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But even without hearing him say that he loved her, she swore she could feel it every moment they were together. She hugged this feeling to herself, savoring it.
Whether or not the words ever fell from his lips, she would never doubt that he cared deeply for her. And after he left Bar Harbor—what she truly believed would be their final farewell—she felt certain that the deep affection they had for each other would never go away.
She’d told her sisters and Zara that she needed to keep her distance from Nash while he was in town, because she wouldn’t be able to withstand the pain of letting him go again if they grew any closer. But while the ache inside her chest remained beneath the joy and the laughter and the lovemaking, she couldn’t help but be immensely grateful for this unexpected extra night with him. Of course she knew she needed to live in the real world, but being with Nash had made her life infinitely sweeter for a few more precious moments.
After they’d finished breakfast and were about to head out to pick up Kevin, Nash drew her against him and gave her a sweet, lingering kiss.
“I already know what you’re going to tell me,” he said once he let her lips go. “We can’t do this again. There won’t be any more sleepovers while I’m here. And last night was our final night together.”
She looked into his eyes and saw so much beauty in them. “I wish it could be otherwise.”
“I do too.” He looked as sad as she felt.
When he kissed her one more time, she gave herself over fully to their final kiss. Let herself memorize his taste. His touch. All the delicious sensations he made her feel.
Then the alarm on her phone went off, and it was time to go.
Time to leave the fantasy and return to reality.
From that point forward, the day moved quickly for Ashley. Picking Kevin up from Sammy’s house and hearing about the fun he’d had at his sleepover. Dropping Kevin and Nash off so they could continue their van build. Immersing herself in work as she kept the Sullivan Cafés and stores flourishing throughout Maine.
Throughout the day, she daydreamed about Nash, reliving their laughter and their lovemaking. But whenever she caught herself getting lost in sensual memories of him, she did her best to refocus on her work.
Unfortunately, she was also distracted by Josh. Only, those thoughts were furious instead of joyful.
As soon as he returned from his gambling trip with his friends, she was going to read him the Riot Act. But she didn’t want to lose herself in fury over what a terrible father he was while she was still floating on a cloud of love and lust. Knowing she’d see Nash again tonight and that they might have dinner together was something to look forward to. It didn’t matter that they wouldn’t be able to kiss or make love. It would be lovely just to listen to him tell her about his day and to share her day with him.
When she got back to the warehouse later that afternoon, Nash and Kevin were huddled over Nash’s phone. They looked like they were conspiring, two boys making a plan.
“Hi, how’s it going?” she asked.
They looked up at her as if she’d caught them out, and she laughed as she took a mental picture of the two of them.
Kevin looked so happy with Nash, happier than he likely would have been if he had gone camping with his father.
“You don’t have any plans tonight that you can’t break, do you?” Nash asked.
She had been planning to check in with Callie and Flynn to see if there was anything more she could do to help with their wedding. But her mother had called on the drive over to let her know the wedding plans were well in hand for now, though there would be plenty to do in the final days.
“Nope, no plans,” she replied. “Why do you ask?”
Kevin looked like he was bursting to tell her. “It’s a surprise, Mom.”
She looked from her son to Nash. “A surprise?” She’d always loved surprises. Good ones, of course.
“If you’re up for letting me drive your car for a half hour,” Nash said, “we have somewhere we’d like to take you.”
It was a bit of a shock to hear Nash say the word we in reference to himself and her son. For eleven years, we had been Ashley and Kevin. But she was surprised to realize how much she liked including Nash in their tight group.
“Okay, I’m game.” She handed her keys to Nash.
They got in the car, and after Nash had pulled out of the parking lot, she handed them the snacks she’d brought from the café. Ravenous at the end of a busy day, they munched on mini Reuben sandwiches and potato bites and filled her in on what they’d accomplished. She was impressed by how quickly the work was going and couldn’t wait to get a better look at the van. A part of her couldn’t help but wish they would work more slowly—if only to keep Nash in town for a little while longer.
