Not that it was her fault.
He’d kissed her. What had he been thinking?
He’d kissed her and Irma saw him—saw the whole thing. She’d probably even seen the crushing disappointment Renata felt when he’d kissed only her cheek.
But it wasn’t just Irma. No, right as Ash was walking away, the city manager—and her office neighbor—Quinton Sheehan had walked out. She’d had no choice but to introduce them. And Quinton, being Quinton, had spent another thirty minutes chatting Ash up. Before it was all done, Irma had made the men coffee and the three of them had lingered outside her office, laughing and talking like old friends while she’d tried to get some work done.
When he’d finally left, she’d stopped pretending to be engrossed in the open spreadsheet on her monitor and stared blindly at the wall in front of her. What had just happened? He’d brought her flowers. Flowers? And volunteered to judge the Gingerbread Festival? He had no idea he’d saved her a big headache by filling a spot most locals didn’t want to touch with a ten-foot pole.
But why? To spend time with her? He didn’t need to do that. She’d made it perfectly clear she had no expectations of him. Hadn’t she? Last night was a blur. She remembered babbling, again, and holding on to him for dear life—hardly her finest moment. But she had told him she had no expectations of him. That included bringing her flowers. Or judging the Gingerbread Festival.
He’d only mentioned the baby once. Even then, it had been offhanded. A complete turnaround from all his intensity and determination of last night.
“Maybe he just likes to drive me crazy,” she murmured, deciding the best thing to do was not think about him, for now. Her inbox grew with each passing second and she had a dozen or more phone calls to return. Forgetting Ash was the only chance she had of getting any work done.
But the gorgeous bouquet of pink roses and white hydrangea flooded her office with a heavenly scent—and kept his dark-haired, light-eyed, devilishly handsome face foremost in her mind.
Enough. Eleven o’clock would be here before she knew it. Not that she’d actually agreed to have lunch with him, had she? No, she hadn’t. But that wouldn’t stop him from showing up. She smiled, doing her best to focus on her endless to-do list.
There wasn’t time to put off the final touches on her brother Archer’s Christmas Benefit Ball for his horse refuge. The annual budget meeting was next week. And going over the state’s tourism bus tour route revisions meant an hour of explanations when it came to city council. She needed to have answers ready. Which meant time, research and actual work. Not getting hot and bothered over Ash Carmichael.
Irma was no help. Every twenty minutes or so, she’d pop in to offer her a cup of coffee or a water bottle. Each time, Irma slipped in some question or compliment about Ash. And how thoughtful his flowers were. Renata’s repeated assurances
that Ash was only a friend were blatantly ignored. Even Quinton sounded off, from his open office, that he seemed like a fine addition to the town.
She pressed her hand against her stomach, still vaguely nauseous, once more mulling over his bizarre behavior this morning.
She managed to confirm the big band and double-check on the special menu items the caterer was preparing for the Christmas Benefit Ball. Poor Archer was clueless when it came to social affairs. And, if she was being honest, his people skills needed work, too, so Renata had offered to help where she could. She drew a red line through the items on her to-do list. Only nine hundred and ninety-nine more things to go.
The mobile stage had been located in the agriculture barn of the high school. The coach had volunteered to bring it over Friday. Another check.
A quick glance at the clock told her it was ten after eleven. Ash was late.
She should be relieved. Not disappointed. No, she wasn’t disappointed.
But she was hungry.
If she was lucky, she’d leave before Ash arrived. She grabbed her coat, slipped it on, closed her office and hurried down the hall. “Irma, I’m going to lunch—”
Ash opened the front door. “Ready and waiting?” He was all smiles.
Irma giggled. “You two have a nice lunch, now.”
Renata bit back a curse.
“We will,” Ash assured her.
Did he just wink at Irma? Really? She didn’t say a word as she brushed past him and onto the porch of the City Offices. A gust of wind slammed into her.
“Here,” he said, pulling her arm through his.
She glared up at him. “That’s not necessary.”
“Being a gentleman?” He frowned down at her. “It is where I’m from.”
“Where would that be?” One more thing she didn’t know about him.
“Ada, Oklahoma.” He smiled. “Small place. Good people.”