Page 57 of Time For You
Our heavy breaths sounded like a freight train to my ears as we both pulled away. Silently, I readjusted the cups of my bra and slid the dress shirt down my arms, tossing it on the bed beside Colton.
I casually walked over to the dresser on shaky legs and sifted through some of the long-sleeve shirts I had before landing on a plain maroon colored shirt that reminded me of a pinot noir.
“Cute room,” Colton said with a chuckle as he took in everything that had remained in place since my childhood. There were trophies and awards lining the shelves. Boy band and movie posters covering the walls and flowers on every other available space.
“Thanks,” I said, as I spritzed some perfume over my new attire and gestured for Colton to follow me.
We snuck out of the house without a backward glance, though I was certain Aspen and my mom were peering through the windows of the front room watching our escape.
“So, where are we going?” I asked enthusiastically as he helped me into the truck.
“Well, we have a bit of a change of plans.”
Chapter Fifteen – Colton
Turning my attention from the road, I watched as a lazy smile grew on Autumn’s face. That was probably one of my favorites of her smiles. The one where she was truly relaxed and in the moment.
It was far better than the anger and shock in her eyes when I walked into her parents’ house earlier. Finding another man with his hands on Autumn set off something inside me. She was mine, even if she didn’t realize it yet.
“Well, since I never knew the original plans, these changes won’t really have that big of an effect.”
A chuckle bubbled up at her observation.
“We just won’t be eating until later, that’s all.”
“I’m okay with that. I stole some of Mom’s homemade cookies earlier. But just between us, my parents eat far too early. In New York, I was used to having dinner closer to midnight.”
“Do you miss it? I mean, still?” It was the question that bugged me the most. Whenever she spoke about her previous job, there was a wistfulness there, a longing. But any mention of the city that ironically we’d both lived in, and she seemed more closed off. More distant.
There was something I just couldn’t put my finger on.
I’d spoken with my agent this afternoon and I was going to need to fly out to New York next week and then LA to work on a few projects. He wasn’t sure how long I’d be gone, but I made it crystal clear that I’d found a new home base. I felt more like myself in Ashfield than I had anywhere else. Partly due to the fact that Brett was like the father I’d never had, but also because of the woman sitting beside me.
“I don’t know if I miss it, to be honest. There is a pull to New York for anyone that visits. I think, at least. It’s a place that is captivating, you know. It has a way of pulling you in. But the longer I’ve been back here, I realize that a lot of its draw was that it was an escape for me. Except I didn’t have any idea about what I was escaping from. That probably doesn’t make any sense at all,” she said mildly, on the edge of a chortle.
Little did she know it made complete sense to me. New York may have been where I’d made my living, but Ashfield was the place where I wanted to place my roots. Hopefully. Though my agent was bucking against that idea. He wanted me back in the game, at least on the televised side of it. But I’d been around long enough to know that he needed me to make money. My name was still a draw to the crowds and press despite the wringer my ex had taken me through.
I wasn’t quite comfortable enough with the winding roads to reach out and grab her hand for reassurance, but I told her I understood.
Soon the road straightened out and we were headed to a place where I’d been spending my nights when I wasn’t at the house. I was glad Autumn had opted to wear jeans, but I knew her light jacket wasn’t going to cut it as the high school came into view. Thankfully, I had a hoodie in the back of the truck that she could borrow. The thought of her wearing my clothes again left me with more enjoyment than I anticipated.
I parked the truck beside the slew of other vehicles, grabbed my bag from the back, and then hurried over to the other side to escort Autumn to the rink.
“Here’s my sweatshirt if you get cold,” I said awkwardly as I opened the door, the cold air immediately causing her cheeks to redden.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, glancing around the space. There weren’t any other spectators, just a few men on the ice.
“Well, I originally planned on bringing you here to ice skate, but Brett asked if I wanted to join their rec team, informally, the other day.” I rubbed my hand against the back of my neck, feeling the hair beneath my palm that needed a trim. “Today is their first practice.”
“Really?” Her eyes lit up as she looked up at me. Her joy was unmistakable. “I get to see the great Colton Crawford on the ice?”
“I mean, I wouldn’t say great, but yeah.”
“This is awesome. I’m going to go sit in the stands,” she added, clapping enthusiastically as she moved past me.
“Hey,” I called out, jogging over to her. That tiny woman sure could move fast. Searching inside my bag, I found my clean sweatshirt and handed it to her. Luckily, Brett brought all my hockey equipment with him when I started helping with the high school team.
“What position do you play again?” she asked as she took a seat right behind the bench.
