Page 5 of Tempting Me (The Asher Family #3)

CHAPTER FOUR

LUCA

I’m pretty sure that Miles is lying to me.

He's never lied to me.

Ever.

Till now.

And I can’t even focus on it completely because Sandhill Contractors, a company out of Wind Valley, had a truck roll through town first this morning. They were headed for The Marina.

It’s absolute bullshit.

“Hey, whoa, what did that door do to you?”

I look up to see my dad sitting in the lobby of my shop.

“Hey, Dad.” I let out a deep breath. “Sorry.”

“It’s not my shop, but just because you could fix the door yourself if you break it doesn't mean you should.”

I nod and then point at my office.

The guys will all be coming back soon. It's another scorcher out there today, so I told them to cut out early. I don’t need anyone getting heat stroke on me.

The work can wait if it means safety for my guys.

It also means a more hands-on approach from me to help where I can and keep everything on schedule.

“What brings you in today?” I ask.

Dad doesn't normally make random appearances at work like this, seeing as how I'm a grown man and all.

It reminds me of when I was a kid. A teenager, to be more specific.

He knew instantly when something was bothering me and would just appear in the doorway of my bedroom.

It must be a parent instinct thing, and my dad's sense for it only heightened after my mom passed away. I was fifteen and everything about it sucked. Dad made it his goal to make sure we all knew how much we were loved after it happened, and to this day, given how he studies the expression on my face, the love this man has for his kids hasn’t changed.

“Just checking in to see how my youngest boy is doing.”

“One minute, Dad, doesn't make me the youngest.

“Eh, technically it does.”

“Dad.”

“Luca.”

“Why are you here?”

“I saw the truck this morning, too, and just wanted to see how you were.”

“Honestly, I don't care.”

“Not even a little?”

“Nope.”

“So you're ready to see them every single day while they work on The Marina.”

“Are you kidding me?” I stand quickly, and some paper flies off my desk. “She hired him on the spot?”

“Ah, so you care a little. ”

I narrow my gaze on my dad, but he just chuckles.

“I did raise you, you know. I know you.”

I make some weird grunting noise and sit back down.

“Why don’t you go talk to Shay? Make an offer.”

“I did. Last summer, and she told me to fuck off.”

“Luca Asher,” Dad scolds.

“Sorry.”

He hates it when we curse.

“She told me to leave multiple times, and because she’s a fine and kind lady, I listened and skedaddled.”

Dad chuckles.

“Much better. Thank you.”

I can’t help it. I laugh, too, and instantly feel lighter, thanks to him.

I wasn’t kidding when I said family is important to me. Trust is important. And it’s probably a good thing Shay won’t hire me, because trust is not something she and I have in each other.

“Why don’t you just apologize for whatever it was that happened all that time ago and move forward?”

I nod.

I never told my family what happened. Not even Miles. I was, and still am, ashamed of my side of it, so not telling them any of it seemed easier. Plus, a part of me thought it might all blow over, and I didn’t want there to be a rift between the parents. They were friends, too.

It never blew over, and Dad lost, too.

It kills me that I played a part in that.

“I’ll think about it,” I tell him and then look away. I can see in his eyes that he wants me to say more.

“Good. That’s a good plan. ”

He stands to hug me and then leaves.

I hear the guys as they return to the shop to drop their things off and then as they all leave.

I take that as my cue to fill a cooler with water and ice and go check on the sites.

Asher Contraction is currently hired for six projects.

Anything from a new deck on Mrs. Whittaker’s back porch to the new house for the elementary school principal.

I grab a fresh stick of sunscreen before I walk out the door. A man can never be too prepared for the rays of that afternoon sunshine.

My face is burned.

Figures.

I reapplied and yet, my nose already hurts to touch.

I step into Hudson’s Bar around seven and practically groan with pleasure as the air-conditioner assaults me.

If it wouldn't cause a scene, I'd whip my shirt off right now and really soak the cool air in.

I close my eyes and drop my head back.

It’s heaven here. Now I just need a beer, maybe a club sandwich, and some?—

“Are you going to move or continue to stand there and stink the place up?”

My groan instantly shifts from pleasure to annoyance.

I’m ready to relax for the night, not bicker with Shay.

Someone laughs next to her, and my eyes spring open.

Grace.

I step back, holding my hand out as if to say, please, right after you .

“Wow. Silence. So your mouth does know how to do something besides speak.”

Shay takes one step, then I step up behind her, my lips right next to her ear. “My mouth knows how to do a lot of things besides talk, Shay.”

She gasps, spinning to me with wide eyes.

Her lips part, and I don’t know if it’s the long day, the heat is hindering my thoughts, or the way her eyes shine as she looks at me, but my brain sends the signal for me to kiss her.

It’s fucking weird.

And hot.

I clear my throat and step back at the same time she does, my words repeating in my mind.

My mouth knows how to do a lot of things besides talk, Shay.

I said that. To Shay Parker.

Wow.

Here I was worried about my boys being in the heat for too long, and look at me now.

I’ve gone mad.

“What’s happening?” Grace asks, tugging Shay’s arm.

Shay just shakes her head, and then they walk off toward the bar.

I do the same, but in the opposite direction.

“Beer?” Hudson asks after I take a seat.

“Beer.”

He sets my usual on the bar then quickly makes drinks for Shay and Grace. They take them and snag a spot by the open windows where Hudson set up fancier seating last summer when Sadie first moved in with him .

As if she hears me thinking about her, Sadie steps behind the bar to help Hudson.

How fucking wild would it be to lose your memory? I’d say one in every ten times I look at Sadie, I think about what it must have been like for her. Then I see the way she looks at my brother.

What a trip that was. Now they’re engaged.

“Are you eating dinner here tonight?” Sadie steps in front of me.

“Yeah.”

I glance over my shoulder. Miles usually pops in around this time, but he’s not here.

“Have you seen Miles?”

Sadie shakes her head. “Not today, sorry.”

Hudson was this way when he was first officially with Sadie, too.

I guess it’s just me tonight.

Loud laughter catches my attention, and I find myself looking at Shay once again.

She looks pretty tonight. Her hair is down, and she’s wearing a little pink sundress instead of her usual tank and jean shorts.

Not that I have her wardrobe memorized or anything. It’s just … a small-town thing, I think.

Grace, too, is cute in her pantsuit outfit. It’s actually a little intimidating. Would she wear that on a date?

Should I ask her on a date?

It’d beat sitting here in the bar eating dinner alone.

I nod.

As soon as Shay leaves, I’ll ask Grace to dinner .

I take another bite of my sandwich and find my gaze searching for Shay once more.

I track her every step as she walks toward the door.

It’s weird that I watched her grow from this kid to a teenager. I was there every single day, and then one day I wasn't, and now here she is, all woman.

A woman who pisses me off on the daily and has me even more pissed now that she hired another out-of-towner.

I let out a breath and finish my dinner, eating as if I haven't eaten in days. After another beer, I pay my tab and look for Grace.

She’s just placing her purse strap over her shoulder as she heads for the door.

I hop off my stool quickly.

“Grace, wait up,” I call out and follow her. She pushes the door open slowly as she looks at me.

“Hey, Luca. Is everything okay?” she asks.

“Yeah.” I glance around the bar, and then I nod for us to step outside.

We let the bar door close, and I decide to just blurt it out before I can think twice.

“Would you want to go to dinner with me sometime?”

Her mouth hooks into a smile.

“Like a date?”

I nod. “Yes.”

Her smile quickly straightens, and she sighs.

“I … you’re really sweet, Luca, and we’d probably have a good time, but I’m best friends with Shay. You and her brother … the history here … I just think it would be complicated. I’m sorry. ”

Well fuck.

That’s embarrassing.

“Right. Yes. Yeah, that would be… tricky.” I blow out a breath. “Well, enjoy your night.”

“You too.” She reaches out for me, her hand rubbing my forearms as if I’m a child who needs comforting. “I really am sorry.”

“It’s all good,” I reassure her and then wave, stepping back so that I can head home and die a little from embarrassment inside the safety of my own house. “Good night.”

“Night, Luca.”

I turn and head home, walking a little faster than normal.

I called it and asked anyway.

Stupid.

No.

What’s stupid is the fact that Grace said no because Shay and her family don’t care for me.

The lights over my garage door light up as I turn to walk up my driveway. I enter the code to open the garage, but before I duck inside, I spot a gift by the front door.

It’s flowers from Mrs. Whittaker for letting her tell me stories about her late husband while I worked tonight.

See. This is the shit I’m talking about. The people of Lovers are loyal, and then you have the Parker family doing the opposite.

I let out a breath and close my eyes.

It’s not even about Grace turning me down just now.

I’ll lose my mind if Shay hires another out-of-state or even out-of-town company to finish the job.

If I were smart, I’d go to her and pitch my own idea to get the job, but I’m not an idiot. I’d be wasting my time, because it’s clear that hiring me isn’t an option for her. Ever.

I set the flowers in the garage and then stomp to the mailbox.

It’s been years. Years.

I don’t know which pisses me off more: the fact she won’t hire me or the fact that her family still holds a grudge. I mean, can I blame them? I'm still obsessing over why they won’t forgive me, so maybe I hold one, too.

I flip through the envelopes, stopping in the middle of my driveway as a small purple one comes into view. It’s not your typical piece of mail. No, this one just says my name in all capital letters and has no return address or stamp, which means someone went out of their way to put this in my box.

Hell, for all I know, I'm going to open it and glitter will pop out, covering me head to toe.

I’ll take my chances though, because this handwriting looks vaguely familiar.

My curiosity gets the best of me.

I rip open the back and pull out the note.

Meet me tonight behind the old boat toy shack. Wait till the Main Street lights dim, and do not tell a single person where you’re going. I mean it.

I chuckle.

This has to be Shay. There is literally not another soul in this town who would be this dramatic in a letter. Or one who wants to be sure no one sees the two of us together .

This has to mean one thing. She’s desperate and ready to hire me.

The question is … am I ready to say yes and let her boss me around?