Page 36 of Keeping Promises

Icouldn’t get my mother’s words out of my head.Do not let my mistakes dictate what kind of future you have.

Not every man is going to turn out just like my father. Yes, there are similarities between Asher and Colin, but there are also similarities between my mother and me, and I refuse to end up like her. It’s time I give Asher the chance he deserves—that we all deserve.

This is why I’m exiting the elevator on the seventh floor and walking through the main entrance at Maritime on my day off.

Sarah, the administrative assistant sitting behind the front desk, waves me on back. I’ve stopped by enough over the years for her to know who I am. She must figure I’m here to see Lexi.

Speaking of my best friend, I spot her walking toward me. “Hey, what are you doing here? Did you text me? My phone is in my office—I’ve been in nonstop meetings all morning.”

I glance around the room, looking for Asher, therealreason for my stopping by.

“Oh, I’m here to—”

The hairs on the back of my neck rise before a voice calls out from behind me. “Hadley?”

I spin to find Asher standing there, hands in his pockets, dressed in black dress pants and hunter green dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up. His eyes roam over my body, a smile tipping his lips upward.

My formfitting dress shows off my small baby bump.

“What are you doing here?” He asks the same question as Lexi moments ago.

“I, umm.” I lose my train of thought as I stare at the veins in his forearms on display. It’s as if he’s flexing his hands in a fist in his pocket to keep from reaching out to me.

“You what?” He takes a step forward, and his eyes once again dip to my stomach. “We didn’t have another appointment, right? I thought I wrote the correct date down.”

I clear my throat, fazed by his proximity, needing to break whatever pull is gravitating us together. “I, umm, brought you lunch. I hope that’s okay. I had a craving for a bacon cheeseburger, so I stopped by Johnny’s, and I know they’re your favorite, so…” I trail off, suddenly feeling nervous as hell, just like I did the first time I cut a paying customer’s hair.

Asher created a monster when he introduced me to the diner. I eat a bacon cheeseburger from there at least once a week. It’s so good. They should win the Best Burger category in the Best of Willow Creek, but then I would be worried that the secret would be out, and more people would show up knowing about it.

The smell of the greasy meat patties seeps through the bag, invading my nostrils as I hold up the bag from the diner, causing my stomach to grumble and my mouth to water.

If Asher doesn’t want this, it looks like baby and I can count on an afternoon food coma because I will gladly eat both.

“If this is a bad time, I can go,” I mutter, feeling awkward since he just continues staring at me instead of saying anything. I completely forgot I’m interrupting his workday. Maybe he was headed out to a meeting or something.

“No.” He reaches for my wrist. “I was just coming back from the art department.”

“Look at you. Mr. Professional and all,” I tease.

Asher smirks. “Yeah, well, I can’t let down my big brother for giving me this chance, right, sis?” He nods behind me. Oh, right, Lexi. I forgot she was even there. Clearly, the committee should take back my best friend of the year award.

“Yep, Asher is doing a great job. Who would’ve thought?”

Asher may not have always been Lexi’s greatest fan, especially with their history, but I can tell that there is a genuine compliment buried in that smart-ass remark. I have seen a change in their relationship recently, and I’m happy that they get along since they will be family and all.

Lexi glances back and forth between Asher and me. I know she is scrutinizing the situation, trying to figure out what’s going on here. However, I’m still trying to do that myself.

“Hey, I got done that call early. Want to grab some lunch?” Ben asks, strolling up to where we stand. “Oh, Hadley, hey, what a surprise.”

His gaze flips between his fiancée and me. “If you had lunch plans, that’s cool. We can take a rain check.”

“Actually, Hadley is visiting Asher, bringing him lunch.” A meddlesome smile appears on her lips, and I know she is enjoying “tattling” and will probably say it’s all part of the payback for the whole Callum kissing thing. But I don’t hear her complaining because here we are over a year later, and she is marrying the man of her dreams, so I’d say my plan worked, as unconventional as it was. “So, I’m free if you want.”

“Oh.” Ben pauses before turning to Asher and me. “Well, you two have fun.”

“My cubicle is just this way.” Asher nods his head down the row of dark gray cubicles.

“I’ll see ya later, Lex.” She gives a small wave and a smile as we pass by. “Bye, Ben.”

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