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Too fucking good.
“Hi,” Blair says, smiling at us.
I stare for half a second too long.
“Daddy,” Aspen says beside me. “You’re doing it again.”
Blair’s smile widens. “Doing what?”
Aspen lets out a dramatic sigh. “Staring.”
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
I clear my throat and drag my eyes back to Blair’s face. “You look fu—” I catch myself. “You look really nice.”
Nice? She looks nice? What the fuck is wrong with me?
“You do too.” Blair turns her attention to Aspen. “And I absolutely love your coat! I wish I had one in my size.”
Aspen beams, clearly proud of the coat she chose herself.
Blair crouches to admire it properly. “Where did you get it?”
“Nana took me shopping, but I picked it all by myself,” Aspen explains, launching into a detailed retelling of their entire trip.
Blair listens like every word matters.
I watch them for a moment, something unfamiliar pulling tight in my chest.
“Should we get going?” I ask before my thoughts can wander somewhere they shouldn’t.
We head back to the truck, and I open the passenger door for Blair before making sure Aspen is buckled in.
“Thank you, Mr. Ashford.” Blair smirks as she climbs inside. “How chivalrous of you.”
“Just doing my part, Miss Morgan.”
* * *
The festival stretches across Main Street, crowded with food stalls, games and enough orange decorations to cover the entire town. Music carries over the noise of people talking, and the air smells like cinnamon, fried dough and whatever the hell someone is cooking over an open flame.
Aspen is practically bursting to get out of the truck.
The second her feet hit the ground, she reaches for Blair’s hand. Blair takes it without hesitation, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
They walk ahead of me while Pen explains the rules of the pumpkin decorating competition. Half of what she’s saying sounds completely made up, but Blair listens like she’s receiving critical information.
They’re both laughing.
And for one dangerous second, my brain shows me Blair beside us.
Not just today.
Regularly.
I shove the thought away before it has a chance to grow legs.
We’ve known each other three weeks.
