She hit the button to silence the phone, but before she could walk away, the screen lit with a text. She was too nosy not to look.

Don’t be a jerk. I know u have ur phone. I need to talk to u.

Kincaid rolled her eyes. The screen lit again.

This is just like u. U don’t want to deal w/ something so u just avoid it. Coward.

Coward? Kincaid gritted her teeth and flipped the phone the middle finger even though Melanie obviously couldn’t see the gesture. “Your ex carried me out of a mass shooting and saved my life. Maybe cool it on the coward talk, cheater girl.”

The phone started buzzing again. Kincaid hit the decline button. Three seconds later, it vibrated again.

“Oh for the love of God, woman.” Kincaid was about to turn the damn thing off completely so she could make her pancakes in peace, but then she got an idea. She lifted the phone, pulling the charger out, and slid her thumb across the screen. “Hello, this is Ash’s phone, how may I help you?”

“You stubborn—” But then Melanie’s voice cut off. “Wait, who is this?”

“Oh, sugar, I could ask you the same thing. Calling a man’s phone so many times in the morning really is a nuisance. Maybe leaving a message would suffice.”

“Where’s Ash?” Melanie bit out through what sounded like clenched teeth. “I need to speak with him.”

“Oh, well, he’s still in bed, not quite ready for talking,” Kincaid said with her best and brightest voice, the one she used when she’d cover the reception desk at the real estate agency. “Want to leave a message? I’ll be sure to get it to him.”

“Look, I don’t know who this is, and I don’t care. I just need him on the phone now. It’s important,” she said, voice clipped. “This is his fiancée.”

Kincaid sniffed derisively. Fiancée? Nice try. That was stooping pretty low, trying to get the ex she cheated on in trouble with a new woman. Kincaid let out a heavy sigh, making sure Melanie heard it. “Well, even though we both know he no longer has a fiancée, if it’s an emergency, I’ll go get him.”

And make you pay for being so damn rude. Kincaid walked to the guest room and put the phone on mute before she knocked.

A sleepy voice came through the door. “Come in.”

Kincaid opened the door and found Ash shifting to sit up in bed, shirtless, tattooed, and with full-on bedhead. Every womanly cell in her body gave a cheer of appreciation, and she had the sudden annoying urge to tilt her head and twirl her hair like a smitten schoolgirl. Luckily, she stopped herself from that embarrassment. She wasn’t there to ogle.

“Everything all right?” Ash asked, swiping a hand across his face and trying to wake up.

Kincaid lifted the phone. “Your ex has been burning up your phone. I got aggravated and answered. Sorry. She’s still calling herself your fiancée, and I believe she wants to yell at you about something.”