Page 76 of Third Time Lucky

I wonder if it happened to her.

The doorbell echoes through the house as if on cue, pulling me from my thoughts. Saved by the bell.

I open the door to Asher standing on the porch, a bright smile on his face, a take-out tray holding three Queue coffees, and that familiar twinkle in his eyes that makes my insides fizz like shaken champagne.

‘Hey,’ he says with a grin as if he’s happy to see me.

Perhaps the universeisaligning the stars in my favor.

‘Hi,’ I say, my voice surprisingly steady despite my heart racing.

Hanging from the crook of his elbow are his brightly colored reusable grocery bags, packed to the brim. I glance at my Apple Watch: 8.27a.m.

‘You’re not supposed to be up so close to daylight.’

‘You’re not wrong. And trust me,’ he says. ‘There were four coffees on this tray, but I drank one on the way over.’

‘Well, my dad left already,’ I tell him.

‘Perfect, because I’m going to need a second cup to make it through the afternoon.’

I take the tray of drinks he’s handing me.

‘So, you just came over early to bring coffee?’

He walks past me into the house.

‘That, you, and I knew you were having company and thought I’d come help clean up.’

He came to help clean up? What planet is this man from?

‘See,’ Mitzi says leaning into me once we reach the kitchen, taking a coffee from the tray in my hands. ‘Brandon is a wet rag. Asher is a dream boat, darling.’

‘All aboard?’ I say under my breath, causing her to grin with pride.

As Ash follows me, his eyes catch the nearly empty plate on the table, and a proud grin spreads across his face.

‘I see you nailed the cinnamon rolls,’ he says, winking playfully.

‘The oven was surprisingly as easy to use as you said.’

He’s unpacking groceries as I set the tray of coffee onto the counter and perch myself on one of the stools at the island.

Mitzi has disappeared, probably because she suspects there are underlying feelings between Asher and me, and I know she’s giving me the space to work that out and possibly find my words at last.

‘I’m sorry about yesterday. I can’t believe I embarrassed myself in front of you once again.’

Asher pauses, setting a container of fresh strawberries on the counter before turning to face me, his expression serious.

‘You didn’t. All’s good,’ he says. ‘Cheaters don’t worry me because usually they’re also liars, schemers and losers.’

Brandon fits the bill.

He reaches into the bags and takes out a few more items, placing them on the kitchen island. Then, he looks at me carefully as if trying to gauge my reaction.

‘Are you alright? That couldn’t have been easy facing evil again unexpectedly.’

I give a small shrug. ‘I had nightmares about it last night, and pretty consistently for many months, but thanks to you, I’m not overthinking it as badly as I expected I would be,’ I state. ‘Had you not been there, I’m unsure I would have been able to find the right words. But now that it’s over, I feel like I said what I needed to say.’

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