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But what about those eyes? I know I’ve seen them somewhere.
Before I can think more, a tall—no, not tall, a giant—man walks in.
Zander and his brothers are tall. This man is huge. He has more than a foot over Zander’s six-feet frame and is equally as broad. I now understand the nickname Beast.
“Good morning.” Ashcroft’s gaze meets mine, and his eyes widen for a second. Or is it just my brain tricking me again? “Rose, it’s nice to finally meet you.” The affectionate lilt in his voice takes me by surprise.
I get up from the couch, out of Zander’s arms, to greet Ashcroft. He holds my hands before placing a chaste kiss on both my cheeks.
When we all take our seats, I stick to Zander like glue while Zane takes the other end of the couch. Beast and Zach sit across from us.
I close my eyes for a second, inhaling a deep breath and saying a silent prayer, hoping the rest of this meeting remains uneventful.
Proving that the day is still young, and my hope short-lived, Ashcroft asks, “Mind me asking about your parents?”
“I—I grew up in an orphanage for special children,” I state flatly.
When he raises his eyebrow in surprise, I shift nervously in my seat.
Didn’t Zander tell him about me?
“I’ve suffered from social anxiety disorder since a young age,” I clarify, my mouth dry and my skin hot from embarrassment.
He nods, but just when I think we can move past this topic, he asks again, “So, your parents?”
I realize he’s not interested in me and my experience.
“Rose didn’t grow up with her birth parents like we did.” Zander’s arms tighten around me—as always, he’s protecting me. My knight in shining armor.
I look up to see the angry glare he’s giving Ashcroft.
“Yes, but you know about them.”
Apparently, Ashcroft isn’t going to let it go. “Someone from an orphanage called Kindred Hearts found me when I was a baby. No one knows much about my parents.” I hope this ends the discussion. I’m not prepared to go into all the gory details today.
Thankfully, my words seem to satisfy him. “I’m sorry, dear. It’s just that…you remind me of someone.” A sad smile pulls on his lips. “You have a rare shade of blue eyes. It’s a genetic mutation. Did you know that?”
I nod. “It’s a mutation of the OCA2 gene.” Over the years, I’ve done extensive research on the gene. It’s highly possible that I inherited it from one of my parents.
Ashcroft fixes his glassy, empty eyes on me. He’s lost in another world, searching for something or someone in my face. I look at Zander for help, and he clears his throat loudly and suddenly, Ashcroft’s trance breaks.
Without missing a beat, he springs out of his seat. “Let’s have lunch. Roxanne has been cooking the whole morning. She misses these three.” Ashcroft walks toward the door, and my mind once again zeroes in on the name Roxanne.
As if he can hear my heart thudding inside my chest, Zander whispers in my ear, “It’s okay, couch girl. Beast likes you.”
I can feel his smile as he kisses behind my ear, and I welcome the distraction he provides with his words and his kiss.
Minutes later, we’re all seated around the table, and my trembling hands grab at the cloth napkin sitting on my lap. I ball the cotton as Roxanne places a salad bowl on the table. I avoid looking at her, but I can feel her gaze lingering on me.
What is it about her that’s giving me chills in this warm, heated dining room?
After putting out the food, she leaves and thankfully doesn’t show up again.
Ashcroft asks about my work at Elixir Inc. and my life in Cherrywood.
“Cherrywood is very pretty in the spring,” I tell him. “You should definitely visit.”
As soon as I say the words, I realize it’s a first. The first time I have someone to invite to a place that feels like home.
