Rescued Heart

by Georgia Beers

  As Ashley watched her friend sashay around the break room, hand on her hip, doing a swishy turn and sashaying back, her brain began to whir with an idea.

  “Hello?” Stella said, waving a hand in front of Ashley’s face. “Apron? Is it bad?”

  Ashley blinked herself back to the present and looked at the apron for the first time. Black with the Carter’s bread and cupcake logo in silver, it was actually quite classy. “No. Not at all. In fact, I love it.”

  “Okay, good,” Stella said with relief, as she’d been in charge of ordering them. “You spaced out on me. I was worried.”

  “Sorry.” Ashley stood and cleaned up the mess from her lunch. “My mind was elsewhere.” And now it was racing. She couldn’t wait for her shift at the shelter this afternoon.

  ***

  Lisa felt as if her mind had only been half-engaged in work all day. She was there, she was present—at least her body was. She’d sat through the entire board meeting—all ninety-seven minutes of it—and could barely remember a thing that was discussed. Jessica had given her a curious glance more than once, but neither of them had said anything. Lisa had managed to answer the phone and speak with visitors and fill out some paperwork and even do four intakes.

  She could hardly recall any of it.

  Instead, her mind was focused on last night. On Ashley. On she and Ashley together. On what might be happening between them. She replayed all of it in her head, over and over and over. The initial conversation when Ashley showed up at her door (which, Lisa had to admit, was impressive and unexpected coming from somebody she considered passive), and then her arrival for the date. She’d looked so deliciously gorgeous in her casual but classy outfit of jeans, a T-shirt, and a blazer with the sleeves rolled up. Totally sexy. Lisa’d had a hard time keeping her eyes—and her hands—to herself for as long as she had. Sitting in that reclining loveseat in the theatre had been simultaneous delight and torture, but Lisa was pretty sure she’d hidden it well. Even in the car ride back, she’d managed to keep control of things. That was the first time all night that she’d noticed maybe Ashley was going through the same issues. She’d been holding the steering wheel so tightly, her knuckles were white. That was when Lisa had decided to invite her in. She let her body take over after that.

  And God, what a good job it had done.

  Lisa had floated through the rest of the night, taking care of the animals, getting herself ready for bed. It had been like a dream, and once she was actually in bed, sensual flashbacks had bombarded her until she’d had to take care of herself to release the tension, the buildup, the delicious tightness that encompassed her entire body like a net.

  And today, it didn’t seem ready to let her go. Lisa was not a daydreamer, but more than once, she’d caught herself zoning out, staring off into space, completely missing the things going on around her. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

  Now, it was after two and Ashley would be arriving any minute. Lisa tried to force herself to look anywhere else but at the door. When it finally did push open and Ashley came strolling through it with those big, blue eyes and smiling face, Lisa felt a warm rush of something unfamiliar, something she was not ready to deal with or analyze any further. Instead, she smiled widely.

  “Hi, you,” Ashley said as she approached Lisa’s desk, and the expression on her face told Lisa how happy she was to see her.

  “Hi back. I was just thinking about you.” She hadn’t meant to say it in such a husky, suggestive tone, but that’s how it came out. Ashley’s cheeks flushed a lovely pink in response.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well. That makes me happy. I’ve been thinking about you, too.”

  They stayed just like that, Lisa sitting at her desk, Ashley standing in front of it, and held each other’s gaze for a long, aching moment. This is bad, Lisa thought, but the thought made her a little giddy inside.

  “Listen,” Ashley said, as she finally broke eye contact and reached for a clipboard. “I have two questions.”

  Lisa forced herself back into stoic mode. “Shoot.”

  “One, if I have an idea for a fundraiser, who do I talk to about it? You?”

  “You have an idea for a fundraiser?” Lisa tried to hide her surprise, but Ashley’s self-conscious laugh told her she’d failed.

  “I do. It might be awful, but…” She looked off down the row of cages and for a moment, it seemed like the constant barking picked up in volume. When Ashley looked back at her, there was uncertainty in her eyes. Insecurity. She gave a shrug and said simply, “I’m turning over a new leaf. Or…trying to.” With that, she grabbed a leash off the hook on the wall and headed off to find her first dog to be walked.

  Lisa watched her go, her stomach twisting with the knowledge that she’d stung her. Ashley was out the door with a pit bull before Lisa realized Ashley hadn’t asked her the second thing. She blew out a breath and pursed her lips as she replayed the conversation in her head. Then she picked up the phone.

  ***

  “I probably should have known better,” Ashley said to the dog as they strolled along the path toward the barn. He shot her a glance, then found something in the grass that was apparently more interesting. She studied his broad, muscular white back, brown spots dotting the fur, and wished she hadn’t said anything to Lisa. Ashley wasn’t in P.R. She wasn’t in advertising. She had no idea how to raise funds for a nonprofit. That was just silly on her part.

  Admittedly, she was a little hurt by Lisa’s surprise, though when she thought about it, she knew it wasn’t unexpected. “I’m not exactly a go-getter,” she muttered to the warm summer afternoon air. “Of course she was shocked.”

  The pit bull looked up at her again, this time as if to say, “Are you talking to me?”

  Ashley grinned at him and tugged his leash. “Come on, big guy. I’ve got six others who need to get some fresh air.”

  Back in the building, Ashley tried her best to tune out the ruckus of howls and barks, and checked her clipboard for the next dog. As she headed toward cage seventeen, she heard Lisa call her name. When she looked up, Lisa was motioning her over toward her desk.

  Taking a deep breath, Ashley steeled herself. She didn’t want Lisa to know she’d been hurt by the earlier remark, so she schooled her expression to what she hoped was indifference and tried not to notice that she could smell Lisa’s perfume as she approached…or the erotic things the scent of it did to her.

  “What’s up?” she asked. That’s it. You’re totally breezy. Not a care.

  Lisa took the leash and clipboard from her hands. “Go down the hallway near the front desk. You know where the offices are?”

  Ashley nodded.

  “The second door on the right is David’s. He’s in charge of fundraising. He wants to talk to you.”

  Ashley blinked at her. “Right now?”

  “Right now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I called him.”

  “What did you tell him?” Ashley was suddenly terrified, and the crack in her voice might have given away that fact, though Lisa said nothing. Her heart beat in her chest like a jackhammer and she swallowed hard.

  “I told him you had an idea you wanted to share for fundraising, and I thought he should give you five minutes.”

  “But you don’t even know what the idea is.”

  “No. But I know you.”

  Ashley stared. She couldn’t do anything but stare because Lisa had just totally made up for what had happened earlier. And also: she had to share her idea with the head of fundraising. The jackhammer launched into double-time. Her panic must have been obvious because Lisa stood up then and took Ashley’s face in her hands.

  “Relax. You got this. I have faith in you.”

  “What if it’s a stupid idea?” Ashley whispered, hating that she sounded like such a child.

  Lisa shrugged and just as quietly said, “Then it’s a stupid idea. Who cares?” She tilted her head just a little t
hen and her green eyes flashed with confidence. “I bet it’s not, though.” Stroking a thumb across Ashley’s cheek, she let go of her. “Now go,” she said, and jerked her head toward the door.

  “Thanks,” Ashley said and gave her an uncertain smile. As she moved to the door and into the lobby of the building, she felt like she was walking on rubber legs and that they might drop her to the hard floor at any moment. Cursing herself for being so nervous, she tried a mental pep talk.

  This is not a big deal. It is not a big deal. It’s just an idea. You have nothing to gain or lose by sharing it, so suck it up and be a big girl.

  Before she had time to psych herself up any more, she was standing in the open doorway of the office of David Peters. He looked up and saw her, giving her no chance to even knock. With a huge smile filled with perfect white teeth, he stood (wow, he was big!) and held out a hand to her.

  “You must be Ashley,” he said, and his deep voice rumbled in the pit of her stomach. She walked the three steps to his desk and shook his hand. His grip was firm, sure. “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chair near her. She did. “Lisa tells me you have a suggestion for a fundraiser.” He folded his big hands on the papers in front of him and gave her his full attention.

  When Ashley opened her mouth to speak, what came out wasn’t a voice that was shaky or questioning or uncertain. It was firm. Businesslike. Important. She sat up a little straighter and told David Peters her idea.

  ***

  Lisa was thankful for the sudden rush of phone calls and visitors that happened just after she’d sent Ashley to David. It kept her from worrying. Worrying that she’d hurt Ashley’s feelings and worrying that David would be less than receptive to her idea and her feelings would be hurt again. It wasn’t that she didn’t think it would be a good idea, it was that lots of people thought they knew about fundraising when they really had no idea. She and David had conversed many times over this exact topic.

  When she finished up at cage twenty-six and answered all the questions the young man had about Frisco, the three-year-old husky/shepherd mix that had been surrendered by his family after their baby was born, she turned to head back to her desk and saw David and Ashley walking side by side toward her, talking animatedly with each other.

  “Lisa,” David said with a smile. “Any time Ashley says she has an idea, you have her drop whatever she’s doing and come see me.”

  Ashley stood next to him, her smile so wide it was almost comical.

  “Tell me,” Lisa prompted.

  “A fashion show,” David said, then looked to Ashley. “You tell her.”

  “A fashion show. Like, with a catwalk—which we can use as a pun, obviously—just like they do for clothing. Except instead of showing off clothes, we’d be showing off animals.” Ashley was getting enthusiastic now, talking with her hands as she explained. Lisa couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “So, like, I’d be walking down the catwalk…” She backed up and turned back toward them, miming having a leash in her hand. In an exaggerated announcer voice, she said, “And here we have Ashley, walking Jax, a ten-year-old German shepherd/Lab mix who’s been with Junebug Farms for two weeks. He’s friendly, housebroken, good with other dogs, and loves to sleep in the sunshine.” She stopped walking and looked at Lisa. “That kind of thing.”

  Lisa couldn’t decide which emotion took precedence: relief, surprise, pride. It all rolled into one ball within her.

  “We won’t do it right away because we’ll need to iron out some details, figure it all out.” David’s wheels were turning. Lisa had seen it happen often enough to recognize the look. “I’ll sit down with Anna and go over some options.” He looked down at Ashley. “I may need you to sit in with us. Is that okay?”

  Ashley beamed. “Absolutely.”

  “Great. Okay, gotta run. Thanks again, Ashley.” With a wave to Lisa, he turned and was out the door.

  Lisa waited a beat, then turned to look at Ashley. They were quiet for a beat before Ashley exploded in a squeal of delight. Lisa laughed, and it warmed her insides to see Ashley so thrilled. “Well, that went well.”

  “Oh, my God, that was awesome. I was so nervous.”

  “You obviously had no reason to be.” Lisa reached out and rubbed Ashley’s upper arm. “I’m proud of you.”

  Ashley’s expression turned playfully smug. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, good. Now, what are you doing on Wednesday?”

  Lisa squinted at her. “Is this the other thing you wanted to ask?”

  “It is.”

  Lisa looked up to the ceiling, tapped her chin with a fingertip, and pretended to be consulting her very crowded social calendar. “I think I am busy that night doing something with you, but I’m not totally certain…” She let her voice trail off and arched an eyebrow at Ashley.

  “As a matter of fact, you are. You’re coming with me to happy hour to meet my dad and his new girlfriend.” Ashley’s voice got smaller as she added, “And my sister and brother-in-law?”

  Lisa stopped, blinked. A beat went by. Two. “Wow.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. Meeting family was kind of a big deal, wasn’t it?

  As if reading her mind, Ashley held her hands up, traffic cop style. “It’s just drinks. Nothing big. No pressure. I promise. Casual. Easy.” She studied Lisa’s face; Lisa could feel it even when she wasn’t looking. “Are you weirded out?”

  “No,” Lisa replied, and it was the truth. “I’m not weirded out. I’m just…” She searched for the right word on the wall over Ashley’s shoulder. “Surprised maybe?”

  “I know.” Ashley’s face again slipped into an uncertain expression. “But really, no pressure. It’s just happy hour.” Lowering her voice, she leaned in close. “Think of it as another date. That’s all. Just a date. You’re going there with me. Okay?”

  Comfort and surety seemed impossibly far away to Lisa in that moment, but Ashley’s face was so gentle, her eyes softly pleading, and she could do nothing but nod her ascent. “All right. Just a date.”

  “I promise.” Ashley smiled then, that dazzling, infectious smile that Lisa found herself consistently drawn to. Lisa watched as Ashley retrieved her leash, checked her clipboard, and headed off to grab the next walker. Lisa watched her clip the lead on and head for the door, mesmerized by how silently Ashley called to her.

  This woman…

  Lisa had been so wrapped up in all of it since yesterday. New respect had entered the picture when Ashley had shown up out of the blue to hold Lisa accountable for her actions. It was so unexpected. Nobody had done that before. Ever. Well, maybe Aunt Joyce once or twice, but somebody she was dating? Never. For somebody so…lackadaisical, Ashley had shocked her. And that had earned her points.

  They still hadn’t dealt with the nitty gritty. Lisa knew that and she didn’t relish that impending discussion. Deciding not to dwell on it, she returned to her desk and the ringing phone.

  Wednesday would be nothing if not interesting.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Had a late intake. Just need to change and I’ll be there. Sorry!

  Ashley smiled at the text. Wasn’t it her job to be the late one? Then she glanced at the clock on her dashboard and realized that, technically, she was running late. Lisa was just running later.

  “Thank God,” Ashley muttered to the empty car. “All is right in the world.” She slid the car into a parking spot in the half-full lot of McCurdy’s and fired off a quick text to Lisa, telling her not to worry, that she wasn’t going anywhere and would be waiting at the bar.

  Ashley was nervous. And that was weird. It was just drinks. Just her family. But she wanted to like this new woman in her father’s life. She wanted this new woman to like her. And she wanted all of them to like Lisa and Lisa to like them. “Yeah, just…everybody like everybody, okay? Make my life easier.” She chuckled, realized there was nobody to hear her talking or laughing, and abruptly stopped. With a shake of her head, she got out of the car, scanned t
he parking lot, and saw both her father’s and sister’s cars. She gave herself a once-over, smoothing her hands over the thighs of her denim capris, straightening the blue, scoop-neck shirt, and pushing her arms into the sleeves of a white hoodie to ward against the air conditioning. She tucked her phone into her back pocket, shouldered her bag, took a deep, fortifying breath, and headed in.

  It was 6:20 and McCurdy’s bar was loud and pretty packed with a nice mix of a crowd. Blue-collar workers in overalls and dirty uniforms drank beer next to business-suit-clad office employees who sipped Scotch or martinis. The music was classic rock—Aerosmith sang about sweet emotions—and four wall-mounted televisions blared from each corner, each broadcasting a different sporting event.

  Ashley craned her neck and caught sight of Kelly’s head at the far end of the bar. As she approached, she could see that the foursome had commandeered a corner piece of the bar, something her father strove to do at any happy hour he attended. This way, people could sit on the stools and still see one another, rather than sitting side by side in a row. She grinned when she thought about how happy he must have been to have snagged a corner, pictured the dorky fist pump he did whenever something went his way. With a grin and a wave to Kelly, who’d just noticed her, she headed their way.

  “There’s my other one,” Rick Stiles said with a smile as he opened his arms. He wasn’t a big man. He wasn’t small. Pretty much everything physical about Ashley’s dad was average, and he was okay with that. She walked right into his embrace, suddenly enveloped by the scent of Old Spice, the same aftershave he’d been wearing since toddler Ashley first associated a smell with him. He squeezed her tightly, then kept an arm around her shoulders as he turned her to face the woman standing next to him. “Ashley, this is Diana. Diana, my youngest.”

  Diana was about the same height as Ashley, with light brown hair cut in a simple, shoulder-length style, and unique hazel eyes. She wore a small amount of makeup—some mascara and a light-colored lipstick—but that was all. She didn’t really need it. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain. She shifted her glass of white wine from her right hand to her left, then held the right out to Ashley. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she said and her voice was unexpectedly soft. “Your father has told me quite a bit about you.” Her face was unremarkable at first. Not unattractive, just…plain. But when Ashley took her hand and Diana smiled, her entire face lit up in a dazzling display of beauty.