He nodded. “Nice to meet you, Willow.”
“You, too.”
He pulled off his other glove and then pushed his hand through his hair. “Do you have a place you can go tonight?” He offered me a sympathetic smile.
I raised my gaze to meet his. “Can I get into my house?”
His smile faltered. “I’m sorry. Your house is…gone.”
Tears filled my eyes once more. “What?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“Do you have somewhere you can go tonight?”
I was staring at what was left of my house as I nodded. “Um, yeah,” I whispered.
“Do you want me to call them?”
I glanced over at him before I shook my head. “No. I can.”
“Let me get your number. I’ll call you as soon as we know more about how the fire started.” He pulled out his phone, and I got my brain to work long enough to rattle off my phone number.
He sent me a quick text reminding me of his name and how I could reach him. Then he helped me into my car and told me to drive safe. I felt like a robot as I stuck my key back into the ignition and started the engine. I still wasn’t sure where I was going to go fifteen minutes down the road. Not wanting to go any further without a plan, I pulled into an empty parking lot and sat there, staring at the steering wheel.
I didn’t know many people here in Harmony. There was Uncle Doug, Breia, Patricia, and Zoey. Uncle Doug was out of town. I knew Breia lived in a studio apartment, and Patricia had her daughter and her grandkids living with her. Zoey already had roommates, so there was no rooming with her, and the last thing I wanted to do was impose.
I found my phone in my purse on the passenger seat and located Uncle Doug’s number. I called it three times before I gave up and tossed it back onto the seat. From what I knew of Uncle Doug’s fishing trips, he’d be out in the wilderness for weeks with no cell service. It hadn’t been a big deal in the past, but now? I felt alone.
Jasper and I had nowhere to go. The only other place that I could think of was the diner. I glanced at the clock. It was after midnight, which meant Cole was gone. I flipped on my blinker and pulled back onto the road. Twenty minutes later, I drove to the back of the diner and parked in my normal spot.
I shut off the engine and gathered up my purse as I pulled open the door. Jasper whined as I lifted him off the back seat, but he settled back down with his head on my shoulder. I used my hip to shut his door and then adjusted his weight on both arms as I walked across the parking lot to the back door.
It took an acrobatic maneuver to hold Jasper and grab the diner keys from my purse, and I silently cheered when I was able to slip the key into the door handle with minimal effort.
The diner was dark as I walked into the kitchen. I kept the lights off as I made my way to my office and bumped the door open with my foot. My arms shook as I slowly laid Jasper down on the couch. He whined a bit, but kept his eyes closed as he wiggled deeper into the cushions.
I grabbed a blanket from under my desk and laid it over him. My body felt heavy from exhaustion, both mental and physical, as I collapsed on the armchair. I tipped my head back and felt my eyes close as I fell asleep.
16
ELLA
Wednesday afternoon,Asher invited me to help him pick out his tux. Even though I felt completely confused about our relationship, I wasn’t going to challenge his request. I finished up the article I was writing about Mrs. Graham’s granddaughter’s wedding announcement and hurried out of my apartment.
I drove to The Gentleman’s Attire in Eden. When I was two minutes from the store, Asher texted me that he was at a showing with a client and it had run long. He apologized for being late, and I responded by telling him not to worry. I had a book on my phone, and I would just read until he got there.
I parked in the back corner spot and shut off the engine. I slid my seat back so I could bring my left foot up to rest on the cushion. I tried to read my book, but my mind was too jumbled with thoughts of Asher. The memory of his hands on me during our dance at the bar was as poignant as the moment it happened. My heart pounded every time I thought about that night.
He was invading my thoughts so much that I was now dreaming about him.
I felt like I was in the nine circles of hell.
Perhaps it was the masochistic part of my brain, but I’d convinced myself that if I just saw him, these feelings would subside and I would remember that he was my best friend. I feared what these feelings meant. I wasn’t ready to face them and preferred running from them instead.
I was staring out the window when I saw Asher’s truck waiting to take a left at the stoplight in front of me. I could see the outline of his profile and my heart instantly picked up speed. My body felt light as I watched him turn and then disappear as he drove to the entrance of the parking lot.
I stared at my hands in front of me, hating that I felt this conflicted. Ever since he came back to Harmony with Coralie, my nerves and emotions had gone haywire. I felt like I was slowly losing my mind. It was torture.
I startled when he pulled into the parking spot next to me. His gaze caught mine through the window, and he waved before he pulled open his driver’s door. I did the same, mentally shushing my heart and willing my body to return to a normal temperature.
