Page 3 of Hooking a Firefly
Chapter 1
Eleven years later…
Ashlyn stood next to her sister Faith, stage right at the benefit concert.Scarlett was about to perform the song she had written with her half-brother, Remy.All the proceeds for the concert would be donated to charity.Their song, Diamonds Don’t Cry, would be the first single released from the album.Their album wouldn’t release for a few more weeks.They hadn’t even dropped a single for radios to play.The plan was to hold this concert and introduce the music to them live, then release the album a week later.Preorder sales were already astronomical.Scarlett’s fans, combined with those that adored her father’s band, Harrowed Souls were all out to support the joint venture.
Ashlyn didn’t need visions to predict their success.
The first notes of Diamonds Don’t Cry echoed around her.Ashlyn closed her eyes and listened as the lyrics and music rolled over her.Scarlett sang the words with emotion that seared Ashlyn’s soul.She was so damn proud of her sister and all she had achieved.Sometime she wished she could put that into words for Scarlett, but Ashlyn had never been very good with feelings and expressing anything real to anyone.She hated that about herself, but she didn’t know how to change or if she was capable of it.When the song finished, the crowd was completely silent—Ashlyn could relate.It was as if the gravity of the song touched them so much they didn’t know how to react.After several heartbeats, the fans erupted in whistles, cheers, and a round of applause.
Ashlyn peaked out at the stage as Scarlett wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.“Thank you so much.”Scarlett’s voice shook a little as she spoke.
Remy came to stand next to her and slid her microphone out of her hand.“The world doesn’t know how amazing this woman is.Without her, I might not be here today.”He held his hands out to her and waved them.“Please give this woman a round of applause for her generosity.”The crowd cheered even more.
Faith moved closer to her and whispered.“Can you believe that is our sister?”
Ashlyn shook her head.“She’s so talented.”
Scarlett reached for the microphone, but Remy held it back.“There is one more thing that has to be done before we can return to the music.I hope you’ll be patient for a little while longer.”
He looked past her to the other side of the stage.Thatcher walked out from stage left, escorting JD.Scarlett turned to Remy, and then back to her father and JD.When they reached them, JD snatched the microphone from Remy and turned to her, then dropped to his knees.“Scarlett,” he began.“Love of my life, will you please marry me?”
This was why they were all there.Yes, they supported Scarlett when they could, but this was a special occasion.After JD had stood her up at their wedding over a decade ago, he wanted to make it up to her in spades, and this was a start.Ashlyn had also not seen this one failing.She smiled at the two of them.Scarlett had the deer caught in the headlights look.Poor thing probably didn’t know what to say, and that, in turn, was probably making JD super nervous.
“I thought you might have trouble answering,” JD said softly into the microphone.His tone was coaxing and tender.“That’s why I’ve decided to simplify things for you.”Ashlyn wasn’t as unromantic as a lot of people believed.Her heart melted as JD spoke to Scarlett.
He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger.“Say the word, and Remy will perform the wedding right now.We have the marriage license, and he’s taken steps to be able to perform the ceremony.”JD gestured to the other side of the stage.“Your sisters are here to act as bridesmaids and your mother and stepfather are backstage.”Scarlett looked over her shoulder.Ashlyn and Faith waved at her.
“And if you decide to marry this young man, I’ll do my part and give you away,” her father said.“Even though we haven’t had much time together.”
Tears flowed freely now.Scarlett nodded her head furiously.“Yes,” she shouted.The microphone picked up her voice, carrying her answer through the speakers.The crowd screamed at her words.“I’ll marry you.”
JD stood and wrapped his arms around her, kissed her cheek, then pressed his lips to hers.Maybe it wasn’t the most conventional wedding, but Scarlett married JD in front of an audience of over three thousand enthusiastic fans.Ashlynn and Faith stood beside them as they said their vows, and afterwards there were hugs all around.
Before the vows were spoken, another person strolled out on stage.Harrison Thoreau…the one man Ashlyn had always wanted.Ever since that kiss when she was sixteen, she hadn’t been able to forget him.They didn’t have a future together.Ashlyn didn’t have a future with anyone.She couldn’t have explained that to him back then, though.No one really took her visions seriously, but Ashlyn had no choice but to do exactly that.
What she had seen had made things very clear to her.She was living on borrowed time and sometime in the very near future, she would die.As much as she would have liked to have the same type of happiness as her sister did, it would be cruel of her to start a life with someone when she wouldn’t be able to offer them any real time.
Harrison was far better off without her in his life.If only she could convince herself that she didn’t need or want him.She had been able to be strong over the past decade because he wasn’t in her life much.Now though…they were bound to cross paths more often.Whether she liked it or not…
As wonderful asthe concert and impromptu wedding had been, Harrison wished he could have bailed before the dinner party at Scarlett’s mother’s house.He was happy for JD and Scarlett and was glad they had found their way back to each other, but he wanted to go back to his place and crash.He was exhausted, and he only had a few more weeks before he had training camp.After that, he would be too busy for much of anything.
The last thing he wanted was to sit in the same room as Ashlynn Penn and pretend he didn’t want her and that he’d gotten over her.It had been a hell of a lot easier when JD and Scarlett kept their distance from each other.He had no reason to be near Ashlynn and during the hockey season; he was gone often enough that the urge to accidentally run into her was easier to quell.Now that Scarlett had married JD… Her family would be around more often.It wasn’t as if he could stop being JD’s friend.He had been Harrison’s best friend since grade school.Somehow, he would have to get over Ashlyn once and for all.
He parked his truck in the driveway and killed the engine.Now that he was at Scarlet’s mom’s house, he had to go inside.Instead of pushing open the door, he sat in the dark and just breathed.One breath in, one breath out.Until he finally felt as if he could handle the upcoming dinner.He’d made it through the wedding, he could do this too.Though the wedding had been easier.It was held during a concert, and he could become lost in a much larger crowd.This dinner party was going to be much more intimate, and he wouldn’t be able to avoid her entirely.If he didn’t speak to her at all, it might appear suspicious, and with a family of women with special gifts, he did not need one giving him the side eye.
Harrison stepped out of the truck and stared at the big house.It wasn’t his first time there, and it probably wouldn’t be the last; however, it had been many years since he had stepped inside.JD was his connection to the family.Though he did go to Faith’s club, My Alibi, often enough that they had struck an easy friendship.Perhaps he would stick to her side more often than anyone else.No one would likely question it.With that plan in mind, he headed to the front door, then pushed the bell.Not long after that the door swung open.And the last person he wanted to see stood on the other side.
“Hello, Ashlyn,” he greeted her.Harrison was proud he had kept his tone light and his interest waned.Barely.“
“You’re the last to arrive,” she pointed out in that prim tone of hers.“Come in.They want to eat.”
He lifted a brow.“My apologies.I didn’t realize I was holding everyone up.”
“I don’t need you to apologize,” she said tartly.“Just come in already.”She stepped to the side to allow him to pass.
Being the masochist he clearly was, he made sure to brush against her as he entered the foyer.She gasped when his hand brushed hers, but he pretended he didn’t hear it.Harrison didn’t want her to know she still affected him.“I assume everyone is in the dining room.”
“No,” she said with a quick shake of her head.“They’re all in the den.We wouldn’t sit at the table until everyone had arrived.”
