Storm Front (The Charistown Series) (Volume 2) (29 page)

Chucks Not Heels

“THAT MOTHERFUCKER! THAT’S it—he’s
getting the nut cracker!” Ashley shouted over the blaring music at T
he
Sombrero
. Janie sucked down her margarita, sans salt, as Ashley angrily
swallowed another tequila shot. The liquid left a trail of fire as it found its
way down to her stomach. She listened as Janie filled her in on her accidental
run-in with Max earlier that evening at
Chopper’s
. She felt horrible for
her friend. While Ashley didn’t know all of Max’s history, she knew enough.
Janie was fighting an uphill battle, and Ashley wasn’t sure if it was a battle
that any woman could win.

“We’ll have another round, please,” Janie said gesturing to
the bartender who quickly filled their orders. Ashley slung back another shot,
feeling the sweet alcohol-induced clarity creeping over her thoughts.

“I mean, I
know
what his fucking problem is,” Ashley
blurted, her speech slightly slurred. “We
all
do.” Her gaze went from
her empty shot glass to Janie’s inquisitive eyes. When her brain finally caught
up with her mouth she wanted to kick herself. She wasn’t one to gossip, and she
certainly didn’t tell other people’s secrets and Max Delucca was chock full of
them.

“Fuck, Janie, don’t ask. I’m buzzed and if you ask me right
now I’ll talk, and it’s not my story to tell.” Biting the side of her lip, she
downed the full tequila shot.
How did that glass keep refilling?
“I’m
a…I’m just gonna go to the ladies room. I’ll be right back.” She slapped a big
kiss on Janie’s head and shuffled to the bathroom.

“Yeah, Dad, it was good catching up with you too. I’m sorry
we didn’t get to talk on Sunday night. Things got crazy here.” Ryan smiled at
the sound of his father’s voice. “No, Ash is fine, Dad. Don’t worry about her.
Tell me more about Nina.”

It had been years since he’d heard the true happiness that
was unmistakable in the older man’s tone. Ryan spent a few more minutes
listening to his dad marvel on about his new “lady friend” as he referred to
her, when the screen on his cell phone told him Janie Silver was calling.
“Listen, Dad, I need to grab this call. I’ll touch base with you on Sunday.
Yeah, I love you too, Dad. Bye.” He disconnected the call before answering the
other with, “Hey Janie, is everything okay?” Nervousness jabbed at his gut when
he heard the hesitation in his friend’s voice.

“I’m sorry, Ryan. This was my fault and I hate to call you,
but you know Ashley, and if I suggest a cab, she’ll just try and drive herself
home.” Ryan could hear the mixture of guilt and complete understanding in
Janie’s voice as she explained the predicament. She had Ashley pegged.

“Yeah, well, you know Ash, she’s as stubborn as they come.”
Ryan could practically hear Leo saying, ‘
She’s stubborn Ryan, stubborn both
ways…’

“Janie, I’m gonna come down there and pick her up. Just keep
her distracted and don’t tell her you called me or she’ll run like a bat outta
hell, okay?” Janie apologized once more for bothering him and thanked him for
his help before disconnecting the call. It still puzzled him that his friends
couldn’t see how much he loved Ashley. It made him want to scream. Why couldn’t
they understand that he would
always
be there for her? Grabbing his
keys, he ignored the little voice in the back of his head reminding him of the
revolving door of women constantly entering and exiting his life and his bed.

Ashley made her way—gingerly—back to her bar stool from the
ladies room. She would never admit it to anyone but she was definitely more
than a little buzzed. She’d used the time away from Janie to get her head on
straight, to make certain that she wouldn’t spill anything that would cause harm
to Janie and Max’s relationship, while still being able to give solid advice to
her friend. That was not an easy task to do with five shots of tequila and two
margaritas running through her system.

“Look, Janie, I realize you’ve both been through a lot of shit,
but here you are ready to try again…” As the words left her mouth, Ashley
realized that even though she was the one giving the advice, Janie was the one
teaching the lesson. Janie had been hurt before yet here she was placing her
heart on a silver platter for Max Delucca, a man who had repeatedly thrown it
back in her face.

That was the moment Ashley really understood just how brave
Janie really was, but she continued to voice her thoughts anyway. “My advice,
which I’m assuming is why you called me in the first place, is that you listen
to the words Max is actually saying, not what you want them to mean. He said,
‘It was fun… now it’s done,’ so let it be done.”

Ashley hated seeing the way Max’s words made Janie
physically cringe, but he’d said them earlier that evening during their
confrontation at
Chopper’s
and Ashley thought it was time Janie took her
heart off her sleeve and tucked it back into her chest.

“But you didn’t feel what it was like when we were together.
It’s hard to believe that I was the only one who felt something.” Disbelief and
pain flashed through the beautiful aqua eyes staring at Ashley.
Oh, I
completely understand what you’re talking about,
Ashley thought to herself.
I feel the same way every time I’m within breathing distance of a certain
sweet-talking, heart-stopping Romeo
. Although instead of admitting to those
thoughts, she continued to discuss Max. However, the more she talked, the more
she felt like maybe she wasn’t talking about Max at all. “That boy has been
closed up like a beach house longer than I’ve been around. You can’t fix him,
Janie. You just can’t. He needs to want to open himself back up—to take the
dust covers off the furniture and open the windows. If at some point he finally
decides to do that and you are still available…well, then good for him.
Otherwise, it was his opportunity to lose. Do you understand?”

“Seriously, Ash, that’s the most profound thing I have ever
heard you say. You’re so not as twisted as you seem,” Janie deadpanned.

“Shh, don’t tell anyone…I prefer when people underestimate
me.” Ashley whispered the words uttered long ago by her brother. She saluted
Janie with her drink and took a long pull. It appeared she and Max had been
living in shore houses next door to each other all this time. Huh, who knew?

When Janie’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of pale pink
and her eyes rounded like saucers Ashley slowly turned her head and followed
her line of vision to see what had caught Janie’s attention.

“Shit,” she muttered as she let her eyes roam the male
perfection that was Ryan Baker. “Really, Janie? There was no need to call Romeo
here. I am totally capable of getting myself home.” The lie sounded ridiculous
even to her own ears. The tequila gods must have been laughing at her because
as she stood up from her stool she promptly lost her balance, and a pair of
muscled arms wrapped around her waist. Large hands subtly grazed her breasts,
steadying her body, just before her ass hit the terracotta floor. As if on cue,
her heart rate amped up to dangerous levels.

“Yeah, Ash, you seem perfectly fine to drive.” Ryan winked
at Janie before leading a partially embarrassed, partially annoyed Ashley out
of
The Sombrero
. Ashley found herself fighting the urge to nestle her
body into his, just to be close to him.
Goddamn tequila, wreaking havoc on
my brain
, she thought as she held on just a little tighter.

“Ryan,” in her inebriated state she stretched out his name,
“you don’t need to hold me up. I only tripped in there ‘cause my heel got
caught in a crack on the floor.” Her feet chose that exact moment to once again
slip out from underneath her and Ashley caught sight of them, immediately
realizing her error. She was wearing her Chucks, not heels. Shit. She
hesitantly glanced up from underneath her eyelashes to see if Ryan had noticed.
The smirk on his much-too-handsome-for-his-own-good face told her that he had.
Fuck. “Get in, Princess,” Ryan chuckled as he opened the passenger side door of
his car and helped her in. He buckled her seatbelt and closed her door before walking
to the driver’s side. The ride home was quiet as she sat silently in the
passenger seat trying to decide on the best way to handle the current unusual
situation. Although, if she was being honest, unusual was becoming their norm
and that wasn’t comforting in the least. She was so busy trying to figure out
how to regain her composure that Ashley didn’t notice Ryan had left the car
until the passenger side was opened and his outstretched hand was awaiting
hers.

“Ry, you don’t have to help me into the house, I’m perfectly
capable of taking care of myself,” Ashley quipped as her world began to spin.
“Ry, did you forget to pay the gravity bill? Cause the house is moving.”
Hysterical with laughter from her own joke, a small belch escaped her mouth.
“Come on, Ryan, that was funny!”

“Come on, Princess, let’s get you to bed,” he said, guiding
her to the stairs and staying close behind her as she started her ascent. She
held on to the railing as she took each step slowly, relishing the warmth of
his hand on the small of her back. He led her to her bedroom and turned on the
lights. “Get undressed, Ash. I’ll get some pain relievers and water for you,
God knows you’ll need them.”

She didn’t hear the rest of Ryan’s statement because she was
too busy rushing past him to make it to the toilet in time to revisit her
tequila shots. The sound reverberated off the walls, slamming mercilessly
against her already throbbing head
Yep, nothing sexier than puking in
surround sound.

“Ash?” Ryan’s voice was gentle as he spoke from behind her.

“Shut up, Ry.” Her voice was raspy from the violent retching
and beads of sweat ran down her spine. “I forgot to eat dinner, no big deal.
Let’s never speak of this again.” Ashley slowly turned her head to see Ryan
holding out a cool, damp cloth. As he pressed the cloth to her face his eyes
filled with…what? Compassion? Concern? She was drunk so she couldn’t be sure.
“Thank you,” she breathed. The cool sensation felt amazing pressed up against
her clammy cheeks.

“You never forget to eat, Princess. What happened?” There
was no way she could tell him that coming home earlier that evening to him
playing, “
Hazel Eyes
” nearly undid her. She couldn’t explain that she
thought she may be cracking under the surface and she didn’t know if she was
going to be alright. So instead she let her sarcastic alter-ego slip out. “Stop
staring at me like I’m a zoo animal, Ry. I got drunk and puked. It happens to
the best of us. I’ve even watched it happen to you on occasion. So cut me some
slack, okay?”

“Alright then, Shamu.” His smile was the fake kind—the kind
that shaped his mouth but didn’t make the cute crinkles at the corners of his
eyes. She accepted his outstretched hand and hefted herself off of the tile
floor. “How about if you get ready for bed and I’ll go lock up downstairs. I’ll
be up in a few to check on you.”