Page 82 of Wish You Were Mine

“Fucking kids,” Dean muttered. “Those vacationers come here and think the rules don’t apply. The police don’t do anything about them either.”

“They’re doing the best they can,” I protested. “It’s not like they have much in the way of resources.”

He grumbled an acknowledgement.

Frannie rubbed her palms together. “Never mind all that. What you need is a good meal and a beer.” She reached behind herself to grab a throw blanket from the sofa. She draped it over my lap and then clambered to her feet. “We have leftover low carb bean burritos from dinner. I’ll reheat one for you.”

I put my hand on her knee to stop her. “How about I have a shower first? I stink.”

“Okay.” Her eyes shone with affection. “You know where everything is. I’ll shut the doors and let Cookie out of her carrier.”

“Thanks, Fran.”

I took my bag to the bathroom, stripped off my cold, sweaty clothes, and washed myself until I smelled of nothing but soap. Then I dried and dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt.

When I returned to the open plan living area, Frannie handed me a plated burrito, accompanied by a bunch of sauces and salsa, and guided me onto the sofa. Over on the armchair, Marcy was sleeping on Dean’s chest, as he gently stroked the back of her head.

“What a crazy week,” Frannie said quietly. “All of this, and Ashley is back in town too. How did your date go?”

“It wasn’t a date,” I said, cutting into the burrito and inhaling the delicious scent of spices and tomato.

Frannie rolled her eyes. “So you said, but there could be something between you again, right? I never really understood why you broke up.”

“Because she didn’t like how much I work,” I said bluntly. “She told me that I wasn’t around enough, and when I was, I wasn’t fully focused on her. She felt ignored. Since I’m still doing the same job and I don’t intend to start half-assing it, then nothing has changed, so there’s no reason to think we could be happy together now.”

Frannie looked disappointed. Hardly surprising. My entire family wanted me to settle down and start a family. I was the lone holdout. Both of my sisters had children, and both were partnered up. Then there was me. The baby of the family. The eternal bachelor who didn’t have the decency to start producing grandbabies.

I chuckled to myself. It wasn’t quite that dire, although sometimes it felt like it.

“What are you laughing about?” Dean asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing.” Deciding to throw Frannie a bone, I added, “I am interested in someone else, Fran. I just can’t say who until we have a few things sorted out.”

Her face lit up. “Really?”

“Yes, but keep it quiet for now.”

She mimed zipping her lips. “I promise.”

No doubt Mum would know by morning. Frannie meant well but she’d never met a secret she could keep. Oh well. I’d known that and still chosen to tell her because I had faith in whatever was developing between Summer and me. I just had to hope she wouldn’t come to the same conclusion Ashley had—that what I could offer wasn’t enough

As I wolfed down the burrito, I couldn’t help mulling over Summer’s theory that someone was behind everything that had gone off track in my life recently. It was a ridiculous idea. No one could possibly hate me that much.It was just my own carelessness—and the fact I’d let my temper get the best of me once or twice—that was to blame.

Given the arrests of Kennedy’s stalker, Tyler, and Grace’s assistant, Alice, both within the past couple of years, I understood Summer’s paranoia, but there was no substance to it.

Then why did part of me have the sick feeling that she might be onto something?

38

ASHER

My eyes were gritty, and my temples throbbed as I met Liam outside Taste of Destiny the next morning. He stood with his back ramrod straight, his arms crossed, and a scowl plastered across his face.

“How come I had to find out that someone threw a rock through your front window, third hand from Kennedy rather than directly from you?” he demanded.

A grimace twisted my face. “I’m sorry. It was a shit day, and I didn’t think about telling anyone other than the police.”

He nodded, apparently accepting this. Nate must not have mentioned to Grace that Summer had also been there. Either that, or Grace hadn’t passed it along to Kennedy. Knowing her, either option was equally likely.

---