“At least the year is almost over, right?”
“I wouldn’t quite say that. We’ve still got the rest of this semester.”
“Oooh. A semester. That’s like what? Eighteen more weeks?” Ashleigh laughed.
“Fifteen, thank you. Don’t make it longer than it has to be.” Nate teased.
“Sorry. I’ll work on getting my facts straight next time.” God she missed her nephew. He’d always been the fun loving, exuberant child who had kept them all on their toes. Despite the difficulties and the challenges he seemed to be facing, it was good to see he hadn’t changed much.
“Well, I’ve put it off as long as I could.” She told him, turning back to the house. “Time to check out the chaos.”
Steeling herself for the chaos, better known as Alex McDermott – but she wouldn’t tell Nate that – Ashleigh followed her nephew up the steps to the house. The front door stood wide open, the screen door propped open with a small box – great, the box read “panties and bras”.
Lovely.
Every light in the house was on and the low sound of people talking filled the space. As soon as she was inside, Ashleigh remembered everything she had loved about the house the first time she saw it. Her realtor hadn’t seemed too excited about showing her the place, apparently it had been on the market for quite some time, and she hadn’t figured it would be what Ashleigh was looking for.
It had taken one trek through the house, and less than five minutes for Ashleigh to turn to the woman, telling her to draw up the papers. After seeing at least twenty other properties, Ashleigh had been sold almost the minute she stepped inside.
Open, airy, it was just what Ashleigh was looking for.
The back wall was nearly all glass which offered a serene view of the small pond and a handful of trees. The inside was warm and comforting, something that struck Ashleigh immediately. Dark wood floors and cream colored walls, along with stone accents on the fireplace, and the bar that separated the kitchen from the rest of the house, had caught her eye immediately. The rest was a bonus.
Speaking of bar. From where she stood, just inside the front door, Ashleigh could see her brother who was animatedly talking to the man she’d dedicated way too many thoughts to for the last decade. Alex’s back was to her, and she fought the urge to stand there and stare at him while he was unaware.
Right. As if anything ever got past him.
Alex McDermott and all of his sexy as hell goodness was a weak spot Ashleigh had never been comfortable with. The man was hot as sin, but Ashleigh had sworn off his type at a young age. Or maybe it was just him that she’d sworn off.
Not that he didn’t visit her in some of her hottest dreams. But during waking hours, she did her best to avoid him. Living so far away had made that easy, but apparently being this close, and the fact that he worked with her grandfather, Ashleigh would have to put forth some effort to keep him away.
Time to change the locks.
“What’s he doing here?” Ashleigh asked Nate, tilting her head in the direction of the kitchen, keeping her voice low, and trying to sound interested, but not interested.
The look Nate shot her way said he wasn’t buying it.
“He’s quoting the alarm system Pops is having put in.”
And why couldn’t her brother have done that? She didn’t ask the question out loud because she knew Nate wouldn’t be able to answer, and she was pretty certain her discomfort was obvious, no reason to sound defensive on top of it.
Apparently she was going to have to have a conversation with her grandfather. She was forever grateful for him, and his need to make sure she was taken care of, but when it came to Alex, Ashleigh would rather go without.
Dylan’s voice got louder, and then a deep, booming laugh echoed through the house, making Ashleigh turn to look at her brother. He was laughing. It was a rusty sound, but only because she knew he hadn’t been doing much of it over the years. It was the sweetest thing she’d heard in a long time.
Sitting her purse on the counter, she cleared her throat, getting Dylan’s attention. He smiled, his eyes locking on her, but the man whose back was still to her didn’t do more than tilt his head to the side, a mischievous grin tilting his beautiful mouth.
Damn that man.
She suddenly wished she had checked her face in the mirror before she came in. Not that it would matter much. Wearing yoga pants, an oversized sweatshirt, and her hair in a messy ponytail, she’d dressed for comfort, not to come face to face with the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on. But she didn’t care what Alex thought. Or so she tried to convince herself.
Her appearance was the least of her worries anyway. Right now, she’d have to make every effort just to breathe.