7. Asher

CHAPTER 7

ASHER

“Hey, man! I watched the game. It was epic. Your goal at the end was perfect execution.” I grin and start to laugh. “You know how much it kills me to give your ass a compliment, bro, so you know it was good hockey.”

Ethan laughs, but the sound isn’t as bright as I was expecting.

“You okay?” I ask, holding up a finger to tell the person waiting for me that I’ll just be a minute.

“Yeah.”

I make a game show buzzer noise. “Wrong answer, folks. Contestant number one is obviously lying.”

Ethan snickers, and I can picture him shaking his head.

“You didn’t come away with some kind of delayed injury or anything, did you?”

“Nah, it’s…” He sighs and mutters, “Fuck. I just got in a fight with Mick last night. Still unresolved, and it’s eating me big-time.”

“What happened?”

“I’ll spare you the details, but we’re just… not on the same page right now.”

I frown. That’s unusual. Those two are usually so in sync. Although, Lani felt like something was a little off at the New Year’s party a few months back.

“Anything I can help with?”

“No.” Ethan’s probably shaking his head again, squaring his shoulders, ready to tough it out with zero support.

“You know I’m here for you, right? We all are. If there’s anything we can do…”

“Yeah, I know, thanks. But this is between me and Mick. We’ll figure it out. Anyways, I gotta go. Got a session with my PT.”

“Okay. Good luck with tomorrow’s game, yeah?”

“Thanks, man. I’ll catch you later.”

We hang up and I stare at my phone for a minute, troubled by the call. It’s not my business, but trouble in paradise for Mick and Ethan sucks. Those two have been solid since his junior year at college. I mean, sure, they argue and bicker like Lani and I do, but they’ve always worked through their issues. I’ve never heard Ethan so rattled before, and it’s weirding me out.

“Asher, you ready?”

I glance up and smile at my potential client, rushing over to the table and ordering us drinks before starting the initial meeting.

It goes well. I love his business idea, and I think it’s got potential. I give him some tips and guidance around starting up a small business and offer my services. He’s going to let me know next week.

Feeling confident that I’ll be taking on another client, I walk to my car with a smile and check the time. Lani should be finishing up with her classes soon, and we’re going to spend the evening together. Damn, I wish she was my wife. I’ve mentioned marriage a bunch of times, but she’s kept putting me off, telling me she needs to get through her studies first.

I get that.

I’ve been building up my business, too, and it’s all very time-consuming. The idea of planning a wedding as well is a little too much.

But damn… I wish she was my wife.

Pulling away from Main Street, I head into an older suburb of Nolan, figuring I’ll use up the last hour of my day by checking in on Baxter. He’s working a renovation on an old house that sustained some fire damage in the kitchen. Initially, when he started up Baxter’s Got You Covered, he was taking on small jobs here and there—an interior repaint, hanging wallpaper, cleaning out guttering. But after he renovated the pool house for us, I used it to his advantage, doing a marketing push, and managed to score him some bigger jobs. I think he prefers it, and it brings in a decent income for him too.

Parking behind his van, I lock the car and head inside.

“Bax, you in, man?”

“Yeah, back here!”

I follow the sound of music and find him in the kitchen, nailing in a fresh sheet of drywall. I step around his equipment and help him hold it, even though he probably doesn’t need me to, while he uses the nail gun to quickly attach the wood.

Running my hand over it, I gaze around his progress.

“You’re doing good.”

“Yeah, no hitches yet. If things keep going this smoothly, I should be done by the end of the month.” He throws me a cynical smile. “But when do things ever go without a hitch, right?”

“True.” I laugh. “But you always manage to work your way through it.”

“What’s the time?” He hitches his tool belt before pulling out his tape measure.

“Close to three. You on school pickup today?”

“Shit, yeah. I am.”

“Want me to do it?”

“Nah.” Baxter starts closing windows and securing the house. “Kai’s got hockey practice anyway, and I’m his coach this year.”

His smile is big, pride for his stepson shining through strong.

“He’s having a killer year.”

“Right? At the rate he’s going, he might just become a Cougar.”

I laugh. “If he wants that.”

“Yeah, I know… Tammy keeps telling me to stop pushing and let him get there on his own, but just between you and me, I’ll be gutted if he gives up the game. He’s too good.”

“I’m sure he’ll keep loving it just as much as we all did. I’m hoping to come to his game on Saturday.”

“And this is why I love you.” Baxter winks at me, and we walk out of the house together. “Is Lani coming too? Tammy will be there. I’m sure she’d love the company.”

“Yeah, I’ll ask her. Workload has been amping up, but she might be able to squeeze in a game.”

“Good.” Baxter nods.

“How are the wedding plans going?” I slide my hands into my pockets as he unlocks the van and loads his stuff inside.

He laughs. “Not bad. It’s just been a matter of booking stuff, so that’s relatively easy. I’m not having to make any high-pressure decisions like the first time around.”

I smooth back my hair, which the wind keeps insisting on ruffling. “I can’t decide if planning a wedding sounds like fun or a nightmare.”

“I guess it depends on if you’re dealing with a bridezilla, which Tammy is most definitely not.” He slides the van door shut and turns to me with a smile. “I got so lucky.”

I grin. “We all did.”

“So, when are you gonna get off your ass and ask the Hawaiian Hottie to marry you? That woman is pure gold and you know it.”

“I do know it, but she’s not ready yet, and I want to respect that.”

“Is she really not, though?” He gives me a skeptical frown.

I shrug. “She says she wants to wait until after she’s finished with school. She’s got about a year left.”

“Yeah, I’m not buying it. Getting married while you’re studying does not have to be this big thing. I think you’ve both built the idea of a wedding into this huge, impossible task when it can be as simple as saying ‘I do.’”

“True.” I nod yet want to argue that he doesn’t have my mother, who will want to turn it into a New York Times front-page event.

“And who says you have to get married right away? You could at least propose and put a ring on her finger, you know?”

“I have thought about it,” I admit, following Baxter around to his side of the van so we can finish our conversation.

“Yeah?” He grins at me. “How would you propose?”

“I’ve had some ideas. A fancy night out in Denver and a flower-filled penthouse suite. Or maybe I’d get down on one knee in the elevator.” A secret smile touches my lips as memories from our first date in Denver flood me.

Baxter gives me a questioning frown, and I quickly shake my head, clearing my throat and continuing, “Or maybe flying her to the beach for a weekend and writing will you marry me in the sand. But she’ll figure out what I’m up to if I pull something that big.” I rest my shoulder against the van. “More than anything, I’d just love to surprise her, you know?”

“Then maybe popping the question a year early, when she least suspects it, is the way to go.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Proposing in your pajamas over breakfast can be just as meaningful as some fancy-ass dinner, dude. Just ask her already.”

I grin at him, kind of loving the idea of mixing things up and doing something Lani will never see coming. My brain starts ticking over with a batch of new ideas as I wave goodbye to Baxter and head back to the Ponderosa villa.