Page 38 of Burning For You

She never understood that.

Never could figure out why Carrie and Jim asked for her.

“Because Corbin asked,” he said quietly.

“What? I didn’t know that.”

“I’ve said too much.” He went back to eating.

She grabbed his arm. “No. You can’t drop that on me and then not say anything else. Why did Corbin ask?”

Ash lifted his eyes and held her stare. “Because I asked him if it was possible.”

11

HAD WHAT HE WANTED

“Where is your head at?” Clay asked him the next afternoon.

“What?” Ash asked, moving faster. He’d been wiping down the glasses and getting them set behind the bar.

No wedding today. Just some community event using the space.

There were caterers coming in with food, buffet style. Little snacky things.

Tapas. A fancy name for bites of food that wouldn’t hold anyone over.

“You’re staring off into space again. It’s the second time. I could have handled this alone if you had something else you needed to do today.”

“Nothing to do. And I committed anyway. Sorry. Just a lot on my mind.”

“Anything you want to share?”

Ash looked at his tough-as-steel brother and had a hard time containing his shock over that question.

“Clay Ridgeway is offering up conversation?” He pulled his phone out. “I need to mark this date.”

“Don’t be a dick.”

“I’m never a dick. That is normally you.”

“I’m not that guy anymore.”

“Bullshit,” he said, laughing and shoving his phone back into his pocket.

“Seriously, if there is more going on, you can leave or cut out early.”

“I’m good,” he said.

He was still processing the two hours spent with Skye. That included the time in the bar.

They’d had dinner together. They talked. Talked more than he’d expected.

He wasn’t sure what he was more surprised by.

That he’d confessed he might have been the one to get the ball rolling for Skye to end up with the Lancasters or that Skye now was in communication with her brother, Sean.

Not just that one dinner, but she had his number and had texted him once more since.