Page 35 of Escape to the Sun

“She’s already worried because she doesn’t know what’s going on.”

“It’s a different type of worry.” She shook her head. “She doesn’t need that right now.”

Frustration built inside him. Sherri was being ridiculous. Cancer was not something you could fight on your own. He hadn’t said anything about the ludicrous notion she had about treating herself. He’d stayed quiet when she told him she’d be administering her own treatments; he’d respected those wishes. But this was different. She needed support. She needed friends and positive energy and love. And how could she presume to know what Heather needed? Especially when she’d been hiding away. If anyone knew what Heather needed, it was—

“Get out of your head, Ash.” She interrupted his thoughts. “Say what you need to say, but don’t stew on it. It’s not healthy.”

Her words calmed him, the way they always did because even though it drove him crazy, she knew. Sherri always just knew.

His hands gripped the railing. He took a breath. “Heather’s doing fine.”

Sherri’s smile told him that she’d already guessed just how fine Heather was doing. “I’m sure she is. But this is my story to tell, Ash. And I’m not ready to tell it yet, okay?”

Her words shut down any further argument because he couldn’t argue with that. She’d always respected his story. The least he could do was return the favor. He swallowed back the objections that were still on the tip of his tongue. Finally he nodded. “Okay. But I’ll be here every two days.”

“I know you will.”

* * *

It was almosttime for lunch by the time Ash reappeared. He hadn’t told Heather he was going anywhere, and despite the fact that she was hyper aware of his presence, she’d been so busy with her guests, she hadn’t even noticed he was gone until about thirty minutes before he walked into grande casa, holding a bouquet of exotic flowers.

“For you, beautiful.”

“They’re gorgeous.” She took the bouquet from him and inhaled their blossoms. “And they smell amazing.”

Ash wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her quickly. “They are not nearly as gorgeous as you and trust me when I tell you that you smell a whole lot more amazing than they do.”

Heather shook her head at his cheesy line, but she couldn’t help but feel a warmth at his words. She’d never been spoken to like that before. With tenderness and…it was way too early to even think about the L word. But there was no other way to describe the way she felt when he spoke to her like that. She cleared her throat and wiggled away from his grip, needing space before she let her mind get carried away with a fairy tale.

“Well, they’re really pretty.” She dug out a jar from behind the bar and filled it with water. “Thank you for thinking of me. Where were you, anyway?”

“I went to visit Sherri.”

She froze and turned slowly. Was he finally going to tell her what was going on with the other woman? “And?”

“And she’s doing great.” He joined her behind the bar. “Please tell me you have bottles of water in the fridge. I’m parched.”

Heather grabbed a bottle, but held it close to her chest instead of handing it to him.

Ash grinned and crossed his arms. “You’re not going to give me the water?”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“Sherri.”

He tilted his head as if he had no idea what she was talking about. She was smarter than that. “Seriously,” she said. “Tell me what’s going on with Sherri. You just said you were there visiting her, so tell me what’s going on with her.”

Ash dropped his chin to his chest for a moment before he looked up. “Honestly, there’s nothing going on with her. She’s just taking a little vacation in the trees.”

“A vacation?”

“Is that hard to believe?”

It was. Heather looked around her. She was in the middle of paradise. How could anyone want a vacation from that? She nodded and Ash laughed.

“Remember, you just got here. This is Sherri’s home.”

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