by Luna, David
Asher reached out and touched her hand. “So, what was your initial reaction when she asked us?”
“You mean besides the heart attack she nearly gave me?”
He smirked. “Yeah, besides that.”
Madi huffed and shook her head. “I don’t know. Fear?”
“What scares you most?”
“Everything.”
“You sound like me, my whole damn life.”
She turned her hand over and clasped his. “It sucks.”
“It does. But can you maybe narrow it down to the biggest fears you have about it?”
Madi lifted her other arm and rested it on the back of the couch, leaning her head into her palm. “I guess I’m scared if we don’t do it, another buyer will come in, change everything, fuck it all up, and make it something we don’t want it to be. And…” She heaved a sigh so big he felt his heart constrict. “I’m also worried if we do this together, it will come between us. I can’t lose you because of some business. I don’t want to do it if it’s going to break us. And, like, what if it’s too much for us to handle alone? We don’t know what the fuck we’re doing when it comes to owning our own business. I mean, jeez, Ash, this business makes millions of dollars, and… and… we’re still practically kids!”
Asher had felt every single one of those fears since Jenn had talked to them about it. He couldn’t blame her for any of those thoughts, but… “What about it excites you? You’re still thinking about it, obviously. I haven’t heard a definitive no from you. So, what are the things that excite you the most about it?”
She leaned a bit forward, a spark alight in her eyes. “This is a solid, longstanding, very successful business. And we know it, inside and out, when it comes to making it run. We don’t know the money or paperwork side, but we know everything out front, the stuff that actually makes the money, right?”
He nodded, her enthusiasm catching. “Right.”
She squeezed Asher’s fingers in hers. “And I already said it—The Glasshouse makes millions every year, and I honestly don’t think we know the half of it. She pays us well, and we have great benefits. I can’t complain. But I still wonder how I’m going to put Gigi through college. And before that, I’d like to own a home where she can have a backyard to play in and a puppy of her own.”
“Those are all good reasons to get excited about it for sure.”
Her gaze grew serious. “And if I am going to own a business with anyone, I’d want it to be with you. I don’t trust anyone else in this world as much as I trust you.”
Asher sucked in a breath and made the leap. “First, regarding your fears, the only way we can ensure there isn’t another buyer that could possibly fuck it all up is if we say yes. Second, you could never lose me. Nothing business-related would ever mean more to me than you. If we do this, we won’t let it come between us. Third, we’re not kids. Not really. We have careers. Sure, we fell into them because the jobs interested us, but we’re both managers there and have been for a couple of years because we love what we do, and we do it better than anyone else. Jenn doesn’t make stupid business decisions, so you know we’re the right people for the jobs she’s given us and for the one she’s offering us now, or she wouldn’t be offering.”
Madi’s eyes grew wide. “You want this.”
His shoulder slumped. “A big part of me does. Another part is scared to death. But I can’t figure out if that’s the fear that always seizes me when things are new or about to change, or if it’s really the thought of owning this business and possibly failing at it that’s doing it.”
“Who the hell is going to approve us for a loan of the size required to buy it? I mean really. I don’t have bad credit, but we’re in our early twenties, and I don’t know any bank that would be willing to take that risk.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I get that. But she is motivated to sell it to us, and I’m sure it helps that we have worked there for years. She’s probably got all her ducks in a row, all the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed, just waiting for us to give her the nod. You know her. She wouldn’t be asking us if she wasn’t A, totally confident in us, and B, ready to help us do what we need to do to move forward with her plans.”
Madi snorted, nodding. “She’s diabolical like that.”
Asher chuckled, agreeing. “She really, really is.” He sobered up then. “So, I’d been avoiding thinking about it, and Thornton brought it up. He’s the one that kind of pushed me to stop ignoring it and to make use of the time we have while I’m out on medical leave. He’s offered help in any way we can use it.”
“Really? Does he own a business?”
“Yeah, actually. This is basically his job. He runs a business that is all about buying other businesses. He’s a very successful business investor, from what I can tell. From the size of this house for one, but I’ve also…” He felt his face turning red, covered his face with his hand, and cleared his throat. “Googled him.”
Her guffaws embarrassed him further. “You’ve googled your Daddy.”
“Oh my god, stop.”
She continued to giggle. “I can’t. It sounds so dirty, and it’s just so… you.”
Asher rolled his eyes at her. “Yeah, yeah. Anyway, so he will know everything there is to know about buying a business, getting loan approvals, working up a business plan and prospectus, and all those little details we would know nothing about. I think we have a real chance, if we’re both fully on board and ready to commit. But I know we need time to think about it and start to figure out how to deal with everything.”
“Okay, so are you, like, one hundred percent sure you want to do this?”
He sighed and admitted, “No. But, I’m leaning towards it. How about you?”
“Same. I’m just not completely ready to commit to it yet.”
“Yeah, it’s a lot to think about. Do you wanna think it over, and we can talk again tomorrow?”
“That sounds good.” And just as she finished speaking, they heard the back door open, Thornton chuckling, Gigi giggling, and the mad dash of Beauty and Beast’s nails on the hardwoods. They grinned at each other, and both said, “Perfect timing.”
“Mama, oh my gosh, the puppies are amazing! They can fetch. Even Beauty, and she’s blind! It’s like she just knows. She runs like she’s connected to Beast and when he slows down, she starts sniffing around for the toy and finds it before he does sometimes. And other times they both wrestle for it and see who wins, and then sometimes they both run back with the same toy in both of their mouths. They’re so fun! I want a puppy, Mama!”
Gigi hopped in Madi’s lap in her excitement, but the jarring movement of the sofa bouncing under Asher shot pain through his ribcage, causing him to gasp and clutch his side. Gigi stopped moving when she realized what she’d done. “I’m sorry, Asher. I didn’t mean to.”
Her sniffles made him feel horrible, so he reached out and clasped her hand in his. “It’s okay, Gigi. It was an accident.”
Tears spilled down her face, and her chin wobbled. “But I should have known better. I should have been more careful. Mama always says I need to be more careful. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s all right, little one. I’ll be okay. I promise. It’s just sore, but it will get better.”
She hid her face in Madi’s neck as her mom soothed her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. She mouthed, I’m so sorry, to Asher as she comforted Gigi at the same time.
Asher shook his head, mouthing his own, It’s okay.
Thornton came and sat on the coffee table and clasped his hand. Asher gripped it like a lifeline, trying to breathe through the pain. Asher would never blame a child for being happy and exuberant. It was an accident. It hurt like a motherfucker, but that wasn’t for Gigi or Madi to worry about.
When Gigi finally settled down a bit, she was rubbing her eyes. Madi kissed her cheek. “I think you’re tired, huh? How about we take you home so you can have a nap?”
Gigi nodded, slid off her mom’s lap, and gen
tly hugged Asher. “I hope you’ll be okay.”
“I’m already feeling better. Thank you for coming. Beauty and Beast had fun with you.”
Gigi turned towards the pups and got down on her knees to hug them both. She giggled when they gave her licks. Madi gave him a gentle hug. “Get well. Call me tomorrow, and we can talk more about it.”
She knew Asher was hurting, so she got Gigi ready to go. Thornton led them to the front door, thanked them for coming, and then made his way quickly back to Asher’s side. “Fuck, Ash. I’m sorry that happened. Are you all right?”
Asher nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be okay,” though he wasn’t altogether sure he believed it himself.
“You lost all color, and your hands are shaking right now. I know you’re hurting.”
Picking the pill bottle off the side table, Thornton shook out a couple of Asher’s pain pills and handed him a cup of water. Asher drank them down and just sat, trying not to move. “Why don’t you take a rest, sweetheart?”
“Yeah, I think I need it.”
“Do you want to sleep down here on the sofa or upstairs in the bed?”
Asher wondered if Thornton meant the guest bedroom or the master suite. Either way, a bed sounded better than the sofa at that point, so he told Thornton he’d prefer the bed. Thornton helped him to his feet, and they made their way slowly upstairs, where Thornton led him to the master suite, making Asher’s heart melt even more. When he got Asher comfortable, he lay down beside him.
“I’m going to stay with you until you’re asleep, and then I’ll go get some work done and start dinner. Text me when you wake up if I’m not up here with you, okay? I think you could use some little time for the rest of the night once you’re awake.”
God, that shouldn’t have sounded as wonderful to him as it did, but just the thought of letting go of the stress he was feeling about The Glasshouse felt like a reprieve he desperately needed. He met Thornton’s eyes and nodded. “Thank you for knowing what I need.”
Thornton leaned on his side and kissed Asher, a soft caress of lips. “I’ll always do everything I can to take care of your needs.”
“I know, Daddy. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby boy. Get some rest.”
Chapter Eighteen
Thornton
Later, when they sat down at the dinner table, he watched as his boy realized his food was on a kid-sized plastic plate and in a bowl, both with robots on them. His silverware and straw cup matched the plate. And there was a plastic placemat with geometric patterns in primary colors underneath it all, and the paper napkin beside him was colorful too.
He hadn’t wanted to shock Asher, but he thought the boy was ready, and tiptoeing around being a little wasn’t how he wanted to start things between them. Sure, he knew it was all new to Asher, but he believed his boy was a natural little and would settle into things just fine. But he started to second-guess himself when Asher sat there without moving a muscle as he stared down at the place setting before him.
He seemed to be taking it in. It felt strange. Thornton had hoped it would all be reassuring somehow. Familiar, even though it was something new. But it seemed the boy’s nerves were getting the better of him, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause a panic attack over something simple, even if he did understand it wasn’t necessarily simple for Asher.
He crouched down beside Asher and placed a hand on his thigh. “If this is too much, just tell me. I don’t want to rush you or pressure you into doing something you’re not ready for.”
Asher took a deep breath and shook his head. “No. I’m ready. It’s just… a lot to take in. I eat on my special plates at home, but I guess doing it in front of you, with you, feels important somehow. But it’s still scary.”
He rubbed Asher’s thigh. “I understand that. It’s a big step to take. Do you need to take a timeout?”
The sadness that slipped over Asher’s features had his stomach doing a flipflop. He reached up to caress the boy’s furrowed brows until they were clear of any visible worry lines. “Did I do something bad?”
That sent a jolt through Thornton’s system. “No, baby, why would you think that?”
“You said I needed to take a timeout. I’m sorry if I made you upset.”
The very real fear he saw on Asher’s face made his heart plummet. God, his sweet boy. He collapsed on his knees from his crouched position and captured Asher’s cheeks in his palms. “Sweetheart, you haven’t done anything. I didn’t mean timeout in any behavioral way—I just meant it as a break. I wanted to make sure, if you needed a minute or you want to talk about this, that we could do that before we moved forward.”
Asher’s face cleared, and he gave Thornton a hesitant smile. “Oh. Okay. But I don’t think I need one. Besides, the food’s getting cold, and lasagna is one of my favorites.”
“You’re such a good boy.” Thornton sat down at the place setting kitty-corner to Asher’s. “Dig in, sweetheart. There’s extra cheese just for you.”
Asher clapped his hands and nearly bounced in his chair at that bit of news. Thornton chuckled at his excitement. He watched as Asher picked up the fork and dug in. It was like watching a kid at Christmas. Thornton knew it wasn’t about the lasagna—or at least it wasn’t all about the lasagna. His boy was feeling a new kind of freedom. Thornton knew this was only the beginning for his boy. He was going to thrive in this new lifestyle.
He continued to watch as nearly half of the piece of lasagna was devoured, red sauce on Asher’s lips and even on his chin. He had a feeling if Asher was alone at home, he would have been much more contained. He probably wouldn’t have let himself get so carried away. But something about it made Thornton’s heart rate speed up as he grabbed the boy’s napkin and wiped his face, receiving the biggest grin in response.
“Don’t forget to eat your salad, boy.” He picked up his own fork and watched as Asher scowled at the mixed greens in front of him.
“But, Daddy, I don’t like limp lettuce.”
Thornton had to cover his chuckle with a cough, utterly charmed by the little boy transforming before his eyes. He put on his most serious Daddy expression, using his own fork to point at Asher’s salad bowl. “Asher, good boys eat their vegetables to grow up big and strong.”
Asher lifted his arms and flexed his muscles. “But I’m already big and strong, Daddy.”
Thornton had a hard time keeping his face devoid of expression. He felt his lips twitch, wanting so badly to smile. “You are very strong. But you need to be healthy, too.” He pointed at the array of different salad dressings on the table. “Tell me which dressing you prefer, and I will add some.”
He wanted to kiss that damn pout off his boy’s face. “Fine, Caesar. But I want shaky cheese on top. And croutons, Daddy.”
Oh, he had a little bit of a brat on his hands. Why did that please him so much? He’d never in his life wanted a bratty boy. But he realized he would take any version of Asher he could get. And the more his boy bloomed into the little he was meant to be, the better Thornton would feel. The fact his boy felt comfortable enough with him to let his naughty side out to play was more than he could have hoped for.
Nevertheless, he used his deep Daddy voice when he chastised him. “Asher, good boys don’t talk to their Daddies like that. If you would like cheese and croutons, ask nicely.”
The real pout, the wobbly chin, and the misty eyes nearly had him backing down, but he knew he needed to stay firm so his boy learned his lesson. But the whisper—oh man, the whisper nearly killed him. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I’ll do better. Can I please have some shaky cheese on my salad and some croutons?”
He leaned forward and kissed his boy’s forehead. Pulling back just enough to meet Asher’s eyes, he gave him a proud smile. “That’s Daddy’s good boy. Let me get some shaky cheese and check and see if we’ve got croutons.”
Finding both, Thornton brought them back to the table and doctored up his boy’s salad. He sat back in his chair and began
to eat his own dinner, happiness spreading through him when Asher started to hum as he ate. When they were finished, Thornton asked his boy to bring his dishes to the sink. He did so without causing much of a fuss.
“Why don’t you go watch some cartoons and color in your coloring books? I’m going to get all the food put away and the dishes done.”
The wide-eyed hopeful look on Asher’s face was followed by the boy’s hands raised together as if in prayer. “Can I have dessert? Do we have ice cream? I want ice cream! Please, Daddy, I’ll be good.”
He booped the boy on the nose and raised a brow. “You’ll be good regardless, won’t you?”
His tone made it clear he wasn’t going to take any answer but yes. And when he got it, he softly pinched the boy’s chin between finger and thumb and kissed the nose he’d just booped. “Good boy. Let me see what we have when I’m done cleaning up the kitchen. All right?”
Asher grinned and clapped his hands. He could tell Asher wanted to bounce on the balls of his feet when he raised himself up on them and then slowly lowered himself down when he realized it would most likely hurt like hell. Thornton drew his boy in for a kiss. “Go on then.”
When Asher turned, Thornton gave him a soft swat on his pert little ass and got a gasp and a giggle in response. “Daddy!”
He chuckled as he worked to clean up and put everything away. Starting some water in his electric kettle for coffee, he grabbed a couple of cinnamon and almond biscotti from a clear sealed jar on the marble countertop by the coffee beans. He opened the freezer door and pulled out the three ice cream flavors he had. “Ash? Cookies n’ cream, triple chocolate fudge, or coffee ice cream?”
He heard a whine from the family room. Worried Asher hated them all and he’d have to buy vanilla of all things, he wandered into the family room, hands on his hips. The cute pout coupled with furrowed brows had him laughing. “What is it, sweetheart?”