“Okay,” Julie said. “Just don’t complicate things further. I think you need to tell Ashton about Colin, then you can decide if you really like him for him.”
She was right. “Okay. I will. I’ll find the right time and tell him.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I nodded. “If the truck isn’t ready after breakfast, I’ll take a cab.”
“Night, Mill. I love you.”
“Love you too.” Julie was my ride or die. I trusted her judgement on this.
Jumping into the shower, I soaped off all of the river water, our kiss, the snake, all of it. Julie was right, I was confused. Ashton was alive because of Colin, and that made me feel close to him. That was why, right? Or because behind his eyes I saw a wounded man that reminded me so much of myself that I wanted to fix him and take his pain away. Neither sounded very healthy. Maybe I was confused, maybe Colin’s heart made me feel some attraction to him … but I didn’t think so, because every time I felt attracted to him I wasn’t thinking of Colin.
Fuck.
After showering, I put on Ashton’s clean white shirt and black boxer briefs.
Bad idea.
Bad.
They smelled so good. They smelled like him and whatever cologne he wore. Earthy and spicy and sexy.
Screw this day. I was going to go to bed, wake up and make his gran a five-course breakfast and then get the hell out of here, go back to the bar and tell Ashton everything.
Stepping into the bedroom, my eyes tracked some movement on the bed before a shriek tore from my throat. A blur of feathers flew at my face and I stumbled backward out of the room and slammed the door.
Chicken. There was a fucking chicken on my bed.
My heart pounded in my chest, hands shaking as I texted Ashton.
Me:There’s a chicken on my bed. Help.
His reply was instant.
Ashton:LOL. Be right there. Don’t cook it. Probably Tinkle. Gran’s favorite.
Don’t cook it. Ha ha. Very funny.
A minute later, Ashton walked in the front door and stopped dead. His eyes raked up and down my body causing heat to pool between my legs.
It’s just because he has Colin’s heart. I’m clinging to the past, I told myself.
“Did you open a window or something?” he asked, shaking himself from his trance.
I nodded. “It’s nice out.”
Ashton chuckled. “I need to fix that screen. I’ll be right back.”
He opened the bedroom door and his gaze fell to the foot of the bed. “Tinkle, you little shit!” Ashton lurched forward and scooped the bird up in his arms. Walking over to the window, he chucked the bird out and slammed the window down.
“Shouldn’t he be in the coop or something?”
Ashton nodded. “Gran lets a few free range. They eat ticks and other bad bugs.”
Oh. This city girl clearly didn’t know shit about farming.
My hands were still shaking. “I need a drink,” I joked. “Scared the shit out of me.”
