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She smiled, but there was a sadness in it. A small sigh pushed toward him. “Okay, honey. If you feel you need it, though, it’ll be still waiting for you on the table. You can talk to me anytime.”
“I do appreciate that. I just don’t think—”
“Hi, Asher!”
Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and before he could continue his conversation with Meredith, Asher found himself pulled into a hug. It took him a second to realize that it was Evie.
“Evie, hi!” Stepping back, he grinned at Willow’s older sister, then turned to shake the hand of her husband, Theo, before smiling hello at Hadley.No sign of Willow.“Good to see you both. Are you back in Windy Lake for a while?”
“We couldn’t miss the Tomato and Rhubarb Festival!” Evie laughed. “And we haven’t seen Hadley in a while since she’s been at college.”
“And we thought we’d come see how you were doing, Mom.” Hadley smiled as Meredith gestured to the half empty table. “Looks like you’re managing to sell a lot of stuff.”
“Sure am.”
“And trying to sell me one of her crystals.” Leaning a little closer to Hadley, Asher muttered under his breath, a teasing grin spreading across his face. “Do you think she’ll give me half off if I ask?”
“I’m sure she will.”
Willow’s voice floated toward him, and Asher’s grin snapped in half.
“Willow!” Flinging her arms around her sister, Evie wrapped Willow in a hug.
Asher stepped back, letting the sisters say hello to each other, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Willow. There was an easy smile on her face, her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and the casual shorts and t-shirt did nothing to calm his desire.
She looks good in anything she wears.The memory of having his arms around her two nights ago as she kissed him shot back into Asher’s mind. A heady rush of feelings swamped him, and he dropped his head, raking one hand through his hair.
“Did I tell you that Evan’s thinking about moving back to Windy Lake?” Evie said.
“Evan, really?” Hadley asked.
Willow caught Asher’s eye for a second, then turned her attention straight back toward Evie.
“You remember Evan too, don’t you?” Evie asked Asher.
Asher nodded, answering Evie’s question.
“He’s been trying to get his parents to move to Texas so they can be closer to him, but they don’t want to leave Windy Lake. So, it looks like he’s going to move here!”
“That’s great!” Willow exclaimed just as Asher caught sight of Hadley’s red face.
Was there something going on between her and Evan? Rolling his eyes to himself, he dropped his gaze to the ground. He couldn’t even figure out his own problems. No point in trying to get involved in someone else’s.
“Oh, there you all are!”
Asher stepped back, surprised when Noelle flew in like a whirlwind.Are all the Addington sisters getting together today?
“Nice to see you, Willow! Listen, can anyone help? Or can you think of anyone who could help me?”
“Help you?” A slight frown pulled at Asher’s forehead. “What’s wrong?”
For some reason, Noelle’s eyes lit up when she looked at him. It was as if she hadn’t realized he was there before, but now that she’d seen him, he was the answer to all of her prayers.
“I’m running the silent auction. It’s to raise money for the Windy Lake senior center.”
“That sounds like a good cause,” Theo put in.
“It is. We’re having a bachelor auction in a few minutes, and I promised them ten guys, but I’ve only got nine. Someone’s pulled out last minute.”
