“Taylor feels bad about what happened last time,” Ash explains. “She’s insisting Paisley has a redo in a few weeks’ time. The guys should do something too,” she suggests.
“As long as it’s not fishing again,” Nash groans. “We didn’t catch a single thing.” He turns to me. “Do you fish?”
I shake my head. “Never have.”
“Trust me, you’re not missing much,” Nash says, making us all laugh.
“What about indoor karting?” I suggest. “I think there’s a track in Prescott.”
“That’s a great idea,” Nash agrees.
“Karting?” Paisley exclaims, her eyes lighting up. “That sounds fun! Maybe we should all go, girls versus boys!” She bounces on her toes, clearly excited.
“Yes!” Ash cheers. “Count me in!”
Nash chuckles. “Looks like we’re going karting. You in, Ben?”
“Definitely,” I say, masking my surprise. We may have cleared the air and even be inching toward friendship, but I didn’t expect an invitation to his bachelor party.
Ash squeezes my hand, and when I glance down at her, she’s beaming. I return her smile and press a quick kiss to her lips.
We chat casually on the walk home. It’s clear how much this small gesture means to Ash, and how much repairing her relationship with Nash matters to her. My dad was right about reaching out to him. I’m glad I listened.
After saying goodnight to Nash and Paisley, Ash quickly packs an overnight bag, and within twenty minutes, we’re in an Uber, headed to my place. I can’t wait to have her in my space and in my bed.
“I still can’t believe everything that happened tonight,” Ash says, reaching across the backseat to lace her fingers with mine. “Nash invited you to his bachelor party. Hisbachelor party.”
“We’re best buds now,” I tease.
She laughs. “You must have bribed him or something.”
I chuckle. “He’s a cop. I’m not in the habit of paying off law enforcement.”
She giggles. “Then how did you do it? How did you turn him from an overprotective jerk into your new best friend?”
“I just talked to him. Told him how much you were hurting and how much he means to you.”
Her voice softens. “What did he say?”
For a moment, I consider telling her the full truth, that Nash asked me to walk away, to let her find someone younger; someone without baggage. But she doesn’t need to hear that. As hard as it was to listen to, I know he was just looking out for her.
“He just wants what’s best for you, Ash. That’s all he’s ever wanted.”
She squeezes my hand. “Well, I hope he knows now that’s you.”
I smile. “I think I’ve convinced him.”
She rests her head on my shoulder, and the rest of the ride passes in a comfortable silence.
When the car pulls up outside my house, I climb out, holding the door open for Ash before grabbing her overnight bag. Hand in hand, we walk up the porch steps.
“Do you want to go straight to bed, or would you like a drink first?” I ask as I push open the front door, gesturing for her to step inside.
She turns to me, her gaze burning with heat. Her teeth graze her bottom lip, and my eyes instinctively drop to her mouth.
“Straight to bed, I think,” she murmurs.
I drop her bag to the floor and pull her against me, my arms wrapping securely around her waist. “That sounds perfect,” I whisper, my lips grazing the soft skin of her neck.
