Chapter 138 Part 138
Asher
They were both laughing and Cassidy was now complaining about the stiffness as he rounded the corner and stopped walking. Emerson’s SUV stood next to his truck, and she was on the porch.
Emerson’s eyes were glued to Cassidy over his shoulder, and it felt like he could read her mind. He walked to the porch slowly, and placed Cassidy on her feet. Her eyes went from him to Cassidy, and it was like the entire situation dawned on her.
“I’ll just go shower,” she said softly, and hobbled inside the house
Emerson’s gaze had followed Cassidy inside but the moment the front door closed behind her, Emerson’s gaze snapped to him. “You gave her my hat?”
“It’s not what you think,” Asher said.
“If she’s not already sleeping in your bed, then she’s in the guest room. That’s where I started out in this house, too. She’s wearing my hat, and you’re carrying her around over your shoulder. So, if it’s not what I think it is, then what is it?”
Asher huffed out a laugh, and that seemed to anger Emerson more. “Are you jealous?”
“I’m not jealous, I’m angry! I told you that I still loved you, the least you could’ve done was tell me you had a girlfriend!” She stormed past him, and headed back to her car. Asher followed her but she pulled away the moment he touched her arm. “Don’t touch me!”
Asher lifted his hands in the air and Emerson got into her car. She slammed her door shut and reversed the car out of his driveway. He clenched his jaw and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her drive away.
Inside the house, he headed to the kitchen, and switched the kettle on before he started rummaging in the freezer. He placed the frozen meal on the counter, and looked at the piece of paper and the pie dish on his kitchen table.
It was a printed document showing Emerson’s scheduled appointments for the next five weeks. Asher dragged his hand over his face and sighed. He understood why she was mad, but he disliked the jealousy that had flashed in her eyes.
After a quick shower, he headed back downstairs, and heard Cassidy in the kitchen. She handed him a cup of coffee, and he sat down at the kitchen table. Emerson’s appointment page was now stuck to the fridge with a magnet.
“You have a lot of explaining to do, mister,” Cassidy said.
“I know. I was giving her space…I didn’t think she’d show up here.”
“Look, I’m dying to know who she is and why there’s no ring on her finger, but when I said you had a lot of explaining to do, I meant to her.”
Asher smiled as he looked at her. “I know that, too.”
“So…go.”
“I took out—”
“I’ll be fine, I saw the frozen dinner. Go explain things to her,” Cassidy said, forcibly pushing him out of the kitchen.
Asher chuckled as he got into his truck. Cassidy was one of a kind, but he didn’t think Blair could heal her. People like them didn’t heal, they just learned to live with it.
He drove to Emerson’s house, and parked his truck in the street. He took a deep breath before he got out, knowing that he was the last person she would want to see.
He knocked on the door and waited. The house sounded too quiet, and he turned the knob. The door was unlocked, and he walked inside. She wasn’t in the living room or the kitchen.
The baby’s room was empty, as well, and her bedroom door was ajar. He pushed it open slowly. The bathroom door was closed, and he could hear her crying. It broke every resolve he’d ever had when it came to her.
He opened the bathroom door, and Emerson’s scream died in her throat. “What the hell, Asher!”
“Sorry, I heard you crying and…”
“Get out!”
He retreated quickly, closing the door, and stood in her room. He turned and marched toward the kitchen. Staying in her room probably wasn’t a good idea since she would need clothes.
Emerson emerged ten minutes later, her wet hair now wrapped in a towel. She was wearing leggings and a loose T-shirt, but his mind flashed back to a few minutes earlier.
“Why are you here?”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve knocked,” he said, and tried to look anywhere but at her.
“You should go home, Asher, I’m sure your girlfriend is waiting for you.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he said, and sighed. “Can we please just sit and talk?”
“Fine,” Emerson said, and sat down at the kitchen table.
“Cassidy is not my girlfriend. I’ve known her for almost four years. I was carrying her over my shoulder because she spent the day herding cattle with us, and her leg muscles were cramping up. She was too sore to walk the two miles back to my house.”
Something flickered in Emerson’s eyes. “Where do you know her from?”
“She served in my unit.”
Emerson’s hands started to shake, and Asher looked away from her. “She was with you, wasn’t she? She’s the one that survived.”
It wasn’t a question, but Asher nodded his head. “She came to the ranch because she needed help. She didn’t know where else to go. She needs help just as much as I need it. Nobody has to like it, but I won’t send her away, not now.”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. Asher looked up at her, and saw the tears in her eyes. She knew what had happened to Rowena, and he knew her mind was conjuring up the same things that had happened to Cassidy.
“I haven’t moved on, Emerson. I don’t think I’ll ever move on.”
Her eyes searched his, and it felt like forever. “Nothing you say makes sense to me.”
“I know, but I can’t give you what you need,” Asher said, and walked out of the kitchen, and finally out of her house.