Harris scoffed. “What?” His king was trapped.
Standing, Carlos took his bishop and knocked Harris’s king to his side. “Thanks for the game. I need to get home and start cooking dinner.” His phone chimed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. “That’s Polly. I definitely need to get.”
Harris glared at him. “One of these days, I’m going to beat you.”
“And one of these days, I’ll have a life and no time to let you.” He put the phone to his ear as he strode through the station. “Hey, Polly. I’ll be home in a sec—”
“I invited Ashton for dinner.”
Carlos stopped, too stunned to speak. His brain caught up, and he blinked. “You what?”
“I invited Ashton to dinner. You’re not mad, are you?”
Floored was more like it. “I thought you didn’t want me hanging out with Ashton.” And now she was coming to their home for dinner. How was he supposed to keep his distance when his sister was making his two-lane road into a nearly impassable dirt road on the side of a mountain?
Polly sighed heavily as he continued to the parking lot. “You tell me all the time that I can control my hormones. Are you trying to say that’s not true?”
He should have known that one would come back to bite him. “No, I’m not—”
“Are you saying you like her?”
“No, I—”
“So it shouldn’t be a problem, then, right?”
Man, he hated it when she did this. Flustering him to the point where he was so twisted he couldn’t get his thoughts together. “Stop that. I’m not saying anything. I just thought you didn’t want Ashton around me. I still have chew marks from the last time I tried to date someone.”
“Hold on.” He could hear Ashton’s muffled voice in the background. A second later Polly returned to the call. “She’s really tired and said she was going to eat fast food. I thought she could use a real meal, and apparently, pasta is her favorite food.”
Carlos reached his pickup and raked his hand through his hair. He was walking a tightrope, and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to be singing soprano. “I’m not mad. I don’t like her like that, and it’s fine if she wants to come to dinner. There will be plenty to eat.” He’d worked hard to keep his tone as nonchalant as possible, and he hadn’t totally lied. One small lie was okay.
His sister seemed to hesitate a second. “See, I told you he’d be okay with it.”
“What?” asked Carlos.
“Ashton wasn’t convinced you were okay with her coming, so I put you on speaker so she could hear for herself.”
Speaker? Ashton had heard him say he didn’t like her like that? His heart dropped to his stomach. “Uh, yeah, I’m totally fine with it.”
“Great,” Polly replied, and he could almost picture her wide smile and thumbs-up to Ashton. “We’ll be there in a few minutes. We were just locking up.”
“Okay, I’ll see you at the house.”
Polly ended the call, and Carlos stuffed the phone in his pocket before getting into his pickup. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, taking a second to collect his thoughts. He’d just told the first woman he’d been drawn to in years that he didn’t like her. It would be a wonder if he could speak at all tonight with the shoe that was stuffed in his throat.
As much as he hated Ashton hearing him say it, though, it was probably for the best, even if it cut him a little. He hadn’t spent much time around her, but the little he had, he’d liked. He’d liked a lot. Having dinner with her would be like sticking his hand on a stove and leaving it there, knowing when he pulled it off, it would have third-degree burns.
Opening his eyes, he stuck the key in the ignition and shook off the loneliness that seemed to be sinking deeper into him. Polly was more important to him than anything. She’d lost so much when their parents died, and he owed it to her to be there for her. He’d worry about himself later.
Chapter 12
Standing at the stove, Carlos stirred the sauce as Polly supervised. She elbowed him and moved him out of the way. “There needs to be more spice.”
“I’ve already added spice, and it doesn’t need more. You’re always too heavy-handed with it.” He tried moving her out of the way, and she planted her feet to stay where she was.
Ashton would be joining them any minute. She’d told Polly she was stopping by her house to freshen up before coming over. Part of him wondered if that was her way of getting out of dinner. She’d get home then feign being tired. Truthfully, he couldn’t make up his mind which he preferred.
“You don’t know how Ashton likes her food,” Polly pointed out, stirring the mushrooms he’d sautéed into the rest of the bubbling mixture. It made for a hearty dinner with plenty of leftovers—at least, when it was just the two of them eating it.
“You can add more spice to your own plate, but you can’t take it out once it’s in there. Haven’t I taught you anything?” He shook his head. “Stay out of the kitchen. It’s bad enough that you sprang this dinner on me at the last minute.”
“We always have more than enough,” Polly replied.
“I know we do, but I could have planned better.”
She eyed him up and down. “You could put on something nicer than a t-shirt.”
He looked down at himself. “What’s wrong with a shirt and jeans?”
“A t-shirt, for one thing.” She sighed. “It’s autumn, and you’re wearing a t-shirt. You have all those nice button-downs in your closet. Why not wear one of them? And, ugh, those boots. A pair of dress shoes wouldn’t hurt.”
He’d purposefully dressed down so he didn’t give anyone the wrong impression. “What is this? A fashion show? I didn’t know we had to dress up for company.”
“Fine. I guess it’s okay.” She rolled her eyes.
He let out an exasperated sigh just as the doorbell rang. “Good,” he said, leaving the kitchen to answer the door.
“He—,” he said as he opened the door, stopping short as Ashton smiled up at him.
Man, she looked great. Peeking out from her coat were jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Simple, easy, and perfect. Although, he did notice the dark circles around her eyes. It made him hurt for her. She did a lot for the community, and to him, it was only right that someone take care of her.
“Hi.” She held up a white box tied with twine. “I stopped and got dessert. I had to bring something, no matter what Polly said.” When he didn’t speak, her eyebrows knitted together. “Uh, is everything okay?”
Shaking his thoughts away, he opened the door wider. “Oh, yeah. Come on in. Dinner is just about ready.”
As she passed him, the scent of her perfume wafted under his nose, and it took effort not to lean in and inhale. A vanilla mixture of sorts with maybe a hint of coconut. Whatever it was, it worked for her and apparently himself as well.
“Hey!” Polly called out from the entrance to the kitchen. “We should have enough for leftovers, because Carlos definitely made extra.”
“It smells divine,” Ashton assured her while Carlos took her coat. “I hope you like cupcakes. I figured that was the safest bet.”
“Who doesn’t like cupcakes?” Polly laughed. She noticed Carlos standing in the same spot as before, still holding Ashton’s coat. When Ashton had her back turned, Polly tipped her head to the coat rack and then lifted an eyebrow like she was saying that not only did he need to get it together, but he needed to remember his promise.
That tightrope he was walking was now the size of a string of floss, and all Ashton had done was smile at him. He could picture himself needing EMS by the time the evening was over. His plan to hide in his room was the only course of action he had at this point, even if his heart was screaming otherwise.
As he hung up Ashton’s coat, she reached Polly and they disappeared into the kitchen. Her laughter rang out, mixing with Polly’s, and his chest tightened to the point that it made it hard to breathe.
By now,
he’d pictured himself married, and if he didn’t have kids, they weren’t far away. It made the lonesomeness he’d been feeling nearly overwhelming as the laughter rang out again. That vision of a family when he first took Polly in was haunting him a little more than usual since he’d met Ashton, but that vision with Gayle ended pretty badly. What if that happened again?
Setting his hands on his hips, he worked to push down his thoughts and feelings. He could keep himself in check for one evening. Ashton needed a good home-cooked meal and a chance to forget whatever created those dark circles. He could at least do that for her.
Chapter 13
Carlos at home wasn’t any different than Carlos at work or in a crisis. He was easygoing and good-natured. Plus, the man could cook. She’d been kidding when she first met him about being a goner if he could clean, but if these culinary skills were also added to that package, she’d want a ring.
His relationship with Polly made Ashton nearly swoon. He was so good with her. Firm but gentle. This man would make an excellent father one day. Her thoughts tried to stray a little too far with that, and she corralled them back. It was one thing to joke to herself about rings, but that was as far as she was willing to go, especially since he said that he didn’t like her on the phone. Although, he’d seemed a little caught off guard when Polly told him he was on speakerphone.
They’d barely dug into the meal before the stories started. Currently, Polly had her big brother blushing so hard it was a wonder he didn’t need an ice pack for his cheeks.
“So what’s he do? He tells me he’s going to take me shopping for one.” Polly looked at her brother, laughing.
Ashton’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t!”
Keeping his eyes fixed on his plate, he replied, “In my defense, I didn’t think of how weird it would look. A grown man taking a girl out for her first bra. In my head, I was being a good big brother, making sure she had what she needed.”
With a snort, Polly rolled her eyes. “Not only did the saleslady think something weird was going on, but he didn’t know where to look because of all the underwear all around us. He was so uncomfortable and acting so weird that the lady made him wait outside so she could make sure I was okay. When I told her he was my brother, she thought it was really cute.”
Not just cute but sweet. It didn’t take much to picture Carlos in that situation and swoon a little.
“Why are we even talking about this?” he asked, finally lifting his head. “I don’t remember how we got on the topic.”
“We were talking about growing pains,” Ashton reminded him. “How to deal with the awkward stuff. I have a few boys in the program who could, um, use a little guidance when it comes to hygiene. I know that when changes happen, they happen practically overnight, but sheesh.” She waved a hand in front of her nose.
“Unpleasant, huh?” He chuckled. “Nothing like raging hormones.” He cut a glance at Polly.
Polly glared at him. “Shut up.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” Ashton sighed. “There are things they need to know, but they certainly don’t want to talk to a woman about it. They’re starting to become interested in girls, and clearly, there isn’t anybody at home to clue them in.”
“Yeah, no girl’s gonna want to hang out with them if they stink,” Polly said before popping a piece of chicken into her mouth. “I love this sauce.” She wrinkled her nose and picked up the red pepper flakes sitting on the table. “It needs more heat.”
Ashton shook her head. “Any more heat and I’d need an ice bath.”
Carlos nudged Polly with his elbow. “See? I told you.”
Rolling her eyes, Polly shook some flakes onto her dish and set the bottle down. “How am I related to you?”
“I think it’s delicious.” Ashton twirled some noodles around her fork. “I think I could drink the sauce.”
Carlos laughed. “It’s just something I found on the internet. It was easy, and we were bored with just red jar sauce.”
Ashton tilted her head as she finished the bite. “Do you do most of the cooking?”
“Uh, no, that’d be me,” Polly said. “But it’s not because he doesn’t want to. I like experimenting.”
“Not all experiments turn out so well, though.” Carlos’s eyes took on a mischievous glint. “Do the words fried rice ring a bell?”
Groaning, Polly rolled her eyes. “Why do you have to go and throw that in my face in front of company? I thought we weren’t ever going to talk about that again.”
“Now I need to know what happened.” Ashton laughed. It was so nice having a conversation instead of half-watching television. Plus, she enjoyed watching the dynamic between Polly and Carlos. She’d always wished for a brother or sister she could tease and joke with, somebody who shared her history.
Polly shot her brother a dirty look. “I took the name literally,” she grumbled. “I thought you actually had to fry it. Like, in oil. The way you fry chicken.”
Ashton’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh no! That would’ve been—”
“A disaster? Yeah,” Carlos said, nearly shaking from laughing so hard. “We broke out the fire extinguisher that night. Since then, my chef sister looks up recipes to get an idea of how something’s normally cooked before rolling up her sleeves and jumping in.”
“It happens.” Ashton bumped Polly with her wrist. “I once forgot to put flour in a cake. True story. No flour whatsoever. Don’t ask me what I was thinking. And another time, I poured cold water into a hot Pyrex pan.”
“Oh no,” Polly whispered.
“Yeah. I spent the night cleaning glass off of just about every surface in the kitchen. I learned my lesson, though.” Ashton turned to Carlos. “What about you? Any kitchen disasters to share with us?”
“More than a few,” Polly said, pushing her chair back from the table. “I know he cooked tonight, but, really, I usually do most of it.”
Carlos scoffed. “No fair. I make a mean breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.”
Shrugging, Ashton finished off the last bite of noodles before asking, “Have you ever thought about pursuing cooking as a career?”
She could tell she’d hit a nerve the second Polly lowered her gaze and tension filled the room. “I’ve thought about it.” Her voice was soft, and she turned to the sink. “But there’s lots of stuff I’m interested in.”
Carlos’s lips turned down as he pinched them together, joining Polly at the sink. “That’s a tough field to get into, especially for women. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s very difficult. Some of those men act downright hostile toward the women in the kitchen.”
“Carlos worked as a dishwasher during high school,” Polly said. The words came out clipped. “So that means he knows everything.”
Silence stretched as the air grew awkward and tense. “There’s nothing wrong with being a home chef,” Ashton said, breaking the silence. “Anyway, you’re right. There are so many different things you could do with your life. I envy you. You have all these possibilities in front of you.”
“Did you know what you wanted to do when you were my age?” Polly looked over her shoulder at Ashton.
Ashton thought back then shook her head. “I mean, I knew I wanted to help people. I’ve always wanted to help. I was the friend people came to for advice. I used to reach out to new kids in school and invite them to have lunch with me. It didn’t make me cool; let’s just put it that way.” She chuckled as memories roared back. “So I guess in a way I did, but I didn’t know what to call it.”
“I don’t think you need an official title,” Carlos said, bumping his sister’s shoulder with his. “Anything Polly puts her mind to, she can do.” He winked at his sister.
Polly grumbled and rolled her eyes, handing him a rinsed dish to dry. Ashton had noticed that Polly did that a lot, but there was an affection between them that warmed her heart. Again, it made her wish she’d had a sibling. Someone to lean on after her pa
rents died. Being on her own, dealing with the grief and having no one around her to understand, had made it difficult to process.
Once the dishes were washed, they enjoyed a cupcake as Polly and Carlos shared more of their stories with Ashton, making her like him even more. He was kind, selfless, and courageous. Polly adored him, and it was mutual between them. If Ashton could, she would invite herself to dinner permanently.
They’d eaten the treats too quickly for Ashton, and before she knew it, Carlos was walking her to her car. Just as she opened the door, she turned to him. “I’ve been thinking about paying a visit to Lucy’s house.”
“I don’t know about that.” His lips turned down as he held her gaze. “It’s risky. This is not a nice man we’re talking about.”
“No offense, but I’m not Polly.” She smiled. “You’re sweet to be concerned, but there’s nothing wrong with me checking on Lucy. She always comes in on Sundays, but she wasn’t there today. I think enough time has passed that it makes sense to check in.”
He blew out a long, low whistle. “Promise me you’ll get out of there if it seems like he’s in a bad mood.”
“Scout’s honor. I’ll even call you when I’m done and give you an update.”
He chewed his lip like he was debating with himself. “I’d feel better if I went with you. Given the way Lucy’s mom acted, he’s trouble.”
So was Carlos, but in the best way. He was making her senses go haywire. She’d deliberately scooted her chair closer to Polly’s just so she wasn’t tempted to breathe him in. The cool breeze swirling around them held the scent of whatever aftershave or cologne he wore, making her dizzy.
“As kind an offer as that is, I think that might stir up more trouble than we want. Your last encounter with him didn’t go so well.”
“I know, but—”
She stepped into him, palming his chest, and instantly realized she’d made a mistake. He was far too close for the rational side of her brain to function. The one that said kissing him was a bad idea. That she didn’t need to get involved with Polly’s brother.
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