If I Didn't Know Better (The Callaways #9)(40)

Ashlyn hesitated, not looking too thrilled by the idea of going with her dad.

"I want to make sure your dad gets the best cookies," Mia told Ashlyn. "And I don't think he eats very many cookies, so he needs your help. Plus, wouldn't it be fun to go into town in your new dress?"

Ashlyn nodded.

"Great," Jeremy said, getting to his feet.

"I really appreciate it, Jeremy. Ashlyn, why don't you get the shopping bag and take it back to your house so you don't forget," she suggested.

As Ashlyn left the room, she said, "We also bought shorts and a T-shirt, plus the glass angel."

He nodded with approval. "Ashlyn looks as happy as I've ever seen her, not that she wants to show me that anything has changed."

"She's fighting it hard," Mia agreed.

"Why do you think she's so resistant to letting down her guard with me? What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing. She wants to love you. She wants to let you in. I think she's afraid. It's not just that her mother died; it's that she doesn't know where you suddenly came from, so she doesn't trust that you'll stay. If she doesn't let herself like you, then it won't hurt as much when that happens."

"I'm never going to leave her. I've told her that, but I don't know how to get her to really believe me."

"It's going to take time. She's stubborn. I think she might have inherited that trait from you."

He tipped his head. "Quite possibly."

"You don't have to solve everything today. Go into town, get my dessert and walk around a little. When we were on Main Street earlier, I saw there was going to be a kids' musical performance in the park this afternoon. You might want to check it out."

"That sounds like a good idea. But I have a better one."

He walked forward, and before she could guess his intention, his arms were closing around her and his mouth was on hers.

Her eyes closed as she savored the seductive taste of his lips and inhaled the musky scent of his aftershave. She liked the way he took possession of her mouth with need and determination, not that she had any thought of refusing what she wanted as much as he did. But the sound of footsteps broke them apart, and she jumped back as Ashlyn returned to the kitchen, shopping bag in hand.

"Ready?" Jeremy asked Ashlyn, a brisk note in his voice.

"You can go out the back if you want," Mia said, leading them through the adjoining family room to the sliding glass doors.

Ashlyn left the house first, Jeremy lingering behind.

"To be continued," he said.

"We're supposed to be just friends."

He smiled. "I thought you were going to stop doing what you're supposed to do."

He had a point, but she hadn't intended on making that step with him. Thankfully, he left before she had to work too hard to come up with an answer.





Ten

At seven o'clock Wednesday night, Mia entered the Angel Heart Quilt Shop with her coloring book patterns and a bakery box filled with two dozen assorted cookies. Jeremy and Ashlyn had dropped the dessert off in the late afternoon. Jeremy had stopped in long enough to tell her that the music in the park had been a great idea, that they'd run into Kara, who had her two children and two nieces with her, one of whom was Ashlyn's age, and Ashlyn had actually left his side to sit next to the kids.

She was thrilled that the outing had turned out to be a positive experience, and she'd actually gotten a fair amount done while they were gone.

Tonight, however, she was not going to think about the rest of the work waiting at the house. She was excited to meet her aunt's friends.

"Mia?" Kara called with a welcoming wave. She came down the wide staircase at the side of the store. "I'm glad you got here a little early. Charlotte and Lauren are already here. The older crowd should be arriving soon."

"Is this the infamous quilt my aunt told me about?" Mia paused by the foot of the stairs to look at the glass display case on the wall. Inside was a colored, somewhat tattered quilt, each square lovingly sewn by a different person.

"Yes, it is." Kara came down the stairs to join her. "I'm sure she told you that the town was developed after a shipwreck off the coast. The survivors who made it to the bay each made a square in honor of the people who were lost, the angels watching over the bay. That's where the town got its name. While some people eventually left, a lot stayed right here, wanting to be close to their lost loved ones. I had ancestors on that ship, and you'll find out that a lot of the people in this town have bloodlines dating back to those survivors."

"It's really cool," she said, her love of history making her want to know more. "My aunt told me some stories when I was a teenager. Now, I wish I'd paid more attention."

"If you're really interested, you can go by the library. You'll find lots of books by local writers on the shipwreck and the legends, and the miracles that have occurred since then. But you'll have to leave that for another night. Come on up and meet my friends."

"I really appreciate you hosting this party," Mia said, as they climbed the stairs.

"I'm happy to do it. And I'm also happy to have a little break from my children and my nieces who are visiting for a few weeks."