Chapter 10

CHAPTERTEN

“You look tired,” Ashlyn blurted. She hadn’t meant to be so rude right off the bat, but she couldn’t take the words back now. She hadn’t seen Slate since Monday, and she hated that he looked so exhausted.

Luckily, he didn’t take offense. “Yeah, we’ve had a couple of long days.”

Slate had told her about the upcoming mission when he’d called Monday night, and he’d reassured her that it wasn’t anything dangerous. She wasn’t sure she should completely believe him, but since he’d never lied to her so far, she figured she’d give him the benefit of the doubt.

But just because it wasn’t going to be a life-or-death thing didn’t mean he wasn’t working his ass off. It wasn’t until late last night that he was even certain he’d have this afternoon off.

Ashlyn had been looking forward to him meeting some of her clients, and even though she would’ve understood if he’d had to cancel, she was relieved he was still able to come with her. Regardless, she couldn’t help but say, “If you’d rather not go so you can take a nap or something, I’ll understand.”

They were standing in the parking lot near Food For All, where she’d met him after lunch to continue her delivery route. Slate walked up to her and put his hands on either side of her head. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a while now. All the stories you’ve told me about your clients have hooked me. I want to come with you, Ash.”

“Okay,” she said with a huge smile.

He stared at her for a long moment before slowly lowering his head. “I haven’t said hello properly, have I?” he asked. He didn’t give her a chance to answer before his lips were on hers. Unlike some of their kisses, this one was slow and lazy, but it still had Ashlyn squirming.

“Now I’m ready to go,” he said after lifting his head and licking his lips as if trying to capture her taste.

“And I’m horny as hell,” Ashlyn mumbled. She was rewarded by Slate’s chuckle. He walked around to the driver’s side of her RAV4 and opened the door for her. She got settled in behind the wheel and watched Slate as he strode around the car to the other side.

Once he was in and had buckled his seat belt, he said, “Drive on, James.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes. “You’re a dork,” she told him as she started the car.

He simply grinned.

After she’d pulled out and they were on their way, she asked, “Does it bother you that I’m driving?”

“Why would it?” he asked, the confusion easy to hear in his voice.

“Well, men like you seem to like to be in charge all the time. In control. And letting a woman drive seems to go against that.”

“I don’t give a shit if you drive,” he said easily. “There are times when I like to be in charge, and I can’t deny that I’ve got a tiny bit of a control issue. But I’ve seen you drive, babe. You’re careful and not reckless. You don’t speed and you’ve never honked your horn in anger at anyone. I know those things don’t make you immune to accidents, but I’m comfortable with you driving.”

Some women might not find his comments terribly important, but Ashlyn felt as if she’d passed some momentous test. It was silly, she was just driving, for goodness sake, but still. “Thanks,” she said after a moment. “I’ve always thought it was crazy that a man thinks he’s safer in a car when he’s driving.”

Slate smiled at her. “So, where are we going first?”

“The Turners. Trey is probably at work, but Brooklyn will be there with her little ones.”

“The kids are two and three, right?” Slate asked.

Pleased he’d remembered, Ashlyn nodded. “Yup. And they’re definitely a handful.”

“You want kids?” Slate asked.

Ashlyn’s eyes widened and she glanced over at him.

He laughed. “Relax. That wasn’t an invitation. I’m just curious.”

She breathed out a sigh of relief. “I guess so.”

“Hmmm, that doesn’t really sound like a yes to me,” Slate noted.

Ashlyn shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t like kids. I do. But so far, I’ve never had a huge urge to have my own. Maybe that makes me selfish, but I like my life. I see Brooklyn, or Jazmin, or other parents on my route, and I see how hard they’re struggling and how exhausted they always are, and it doesn’t exactly make me anxious to enter motherhood myself.”

“You don’t think they’re happy with their kids?” Slate asked.

“It’s not that. They love their children, that’s obvious. And I’d probably feel different if I had my own, but for now, I just don’t feel that huge pull.” She shrugged again, struggling to find the right words. “It’s hard to explain.”

“No, you’re explaining it just fine. And for the record, I don’t think you’re selfish. Having children is a huge commitment. It takes time, a lot of effort, and yes, money. Not to mention the world is a scary place, and seems to be getting scarier with every day that passes. I understand.”

Ashlyn glanced over at him. “What’s your stance on kids?” She couldn’t believe she’d gotten up the gumption to ask. But then again, he’d started the conversation.

“About the same as you. My reticence is more because I’d hate to leave a child fatherless if something happened to me. I’m good at my job, and I have five of the best men I could ask for at my back, but when your time is up, it’s up. I wouldn’t want a child of mine to have to deal with my death.”

“But you won’t always be a SEAL,” Ashlyn pointed out.

“True. And my feelings on having children might change once I’m out.” It was his turn to shrug.

They were silent for a while as Ashlyn drove.

“For what it’s worth, I think you’d make a great mother,” Slate said. “You’d find a way to make things work out if you had a kid. I’m guessing you’d probably strap him or her in a car seat and continue right on with your deliveries, charming the hell out of all your clients.”

She smiled. “Thanks. And the same back at you. You’d be an awesome dad. I have a feeling you’d be totally hands-on and any child of yours would be a mini-you. Following you around and wanting to be just like their daddy.”

Slate didn’t respond, just reached for her hand. He squeezed it gently, then kept hold as they drove.

This was what Ashlyn had wanted in a relationship all her life. Someone she could be honest with, who would be a true partner, who she connected with sexually…and who could make her feel all tingly inside by simply holding her hand.

She held back an ironic sigh. Figures she’d find exactly what she wished for with a man she was only seeing casually.

Ten minutes later, she pulled onto the street where the Turners lived. She parked in front of their house and cut the engine. She and Slate climbed out of the car after she popped the hatch on the back. Slate grabbed the box with the meals and followed behind her as she walked up to the front door.

She knocked softly, not wanting to wake the kids if they were napping, but the excited screech from inside let her know they definitely weren’t asleep.

Brooklyn opened the door, joining them on the porch when Briar and Curtis toddled out and grabbed onto Ashlyn’s legs.

“Ash!” the little boy said with a huge smile.

His sister didn’t say anything, just tilted her head up and grinned.

“Hey, kiddos! You doing good today?” Ashlyn asked.

The toddlers didn’t answer, not that she expected them to. Ashlyn looked at their mom—and swallowed a chuckle at the way she was staring at Slate. He still had on the uniform he’d worn to work that morning, and he’d started growing his beard out a bit. He’d said it was in preparation for the mission they’d be leaving for in a few days; that in many places, a beard helped him blend in with the locals. But for now, it just made him even more gorgeous.

Brooklyn obviously agreed.

“Hey, Brook,” Ashlyn said. “This is Slate. He’s helping me with deliveries today.”

“Hi,” she said shyly.

“Hi,” Curtis said, copying his mom. He walked over to Slate and grabbed his pants leg. “Up!” he demanded.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Brooklyn said, reaching for her son. “He has a thing with being carried recently. It’s been hell on my back.”

“It’s fine,” Slate said. “If you’ll take this?” he asked, holding the box out to Ashlyn.

She grabbed it and watched as he bent over and picked up the little boy. He sat him on his hip and grinned. “Hey, Curtis. You been a good boy today for your mama?”

Curtis seemed mesmerized by Slate. He put a hand on his face and patted his beard.

Ashlyn swore her ovaries clenched at seeing Slate holding the little boy. She might’ve just told him that she wasn’t ready to have kids of her own, but seeing him with Curtis was already making her rethink that decision.

“Come in,” Brooklyn said, picking up little Briar and gesturing inside her house. “The place is a mess, but I’ve learned to just go with it and try not to be too embarrassed. Having two toddlers definitely doesn’t make it easy to keep a clean house.”

“It’s fine,” Ashlyn reassured her. “And we can’t stay today. I’m behind schedule because I took a long lunch to meet up with Slate. But you’ll love the food. Elodie outdid herself today with the meals. She made veggie pockets, which sound completely plain and boring, but somehow, like usual, she was able to make them gourmet. She thinly sliced red and green peppers, put some onions, mushrooms, zucchini, lettuce, and tomatoes inside a focaccia pocket. Then she added brie cheese and this delicious horseradish mayonnaise. Trust me, even if you don’t think you like some of those ingredients, you’ll change your mind when you taste them all together.”

“It sounds amazing,” Brooklyn said.

“And I know Trey isn’t a huge fan of veggies, so I grabbed a lemon pepper chicken breast for him. Oh, and the seven layer dessert bars are to die for. I recommend you have a glass of milk handy when you eat them,” she suggested with a grin. “It’s a perfect pairing.”

“I can’t wait to try everything,” Brooklyn said.

“I’ve also got some Pull-Ups in the car,” Ashlyn said. “Someone came by and donated them, and I figured you could use them.”

“Oh, yes, thank you so much!”

“If you take him, I’ll go get them,” Slate said.

Ashlyn immediately reached for the little boy. Curtis was smiling, happy to have another adult paying attention to him. In contrast, his sister seemed satisfied to hang out in her mother’s arms.

As soon as Slate was off the porch, heading back to the car, Brooklyn said, “Giiiiirl!”

Ashlyn laughed. “I know, right?”

“I remember you said you were dating someone, but damn.”

“Yeah, he’s great.”

“If the things you’ve said about him are true, he’s more than great. You need to hang on to him, Ash. He’s gorgeous, considerate, and he was great with Curtis.”

“We’re not serious,” Ashlyn protested.

Brooklyn raised an eyebrow. “Does he know that? Because the way he keeps his eyes on you says differently.”

“Of course he does. That’s just how he is. He’s very…intense.”

“Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that.”

Ashlyn opened her mouth to protest, but Slate returned before she could say anything else.

“Here you go. Can I bring them inside for you?”

“Yes, please,” Brooklyn said with a smile, stepping out of the way and raising both eyebrows at Ashlyn the second Slate turned to place the box of Pull-Ups just inside the door.

She just smiled at the other woman.

“Thanks again for the meals. I can’t wait to try them.”

“Of course. I’ll see you on Friday,” Ashlyn told her, leaning over and carefully placing Curtis on the porch. When his mom opened the door, he ran into the house with a screech and didn’t look back.

“Jeez, he’s on a roll today. Thanks again, and I’ll see you Friday,” Brooklyn said as she headed inside to wrangle her toddler.

When they got back into the car, Slate was smiling at her.

“What?” Ashlyn asked.

“Nothing.”

“Come on, what?” she cajoled.

“You looked good with him.”

She knew exactly who Slate was talking about. “I could say the same about you. I stand by my earlier statement, you’d make a great dad.”

“She’s nice, but she’s struggling,” Slate said next.

“I know. I wish I could do more for her.”

“You’re doing more than a lot of people are. And I noticed you didn’t tell her that you bought those Pull-Ups.”

Ashlyn shrugged. “She’s proud. And it wasn’t a big deal for me to pick up a pack at the store when I was there last.”

“I regret not doing this before now,” Slate said.

“Doing what?” Ashlyn asked as she started the car.

“Coming with you. Seeing the people you help. If I had, I might not have given you such a hard time about the deliveries.”

His words meant a lot. “Thanks.”

“I mean it. They clearly care a lot about you, and you obviously worry about them. They’re lucky to have you in their corner.”

“Well, you’ve only met one client,” Ashlyn said, almost embarrassed by his praise. “They aren’t all as friendly as Brooklyn and her kids.”

“Bet they’re still appreciative though,” Slate said. “Where to next?”

The afternoon passed quickly. It was nice to work side-by-side with Slate. As Ashlyn warned, not all her clients were overly friendly, but they all seemed glad to see her and grateful for the food.

It was close to five o’clock when she pulled up in front of the last house. “I saved James for last,” she told Slate. “He’s gonna be super excited to meet you and will probably want to talk about the Navy. Is that okay? Do you need to get back?”

“It’s fine,” Slate said. “I’ve heard you talk about him so much, I feel like I already know him. You want to grab dinner after we check back in with Lexie at Food For All?”

Ashlyn nodded. “Sure.”

“Hearing you talk about the veggie pocket sandwich and lemon pepper chicken all day has my stomach growling.”

She laughed. “Come on, I’m sure James is waiting for us. He has a chair right by the window in front so he can see all the people coming and going in the neighborhood.”

This time when they walked toward the door, Slate held her hand as he carried the remaining meal with the other.

James opened the door before they’d reached it. “How’s my favorite girl doing?” he asked with a grin.

Ashlyn dropped Slate’s hand and carefully embraced the older man. His back was rounded with age and his white hair was in disarray on his head. He had scruff on his face from not shaving for a day or so, and there were stains on his shirt. But the welcome she got from him every time she came by was so genuine, his disheveled appearance didn’t even faze her.

“Sorry we’re late,” she said when she pulled back. Ashlyn kept her hand on his upper arm to make sure he didn’t fall over. For eighty-eight, he was surprisingly mobile, but she didn’t want to take any chances that he’d stumble.

“You’re not late, you’re right on time!” James exclaimed. “I just made a new pot of coffee. Can you come in for a while?”

Ashlyn would’ve scolded him for how much coffee he drank, but the one time she’d brought it up, he told her that he’d been drinking two pots of the stuff every day his entire life and he wasn’t about to stop now.

“We’d love to stay for a bit,” Ashlyn reassured him. “James, I want you to meet Slate. He’s my boyfriend. I told you about him.”

“He the SEAL?” James asked.

Ashlyn did her best to hide her smile. Slate had told her it would be okay to tell James what he did for a living, and it somewhat amused her that he’d yet to speak directly to him. “Yes. This is him.”

James’s gaze turned to Slate. He stood up a little straighter and brought his hand up to his forehead in a salute. “Pleased to meet you.”

Slate returned the salute with one of his own. “I’ve heard you’ve got some damn good stories about your time in the service,” he said.

Ashlyn felt James relax in her grip. It was obvious he’d been nervous to meet Slate. He’d told Ashlyn that he didn’t get out much anymore and had a hard time connecting with younger people.

“I bet you’ve got some stories of your own,” James said.

“That I do,” Slate agreed with a nod.

“Well, come on, don’t stand out here on the front stoop all day. I’ll get us all some coffee and we can talk.”

“How about you and Slate sit, and I’ll get the coffee?” Ashlyn suggested. She knew from experience that James liked his coffee very strong and very black. If she was going to choke it down, she needed to doctor hers up a bit.

“Fine, fine. We’ll just go and relax then,” James said.

Ashlyn reached for the bag Slate was holding. He smoothly transferred it to her while taking hold of James’s elbow at the same time, to make sure he didn’t fall. The move was so casual, she suspected James didn’t feel as if he was being treated like an invalid.

Slate nodded at her, and Ashlyn couldn’t help but see the approval and admiration in his eyes when he held her gaze for a moment. He led James into the house. It was small and cluttered, but clean. Ashlyn knew he had someone who came in every other day to take care of small chores around the house, and to make sure James was eating.

Slate got him settled in the recliner he obviously preferred to sit in, and took a seat on the couch across from the older man. Ashlyn heard them immediately start talking about life onboard a Naval ship and what countries they’d been to.

Smiling, she put the bag with the lemon pepper chicken breast on the counter and opened the cabinet to get out two coffee mugs. James’s mug was already sitting on the counter, stained brown from many years of use. Ashlyn had been appalled the first time she’d seen it and tried to scrub out the stains, but it was no use. She figured if drinking out of the mug hadn’t done James in yet, it wasn’t worth her worry.

She put his chicken on a plate, along with the sides, wanting to make sure James ate before they left, and after heating it in the microwave, she cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. James could cut up his own food, but had admitted once that his wife used to do the same thing for him, and how much he missed the small gesture. She poured the dark coffee into mugs. Fairly certain Slate wouldn’t mind the strong brew, she added sugar only to her own.

She took the coffee out to the men first, smiling to herself when James barely even looked at her. She didn’t mind though, it was nice to see him so excited to talk to someone who could truly appreciate his history.

Then she brought out the plate to James, and handed him a fork. He didn’t miss a beat in the story he was telling Slate about his time on the USS Maddox and when they’d faced down three Vietnamese torpedo boats back in the sixties. Just shoveled the first bite of chicken into his mouth and kept talking.

Slate met her gaze again, his eyes twinkling with humor, before taking a sip of the coffee and returning his attention to the older man.

Ashlyn wandered back into the kitchen, not wanting to intrude on the “guy time” going on in the other room. She loved hearing James’s stories, but had heard most of them more than once. Looking around the kitchen more closely, she frowned. It didn’t seem as if James’s helper had done much when he’d been there yesterday. From what she understood, Aiden Quinlan came on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday to help James out.

She’d met him only once, and Ashlyn wasn’t sure what to think of the man. He was Slate’s height, around six-two, and about the same age as well, in his early thirties. He had blond hair and blue eyes, had been pretty quiet when she met him…but for some reason, he just rubbed Ashlyn the wrong way. She couldn’t say why, exactly. It was just a gut feeling. James seemed to like him, so she’d kept her opinion to herself.

But lately when she stopped by, it seemed as if the house wasn’t being taken care of as well as it should’ve been. Peeking into the half bathroom off the kitchen, Ashlyn wrinkled her nose. The roll of toilet paper was empty, the trash was full, and the toilet lid was up. It was obvious the room hadn’t been cleaned in a while.

She headed back into the kitchen to grab some paper towels and cleanser. While James and Slate were talking, she might as well pass the time by cleaning up a bit.

Half an hour later, the bathroom was clean, as was the kitchen. She’d washed the dishes sitting in the sink and had thrown away the spoiled food in the refrigerator. She’d even gone into James’s room and collected his dirty clothes and started a load in the washer.

A knock on the door surprised her, and Ashlyn stepped into the living room where James and Slate had been talking nonstop. She blinked in surprise at seeing Aiden standing there. As far as she knew, he wasn’t scheduled to come by on Wednesdays.

“Oh, hi. I thought you’d be gone already,” Aiden said when he spotted Ashlyn.

She walked into the room and shrugged. “I rearranged my delivery schedule so Slate could meet James.”

“Hey. Good to meet you,” Aiden said, even though he hadn’t been introduced yet. “I just stopped by to check on you, James, since you said your legs were hurting yesterday,” Aiden continued.

“Your legs hurt?” Ashlyn asked in concern.

“It’s not a big deal,” James said, waving off their concerns. “I’m eighty-eight, I’m allowed to have aches and pains.”

“Have you talked to your doctor?” she asked.

“Not yet. If it continues, I will,” James reassured her.

“Well, since it looks like you’re good, I’ll be heading out,” Aiden said, using his thumb to point at the front door he’d just entered.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Ashlyn asked quickly.

A look of impatience crossed Aiden’s face.

“It won’t take long,” she told him.

“Fine.”

“We can talk in the kitchen,” she said, when it didn’t look like Aiden was going to move from his spot next to the door.

He sighed and nodded, walking toward her.

Slate’s eyes were glued to the other man, and when Aiden glanced his way as he walked by the couch, Ashlyn saw him take a step to the side…as if to get farther away.

If he was a little leery of Slate, Ashlyn wasn’t going to complain.

When they were in the kitchen, out of earshot of James, Ashlyn didn’t hesitate to get right to it. “This place was kind of a wreck when I got here. The bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom were a mess. You’re paid to help clean for him, right?”

“You don’t get to tell me how to do my job,” Aiden retorted nastily.

Ashlyn was a little surprised at the venom in his tone. She probably could’ve been a bit more diplomatic in her criticism of the state of the house, but still.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” she said immediately.

It was the right thing to say. Aiden’s shoulders slumped and he ran a hand through his longish blond hair. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a dick. James didn’t have a good day yesterday, and he wasn’t himself last weekend either. I spent all my time just talking with him, trying to snap him out of the depression he seems to have fallen into.”

Ashlyn frowned. “Depression?”

“Yeah. He was still in bed when I got here on Sunday, and he told me he didn’t want to get up when I tried to encourage him to do just that,” Aiden said.

Ashlyn wasn’t happy about what she was hearing. She was also surprised. “He seems to be okay today.”

“Yeah, he does, which is a relief,” Aiden agreed. “I didn’t have time to clean like I usually do, so that’s why it’s messier than usual. I’ll make sure I get to anything you didn’t on Thursday. Thanks for doing the dishes and stuff.”

“You’re welcome. I’m thinking we need to say something to his doctor about his legs and his depression.”

“He’s embarrassed about it. Says he should be able to keep himself together better,” Aiden told her. “He’s been talking a lot about his wife and how much he misses her. I think he’ll snap out of it, and I’m not sure it’s a good thing to get a doctor involved without his permission. Even if we do, you and I both know they’ll just prescribe some pills that’ll knock him out or something. It’s why I stopped by today even though I’m not scheduled. I wanted to check on him. Make sure he’d gotten out of bed and was okay.”

Ashlyn nodded. “I appreciate it. He’s like my own grandfather at this point. I wish he didn’t live alone, but I guess there’s nothing we can do about that.”

“Nope. Anyway, thanks again for picking up in here. As I said, I’ll be sure to get to the rest of the house tomorrow,” Aiden said.

Reassured, Ashlyn smiled at him. “Sounds good.”

“Great.” He smiled back before adding, “So…how serious are you with that guy out there?”

Ashlyn was surprised by the question. “Um…pretty serious.” Not quite, but she wasn’t about to explain her and Slate’s relationship to Aiden. Not when she didn’t know him at all.

“Too bad. You’re pretty hot. If you ever want to go out sometime, just leave your phone number on the counter after a delivery. We can hook up.”

“Uh…okay.”

“Okay,” he echoed, then knocked twice on the counter and headed back into the other room.

Ashlyn trailed behind him, making sure to keep her distance. She didn’t want to lead Aiden on in any way. He had to be a decent guy, since he made a living being an aide to older people like James. The first and only time she’d met him, he’d talked about the three other elderly people he cared for. But she wasn’t attracted to him…and there was still that gut feeling she’d had on their first encounter. She didn’t want to go out with the guy.

Aiden nodded at James and Slate, then headed for the door. “See you tomorrow, old man,” he said off-handedly as he left. He didn’t even give James time to say anything before he was out the door and headed for a beat-up old Chevy Chevette parked behind Ashlyn’s RAV4.

“Come sit, babe,” Slate said, patting the cushion next to him.

Unable to interpret the look in his eyes, she did as he asked. She was tired from the day, and from cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, and wouldn’t mind a short break.

The second she sat, Slate’s hand landed on her leg. His fingers rested against her inner thigh…a very possessive touch. She didn’t say anything, though she saw James watching them carefully with a small smile on his face.

“So…you gonna take care of Ashlyn?” James asked.

“Yes,” Slate said without missing a beat.

“I heard a saying once, and it stuck with me. A man doesn’t protect his woman because she’s weak, he protects her because she’s important,” James said.

Ashlyn nearly melted in her seat. She liked that. A lot. She thought about Elodie, and Lexie, and Carly, Monica, and Kenna. Her friends were strong and independent, but they’d all been in situations where they’d needed protecting from the evil in this world. And their men, Slate’s teammates, had not only stepped up to the plate, they’d made sure her friends never felt as if they weren’t capable or strong in their own right.

“Very true,” Slate said, turning to meet Ashlyn’s gaze. “One thing I’ve learned over the years is that many times the strongest person is the one who needs someone at their back the most.”

“I like him,” James told Ashlyn. “You need to keep him.”

Ashlyn smiled at the older man. “I like him too.” She wasn’t touching the “keep him” comment with a ten-foot pole. She had the sudden thought that when she and Slate finally broke up, it might just hurt her friends, including James, even more than it hurt her.

“How was it?” she asked, nodding at the empty plate in front of James.

“Good, as usual. Your friend sure knows how to cook,” he said.

“That she does,” Ashlyn agreed. “I’ll take your plate into the kitchen before we get going.” As much as she wanted to stay longer, it was getting late, and Slate had been tired before they’d set out on her rounds. He had to be even more exhausted now.

“Is there anything we can do for you before we go?” Slate asked, after Ashlyn stood. She felt his fingers trail along the small of her back before she headed over to where James was sitting to grab his plate.

“I’m good.”

“You sure? Your legs aren’t hurting you today?”

Ashlyn paused long enough to hear James’s answer.

“No. Aiden’s a worrywart. I’m fine.”

Satisfied with the insistence in her friend’s voice, Ashlyn entered the kitchen.

She washed the plate and fork by hand and put them away before going back into the living room. James was standing with Slate’s hand on his elbow once more. When they saw her, they moved toward the front door.

Ashlyn hugged James, feeling Slate’s hand move to her back again as she did so. She pulled back a bit and hardened her voice. “You have my phone number, I expect you to use it if you’re not feeling good. Even if you just want to talk, I’ll listen, okay?”

“You don’t need to spend your free time listening to an old man,” he told her with a small shake of his head.

“It’s not a hardship,” she told him. “I love you, James. You know that, right?”

His lip trembled a bit, but he got control over his emotions and nodded. “I do.”

“Good. So call me if you’re feeling lonely or down, alright?”

He nodded.

“Aiden’s coming tomorrow, and I’ll see you on Friday. I have it on good authority that Elodie is making one of your favorites.”

“Frittata?” James asked hopefully.

“Yup,” Ashlyn said with a smile. “So be good, or I’ll make sure I run out before I get here.”

“You will not,” James said with certainty. “Take care of her,” he said to Slate.

“I will,” he told the man.

They waited until he’d shuffled inside and locked his door before getting into her car. Ashlyn started it up and headed back toward Food For All.

“That asshole asked you out, didn’t he?” Slate growled after a few silent minutes.

Looking over at him in surprise, Ashlyn didn’t even think about lying. “Aiden? Yeah. How’d you know?”

“Because he was eyeballin’ you hard. What’d you say?” Slate asked.

Ashlyn wasn’t sure she was ready for this conversation, but she didn’t shy away from it. “I told him I wasn’t interested.”

“Good.”

“Um…we haven’t talked about this. I know we’re casual and all, but what are your thoughts about seeing other people?”

“I only date one woman at a time,” Slate said.

Relief swept through Ashlyn. “Same with me. So we’re exclusive?”

“Yes. If you meet someone you’re interested in, all I ask is that you let me know first.”

Ashlyn wasn’t sure what that meant. Let him know so he could break up with her? Let him know so he could date others, as well? He’d said he only dated one woman at a time, but would that change if he knew she was seeing someone else?

She was too chicken to ask any of those things. For the moment, she was just pleased that he wasn’t interested in dating someone else at the same time they were seeing each other. Just because they were casual didn’t mean she liked to share.

She realized that she hadn’t responded to his last statement. “I will. And same goes for you.”

Slate nodded. His jaw was tight, but Ashlyn couldn’t figure out if he was upset with her, or with Aiden, or what.

After a few more minutes, he reached for her hand and brought it up to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “I’m sorry, he just took me by surprise. I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”

Deciding she needed to lighten the mood, Ashlyn smiled at him. “I think it was probably the smell of chicken that was turning him on more.”

As she’d hoped, Slate chuckled.

“Speaking of which, I’m starved. What’d you want for dinner?”

“I could make something,” she told him.

“How about we stop at Plantation Tavern and pick something up on the way to my place?” he asked.

“Your place?” she asked.

She caught the gleam in Slate’s eyes. “You have a problem with that?”

“Nope. Not at all.”

“Good. And I just realized I forgot about my car. After we get to Food For All, I’ll go to the restaurant and pick up dinner, you can go on ahead to my house.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He took one off the ring and held it out to her. “I’ll meet you on the roof.”

Ashlyn loved that he was comfortable with her being in his space without being there himself…but him giving her a key mildly freaked her out.

As if he could read her mind, he said, “You can put the key on the table inside the door once you’re in. I’ll put it back to my keychain when I get there.”

Ashlyn nodded. “Okay.”

“Anything you’re in the mood for?” he asked.

“Surprise me. You know what I like.” And he did. They’d eaten together often enough, both with their friends and now plenty of times by themselves. He’d learned what she preferred to eat, and what she couldn’t stand.

Slate nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I enjoyed seeing what you do today, Ash. And at the risk of hearing you say ‘I told you so,’ you were right about not being in danger. Most of your clients would bend over backward for you.”

“Thank you,” Ashlyn said. She wasn’t exactly surprised that Slate was the kind of man who could admit when he was wrong, but it still felt good.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop worrying about you,” he warned. “There are assholes everywhere, you need to stay on your toes.”

Ashlyn rolled her eyes. Figures he couldn’t resist giving her a safety lecture. “Yes, sir,” she quipped.

“If only you were that respectful all the time,” he deadpanned.

Ashlyn burst out laughing. Being with Slate was so comfortable. She could be herself, and it felt nice that he respected what she did for a living. It had been a long time since she’d felt so connected to someone.

“Maybe I’ll show you how respectful I can be tonight after dinner…” she said in a suggestive tone.

“Maybe you should meet me in my bedroom instead,” he replied.

“Nope. My badass Navy SEAL has to eat. He’s gonna need his strength.”

“If I get a speeding ticket driving home from the restaurant, it’s your fault,” he complained as he shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable with the erection Ashlyn could now see.

“I can live with that,” she told him.

Today had been a great day. But Ashlyn had a feeling the night was going to be even better.

* * *

Aiden Quinlan wasn’t happy. He was getting dope sick and didn’t have any money to score more heroin. It had been over twenty-four hours since he’d had his last hit, and the nausea was setting in. He hated feeling the effects of withdrawal more than anything in the world.

His plan had been to stop by the old man’s house to get some money so he could meet with his dealer that night, but he hadn’t counted on Ashlyn being there. As it was, it wouldn’t have been easy to raid the old man’s stash with James sitting in the living room, but Aiden had been desperate enough to try.

Luckily, he’d remembered James’s complaint about his legs hurting, and was able to use that as an excuse as to why he’d shown up on a day when he wasn’t scheduled.

The audacity of that bitch to complain about the state of the house! Who was she to judge him? It wasn’t her job to clean up after a bunch of disgusting old people. They were slobs, and he was sick and tired of being a maid, working for so little.

When he’d first started as a home health aide, Aiden had been more than pleased with his salary. But after tweaking his back while helping one of his clients, he’d been put on some heavy-duty painkillers. He liked them. A lot. His back was still messed up when the doctor stopped prescribing the medication, and Aiden had no choice but to try something a little…less legal to keep the pain at bay.

Even though the pain in his back had finally gone, his drug habit hadn’t.

And now the money he got as a home health aide wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Drugs were expensive, especially when his body needed more and more with every day that passed. But he’d lucked out in getting assigned to James Mason. The man hated banks with a passion and refused to use them.

The first time Aiden drove him to the bank to cash his social security check, he hadn’t thought much about it when James pocketed the money and took it home with him. But as his need for dope increased, his interest in what the old guy did with his cash grew.

James was a paranoid old bastard. He never accessed his stashes while Aiden was in his home. But one day, he’d lucked out. As he was leaving work, he’d glanced back to the front window…and watched as James pulled a wad of cash out of a vase of flowers in the corner of the living room. It was always obvious the flowers were plastic. Aiden had thought the bouquet was ugly as fuck. Now he loved the damn thing.

Stealing money from the old coot was easy after that. Aiden had come up with the perfect plan, and for the last couple of months it had been working without a hitch. He took small amounts of money, not enough for James to notice, but enough for him to get a few hits. But now, he needed more dope to get the same high, and getting a couple bills once or twice a week wasn’t enough.

He needed a bigger score. Needed to find more of James’s hiding spots. It shouldn’t be hard; the house wasn’t that large.

“Tomorrow,” he reassured himself as he paced his nearly barren apartment. He’d already pawned most of the things worth a few bucks. Now, desperate times called for desperate measures, and James Mason was his own personal ATM.

For a moment, his conscience made a rare appearance and Aiden felt bad about stealing from the old man. In many ways, he reminded him of his own grandfather. But he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. The only way he was going to get the dope he needed to function was by taking that money. James didn’t need it. He didn’t go anywhere or do anything. Besides, he’d never miss it. There was no way he knew exactly how much money he had stashed around the house.

Aiden would have to be more careful though. He’d need to stay away from the house on the days Ashlyn was supposed to be there. Hitting on her was a spur-of-the-moment thing. The closer he was to her, the better he’d know her schedule. He didn’t want to give up his cash cow or his job, and deep down, he had a feeling Ashlyn could be a problem. If he was fucking her, he could more easily control the bitch, maybe even get some cash off her too. But she hadn’t taken the bait…damn it.

The last thing he wanted was for anyone to discover what he was doing. He’d just have to take more cash, enough to last him a little while. And definitely no more unscheduled visits.

Satisfied with that plan, Aiden nodded. He still had no money, but he needed dope. Bad. It looked like he’d have to go down to Waikiki and panhandle, which he hated. He disliked being dope sick even more. Maybe all the sweating and the way his hands shook would make the tourists feel even more sorry for him. He could always claim his blood sugar was low, that he needed money to eat.

Aiden headed out to his car. By this time tomorrow, he’d be flying high, and old man Mason would be a few dollars poorer.