Page 6 of Pretty Puppy

“Oh, sorry.”

His gaze traveled to the two black duffel bags as the edge of the sidewalk. The crappier stained and frayed one was the same bag he’d used when he left Tahoe, the nice shiny new one was Owen and Rick’s going away present.

Ash sucked in a deep breath, an edge of a winter chill still lingering in the early spring air. After grabbing his things, he dragged them to the curb then pulled out his phone to call the resort shuttle. Once he’d taken care of that, he finger-combed his hair and re-tucked his shirt. He didn’t want to appear at the resort looking like a stray who’d stumbled into the lobby. With his luck, Lee would come strolling in and that would be his first impression of Ash after five years.

Ash pressed his lips together and scowled at his reflection in the small compact he kept in his jacket pocket. “You can do this,” he whispered. “You and Lee belong together, it’s just that simple. All you have to do is be the most submissive, sweet puppy he’s ever met, and he’ll totally take you back.”

So what if he’d never been all that submissive or sweet? People change. It could happen.

He frowned at his reflection. “Don’t be an idiot.”

Ash snapped the case shut then put it away. He needed to focus. Above all, he had to be the epitome of responsibility, the hardest worker there. If he shone as the perfect employee, maybe Shane would report back to Lee about this amazing worker he’d hired. Maybe Lee would want to meet him. That was totally something Lee would do. He was very hands-on with his staff, always making sure to acknowledge hard work.

Ash checked the time on his phone then swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. Should he put some lip tint on? Or was that trying too hard? His mouth was dry as fuck. He peered over his shoulder at the vending machine. Should he grab a soda really quick? No. He’d been chewing gum. Minty cola was gross and would defeat the purpose of fresh and clean breath.

Ash tapped his foot, picked up the bags then set them down again. Would it look more professional if he was holding his bags, raring to go, when the shuttle arrived? Or would his arms tire out and…

The shuttle driver isn’t going to give two shits whether I’m holding my bags or not.

He needed to get a grip on himself. Completely rattled and freaking out wasn’t going to do much to impress anyone. Ash let out a long breath. Now was not the time to fall apart.

The shuttle approached and he spotted the familiar resort logo of blue and gold on the side. The sight was like a punch to the chest, his breaths coming at a quicker pace. The urge to bolt overtook him, the adrenaline of pure panic seizing him as the reality that he might soon be seeing Lee in the flesh stared him in the face.

“Fuck me,” he whispered under his breath, digging his fingernails into his palms as he steeled himself to face the music. He was the asshole.Hewas the one who needed to make amends. Even if his little scheme was a full-on fail, he’d take the opportunity to give Lee a heartfelt apology for his past behavior before skulking out of his life for good.

The vehicle came to a stop, the shuttle door opening automatically. As the driver came around the front of the van, Ash quickly grabbed his belongings.

“Hi.” His voice cracked as if he’d just turned fourteen, and he swallowed down his nervousness, wetting his throat in the process. “I’m Asher Griffin, the new hire.”

“Yes, sir.” The driver smiled. “Let me load your bags while we wait for the other passenger.”

“Okay, sure.”

Ash glanced around. He wondered if there was another new employee or if there was a resort guest arriving soon. A man he recognized as being on the same bus as him strolled up and handed his large rolling suitcase to the driver. They acknowledged each other with a nod, but Ash wasn’t in the mood to chat.

He had to keep his head in the game.

By the time they reached the long driveaway leading up to the lobby of Lee’s resort, Ash wished he’d had a shot of Fireball to fortify his nerves. Even his breath would’ve been nice, filled with cinnamon. Lee frowned on such things, but surely one airplane sized dose couldn’t hurt? Too bad he hadn’t thought to bring one.

Ash waited for the hotel guest to climb out of the van before doing the same. Once he retrieved his bags and thanked the driver, he made his way into the lobby. At this point, his stomach was churning with such intensity, being an utter mess when he met Shane was probably a given. Or, if he was really lucky, Shane would be busy, and Ash would be sent to his room. That would give him a chance to regain his composure.

Before he could ponder that scenario any further, a squeal—followed by a loud proclamation of “Ash, oh my God!”—echoed throughout the enormous lobby with a twenty-foot tall, high-beamed ceiling. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass window overlooking the lake, as if creating a spotlight for Ash where he stood. The interior was a combination of traditional chalet and modern elegance, but Ash’s favorite feature had always been the stunning river rock fireplace that took up a large portion of one wall.

His heart ached with how much he missed this place. The resort was Lee’s beloved baby and Ash had been his adored pup. Ash sniffed, blinking back tears.

“Honey, are you going to come over and greet your girl or stand around gawking?”

He cleared the emotion from his throat and plastered on a joyful smile. Expressions of unbridled joy—even when he wasn’t feeling it—were one of his skills. Not that he wasn’t glad to see Micki, but his melancholy and regret were wreaking havoc on his happy place.

“Hey gorgeous. Are you running this joint yet?”

Ash strolled over to reception where Micki stood at the farthest end of the long counter. He dropped his bags in front of a giant planter filled with all sorts of different greenery he couldn’t name and held out his arms for a hug. She launched herself at him and they rocked each other in an embrace before she finally released him.

She leaned in conspiratorially. “Don’t worry. I haven’t said a word to Shane about you being Lee’s ex.”

The only reason Ash believed his ruse would work is that he was long gone before Shane had shown up and taken over the event. Micki had also informed him that no one from Ash’s time there was allowed to reference the break-up. Not that Lee had specifically forbade them, but she had shared how everyone knew it was a touchy subject, so knew better than to bring it up.

“Thanks, Micki. Like I said, I want him to think I’m completely new to the resort, and that I’ve never met Lee. If he knew…” Ash winced. “Well, he’d either fire me or make sure I never crossed paths with Lee. That would suck.”

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