“She seemed … good. Really good, actually,” Richard said quietly.
“Oh … that’s great,” Ashton replied. He was lying, of course. He didn’t find it so great that Savvy had moved on so easily while he was still pining away for her.
“Yeah, she was with some guy,” Richard said. “I think he’s a banker. Something like that.”
Ashton’s eyes turned into slits, but his voice was deceptively calm. “She’s seeing another man?”
“Well, you sure as hell aren’t courting her. You don’t expect such an amazing woman as her to remain single for long. Do you, son?”
Ashton could almost feel his dad’s disappointed eye roll through the phone. “Where is she living?” he asked between his teeth.
“She’s apparently living with the fellow in a house out in Snoqualmie. It’s a real nice place.”#p#分页标题#e#
“She moved in with this white-collar guy?” Ashton thundered.
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you,” Richard grumbled.
“What’s the address?” Ashton said. His voice had grown quieter and quieter with each word.
“It’s probably wrong to give it to you. I don’t want you doing something stupid. Not that being stupid is your style. Or is it now?”
Ashton had a hard time not throwing his phone through one of the picture windows he’d just been staring through.
“Just give me the damn address, Dad.”
The other end of the line went totally silent, and Ashton had to count to about a hundred in his head before he said something else that he shouldn’t.
Richard finally spoke. “I don’t appreciate hearing you speak to me in that churlish way, Ashton.”
“I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right that I shouldn’t talk to you that way. It’s just that I have something of Savvy’s that I need to return to her and I have a busy week. If I get that out of the way, I can get back to work,” the boy lied. He’d really pulled that out of his ass, in fact.
“Oh, in that case, son, here you go.”
Richard rattled off the address, and Ashton nearly broke his pen as he scribbled it down, because he was pressing so hard.
And when he hung up the phone, Ash had to sit there a minute longer before he moved. In the mood he was in, he was afraid he was indeed going to do something stupid. Just as he had that thought, a bitter laugh escaped his throat. Of course he was going to do something stupid. Stupidity was very likely another one of his unfortunate middle names — his father had said as much. The story of his life.
He was in love with a woman who had obviously moved on, and he didn’t take too kindly to being replaced. Maybe it was time that he reminded Savvy of just how good the two of them had been together. He could move on as well — right back to her.
With this thought, he rose and went straight to his car. He was glad the drive took him over an hour. This was one of the reasons he worked on the docks in the San Juan Islands. He hated Seattle traffic.
As rain began drizzling down, he found the address his father had given him, parked across the street, and looked at the house. Once again, this whole situation stumped him. What in the hell was he doing? What was he going to say?
Maybe this hadn’t been his best idea ever.
The heavy clouds were turning the morning sky dark when the front door opened and a man stepped out. Savvy was holding the door, laughing at something the man said, and Ashton’s gut clenched. In her gigantic robe, slippers on her feet, and her hair in a sloppy bun, she was still the most beautiful sight he’d ever been blessed with.
The banker, or whatever he was, turned around and bent down, kissed her cheek, and then jumped into his car and drove off while Savvy proceeded down the driveway to gather the morning paper. Ashton was a mass of jealous rage.
Before Savvy could get back inside the house, Ashton climbed out of his own car and, without realizing the force he was using, slammed the door loud enough to be heard by everyone in the vicinity.
She jumped. When she looked across the street, their eyes met. His narrowed; hers widened. Screw all his hesitating. He took long strides toward her and he was sure that his scowl turned even more vicious as she bounded toward her front door.
But his temper blew right on through the roof when she masked her expression into polite boredom — as if she were dealing with a pesky neighbor.
“Hi, Ashton. You’re a long ways from home.” Nothing in her tone showed him how she felt about his impromptu visit.#p#分页标题#e#
“It’s cold out here. Invite me inside,” he told her as he put his hand on the door, ensuring she wouldn’t be able to slam it in his face.