closet to change when he heard a betraying sniff.
He spun around, frowning as he zeroed in on Ashley. Her back was mostly to him though she was angled just enough that he could see her wipe at one cheek.
What the hell?
It took all his restraint not to walk over, take the phone and demand to know who the hell had upset her.
“I’ll see what I can do, Molly. We can’t let this happen,” she said.
She wiped her cheek with the back of her free hand and then hit the button to end the call. Then she turned and saw Devon. Her eyes widened in alarm and then she closed them in dismay.
“Oh, my God, the lasagna!”
She bolted for the door, gone before he could even tell her he’d already taken care of it. He was more concerned with what had made her cry.
“Ash!” he called as he hurried after her.
He caught up to her in the kitchen to find her palming her forehead as she stared at the lasagna.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just forgot it. If you hadn’t come in, it would have burned.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said. He walked over and slipped a hand over her shoulder. “It needs to rest a minute anyway. Let me grab some plates and we’ll set the table. Then you can tell me what’s got you so upset. Who was that on the phone?”
He steered her toward the table, parked her in a chair and then went back to retrieve plates and utensils. After setting the places, he went back for the lasagna and carried the still piping hot dish to the table.
He sat down, picking up a knife to cut into the lasagna while he waited for her to respond. To his horror, her eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in her hands.
He dropped the knife and bit out a curse. Then he scrambled out of his chair and pulled it around so he could scoot up next to Ashley.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded. “Did someone upset you?” Obviously someone or something did but he wanted answers. He wasn’t a patient man. His inclination was to wade in and fix things. He couldn’t do that if he didn’t have the story.
“I’ve had the most awful day,” she croaked out. “And I wanted everything to be perfect. I finally learned how to cook that damn lasagna. But then Molly called. I stopped by the shelter and she had terrible news and I don’t know what to do. We’ve been talking about it all evening.”
He gently pulled her hands away, wincing at the flood of tears soaking her cheeks.
