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Ash closed his eyes as he tried to rationalize it in his mind—calling up a total stranger to ask for help. It didn’t seem right. He should be able to handle things.

From behind him, Bri’s quiet, happy gurgle and the stilted shake of the rattle suddenly stopped, and Ash tensed as Bri let out a not-so-happy whimper, which quickly turned louder. The sound pierced his ears, sending a jolt of pain right through the middle of his skull. He clenched his jaw, and with a final flicker of shame, picked up the paper with Cass’s number on it and turned back around.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” he murmured. He carefully made his way to the bed and then set the paper down next to his cell phone on the nightstand and leaned over to lift Bri from the bassinet. She whimpered but didn’t cry, and he closed his eyes as he held her tight and rocked her gently. “Shh, shh, I’m here. I’m here.”

Bri quieted in his arms, looking up at him with her beautiful, curious gray-blue eyes. He took several deep breaths and tried for a smile, but he felt weak and tired, and when he swayed on his feet this time, it wasn’t because of his lingering vertigo.

“I need to get some help, don’t I?” he said softly, and he was about to sit down—finally ready to let himself make the call—when a quiet knock came at the door.

Ash froze for a second, his arms tightening around his niece. “Who is it?”

“It’s Cass. I was here earlier. I helped you with your car when you were stuck at the off-ramp.” There was a pause, and Ash took a tentative step toward the door. “I brought you some food and a few things for the baby.”

Ash swallowed hard and ignored how his heart rate spiked as he took another few steps over to the door. Cradling his niece protectively in one arm, he undid the deadbolt on the hotel’s door and then turned the handle and pulled the door open a few inches.

The man on the other side stood back a bit, looking almost a little sheepish. He gave Ash a gentle smile and lifted the bags he was carrying.

“I hope I’m not bothering you.” Cass shrugged. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted or needed, so I got a little of everything. Sorry if it’s presumptuous. I just, um . . . yeah.”

Ash stood frozen, his foot holding the door open so he had both hands to carry Bri. When he didn’t say anything, Cass bit his lower lip and dropped his chin.

“If you want, I can leave everything right here next to the door, and I’ll go. You don’t have to let me in or anything. I just thought you might need food or something. Here . . .”

Cass stepped forward slowly, starting to lower the bags to set them down right next to the door, and Ash shook his head.

“No, no.” He stepped back, pushing the door open with his foot more. “You can come in. Sorry, I’m just surprised to see you.” He managed what he hoped wasn’t too tight of a smile. “I was actually about to text you. I’m glad you’re here.”

Matty (Thursday, December 9, 2021 – 6:23 p.m.): Hey man, u coming tonite to Westside? I’m bringing a friend I think u should meet. His name’s Joe. Cool dude. Smart and fun and a book nerd like u. Just moved here from Reno. U two might get along ;)

Chapter Ten

Cass

“So don’t laugh, but there’s obviously way too much food here because as soon as I got to the diner, I realized I had no idea what you liked or if you had food allergies or were a vegetarian or hated broccoli or anything like that.” Cass stopped rambling when he reached the small desk in the far corner of the hotel room. He set down all four of the bags he’d been carrying as the door clicked shut. Then he pasted a smile on his face, despite the heat in his cheeks, as he turned around.

Ash stood a few feet away, still cradling Bri tightly to his chest. He stared at the bags on the table, his expression reserved and distinctly uncomfortable in some way. Cass couldn’t immediately tell if it was because of a lingering headache from his migraine or because he’d decided he really wasn’t happy Cass had shown up after all.

And it was weird, wasn’t it? It was strange that Cass had come, even though Ash hadn’t called or texted or asked for help.

Cass swallowed hard, trying not to second-guess himself, and then motioned to the bags. “So, there’s, um, a burger and fries, everything on the side, and a garden salad with a couple choices of dressing. Also a chicken pasta dish—it’s my mom’s favorite, actually. She gets it every time we go out. I also got some sides of mashed potatoes and broccoli and fruit. They had some freshly baked bread too. I think it’s sourdough. Then I stopped at Walgreens and picked up some bottles of water and other snacks.”

When Ash’s eyebrows arched in what looked like disbelief, Cass reached up and rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks grew hotter. He knew he’d gone overboard; in the moment, when he’d been waiting at the host stand near the front of the diner, looking over the menu, he’d decided it would be better to order too much than not enough. That was also why he’d impulse-purchased more than just the food and snacks, too.

He coughed lightly, and with a lopsided smile, he added, “I also got some diapers and baby wipes. Just in case. I didn’t know if you had enough.”

There was a flash of amusement in Ash’s eyes, and he pursed his lips, almost as though holding back a smile. “Is that all?” he asked, his tone cheeky.

Cass’s heart tumbled at the tease, his cheeks now on fire. “Um, no, actually,” he admitted, somehow managing to hold Ash’s gaze.

“No? Really?” Ash’s eyes darted from Cass to the bags on the desk. “You bought more than that?”

“Well, uh, I might have also gotten a container of baby formula—I think it’s the kind I saw in your diaper bag earlier—and then, at the recommendation of the cashier, I stopped at Ross just a block over for a few extra things . . .” Cass grimaced as he realized how over the top he sounded, and he was about to apologize again when Ash let out a weak laugh.

“You really didn’t have to do all of that,” Ash said quietly, glancing back at Cass. His eyes still looked plenty amused, although Cass could see a hint of pain in them at the same time. Ash stepped closer and shifted Bri to one arm so he could peek into the nearest bag—one of the two from Walgreens. Ash’s smile tightened, and he shook his head. “This is . . . a lot.”

Ash looked up and seemed to study Cass for several seconds, his shoulders tense. When Cass tried for another nonchalant shrug, Ash shook his head and continued.

“Whoever the cashier was must know babies. Onesies and burp cloths . . .” Ash blinked his eyes closed for a bit longer than was probably necessary, and when he opened them again, he frowned slightly. “Bri’s low on clean clothes at this point. Her stomach hasn’t been too happy since we left Los Angeles, and she’s been spitting up on everything . . .”