She waved him off. “Oh, don’t be hardheaded. If you try to do it, you’re going to get more glass in your feet.” She pointed in the general direction of his crotch. “Or more delicate places.”

“Kincaid,” he warned.

“I’m just saying. I can help.” She examined the mess on the floor. “Stay still. I promise I won’t look up. I don’t want Melanie coming after me for compromising your virtue.”

He sniffed.

Kincaid crouched near his feet and started sweeping up the shards of glass. Ash watched for a second, but when he realized he could see straight down her shirt to the lacy black edges of her bra, he lifted his head and took a strong interest in a water spot on the ceiling. He didn’t need to see Kincaid Breslin’s anything.

“So what’s the deal?” she asked, the sound of broken glass tinkling beneath him.

“The deal?”

“Yes. Why are you staying here? What are all these boxes? Where’s your lady friend? Why aren’t you traveling hither and yon like usual?” she asked in rapid fire. “And Ashton Isaacs, are you getting pedicures now? Because your toenails look buffed.”

He groaned. “Can you just get this cleared up? I’ve got things to do.”

She paused, and he was forced to look down. As expected, she was staring up at him with a perturbed look on her face. “I suggest you don’t speak to me like I’m your maid. I’m trying to help. And I’m just asking some basic questions. Making conversation.”

“We don’t do that,” he said, irritated.

“What?”

“Make conversation. Unless the Lowells are around. Or didn’t you notice?”

A line appeared between her brows, and her lips thinned. She returned her attention to cleaning up. “Right.”

He let out a tired breath, knowing he’d spoken the truth but feeling like a jerk for being so short with her. She was trying to help, even if she was the one who’d caused the mess in the first place. He relented. “Fine. I occasionally have gotten a pedicure.”

He expected her to jump on that and tease him. The Kincaid he used to know would’ve eaten up that bit of information like candy. But of course she wasn’t that Kincaid to him anymore. All he caught was the slight twitch of her lip as if she was fighting back a smile. “Fancy.”

“Melanie used to like getting them done as a couple because she found it awkward to make conversation with the person handling her feet,” he said, rambling just to fill the silence.

“Used to?” she asked. “Not a fan anymore?”

He cringed at his slip. He didn’t want to get into this with Kincaid. She would find out through the Lowells at some point that he and Melanie were no more, but he didn’t want to have that conversation. Didn’t want to admit that some things never changed, that he was someone’s second choice yet again. Ash Isaacs, professional runner-up. “I think I can make it out of the danger zone now. The path to the bathroom looks clear.”