His face is his usual mix of calm and happy, but I didn’t miss the wince that crossed his face when he shrugged just now, or the way he rolls his right shoulder like the muscles are tight. He also looked like he was in pain when he was putting my suitcases in the car, and I wonder what that’s all about.
“Is your shoulder okay? It seems like it’s bothering you.”
His smile vanishes. “It’s fine, just a little tight. Bruised it in the last game.”
He says all that a little too fast, and it’s been long enough since the game that a bruised shoulder shouldn’t still be bothering him. I’m immediately curious, but I don’t press him because if anyone knows a thing or two about hiding vulnerability, it’s me. You could probably hack my arm off, and I would just go about my day, insisting I was fine. It tracks that a professional athlete would have similar instincts.
I want his smile back, though.
Asher should always be smiling.
I reach into the back and pull out one of the grocery bags. I set it on my lap and when I open it, my jaw drops. Inside are peppermint Hershey Kisses. But not just one bag; there must be at least twenty in there. I look at him in disbelief.
“It’s the end of January.”
He gestures toward the dashboard. “I know the date, Juliette. It’s right there on the screen.”
I let that snark and the use of my full name sail by because I have more important things to focus on. “Stores stop selling peppermint Hershey Kisses before New Years. I have never, in my entire life, seen a bag of this candy in a store in January. I look every time I go. How did you get these?”
He grins. “One of my teammates knows a guy who works for Hershey. He hooked me up.”
“And how did you even know I liked these?”
His grin widens. “I called Hallie. She told me you’re, and I quote,fucking obsessed with them. I told you I wanted to take care of everything. That included getting you everything you might need or want without having to ask. Asking you what you want gives you more work because then you have to make me a list. I figured out another way.”
Well, shit. I stare at him, my brain unable to form words, entirely unused to anyone attempting to take some of the mental load off my plate. I bear my mental load, and everyone else’s too. I like it that way. I always have. Doing all the things helps me feel in control, and I need to be in control. Always. Except I can’t deny how good it feels to have just shown up with a packed suitcase and nothing else, even if what’s in my suitcase might be all wrong because he wouldn’t tell me what we were doing along the way.
“You okay there, Juliette? You went quiet.”
I clear my throat and shake off my thoughts. “That’s still not my name. But I’m good. Thanks for these. Hallie ate my last bag last night, so I thought I was out of luck until December.”
“Anything for you. Check out the rest of the bags.”
The second bag I open is filled with gummy candy. Gummy worms, sour gummy worms, gummy bears, gummy peaches, and that’s just what I can see on top. Asher glances over.
“That’s my bag.”
“Just yours?”
“I mean, I’ll share if you ask nicely, but I really like gummy candy.”
“Between this and your soda all your teeth are going to fall out.”
I gesture to his Big Gulp of Dr. Pepper in the cupholder next to my latte. Apparently, the man doesn’t drink coffee. Instead, he starts every day with a fountain soda the size of his head.
“Haven’t yet.” He winks at me and turns back to the road.
“So do you go out and get a fountain soda every morning?”
He grins at me as if he is just tickled pink at me asking him a personal question.
“Nope. I have a soda fountain in my house.”
“You…seriously? With Dr. Pepper in it?”
“Yep. There’s room for a second soda, so if you tell me what your favorite is, I’ll add it in.”
“What makes you think I’ll be at your house?”
