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Willa shrugged, which broke Ashley’s heart all over again.
Her sister made a face, beckoning for Ashley to come outside.
“Back in a sec, honey.”
Out in the hallway, she got the surprise of her life.
Dex.
He leaned in, cupped her hip, and gave her a quick kiss. “How’s Willa?”
“Willa?”
“I brought her flowers.” He held up a bouquet, a mix of daisies and other flowers Ashley didn’t recognize. “The florist was closed so I had to hit the gas station. Think she’ll like them?”
“Yes, but—I thought you were out with your friends tonight.”
“It was pretty boring except for one thing, which I’ll spill the tea on later. When you texted that Willa wasn’t feeling well, I thought I’d stop by, see how both my girls are doing.”
Both my girls. Pushing past the lump of emotion in her throat, she tried to find the words. “She got into an argument with some of her friends at school.”
Dex went on alert. “I thought you said she wasn’t feeling well.”
“I didn’t want to go into it.” Men didn’t usually enjoy the details. “Some of her friends didn’t believe that she’d met you.”
He growled, and boy, was that hot. “Could I see her?”
Ashley sent a quick look Vera’s way, got a nod of encouragement she didn’t realize she needed, and stood aside.
Dex pushed open the door and immediately said, “Wow, look at this place!”
Willa set her iPad aside and sat up straighter. “Dex!”
“Hey, Sparkle.” He stood just inside the threshold and looked around. “This is like a fairy palace. These lights are epic!”
“Are you here to see Mom?”
“Nope. I’m here to see you. I brought flowers.” He moved forward with the bouquet and placed it on her lap.
“For me? No one’s ever brought me flowers before.”
Just hearing the joy in her voice made Ashley’s heart sing.
“Yeah, they’re mighty pulchritudinous, don’t ya think?”
Willa’s eyes went round. “What does that mean?”
Dex sat on the bed, but because he was so large, half his fine ass spilled over the edge. “Wait, have I found a word that the great and mighty Willa Adams doesn’t know?”
“Did you make it up?” she asked, pity in her voice.
“I certainly did not! Pulchritudinous means attractive or radiant or beautiful.”
Willa mouthed the word. “But it sounds like … the opposite.”
“I know, right? You’re not the only one with the big vocab!” He leaned in and said in a stagey-whisper. “But this dumb jock had to look it up on the way over here.”
Willa giggled. “You’re not dumb. And we’re not supposed to use that word. It’s insensitive to people who can’t speak.”
