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Remy grimaced, glancing away before she realized he would call her out.
And of course, he did.
His finger tucked under her chin, drawing her gaze up to his steady stare. “Don’t feel bad for taking your mom’s money. She hasn’t been there for you your whole life. It’s the least she can do. I’m just happy to see she’s finally thinking of you and not herself. You deserve this.”
I’m going to hell. Straight to hell! When Remy bought the store, Asher had arche
d that eyebrow of curiosity at her, and she’d told a little white—okay, huge—lie that the money came as a gift from her mother, who had given part of her inheritance to Remy. All lies. Her mother hadn’t gotten a cent from Nana. Her grandmother left everything to Remy, and her mother didn’t have a cent to her name. “I only feel partly bad,” she said, getting off the subject. “I’m mostly excited.”
“As you should be,” Asher said, dragging his fingers unnecessarily slowly off her chin. Heat flickered in her southern regions, and his eyes darkened in response. He hooked his finger into her pocket and dragged her forward. “I’m really proud of you.”
Dear Lord, she lost brain cells. They just up and died right there and then. His eyes glinted with heat and promise as he dropped his head enough for some hair to dangle down. She cleared her throat. “Thank you. I’m really proud of me too.”
The side of his mouth curved sensually. “I’d like to congratulate you.”
The air stopped moving around her when he dropped his mouth close to hers. “How do you want to do that?” she rasped, her heart pounding in her ears.
“I can think of a few ideas,” he murmured, dropping his mouth right near hers, waiting her out, giving her the chance to back away.
She stayed put.
Then his lips got really close as a young voice said, “Do you have a black cat too?”
Asher grumbled something under his breath and then he smiled at the girl with big blue eyes and brown curls, who appeared to be around eleven, standing next to her dad.
Remy cleared her throat, flushed from head to toe, and said to the girl, “Yes, I do. His name is Salem.”
The girl beamed.
Her dad wasn’t nearly as impressed. “You’re selling magic here?”
“Oh, yes, a little bit of magic for sure,” Remy explained, and then winked at the little girl, who giggled in return. “Our grand opening is tomorrow. Stop by and I’ll show you.” Okay, she did have a grip on reality. Magic wasn’t real, but she’d seen Nana’s spells do magical things for people. She also knew it was all about a good mixture of herbal medicine combined with the power of the mind that made magical things happen.
“Yeah, okay, sure,” the man scoffed, then nudged his daughter forward. She gave Remy a wave.
Remy laughed softly and lifted her eyebrows at Asher. “I guess some people will never believe in all this.”
“You’ll make them,” Asher said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “All they have to do is meet you.”
His flattery felt so much more than flattery. He meant what he said, and part of her began to question why she’d shut him out for so long. He’d been back in Stoney Creek for five years now. For four of those years she’d fought like hell not to even look at him, knowing when it came to him, those gorgeous green eyes would devastate to her. She barely said a word to him, and avoided him at Whiskey Blues if she was working behind the bar. But then when she met Damon and fell in love, a part of her had wanted Asher to see her happy. To know that his leaving hadn’t ruined her. Her smart plan backfired, of course. And even though she cared for Damon, she hadn’t loved him like Asher. She realized now that shutting him out had been wrong. He might have been a bad boyfriend, but he was a great friend. Every day since he objected at her wedding, he’d been there, helping her get her feet on solid ground again. Whatever she needed or wanted—including when she jumped him—he gave her. Every step along the way had been on her terms, and that bit of kindness was not something she was used to with men. “I haven’t thanked you yet for everything you’ve done for me. For the long talks, the laughs, and for helping me these last two weeks get the shop ready, thank you.” She smiled.
He shifted on his feet. “Don’t thank me. I want to be here with you.”
The front door opened then, and the gang strode out, laughing about something.
“We’re all done in there,” said Kinsley, sliding her arm into Remy’s and moving her toward the road. “You’re all set for the grand opening, just got some little stuff left that’s for you to do since you’ll inevitably do it better.”
“I cannot thank you enough,” Remy said, and glanced at Peyton too. “I seriously don’t know what I would have done without either of you.” They were both business owners. They knew how to open a company and handle all the little things Remy never thought about. Probably things she would have learned if she’d stayed in college.
“I’m so excited about tomorrow,” Peyton said, leaning into Boone’s embrace as he wrapped an arm around her.
“You’re going to kill it tomorrow, Remy,” Rhett said, then clicked the key fob of his truck, and the loud beep had Remy moving away from the curb. “I’ve got a date,” he added with a dangerous grin. “I’ll be back in the morning to help out where I can.”
“Planning a sleepover already?” Boone asked with a laugh.
Rhett got in his truck, then rolled down the window. “Isn’t positive thinking good for the soul?”
Everyone laughed as he drove off. Everyone except Kinsley. Remy caught her glancing at her cute high heels. She wore a pretty pink dress and a jean jacket. Kinsley always dressed up when she knew Rhett would be there, and Remy had caught Rhett a few times over the years watching Kinsley. Remy’s heart twisted. She guessed there was something that was worse than having a con man for a fiancé, and that was being madly in love with a man who would never love you back. Kinsley had loved Rhett since the tenth grade. Rhett had a reputation, and it wasn’t a good one. Boone would never approve, and Remy wasn’t sure she would either. Rhett was trouble with a capital T, and a world of baggage came with him.
