“Julia’s carpooling the kids today. They’ll be back in an hour or two. Ethan has football practice tonight and Ava has a piano lesson.”
Madison raised her eyebrows up and downrepeatedly.
“Busy schedule. What about Samantha?”
“She pretty much lives with Lucas now. She probably stays with us once or twice a week. Follow me, I’ll show you guys straight to your bedroom.”
Benjamin set off and climbed the stairs towards the second floor. Ashley’s eyes flitted from left to right. The open-plan living area had large white pillars and an indoor balcony that overlooked the whole of thedownstairs.
“This place is really nice. How long has Julialived here?”
“Maybe four years now. It was her family home. Her dad gave it to her when hebecame ill.”
Madison mouthed the words,Daddy’s girl—as expected, the assassin theory was a littlefar-fetched.
“Will you two be okay in here?”
Benjamin pushed the door open to a rather basic bedroom. Ashley half-expected the house to be like MTV Cribs, but instead, a solitary wooden bed sat against the far wall, an en-suite could be seen through a slight corridor to the left that was flanked by a small walk-in closet on either side. A flat-screen TV sat on the one full wall that wasn’t covered in windows and that was the extent of the room. It was pristine, as was the rest of the house, but it lackedinspiration.
“Of course.”
“It’s not much, but we are slowly renovating room by room. This guest room hasn’t been done yet.” Benjamin placed their bags on the bed. “I will leave you to freshen up. I know you’ve been travelling all day.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Ashley smiled. “What time does the baby shower start tomorrow?”
“It starts at two.”
“It’s at a local golf club, right?”
“Just up the road from here, it’s within walking distance.”
“Okay, great.”
“There’s a pool out back if you want to gofor a swim.”
Benjamin closed the door behind him. Once he was a clear distance away, Madison broached the elephantin the room.
“So, he told me to call him Dad and now we are staying together in the same bed? Why would he think we are a couple?”
Ashley shrugged. “The bed thing could purely be that there isn’t anotherspare room.”
“True.”
“I’ll say something if there’s another comment.”
Madison perched on the edge of the bed. “I mean, I’m not offended, it’s just you and me, isn’t it?It’s weird.”
“Is it? Weird?” Ashley folded her clothes neatly onto the shelves of the wardrobe.
“A little, don’tyou think?”
“I think we’d make a pretty good couple.” Ashley popped her head back around the closet door and raised her eyebrows playfully.
“Are you flirting with me?” Madison laughed.
“You and I haven’t had the best of luck with women. Who knows, maybe my dad’s on to something.” Ashley winked.
“Okay, this is weird.”
