Chapter 17
The doorbell rang as Chase was fiddling with his hair in the bathroom. No matter how many times Beth showed him, he never quite got it to look the same.
“Beth, your friend’s here.”
“Okay,” she called.
A minute later, she ducked her head in the bathroom, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Don’t worry, we’ll fix your hair. Do you want to do the honors, Ashley?”
He whirled around as Beth and Ashley—yes, his Ashley—stepped into the small bathroom, crowding him in. “What are you doing here?”
Ashley motioned for him to duck down, and she rubbed his hair between her fingers. “Too much gel, I think.”
“Oh, I agree.” Beth handed her a spray bottle and a hand towel.
Ashley wet his hair and toweled it off, her face fluttering just inches from his. “Beth invited me over,” she whispered. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Did he mind? He swallowed hard. For a minute, he couldn’t remember what he was even getting ready for. Oh, yes. A date. “You’re here to help me get ready?”
“Comb.” Ashley held her hand out, and Beth pressed the comb into it like a good assistant. “Well, actually, the getting you ready part wasn’t planned for. Beth just wanted some company after the other two go to bed.”
“I shouldn’t be that late,” he murmured, hoping his hair needed another good fifteen minutes of combing. Ashley’s vanilla scent was familiar and intoxicating. Tiffany would probably smell nice too, though. Tonight was supposed to be about getting to know Tiffany.
“How much time do you have before you need to go? Your shirt got a little wet.” Beth wrinkled her nose. “Plus, I’d go with something … not button down. Don’t you have any nice T-shirts?”
“Oh, I agree.” Ashley smiled at him, obviously enjoying his shock at having her there. “If she’s dressed casual, she’ll feel weird.”
Beth led the way to his bedroom, and to his horror, Ashley tagged along. The two of them started going through his small walk-in closet, comparing shirts. Beth pulled one out and held it up to him before shaking her head and putting it back. A minute later, she handed him something else. “Put this on.”
He took it from her, begrudgingly having to admit to himself that it would look better and be more comfortable. He unbuttoned his top three buttons before realizing they were both still standing there in the closet with him. Beth was sliding shirts back and forth, not paying attention, but Ashley was watching him, and she seemed to realize at the same moment he did that she should immediately leave. She took Beth by the shoulders and ushered her out of his room.
For one moment at least, she’d looked at him with an awareness that went beyond mere friendship. But maybe that was just his mind projecting what it most wanted. He quickly changed and left to go meet Tiffany, not allowing his mind to go back to where it liked to dwell most.
***
Tyler and Gabby had been engrossed in an intense video game battle when Ashley arrived, but Beth turned off their game as soon as Chase left.
“Beth!” Tyler lunged to turn back on the game, even though it was too late to go back to it. Beth caught him around the middle and puppet-marched him over Ashley. “Say hi to our guest.”
He glared at Ashley. “Hi, guest.”
She couldn’t help laughing, and when she stuck out her hand for him to shake, he grinned a little bit too and shook it.
Gabby came over and hugged her around the middle.
“Don’t do that.” Beth moved to pry her off, but Ashley let her know it was okay and bent down so she could give Gabby a proper hug.
Yes, it was a little socially inappropriate for Gabby to be hugging a stranger, but hopefully soon, Ashley wouldn’t be a stranger being introduced as ‘guest.’
“So, what are we doing for dinner?” Ashley asked. “I was thinking of ordering pizza.”
From the enthusiastic whoops in response, Ashley took that as a yes and called up the nearest delivery place.
Beth picked out a movie, and while Ashley itched to get up and tidy the place, instead, she ended up on the couch between Tyler and Gabby. Gabby had beautiful chestnut curls, and from the family pictures on the wall, it looked like she’d inherited them from her mother.
When the doorbell rang, Ashley jumped up and paid the delivery guy, and with Beth, coaxed the kids to come eat at the table rather than the couch.
“We always eat on the couch,” Tyler complained.
