Page 56 of Hidden
Asher almost stopped breathing at her defense of him. Not really a defense, because he wasn’t being attacked. But his family’s assumption that her situation was more important than his responsibilities at the hospital had annoyed her. And she wasn’t holding back expressing that. He had to admit, he agreed with his family. But Ellie’s comments had him biting back his own opinion.
When his family continued to remain silent, Ellie rolled her eyes at them. “Have some respect, Warwicks. My situation may be fucked up, but you all have it under control. Asher, on the other hand, has the entire community relying on him. He has no idea what tomorrow will bring at the hospital, but heneeds to be therefor it.Theyneed him there for it. It’s importantandhe’s good at it.”
“It’s true, he is,” JJ added, not looking up from where she was writing in her notebook.
Chad and Ethan shared a look. Ethan might be Asher’s brother, but the two men were close. He had no idea what kind of silent communication they were having, but after a beat, Ethan nodded.
“Of course, we can push it back tomorrow. Kara’s on a late shift, so I’d like to be home by seven, but I’m free until then,” he said.
“As are we. Will five o’clock work for you, Ash?” Sabina said. “I know you usually work until six…”
“Five will be fine. Thank you,” he said.
Ellie gave a sharp nod and thanked them, too, as they rose. He mumbled a goodbye then dragged Ellie from the building. As soon as they reached his car, he backed her against the door and kissed her. Deeply, heatedly, passionately.
“You are amazing,” he said when he finally pulled back.
Her brow furrowed, but the desire reflected in her eyes tempered her confusion. “Okay,” she managed to say. Making him smile.
“We’re not going to Sofia and Josh’s,” he said.
“We’re not?”
He shook his head. “We’ll pick up your car tomorrow. I have other plans for you—for us—tonight.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
As much as she loved the Warwick family, at the moment, Ellie didn’t much like them.
Except Asher. She more than liked Asher.
But the way Ethan, Chad, and Sabina had reacted to her request to accommodate Asher’s schedule had, frankly, irritated her. And then the way Asher had treated her after? It made her think no one in his family had ever voiced their respect for him and the work he’d chosen to do. And, well, that pissed her off. So much so that she was glad not to be spending the evening with Josh and Sofia even though they hadn’t been part of the conversation. Aside from the amazing benefits of being home alone with Asher, she didn’t trust herself not to lose her cool if they did or said anything that dismissed him.
Yes, a little break from the family was a good thing. Particularly when she got to spend it ensconced in Asher’s jetted tub while sharing a glass of wine with him.
“This isn’t a criticism, but with such a luxurious tub, it seems odd that you wouldn’t also have a fireplace in your bedroom,” she said, idly sifting bubbles through her fingers. “I know how much you like being in front of the fire.”
“The owner is a little quirky. She wanted a hot tub but didn’t want to have to go outside to use it. She and her husband compromised on this big tub,” Asher said before taking a sip of wine.
She had her back to his chest, and his arm came around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Wait,” she said, her eyes popping open. “You said the owner ‘is.’ Are you not the owner of this house?” She leaned far enough away so that she could twist to see him.
And his chagrined expression.
“I’m not,” he confirmed. “I’ve been renting it for about a year.” She stared at him. There was more to this story, and she wanted to know. He sighed. “I own a place in town. Joey lives there now,” he said.
“Now it’s even more interesting,” she said.
He ran a damp hand over his goatee and through his hair, slicking it back. “It’s not that interesting.”
In that moment, she caught a glimpse as to why it was so easy for his family to overlook his achievements. As Sofia had said, he was the quiet one. The one who allowed himself to be drowned out by all his cousins. But not because he thought less of himself. No, for Asher, it was quite the opposite. He let his cousins take over everything because he had astrongsense of self. Because he knew what mattered to him and how he wanted to be in this world. What other people thought or knew, including his own family, was secondary. And over the years, she could see how a pattern might have developed. That didn’t mean she was ready to forgive them yet, though.
“And yet I want to know,” she said, leaning forward and placing a kiss on his jaw.
He exhaled. “The house is owned by Abigail Jarvis. Mrs. Jarvis was my second-grade teacher. She taught all of us. Even the twins. She was one of those magical kinds of teachers. You know, the ones who are smart and fun? And you find yourself learning and working because youwantto, not because you have to?” She nodded. “Anyway, her husband passed away early on, maybe when I was in high school. She had a daughter, and they were very close. Eventually, she had a granddaughter, too. If I recall correctly, the son-in-law was in the army and died while deployed.
“When I first got back to Mystery Lake, after medical school, Mrs. Jarvis and her daughter, Emily, came to see me. Emily was sick. It turned out to be stomach cancer. A swift and brutal case. She was gone four months later.”
“What happened to the granddaughter?” Ellie asked.
