Page 46 of You and Me, For Real
Wren claps. “Yay! I have my rescue dog here with me.” She points to the dogs playing in the yard. “Mine’s the tiny guy, in case you couldn’t tell.” She giggles.
Churro looks like a rat compared to the two larger breeds.
“Aw, he’s adorable. I can’t wait to meet him. What’s his name?”
“Churro. The first night I brought him home, the poor guy was so scared and nervous. I had Mexican food delivered since I didn’t want to leave him alone. He barely acknowledged me, but the second I busted out some churros, he hopped onto my lap and became my new best friend. The name just stuck. It’s fitting: he’s as sweet as can be.”
Ashton laughs. “I love it.”
The sound is pure delight. Gone is the panic-stricken woman from ten minutes ago.
“Mine is the big German Shepherd.” Ashton watches the dogs play, affection in her gaze. “When I’d found him, his eyes looked like those button eyes on teddy bears, and with his brown and black coloring the name suited him. I was never allowed stuffed animals growing up, my mom, she—” Her eyes shift toward us. “Well, she thought they brought too much clutter to the house.” The light in her eyes dims slightly, and she fidgets with her fingernails.
Wren fills the awkward silence. “Well, Ashton, Teddy is so handsome. His coloring is gorgeous. I love that golden color circling his eyes; even from here, I can tell he’s just precious.”
Ashton’s lips stretch with approval.
Wren’s phone chimes. She pulls it from her back pocket. “Oh! Sorry, I completely forgot why I stopped by. I need to grab Griffin’s blender. It’s margarita night at my house.” Her eyes widen, and she places a hand on Ashton’s arm. “Oh, you guys should come! It’ll be fun. It’s mostly just me and my band.”
“Oh, I don’t know?—”
I save Ashton the torture. “I’ve got plans tonight. Just ask Luke about the blender. He knows where it is.”
“Thanks so much. I promise I’ll get my own soon.”
I wave her off. “It’s fine. No big deal.”
“Okay, well, I should get out of here. I’m supposed to be at a photoshoot in an hour. Only to sit for another two hours getting beautified.” She exhales dramatically. “The life of fame never stops, you know.”
She says it as a joke, but her eyes say something different. Already, fame is wearing on her. I should sit down and have another heart-to-heart with her soon.
“It was lovely to meet you, Ashton. The offer for tonight stands if you change your mind. I hope I get to see you aroundmore, okay?” She dips her chin as if asking Ashton to promise she’ll see her again soon.
Ashton’s smile wobbles. “Uh yeah, maybe. I don’t know.”
Wren gives me a pointed look before turning back to Ashton. “Well, you come to me if this guy gets out of line. Okay? I’m just next door. Us girls got to stick together.”
Ashton releases a huff of a laugh. “Okay.”
Wren whistles for her dog and Churro comes racing around the corner to meet her. She bends down and he leaps into her arms. “I’ll see you guys later.” She stops in the kitchen, where Luke has already placed the blender on the counter.
I lean around the pergola pillar to catch their interaction. Luke tips a knife to his forehead before quickly returning his focus to chopping until her back is turned, and then he watches Wren exit.
Interesting. Very interesting.
I turn back toward Ashton. “Feel better?”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I just needed a minute.”
“No problem. And if the filming thing or social media idea bothers you…we can totally forget about it.”
Ashton bites her bottom lip—a frequent gesture of hers—compelling me to want to give her a hug. But I resist the urge.
“No, I think it’ll be okay. To film. I can use some clips for my blog. I’ll think about the social media idea.” She curls a loose wisp from her ponytail behind her ear. “Can we mostly focus on you and Roxy in the clips? You know, with camera angles and such? I don’t mind my voice being recorded.”
I nod, not wanting to prod her too much. As Luke said, I need to be slow and gentle with her. “That’s not a problem. I’ll make sure Luke knows, too. It’s whatever you’re comfortable with.”
I don’t think she’ll get nearly the traction she needs from merely her blog, but now isn’t the time to push.
