Chapter Nineteen
Fanny
I was dreaming. I liked my dream. It was a good one. I was warm. I felt safe. There had been a steady soothing back and forth motion along my spine in the beginning that had brought me to my current blissful place of slumber, but someone was ruining it now.
“Go away,” I grumbled, swatting at the whispering voices that swirled in the thick layer of cottony insulation above me.
They disappeared for a while and then one returned.
“Breakfast is over. You missed it, and dinner last night.” Hollie lowered her voice. “Plus all the excitement.” My ears perked up. I rolled over and cracked open my eyes to see her peering down at me. “Hello there, sleepy head.” Her tone was teasing, but she looked a little concerned. “You alright? You’ve slept nearly nineteen hours straight. Ash brought you back here to the bed. When I followed him in he was stroking your back, and you were practically purring. Do you remember falling asleep in his arms in the living room?”
“Vaguely.” The stroking explained the soothing back and forth motion.
“I wanted to wake you so you could eat, but Ash was pretty adamant about me leaving you alone. He thinks you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. He said you’re recovering from dealing with too much stress and that you needed to rest.”
“He’s probably right.” He was right about a lot of things. Bossy man. “What happened while I was out?” I pulled myself up in the bed, and Hollie glanced over her shoulder toward the open doorway before turning back to me. “A couple of notable things. Linc dropped by again. He brought Ash some papers to sign, a legal agreement. I noticed a lot of zeroes on the cover page, but Ash seemed pleased by it. Then Linc started teasing Ash about you.”
“What about me?”
“Not you particularly. More about how Ash acts with you.”
“How’s that?”
“Affectionate. Apparently he’s not usually that way with girls. Like ever.”
“I find that impossible to believe.” It seemed to come so naturally to him.
“I dunno. He’s not that way with me,” Hollie pointed out. “And I didn’t notice him being that way with Simone, either, or Karen. Not how he is with you. And they’ve all known each other a long time.”
I gave that some consideration but dismissed it. “He’s protective. I’m recovering. He’s just worried about me.”
“He’s worried about me, too. But he doesn’t swoop me into his arms every time I look even slightly off kilter.”
“He doesn’t do that.” I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Ok, I exaggerated,” she allowed. “Every other time you look off kilter.” Her grey eyes twinkling, she leaned back as I took a playful swipe at her.
“So is that it? Anything else happen that I should know about?”
“Yeah. We’re going to have a party.”
“A party?”
“A dinner party tonight with all of Ash’s friends. It was Karen’s idea. She called to check on you and told Ash she wants us all to get to know each other better. Linc really liked the idea. Ash? Not so much. He and Linc argued about it. But the majority overruled.”
“Over the master? In his own domain?”
“Apparently his friends hold that much sway with him.”
Apparently, they did. Good to know, since I was currently counted as one of them.
~ ~ ~
After a shower, I shuffled into the kitchen. Ash wasn’t around, but Hollie and I ate early, a humongous lunch consisting of the leftover pizza from the dinner I had missed plus a big plate of scrambled eggs and toast for me. I was ravenous after missing two meals. We washed our dishes, then went up to the rooftop, did an hour of yoga and came back down. Still no Ash. I pretended I didn’t miss him, and that I didn’t wonder what he was doing.
“Hey, all.” Blond hair disheveled and blue eyes bleary like he had just woken from a nap as long as mine, Linc emerged from the guest bedroom. “Any pizza left from last night?” he asked on his way to the kitchen.
“I ate it all,” I informed him.
“Bummer. I’ll just microwave some of that frittata Ash raved about.” He gave me a head to toe assessing look over the bar. “You doing ok? Anything the boss should know?”
“The boss?” I queried.
“You know who.” He grinned.
“No. I’m fine.”
“Roger that. I’ll text him after I eat. I’m allowed to make minor decisions without having to check in.”
Ah, I thought finally cluing in. Linc was our chaperone while Ash was out.
I left Hollie to keep Linc company and scooted off to take another shower. After weeks on the streets, I took great delight in the running water and being overly clean.
As I was pulling on another new outfit, a soft seafoam boat neck Roxy top and black stretch yoga bottoms, my sister joined me.
“Those look great on you,” she decided.
“Thanks. I wish I could afford a personal shopper. If I could and Karen did that kind of thing, I would hire her in a heartbeat.” I was better at picking outfits for Hollie than I was choosing things for myself. I was staring at my reflection in the dresser mirror and adjusting my beanie when Ash suddenly appeared in my peripheral vision. He knocked rhythmically on the doorframe.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“Yeah. It’s your room after all,” I replied, attempting a witty rejoinder. Yet, my heart leapt into my throat just looking at him. Ball cap on backwards, the navy one, seemingly a favorite, he wore basketball length exercise shorts, and nothing else but a sheen of perspiration. As he moved closer, fluidly as always, I followed a single droplet of sweat as it tracked down the center of his sculpted chest. Anticipation edged me forward. I licked my dry lips as I watched the droplet go lower down over the ridges of his abdomen until it disappeared. Did it travel lower or had it been absorbed by the Nike emblazoned waistband of his shorts?
Oh, to be a Nike swoosh.
I sighed aloud.
“Are you still tired?” His brows drew together. “You seem a little distracted. I told Linc this party was a terrible idea.”
“No, it’s ok. I mean, I’m fine. If I sleep anymore I’ll just be up all night.”
“Your body needs rest to heal, little one. But I am glad to see that your color is already better today than it was yesterday.” Was concern for my health the reason why he hadn’t wanted the get together? That was sweet. I had been afraid maybe he just didn’t want me and Hollie too involved with his inner circle. After all this was our third attempt at friendship, and it was only a temporary one based on necessity. Wasn’t it? Or did he intend for it to be a lasting thing?
“Where were you all day?”
“Why do you want to know? Did you miss me?”
I nodded. The truth was obvious. Why lie?
“I went into the office for a couple of hours.” He smiled. “I had some things that couldn’t wait. We’re working on your situation of course. Then I did a quick power workout at the gym.”
“Why quick?”
“Two reasons. First, Linc had a limited window to hang with you and Hollie here. Secondly, I missed you, too.”
It was my turn to smile. “Do you really think this chaperone business is necessary? I think it’s pretty unlikely Samuel will discover us here. And even if he did, it’s even less likely that he could get past all of your security measures.” I didn’t mention that he might pay somebody else to do those things, someone who might have the skills necessary to thwart those defenses.
“It’s still too big a risk. I have a good memory, Fanny. I remember how he hurt you at the Oscars. He is every bit the powerful and resourceful man you think he is. I get that now. I’m not taking any chances.”
“You could just sling her over your shoulder and carry her around with you every place you go.” Hollie grinned. “It might make things easier.”
“Very funny. Not.” I swung my gaze to her and gave her the death stare.
“What?” Ash glanced back and forth between me and my oh-so-not-funny sibling.
“Hollie’s trying to branch out into standup comedy. She thinks it’s somehow amusing that you’ve carried me around a couple times like a caveman.”
“Three.”
“What?” I queried, not understanding.
“I’ve had you in my arms three times now.” His grin curved a groove into his cheek on the one side. Swoony sexy. “Amusing would not be the word I would use to describe the experience.”
“What would?”
“Unforgettable.”
“Oh.”
“Or Oh. M. G. That works, too.” He leaned closer to me and tapped my rounded lips. I drew in a sharp breath as he proceeded to trace the circle of my mouth with his thumb.
“I must say your sister’s suggestion has merit.” His voice had dropped an octave lower. “I’ll give it some consideration and let you know. In the meantime, I’m supposed to inform you that Simone and Karen are on their way over. They’re bringing you both some additional things to sort through for the party tonight. Half a surf shop worth of clothes in those bags from Offshore apparently isn’t enough.”
“That sounds great.” I was feeling a little dazed. Not off kilter enough to be swooped, more’s the pity. But him touching my mouth had definitely zinged other areas of my anatomy. Watching him as he glided toward the doorframe intensified the zing. Massive shoulders, arms corded with muscle, narrow waist, tight ass and long powerful strides. He had it all going on and all he had going on had me going. “Where are you off to now?” I asked, my question sounding more like ‘please don’t go’. He stopped to look back at me. His eyes glittered with definite amusement as if he knew my thoughts. As if he sensed the plea in my innocent question.
“I’ve got to set up the grill. But when you’re done with the girl stuff, you’re welcome to come keep me company. I wouldn’t want you to suffer overly from separation anxiety.”
Yeah, he’d read me just that way.
~ ~ ~
Ashland
“Spit it out, Linc. I can practically hear the gears in your head turning.”
“What the hell’s going on with you and this girl?”
“And there it is.”
“Huh.”
“Nothing’s going in with her. She’s in trouble. We’re helping her. Once we solve her problem, she’ll go back to her life. A better one.” Better for her had been my hope the first time. Maybe this time it would be.
Linc moved closer and put a fresh Longfin lager beside the plate of filets I was seasoning with salt and pepper.
“Thanks,” I told him, lifting the bottle his way and chugging a long swig.
“You’re welcome. But dude, you really expect me to believe that’s all this is?”
I sighed. “I guess not.”
“Ok then.” He shook his head. “Let the steaks rest.” He motioned to the glass half wall that faced the ocean. “Let’s talk truth for a minute.” We strolled over together, each with a lager in our hand. His hair hung loose, the breeze tossing it around his face as he leaned his elbows on the wall. I liked it longer, but the layered cut was flattering. Simone’s choice. I had weighed in with my opinion, but not with a heavy hand. If you loved someone you didn’t push or manipulate them even in small things. I’d learned that lesson in the biggest way of all with him. I was now getting a refresher course with Fanny.
“Fuck.” I squeezed my eyes shut as the realization of that telling thought rose with startling clarity inside of me. All in or all out when it came to my heart or so my mother always said about me. She was right. I didn’t really do middle ground. When I reopened my eyes, the outdoor lights were swaying overhead and Linc was studying me closely.
“What just happened right there? Your expression says major reality check.”
“Yeah.”
“Ash, c’mon. No stonewalling. Level with me.” He put a hand on my shoulder. In the past, in the not so distant past before I had finally acknowledged that it would always be Simone for him, I would’ve felt that touch in a way that would’ve stirred much more than brotherly affection in me. But tonight, all it conveyed was warm regard and mutual respect.
“Fanny and I have met before.”
“You’re kidding.”
“At the Oscars. When we were nominated for best original song.”
“Oh, yeah! ‘Tomorrow Today’. Fanny Bay Lesowski. Redhead. Silver dress. Stunning curves.” I didn’t know how I felt about him remembering those particular details, but I nodded. “She won, didn’t she?”
“She did.”
“I don’t remember that night very well.” He grimaced. “That was before we did rehab.”
“Right before my diagnosis. Days before, in fact.”
“That’s right.”
“We talked briefly. She charmed me completely with her fiery personality and all the rest of those details you noted. She made a definite impression. But then…”
“What happened?”
“What didn’t? I totaled my car. I went completely into a shell. I wallowed in self-pity.”
“Yeah, you did do some of that.”
“Until you kicked my ass and told me to move on.”
“You’ve given my ass a kick a time or two when I needed it.”
I grinned. “All in love, brother.”
He motioned back and forth between us with his beer. “The same reason I’m getting all up in your business right now. Anyone can see you have feelings for this chick. She makes you happy. That’s obvious. Simone was going on and on chittering about it all day after she saw you with her the other morning. So why the resistance about the party?”
“I’m worried about her. She passed out in my lap yesterday, Linc.”
“Yeah, I noticed that. Better work on your technique, bro.”
I punched him. He grinned. “So what’s your next move?”
I sobered.” I’m going to tell her the truth.”
“Of course. I thought maybe she already knew.”
“No.” I had run from the truth once. Fate had given me a second chance. This time I was going to get it right. Tell her everything. Explain. Maybe it wasn’t unpardonable what I had done. What I hadn’t said. Maybe she could forgive me.