Page 37 of The Wish List
“From being jarred with the fall.” I shook my head. “You overstepped, Asher.”
AJ ran into the kitchen, a huge smile on his face. “Asher! You’re back!” He flung himself at him, wrapping his arms around Asher’s legs and hugging him. “We missed you!”
Asher kneeled in front of AJ. His smile was forced, but I doubted AJ realized it. “Missed you too, bud.”
“Are you gonna have pizza and watch movies with us tonight?”
I interrupted before Asher could reply. “No. Asher has plans, baby. He just dropped by to say hello. Go to your room and play for a little, okay? Momma has to put away the groceries and start the pizza for later. I’ll make you a snack.”
AJ frowned but hugged Asher. “See you soon, right?”
Asher ruffled his hair, his eyes on me. “Hope so.”
AJ padded down the hall to his room.
“I can stay.”
“No. You are supposed to be at your sister’s, looking after your niece.”
“Suzy understood.”
I frowned. “I don’t. I told you I was fine. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself, Asher. If I thought there was a problem, I would have gone to the hospital. I don’t need you to second-guess me. I certainly don’t need you screwing up everyone’s plans to rush here or send a doctor to check me over.”
He began to argue. “You didn’t answer your phone—”
“I fell asleep and forgot to charge it. I slept in a little and had to get to the store before they closed at noon. I wanted to take AJ for breakfast as a treat. My son and our plans were a priority. I had no idea you’d go off the deep end and jump in the car and rush here. Or send some strange man to my home.”
“He is my personal, private physician. And I didn’t drive. I chartered a helicopter. A service will pick up my car.”
I could only blink before I shook my head at his words. A helicopter. A private physician who made house calls. Until he had told me that last night, I didn’t know such a thing existed. It certainly didn’t in my world.
Which was so different from his.
“Suzy is taking Bonnie to the care center, where lots of other kids will be tonight. So, their plans haven’t changed. Bonnie will have a great time. I’ll make it up to her and go visit in a couple of weeks. I was out of my mind with worry when I couldn’t get a hold of you.”
I rubbed my temple. “You overreacted.”
“I beg to differ.”
I shut my eyes, not wanting to go round and round on this. “You need to go home, Asher. Or better yet, go back to your sister’s and keep your word. I’m fine.”
“Are you?”
His insistence that I was not telling him the truth irked me. “I have an achy shoulder. I’m not going to drop dead of a head injury or whatever you’re thinking. I’m a grown woman, perfectly capable of making decisions when it comes to my health and how it affects me and the welfare of my child. I have been doing it since I learned I was pregnant. You have no right to step in and make those decisions. Now I want you to leave.”
There was a beat of silence. Our gazes locked, mine angry, his oddly vulnerable. Then a hood came down over his expression. He straightened his shoulders. “Are you sure?”
“Go.”
He spun on his heel and walked out the door, closing it quietly behind him. I stared at it, hearing his footsteps fading away. I sat down, suddenly shaky. I had just ended it. I knew it. Asher Hart wasn’t a man who begged. He was a man who took control, used to handling everything quickly in his life. He didn’t ask for second chances.
Our bubble had burst quickly.
I rubbed my head, another headache coming on. This one wasn’t from bumping it while sledding. It was from emotion. I had a feeling I was going to miss him more than I could express.
More than I anticipated.
And the thought of it made me sadder than I could fathom.
