“Yeah, I’d like that. But only if you’re sure I won’t be an imposition.”
Ash picked up his phone and made a call. “Hey, Mom. How are you doin’ today?” He listened for a moment, then said, “I’m good. Yeah, I’ll be there later. That’s kinda why I’m calling.There’s someone I’d like you and the guys to meet. Is it okay if I bring him to dinner?”
He grinned, then continued, “His name is Walker. Finn and Clay already know about him.”
After more listening, he ended the conversation by saying, “Okay, see you later. Love you.”
He looked at Ker and said, “Mom said, and I quote, ‘Of course, you can bring him. Why do you even think you need to ask, you silly boy?’ See, I told you it was all right.”
“Okay. Thanks. Um, should I bring something? Maybe flowers?”
Ash watched Ker rub at the back of his neck and sensed his breathing quickening a little.
“Hey, calm down. There’s nothing to worry about. If you wanna bring flowers, that’s fine but totally unnecessary. Now why don’t we clean up the kitchen stuff, and then we can head to my place so I can change into some clean clothes before we go to Mom’s?”
“Clothes?” Ker looked down at his old T-shirt and jeans. “Oh my God! What am I gonna wear?”
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Ker
Once Ash calmed him down (again!), Ker did, in fact, get his act together and helped Ash clean up the kitchen, then flew to his bedroom, where he shucked off the jeans and T-shirt. As he stood in front of his closet in a pair of navy boxer briefs, Ash came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly.
“No stress, sweetie. It’s just a casual Sunday dinner at Mom’s. Most of the guys will probably be wearing jeans or chinos.”
In the end, Ker chose a pair of black jeans with a white button-down shirt and black sneakers. On their way out, he grabbed a gray fleece jacket off the hook by the door.
It was a short ride to Ash’s house, but Ker kept the conversation going so as not to dwell on his nervousness.
“So Courtland is the firefighter, right?” he asked.
“Yeah. He’s actually a lieutenant for the Hawthorne Bluff Fire Department.”
“And Mitch owns the gourmet shop in town. I’ll need to remember to tell him how great the food was.”
“Oh, he’ll love that. He’s the youngest of us, only a by a few months for me, but we all do our best to give him shit when we can,” Ash told him, smirking. “But since we’ll be at Mom’s, we’ll behave, more or less.”
As they approached the town of Hawthorne Bluff, Ash turned into a residential section, and after a couple more turns, pulled into the driveway of an attractive tan home with navy shutters and a deep-plum front door.
“This is where I hang my hat,” Ash announced as he shut off the SUV. “C’mon, I’ll give you the nickel tour.”
The back door led to a combination mudroom and laundry room, then into a large kitchen featuring a marble island with matching countertops. A small table set into a bay-window area overlooked the large backyard.
“The dining room is there.” Ash pointed across the kitchen. A central hallway led to the front of the house, and Ker followed Ash, noting a huge family room and office space at the front of the house.
“This is a great house,” Ker said, loving the open feel of the layout.
“Thanks,” replied Ash as they ascended to the second floor. “There are two guest rooms that share a bath over there.” Ash gestured to the left side of the home. “And this is my bedroom.”
They entered a very large room, complete with sitting area and king-size bed. Ash moved to an open doorway. “This is the bathroom. I had it completely redone when I bought it.” Ker saw a huge shower along one wall that could probably fit four people, a double vanity, toilet, and a door that he assumed was a linen closet.
“And then,” Ash continued, “there’s the closet.” He opened a door on the other side of the bedroom. “I opted for a large space with hanging rods, shelves, and drawers so I don’t need a dresser in the bedroom. That way I had room for a sitting area.”
“Oh my God!” Ker exclaimed. “This is like something out of a home decor magazine.” He’d never seen anything like it.
Ash undressed completely, tossing the clothes he’d been wearing since yesterday into a wicker hamper. Pulling a pair of black trunks and a pair of socks out of a nearby drawer, he pulled them on, then selected a pair of dark jeans and an oatmeal-hued thermal Henley.
