“Wow!” I stopped at the entrance to a playroom filled with a ball pit with a little basketball net at the end. A little play kitchen stood in one corner, with a shopping cart filled with plastic food. “This is…umm….” Before I had a chance to finish Ash spoke.
“A bit much?” he asked.
“No, not at all. I was going to say this is amazing.” I turned to face him.
“Yeah?” A slow smile curved up the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah. If you don’t have favorite uncle status with a setup like this, something is wrong with the world.”
Ash chuckled. “That’s what I was going for.”
“No kidding.” Beth snickered. “Except my kids never want to leave.”
“My work here is done.” Ash glanced at me and winked. And I think I fell a little more in love with him than I already had.
Shoot.
So much for being over my stupid childhood crush. Adult Ash was so much better than anything I had ever dreamed of. Not only was he gorgeous and smart, but he built a playroom for his niece and nephews. One that factored in what each of them liked to do. Who did that?
How could I not fall in love with a man like that?
No.
I wasn’t here to fall in love.
Especially not with my friend’s older brother.
“This is amazing, Ash.” I looked at him, then Beth. A wave of longing swept through me at what they had together. As an only child, I’d never experienced anything like the bond they had. The closest I’d ever come was spending time with their family. “You guys are lucky to have each other.”
“Yeah, she’s all right,” he joked.
Beth smacked her brother’s arm, and he winced and rubbed his arm mockingly. “Ouch, after all I do for you, this is how you repay me?” he asked.
“Shut up,” Beth laughed.
I glanced around the room, then back at Ash. “Your place is amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“And on that note, I should probably get back to the cabin and start cleaning. I can’t imagine what kind of shape it’s in after not being used for the past three years.”
“It shouldn’t be too bad, I hope. I air it out a couple times a year.”
I cocked my head to the side and looked up at him. “You do that?”
He shrugged. “No big deal. It’s opening the door and making sure nothing has moved in.”
I couldn’t help myself. I walked over to him and threw my arms around his waist. After a second, his muscular arms wrapped around me and pulled me close.
“Thank you, Ash,” I whispered.
“Of course.”
I leaned back and looked up at his face. Warm brown eyes looked back at me. “It means a lot to me that you didn’t just tear down his cabin. You could have. But you didn’t and…” Emotion clogged my throat.
My parents had never understood the appeal of the place. After my grandpa died, they couldn’t get rid of the cabin fast enough. I don’t know what I would have done if Ash hadn’t bought the property.
I’d come here for some R&R and to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Continue in the world of dance that I love or listen to my body and make a change? Unfortunately, at the moment, neither decision felt right, and lusting after Ash wasn’t going to change that.
