by Elsie Davis
“Are we gonna stay with him? And Kojak? Yippee!” David heard the little boy’s excitement and smiled. At least Cory was willing to be his friend.
Ashley retrieved a couple of items from the sidewalk and tossed them in the front seat of her car. David returned to his truck, backed out of the driveway and pulled up next to Ashley’s vehicle to wait for her signal she was ready to follow.
Minutes later, they headed toward his place. It wasn’t far and soon they were both turning into the driveway, parking side by side. David didn’t bother pulling into the garage knowing the sounds and vibrations of the garage door opening and closing were the one thing his mother complained about the place. He’d learned early on not to use the garage at night when his mother would already be fast asleep. And he wouldn’t use it now, so as not to disturb his temporary residents.
He waited by the steps that led up to the top of the garage, Kojak by his side. Cory ran up to greet them both, Ashley a few steps behind, carrying what looked like a couple of briefcases. “It looks like you managed to salvage a few things?”
Ashley nodded. “I did. Luckily, my computer and camera bag were at the door. I have a huge amount of money tied up in my camera and the lenses, and there’s no way I could replace them. The computer, on the other hand, has all my artwork and projects stored on it.”
“Ever heard of the cloud?” David shook his head and smiled, unable to resist teasing her.
“As a matter of fact, wise guy, I have. I’m not in the dark ages, you know. But I worry someone could steal my photo if the system gets hacked.”
“You always did have a problem trusting. For the most part, things are secure. I’m sure your files would be safe. Safer than if they’d been burned up in the fire.”
Ashley flinched. “Point taken. Maybe I’ll look into it.” She turned away, ending the discussion.
“Let me take this for you.” David reached for the larger of the two cases.
“I can handle my own bags,” she said, pulling back.
For all the things that hadn’t changed about Ashley, some things had. She didn’t want help. It was as though she was trying to prove something. The question was, what? “I wasn’t suggesting you can’t. I simply thought you might want to hold Cory’s hand as you go up the stairs.”
“Oh, true,” she said, clearly rattled. Ashley handed him one of the bags and took her son’s hand. “Hold on to the rail, honey.” Cory immediately did as she asked, happily trouncing up the stairs as he followed Kojak to the top.
Touchy and withdrawn, Ashley wasn’t letting anyone close. She was also recently divorced and not rolling in dough. He was pretty sure he remembered her ex was big in the financial world. To see her living in the place she’d been renting, and then to hear her comment about her equipment, left him wondering more and more about what happened in California. Not because he was nosey, but because he cared. She deserved better.
David stopped at the top of the landing and removed the apartment key from his chain. He opened the door before turning back to hand her the key. “Here you go. I’m giving you mine to help put your worries about my intentions to rest. I won’t have access to this place until you give me the key back. Or unless you invite me in.” He grinned, holding the door open as they all went inside.
“Thank you. I wasn’t worried. Trent assured me you’re still a good guy.” Ashley rewarded him with another one of her teasing smiles.
“Was there ever any doubt?” he asked, enjoying the banter.
“Yes.” Ashley nodded, putting him in his place. So much for banter.
“The apartment is small, but it works well for my mother. Not as much to keep up with.”
“What happened to her? If you don’t mind my asking, that is.” Ashley put her bag on the kitchen table, and David followed her lead.
“I don’t mind. Mom was in a car accident, and her left hip and leg were crushed. The surgery was a difficult repair, and they put her in the physical therapy rehab center for a few months. She’s doing well, just complaining of being somewhere other than her own home. She’s kind of a homebody.” It didn’t help that the rehab center was in Lancaster, and David didn’t get to see her nearly as often as he’d like. But he’d found the best facility in the area and was at least confident in their ability to help her heal. Too bad they can’t fix her broken heart.
“It’s great you were able to do this for her. You always did take good care of your mother since your father passed away.” Ashley had no way of knowing the pain her words brought to the surface, even though his father’s accident happened when he was sixteen.
He tamped down any response he’d been about to make, not letting his emotions run his mouth. “Yes, I built this apartment several years ago when I moved back here. I always hated working out of town and being away from her. When the job with the White Mountain Fire Department came up, I jumped at the chance to be closer. Especially since she was finding it more and more difficult to take care of her own place. As battalion chief, I’m able to have an office at any fire department in the district. I chose Hallbrook. Keeps me close to home and able to keep an eye on Mom every day.”
After his father died, David had felt like it was his responsibility to watch over his mother. Not that he thought he did a good job she’d never really recovered from the tragedy. Time after time, he’d tried to get her into grief counseling, but she wouldn’t listen.
Mother knew best, or at least she thought she did.
“That’s great. What a blessing. And I’m so glad everything worked out for you and your career. I know you always wanted to be a firefighter.”
It was true. His reasons may have changed, but not the heart he put into the job. “I’m going to see about putting a lift on the stairs so that when my mom comes home, she’ll be able to get into the apartment easily.”
“She’s lucky to have you.” Ashley watched him closely as if she wanted to say something more. The shuttered look that crossed her face seconds later was a clear indication that whatever it was would remain unspoken.
Cory raced around the room. “Mom, look at this.” He pointed at the oversized rocker recliner, jumping in and rocking back and forth. “And look at this big TV.” He was back out of the chair and grabbing the remote.
“No TV right now,” Ashley said. There was so much love in her voice for the boy, and his answering shrug proved they had a close bond.
Cory set the remote back on the table and raced down the hall. He was back in minutes, his exuberance a bit faded. “Mommy, there’s no kid bedroom. There’s a huge grown-up bed, but there’s only one. Where am I going to sleep?” he asked, his eyes wide with innocence.
“With me, silly. It’s just for a little while.” Ashley kissed the top of his head.
“Does that mean you’ll pick up my toys since it’s your room too?”
Ashley chuckled. “We’ll figure something out. Maybe we can work together to keep our room clean.”
“It will be easy now, won’t it? Seeing as I don’t have any toys.” His blue eyes filled with tears. “Jackson was burned up in the fire.”
“I’m sure he’s in stuffed-bunny heaven, honey. You can snuggle with me until we find you another favorite bunny.” Ashley hugged her son, brushing away the few tears that slid down onto his cheeks.
“Promise?” Cory seemed slightly mollified with the idea of a new animal to replace what had obviously been his favorite toy.
David would have to see what he could do about fixing the toy problem. Cory was such a great kid, and he didn’t seem to ask for much.
Flipping the lights on in each room as he showed Ashley where everything was located, he left them on to make the place look more welcoming. He still couldn’t believe she was here, in his mother’s apartment. Hours ago, he hadn’t even known Ashley was in town.
Being this close to her again, the familiar scent of jasmine assailed him. It was the same perfume he’d given her for her birthday ages ago. Knowing she still wore it stru
ck a chord in him as he realized whatever had been between them, wasn’t completely a thing of the past.
“If there’s anything you need, just let me know. I stay busy with the fire department and in the community, but here’s my private number if you need me for anything. Might be better than calling 9-1-1.” He grinned, picked up a paper and pen from his mother’s desk, jotted down his number, and handed it to Ashley.
“Thank you, David. You’ve been a blessing in what can only be described as a disastrous day.” Ashley hugged him and he reciprocated, letting his arms go around her.
David pulled her close as he reveled in a moment he’d never thought to experience again. He remembered how hard it had been when Trent told him Ashley was getting married. He’d fought the urge to fly to California, wanting to stop her from making a mistake. To tell her it was all wrong. But of course, he’d never done anything of the sort, because he had nothing to offer.
His life was the fire department. And he could never ask Ashley to deal with the risks that came with his job. It had been his choice to honor his father and carry on his legacy, but that choice had cost him the woman he loved. Holding her in his arms again stirred up old feelings best forgotten but he’d deal with those later. Right now—it felt right.
“That means we will say our prayers for you tonight, Mr. David. Mommy always taught me blessings and prayers go hand in hand,” Cory said, breaking into the moment.
Ashley stepped away, drying her eyes with the back of her hand. Her emotional level was at a breaking point and it was time he gave her some space. For both their sakes.
“That’s very sweet. Prayers are always welcome.” David smiled down at Cory. He could use all the prayers he could get because with Ashley in town, he was going to need strength to resist her and the feelings he’d long since locked away in his heart.
Chapter Four
David headed back to his own place and tried to find ways to keep busy. He took Kojak for a walk. Fixed the dripping sink. Took out the trash. Anything to keep from thinking about Ashley, and that after all these years, she was literally staying next door. It had been a sliver short of insanity to offer the apartment over the garage, knowing how he felt about her. Had always felt about her.
It was no surprise when the lead investigator called, and his early feedback suggested faulty wiring. David was almost positive it would also be the final conclusion of the investigation. With the old wiring, the place had been a fire trap. Chief Anderson was pushing for a new law, one that would require inspections on housing built prior to the new wiring codes. The cottage fire would be another case his boss could use as evidence to prove why the change was necessary, something David was totally on board with. Just knowing Ashley and her son could have been hurt or killed in a house fire, gutted him. Thankfully, the fire broke out in the daytime and they’d acted quickly to get out of the place.
David shoved the what-if’s out of his head that had been playing on repeat mode ever since he left Ashley. What he needed was to get back to work. He drove to the station and headed straight for his office. Powering up his computer, he started to fill out the reports he needed to file regarding the fire.
Not enough to keep him busy for long, he turned his focus to the upcoming prescribed burn he’d been planning for months. This usually wasn’t an ideal time of the year because weather conditions were rarely ripe to implement the plan, but current indications were pointing to a window of opportunity.
One the fire department needed to take advantage of before the upcoming July 4th festivities. Lots of campers and a large number of hikers out on the trails, meant more opportunities for mistakes when it came to cigarettes and campfires. That led to an increased danger for a forest fire. A firefighter’s worse nightmare.
Redirecting his focus only worked for so long. Soon, the people of Hallbrook started calling and stopping by the station. Within hours of the fire at the old cottage, everyone had learned what happened, and either wanted information or to know how they could help.
Margie Hatfield, the owner of the cottage, was one of the first to call. She’d immediately asked about the tenants. She was a kind woman with a huge heart, and even without knowing what had started the fire, her concern had been for Ashley and Cory.
David casually mentioned Cory had no toys and that neither Ashley nor her son had any clothes. Margie instantly went to work, putting out the word. In Hallbrook, the gossip chain sometimes worked miracles, and in this case, the miracles came in the form of food, clothes, and toys.
All of which were dropped off at the fire department, of course. Because the one thing he hadn’t mentioned right away to Margie or anyone else, was the fact Ashley was living over his garage. The rumor mill would be all too quick to remember they’d once dated and would start to speculate. It was something he wanted to put off for as long as possible.
Now, not even twenty-four hours later, David was back on her doorstep, his arms loaded with the first of many boxes he needed to deliver, including one very special delivery he’d gone out of his way to pick out himself.
David balanced the delivery box on his knee to free up one hand. Knock. Knock. Securing the box again, he stepped back to wait.
The door opened, and Ashley stood there in his mother’s pink robe and fluffy white slippers, her brown, curly hair still messy from what could only have been a restless night judging by the disarray.
She cinched the belt tighter, her hands then going to the lapels and clutching them as if they were a security blanket. “Good morning. I didn’t expect to see you here this early. Or at all.”
That much is obvious.
What Ashley didn’t know, and would never know, was that he loved the fresh-out-of-bed look. She would be beautiful no matter what time of day or hairstyle. “I won’t be here long. I come bearing gifts.”
Ashley let out a deep sigh. “David, I thought we talked about this. I don’t want to be obligated to you for anything.” Her voice quivered as she said the last words, revealing far more pain than she’d probably intended. He knew he’d hurt her, but this was seeing it firsthand and far too many years later.
It was difficult having her back in town, but it would be worse if he thought there was a chance she still cared for him. That would be disastrous for them both. “Then you’ll be happy to know this isn’t from me. The people in town dropped off some things at the fire station for you and Cory.” He gazed down at the box and then back at her, waiting for her to tell him where to put it.
“Oh. In that case, can you set the box on the table? It looks like there’s food in there, which is a huge relief. There’s not much in your mom’s place to choose from. Not that I’m complaining. I really appreciate your letting us stay here.” Her comment was uttered with a sigh of relief. He didn’t want to dwell on the difference. Not here and now, anyway.
“I see you found my mother’s robe. You look like a fluffy bunny.” A sweet, adorable bunny.
“Pink was never my color,” Ashley said, glancing down before looking back at him, a frown on her face.
“Purple was always your favorite.” Not that he didn’t like the pink.
“You remember that?” she asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
“Of course. I remember everything about you.” It was the truth. Although, perhaps not the best response he could give considering the situation.
Ashley snorted. “Yeah, right. You seemed to have no problem going off to college and forgetting me.” And just like that, the hurt was back in her eyes. Eyes that had always been expressive, like a window to her soul. She was still hurting over the past.
That makes two of us. “Ashley, let’s not go down memory lane. It will serve no purpose at this point.”
“Sure enough.” A shuttered look crossed her face as she stepped back. “Thanks for stopping by. It was kind of everyone to chip in and help.”
David rolled his eyes. “You have no idea.” He welcomed the redirect back to the purpose of his visit.
“Wait here.” He headed for the door. Ashley was in for a surprise if she thought one box was the sum total of her gifts. More like six.
One by one, he carried the boxes up and set them on the table. “That’s it,” he said when he delivered the final box.
“I can’t believe this. The people from town sent all this?” Ashley asked, completely stunned.
“Yes. And I have a feeling they aren’t done yet. Once they get behind a project, all bets are off. And right now, you’re the project.” He winked.
“This is amazing.” Ashley’s eyes welled up with tears. “I didn’t expect this.”
“A long time ago, you were a part of this town. People remember and still care about you.”
“They do, don’t they?” She brushed the tears away with the sleeve of his mother’s robe.
“I’m sure you’ll find everything you need in these boxes, judging by what I saw being dropped off—toys, clothes, shoes, toiletries. I can’t imagine they’ve forgotten anything. Oh, and I have one very special delivery. He located the box he’d tucked Cory’s gift into, opened it, and handed Ashley the stuffed animal. “This is for Cory.” He grinned.
“You got him a new bunny? That’s terribly sweet of you.” A fresh wave of tears rolled down her cheeks.
“It’s no big deal. I just felt bad he lost his favorite bunny. Hopefully, this one will do.”
“He’ll love it. Thank you. Can I get you a cup of coffee?” Ashley offered.
David did a double take. He wanted to—more than he was willing to admit. But staying was the last thing he should do, second only to inviting her to stay here in the first place. Walking away when they were younger had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, and David wasn’t sure he’d have the willpower to do it again. “Thanks, but I can’t stay. I’ve got a full day of work ahead of me.”
Ashley flinched, the hurt expression in her eyes a painful reminder of the past. It was like deja vu. And not his finest moment.