At Ashley’s wounded expression, Jess squeezed her hand.

“Hey, you know I don’t believe that, and I’m not just spreading gossip. I want to warn you that she means trouble and there’s no reasoning with her.”

“She’s trying to drive a wedge between us,” Ashley said.

“She doesn’t realize how close you and I still are. I didn’t let her know that, hoping she’d talk more freely. It seems clear she’s spreading this nonsense to anyone who’ll listen.”

“I get that she might not be happy with me seeing her stepfather, but…” Ashley shook her head. “In high school, the three of us were so close. After my mom died, you two were all I had. I just don’t understand what happened.”

Jessica shook her head. “I don’t know. But whatever happened after graduation that caused her to drop out of college before she even started … giving up that great scholarship she had for NYU … It really messed her up.”

“You know, I won’t let her manipulate me into giving up Dare. Let her do her damnedest. I don’t scare off that easily.”

“So you’re going to give up on Adam?”

Ashley pursed her lips. “I really care about Adam. Before Dare came along, I would have jumped at the chance to be with him.”

“If you had to choose one?”

“I know the sensible choice is Adam. We have so much in common. And … well, after our conversation in his office…”

“Ha, conversation. I can see from the flush on your cheeks that it was more than that.” Jessica grinned. “What happened?”

“He played the dominating boss and…” Ashley’s cheeks flushed. “I’m not going to lie. It was hot.”

“Ah, man. I’d trade places with you in a minute, despite all the drama. If only you didn’t have to choose between them.”

* * *

Dare watched Helen walk across the living room then sink onto the couch across from him. She’d made them both a nice dinner and had insisted on cleaning up on her own.

“How long are you planning on being in town?” Dare asked Helen.

“I don’t know. Three or four weeks maybe. It’s not set in stone. How long will you be here?”

“I go back to New York at the end of the month. How’s your job going?” He wondered how she could just take several weeks off work.

“Oh, well, I’m between jobs right now. But no worries. I have some money saved up.”

He held back the urge to offer financial aid. She might be difficult in a lot of ways, but she never asked for money. But there was this protectiveness he’d always felt for her. She’d been a good kid when he and her mom had been married, but she’d taken the divorce really hard. He’d brought the only stability she’d ever known to her life.

He had no illusions about her. She could be trouble. For herself and for others. But he knew she genuinely cared for him, and wanted to keep their stepfather-stepdaughter relationship alive. In fact, he sometimes wondered if she wanted more than that. The way she hugged him when she saw him … the way she kissed him whenever she got the chance … He used to put it down to her just wanting a dad, but she lingered too long. Was too affectionate.