Page 22 of Trapped (Sheppard & Sons Investigations #6)

Nathan

I ’m a fucking mess . The last thing I expected after our conversation was for Ashley to hug me. The only thing more shocking was my racing thoughts calming to a crawl as I wrapped my arms around her and held on for dear life.

The only worrying thought still taking up space was the fucking sedan. It hadn’t moved, but that alone didn’t mean anything. Maybe the person I’d seen moving around inside got out while we walked. My gut doubted it.

I couldn’t tell you why, but I sensed it was a threat, and I’d learned at an early age to always trust my gut. It served me well in the foster care system, and it’d saved my life and the lives of my teammates in the Navy.

No way would I doubt it now.

My thank you came out rough, my breath moving her hair.

The words weren’t strong enough, but they were all I had.

Half of my brain was shocked stupid by how quickly my anxiety had halted; the other half was focused on keeping Ashley safe.

During our brief walk, I’d memorized the names of the stores on this side of the street and mapped out three escape routes.

I’d probably have to pick Ashley up and carry her, given her reluctance to listen to me, but I was ready and more than capable of doing just that.

“Let’s get out of here,” I finally said.

“Okay, but I have to be home for lunch to check on Gran.”

“I’ll make sure you get home on time.” I chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare upset your grandmother.”

Ashley’s laughter was music to my ears and a spear through my heart.

It felt like she’d forgiven me for what happened in Vegas, but that didn’t mean she’d give me a second chance. Given how fucked up I was, I couldn’t blame her.

We didn’t talk as we walked to my truck. Her lips curled up in the tiniest of smiles when I opened her door and helped her up.

After getting in and making sure her seatbelt was buckled, I asked, “Okay if we just drive around for a bit?”

“That’s fine.” Her tone agreed, but her eyes didn’t. I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that there was something else going on.

I shifted in my seat to face her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, really. It’s just been a rough few weeks.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Not only had I shown up unexpectedly, but she’d lost her job and her apartment in short order, and that was on top of her ex harassing her.

My gut warned me there was more to the sadness, but there was nothing else I could do if she wouldn’t talk to me.

Not that I wouldn’t keep trying.

I started the engine and turned the radio down to a respectable volume.

Exiting the parking lot using the street that didn’t have a suspicious blue sedan with dark windows parked on it, I asked, “How’s your grandmother?”

“She’s fine,” she answered, a wrinkle forming between her eyebrows.

“Sorry, what I meant was, is the walker temporary while healing or a permanent fixture?” It wasn’t the most PC phrasing, but it worked.

“She fell and broke her hip; with any luck, she’ll only need it for a few more weeks.”

“That’s good. She seems like a spitfire.” It was obvious where Ashley got her feisty, no-nonsense attitude.

“She is.” Ashley turned towards me. “She didn’t grab your ass, did she?”

I laughed. She hadn’t, but the question piqued my curiosity. “Has she grabbed other guy’s asses?”

“I don’t know. She talks about it, but I’m never sure if she’s saying it to shock me or if she’ll really do it.”

“Has anyone confessed?” I was dying to know just how many asses Gran had touched.

“So far, just AJ, but I think he was lying to fuck with me.”

AJ? Why was AJ at her place? Once again, the green-eyed monster woke from its slumber when it had no business existing.

“Did you date AJ?”

“No,” she answered.

“No?”

“No, we never dated.”

I’d swear there was more to it. “But?”

“But we were friends with benefits before he met Blake.”

My growl was a visceral response.

“Did you just fucking growl?”

More than anything, I wanted to lie, but she’d obviously heard it.

“And if I did?” I asked instead of answering.

She rolled her eyes. “Men.”

Ashley sounded disgusted with my gender, but she had a spark in her eyes and a grin on her face.

Seeing her reaction to my jealousy gave me hope we could be more than friends.

Having watched the rearview mirror the entire ride, I knew we weren’t being followed, so I parked near the park.

A crowd gathered at a kid’s baseball game, and others strolled through the park, but everyone was busy doing their own thing, which meant we could walk and talk with a modicum of privacy.

“Ashley, can I ask you a question?”

“You just did.” She laughed. “Sorry. Ask away.”

“Do you think you can forgive me for ghosting you?” I had a feeling she had, but I still needed to hear her say it.

She stopped, taking her sweet time to think about it while I waited in agony.

“I forgive you.”

Oh , thank fuck . The breath I’d been holding whooshed out.

We walked in silence while I gathered the courage to ask my next question. I was pushing my luck by asking, and if she said no, I’d work on building our friendship instead.

“Do you think you can give me a second chance?” My voice sounded like it came out of a small child, not a six-foot-two battle-hardened Navy SEAL.

Again, she took her time answering. When she put her hand on her belly, I figured it was to steady her nerves.

“I don’t know.” Her voice sounded as foreign as my own. “I. I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now.” She turned around and walked towards my truck. “Can you take me home?”

Recognizing the deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face, I agreed.

“Of course.”

My gut screamed, you’re missing something. Luckily, I had a ton of resources at my disposal, and I’d figure it out, one way or another.