by Jo McNally
She looked around the utility room, wondering if that spider had any relatives left in here. The thought made her shudder.
“Plug in the vacuum cleaner.”
“What?”
Asher pointed to the vacuum behind her. “You’re worried about finding more of them. Plug it in, and I’ll vacuum all the seams and corners and make sure the room is clear.” His mouth quirked into a half smile. “And then I’ll toss the bag outside and stomp on it. While I’m doing that, you can pour me a shot of bourbon. Neat.”
She wanted to tell him it wasn’t necessary for him to vacuum, but she couldn’t. The truth was, she’d sleep better knowing the room was free of the spider’s avenging relatives. So she nodded and plugged in the cleaner, handing it to him. Then she left this complicated neighbor of hers vacuuming her laundry room while she went to pour him a drink.
* * *
THE WHINE OF the vacuum in the small room did nothing to calm Asher’s racing mind. What the hell was he doing here, in Nora Bradford’s apartment, running a vacuum cleaner, so late at night? Was he in some alternate reality? Was he dreaming? Something bumped up the hose of the cleaner, reminding him of why he was here. He swallowed hard and focused on what he was doing. Cathy had always called the spiders that gathered in the overheated apartment her fly traps. Asher would rather have the flies.
Something else bumped its way up the vacuum cleaner hose, not as loudly as the last one. Could have been a piece of dirt. He glanced up and saw a spiderweb arching under the top shelf. Maybe not a piece of dirt. He pulled the wooden crate closer and stood on it, being careful to cover every inch over and under and around the shelves. Then he dropped to his knees and made sure the lower spaces were free of surprises, too. When he was finished, he stuffed the vacuum bag into a plastic grocery bag and tied it shut.
Nora’s screams had easily taken ten years off his life tonight. He’d just poured himself a third glass of whiskey when he heard her. At first he’d just stopped, instantly sober. Then he’d heard the loud crash and another scream, and his blood had run ice-cold, then raging hot. Convinced someone was hurting her, he hadn’t hesitated in grabbing the key and running out the back door. Once he was inside, he’d seen two cases of Cathy’s mugs smashed on the hall floor. And Nora, pale and trembling, having a stare down with one of the biggest, ugliest spiders he’d ever seen.
He hated spiders.
If that thing had moved while he held it on the paint stick, he probably would have dropped it and run. But it didn’t, so he’d ended up looking like a hero. He frowned. Or like a crazy stalker neighbor she didn’t know had a key to her home.
But she hadn’t seemed to mind being in his arms. She’d moved right in, and damned if he didn’t like the way her petite body had felt pressed against his, her hair wild around her face. It wasn’t until his head was dropping down to kiss her that he’d come to his senses.
There’d been a few women since Amy gave up on him, but nothing serious. In the beginning, he’d sought a diversion from the shit storm his life had turned into. But sex wasn’t a long-term painkiller. It also wasn’t worth the emotional entanglements when a woman wanted more of him than he was capable of giving.
Nora, though, even for the brief moment she was in his arms, had felt very different from those casual hookups. Which meant she was dangerous. Getting into some emotional knot with the mother of his son’s...whatever...was a colossally bad idea.
He stepped into the hallway and looked at the cases of mugs stacked there. The boxes had been on those back shelves, which was also where the spiders were. Probably not a good idea to leave them inside. He put the plastic bag on top of the stack, opened the back door and slid them all out onto the walkway. He’d figure out how to deal with them tomorrow. Probably with a big can of bug killer.
He should just close the door behind him and go home. That would be the smart thing to do. Nora’s invitation to share a drink had surprised him so much that he’d agreed without a thought. She might be offended if he left, but so what? It wasn’t like he needed her to be his friend, or anything else, for that matter.
“Asher?”
She was standing in the hallway. Her dark hair was tucked behind her ears, neat and tidy again. With her brightly colored leggings—were those unicorns?—and a lime-green top, she looked more like a student than a woman about to become a grandmother. That reminder of their tenuous relationship was enough to stop his perusal of her. He should not be ogling this woman. But, instead of leaving, he stepped back inside and closed the door behind him. Because he was that much of an idiot.
“I thought you left without having your drink. Come on, I warmed up some leftover scones from the shop. I bet they go great with bourbon.” She gave him a bright smile, and he realized just how foolish it was for him to be here with her. She was his adversary when it came to protecting his son. And her smile had the power to turn his resolve into dust.
He should have left, but instead, he followed her down the hall like a lost puppy.
CHAPTER TEN
NORA HANDED ASHER his glass of bourbon and quietly admired him as he took a sip and looked around her home with interest. His faded T-shirt still had a wet spot on the front from her tears. Seeing that made something deep inside her hum. His jeans hung low on his hips and clung deliciously to his very fine backside.
Whoa. What was she doing thinking about anyone’s backside, especially Asher Peyton’s? She gave herself a firm mental shake to snap herself out of it and took a sip of her red wine.
“The place looks good.”
“Thanks. A little different from Cathy’s style?”
He snorted. “You could say that.” He looked up at the loft, and her face warmed. Her bed might not be visible from this angle, but he was still basically looking right into her bedroom. “I always thought this could be a great living space, but Cathy had other ideas.”
“You knew about her clandestine growing operation up here?”
He smirked as he took another sip of bourbon. “I’m surprised you do. She always makes it sound more serious than it really was, though. She had maybe two or three plants that weren’t exactly legal. The rest were tomatoes and herbs.”
That was news. Maybe it really was basil she’d been smelling. “Why wouldn’t Cathy want to live right here over the shop?”
“She grew up here, and I don’t think it holds good memories for her. She has a nice double-wide just outside town.”
Nora took another sip of wine. It felt oddly comfortable to be sitting at her kitchen counter sharing drinks and scones with Asher. Who would have thought it possible? He stared up at the arched window, where they could see stars sparkling in the night sky.
“We don’t have to be enemies, you know.” She didn’t realize she’d spoken her thought out loud until he turned to look at her, one brow arched.
“I don’t think we’re enemies.” He paused, staring into his glass for a moment before continuing. “We’re just on opposite sides of a situation.” When he raised his head to meet her gaze head-on, she found herself unable to think clearly. He noticed her reaction, and his blue eyes darkened to cobalt. “What? No greeting-card quote for me tonight, Nora?”
There. That. The way he said her name, all soft and low and lingering. He’d done that out in the parking lot a few weeks ago. And now, sitting inside her home with the warmth of red wine in her veins, he hit her with it again. They stayed perfectly still, gazing at each other in silence. That strange something was back, shifting the atmosphere and shifting her heart. She found herself leaning forward. He did the same.
Then his phone buzzed and pinged in his pocket, snapping the moment so abruptly that they both sat back as if they’d been stung. Nora’s face flamed, and Asher grumbled as he pulled the phone from his pocket and swiped it. It was on speaker, and the man’s voice was loud and clear.
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“Dude, are you okay?”
Asher gave Nora a chagrined smile. “I’m fine, Officer Dan. Did someone request a wellness check on me?”
“Yeah, I requested it,” Dan answered. “I’m at your place. Your car’s here. Your lights are on. Your back door is open. And you’re nowhere to be found. If you’ve been kidnapped, give me a code word.”
“The code word is spider.” Nora giggled, and Asher took the phone off speaker and put it to his ear.
“That was my neighbor...Yes, that neighbor...Stop grilling me like I’m a suspect in something. I got rid of a spider for the lady and she offered me a drink.” Asher rolled his eyes and rose to his feet. “I’ll be right home, Mom.” Then he ended the call.
Nora took another sip of wine as Asher drained his shot glass. The atmosphere had gone from flat-out sizzling to awkward.
“Does Dan stop by for drinks with you every night?”
Asher set his empty glass on the counter and gave her that crooked grin. His weatherworn face and long, dark hair gave him a devilish look that sent her heart racing again.
“We’re not involved, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”
She couldn’t hold back another laugh. “That’s not what I meant, although that would be fine with me.” Other than the fact that she’d be ridiculously jealous of Dan. “He just seems to show up here a lot.”
Asher shrugged. “It started with him feeling like he had to check on me. Then it just became a habit. And I keep my fridge stocked with his favorite beer.”
He turned for the back hall, but Nora reached out and stopped him with her hand on his arm. She’d done the same thing a few months ago in his studio, when all hell broke loose between Asher and his son and her daughter. He stared at her hand in consternation, just as he had that first time. As if he wasn’t used to being touched.
“Why did Dan feel like he needed to check on you?”
Asher looked toward the back door, probably wishing he was on the other side of it, but he didn’t pull away.
“I did a stupid thing a few years ago. I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a drive in the middle of the night.” He turned to face her. “I’d had a few drinks and had no business being behind the wheel. Dan found me asleep in the car, engine still running, parked at the overlook outside town.”
“He gave you a DUI?”
Asher shook his head. “No. We talked for a while, and he gave me a ride home. He said he couldn’t prove I’d driven under the influence, since I was parked when he found me. Which was bullshit, of course. After that, he’d swing by to make sure I was doing my drinking at home.” Asher reached for the door. “Then he started dropping in when he was off duty to have a beer with me. Or coffee. Depending on what kind of shift he’s had.”
“Sounds like a good friend.”
He hesitated, then nodded, reaching for the door.
“The only one I have.”
Those five words hit Nora hard. For some strange reason, she wanted to make things better for him.
“You and I just had drinks and a conversation. Friendships have started on less.”
He stared deep into her eyes, as if he was searching for something there.
“You’re going all Hallmark on me again. Don’t try to fix me, Nora. You’d be wasting your time. I gotta go...”
“Asher.”
“No, Nora. I have to go.”
But he didn’t open the door. Instead, he turned toward her. She didn’t wait for an invitation, stepping in and leaning against his strong, hard chest. He hesitated for a split second, then folded his arms around her, and it felt so...right. She tipped her head back. His gaze fell to her lips and she silently begged him to finish the job this time and kiss her. Her whole body vibrated with the need of it. But he just rested his forehead on hers, shaking it back and forth.
“No, no, no.” Was he talking to her or himself? “I am not going to kiss the mother of my son’s girlfriend, no matter how much I want to. It’s way too complicated.” He gently pushed her away. “Whatever’s happening here tonight, it’s just adrenaline from the spider, or the booze, or... I don’t know. But I am not going to kiss you, Nora. Good night.” And he was gone.
She stood staring at the closed door for a long time. Asher could be rude and annoying, but he’d come running to her rescue tonight. He’d built those steps by the trash bin. And she’d seen him spreading salt on the lot when it was icy. He did all of that for her. He acted like he hated the world, but tonight she’d seen a spark of something there in his eyes. Loneliness. Fear. And temptation.
He’d said he wasn’t going to kiss her.
But he’d also said he wanted to.
* * *
DAN WAS SITTING at the counter in Asher’s kitchen with a half-empty bottle of beer in front of him. He gave Asher a huge grin when he walked in. He probably should have taken his truck and left for the mountain instead of coming back here to face Dan’s abuse. But, even though he’d felt sober from the moment he heard Nora scream, he didn’t trust his blood-alcohol level enough to try it.
His young friend slid a shot of whiskey in Asher’s direction, chuckling to himself like he was in on the world’s biggest joke.
Asher finally ran out of patience. “Go ahead. Have your fun.”
Dan laughed out loud. “Oh, trust me, I’m already having fun. A spider emergency, huh? This I gotta hear.” He waved his hand, gesturing for Asher to start talking. So he filled Dan in on the highlights of spider hunting but left out any mention of Nora burying her face against his chest. He didn’t tell Dan she’d smelled of coffee beans and a citrusy perfume. He didn’t tell him she’d felt just about perfect in his arms.
He also didn’t tell Dan about that moment when the air left the room and there was nothing but the two of them staring into each other’s eyes. There was something magnetic about the way their bodies had pressed together, as if the pull was completely out of their control.
“So, let me get this straight. She screamed so loud over a spider that you felt you just had to go running over there and let yourself in?” Dan’s brows bunched together. “You never gave your key back to Cathy?”
“I forgot about the damned thing until I heard her screaming. And it was a big freakin’ spider, okay?” Asher sat back, rubbing his neck. “When I heard her...I thought she was being assaulted, damn it. What was I supposed to do?”
Dan tipped his head to the side. “Oh, I don’t know...maybe call the police? What if there was someone in her place? Were you armed with anything?”
Asher shook his head. “She was right next door. And screaming. Do you really think I should have made a phone call instead of helping?”
“How about making the phone call before helping? At least I could have been on my way as reinforcement.”
“It was a spider.”
Dan tried to bite back a grin but failed.
“A big one, huh? Did you tell her you don’t do spiders?”
“And give up my man card? No. I just sent that sucker flying out the window. With any luck you ran over him when you pulled in. Did you feel a bump?”
Dan laughed and shook his head. “Is that why all those boxes are outside on the landing?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to take any chances his relatives might have taken up residence. I don’t think my heart could take hearing Nora scream again.”
Dan leaned back on his barstool, tipping it precariously on its back legs. One of these days the guy was going to go right over backward and smack his head.
“And she thanked you with bourbon and scones. That’s quite a neighbor you have there. Did you forget she’s on the opposing team? Or are you finally coming to your senses about Michael and Becky?”
Asher scowled. Every conversation seemed to come back to Michael and that girl. Nora’
s daughter. He had a harder time demonizing the girl when he thought of her that way. But his son was still making a big mistake.
“I haven’t changed my mind about anything. I don’t want Michael starting a family.”
“Sooner or later he was probably going to want kids, Ash. And your grandson or granddaughter is now coming sooner, whether you want it to or not.”
“Grandson.” Saying that word out loud held a surprising amount of weight for Asher.
“What?”
“Michael told me it’s a boy.”
Dan held out his hand. “Congratulations! A grandson! That’s awesome news.”
Asher didn’t take his friend’s hand. He couldn’t accept congratulations for this.
Dan looked down, then lowered his hand. “You’re not happy about a Peyton baby boy? Come on, man, your son is having a son. It’s the miracle of life and all that.”
Asher envisioned a toddler in blue, with Michael’s dark hair and Nora’s golden eyes. Then he saw that boy in a hospital bed, hooked up to tubes and monitors. He emptied his glass in one swallow, keeping his eyes tightly closed and trying to force the thought out of his head. The effort was too much on top of everything else.
“Don’t you get it? Michael’s going to fall in love with that baby, and when it dies...”
Dan sat up and the front legs of the stool hit the floor with a smack. “What makes you think this baby’s going to die? That’s crazy!” Dan put his hand on Asher’s shoulder, but he shrugged it away. He didn’t want sympathy. Or logic. And he could tell Dan was about to give him both. “I know you lost a son, but that doesn’t mean Michael will. You know that, right?”