just wants to have sex? Snippets of their conversation the day before flitted through her mind. Smokey had opened up about his past, and she doubted he did that very often. He trusted me, and I ran away, scared, because he was right—I think every damn man will turn out to be like my dad. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. “Talk about being screwed up,” she whispered.
“What?” a drowsy Nicole asked.
Looking over at the couch, she watched as her friend struggled to sit up.
“Just thinking out loud. How’re you feeling?”
“Like shit.”
She snickered. “I bet. Do you want a bottled water or Ginger Ale? When I was a kid, that was my mom’s go-to whenever my siblings or I had a queasy stomach. It actually helps—a lot.”
Resting her head against the back of the sofa, she whined, “Why the hell didn’t you cut me off?”
“Like that would’ve worked.”
She gave Ashley an off-center smile. “You’re right. I’ll try the Ginger Ale.”
Standing, she started for the kitchen. “I’ll bring a bottle of water too.”
“I wish I could stay another day. I don’t feel like doing wedding crap tomorrow.”
“I don’t blame you on that.” Returning, she handed Nicole the can of Ginger Ale and put the bottled water on the coffee table. “Would Mariah freak out if you postponed by a day?”
“Absolutely. She’s a drama queen, remember?” Nicole popped open the tab and took a sip. “Anyway, I have to be back to work on Thursday.”
Ashley walked back to the window and started to close the drapes when something across the street caught her eye. It was a man, standing at the edge of the parkway, looking at the house. Shoving a hand into his coat pocket, he pulled something out. Squinting, she pressed her face closer to the glass, but she couldn’t make out what he was holding. Then, the man’s focus shifted, and he was staring right at her. Jumping away from the window, she pulled the curtains closed.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a guy across the street. He’s staring at the house … and me.” She said the last two words in a low voice.
Nicole pushed up from the couch. “Lemme see.”
“No!” Ashley clutched the base of her throat.
Her friend’s eyes widened. “Relax. It’s probably someone out for a walk or something.”
“He looks like the guy who was in the parking lot my first day on the job.”
“What guy? Do you know him?” Nicole peeked through the drapes. “I can’t tell what he looks like.”
“I’m going by his height and the clothes he’s wearing. I’m sure it’s the same guy.” A sick feeling twisted in the pit of her stomach.
“It looks like he’s checking his phone. I don’t think he’s looking at the house.”
“I know he’s here for me,” Ashley whispered. She pulled out her cell and scrolled through her contacts until she found Smokey’s number. Hesitating, she stared down at his name, and swiped out of the screen instead of making the call. Moving next to Nicole, she pulled the curtain and looked out again. The man glanced up from his phone and looked back at her. Shivers raced down her spine.
Then, the man began to walk toward her house.
She drew back. “I’m calling the police.”
“What for? I really think this guy’s harmless.”
“I don’t.” Ashley plugged in the number.
“Wait. He walked away,” Nicole said.
She brought the phone to her ear. “It won’t hurt to have a squad car drive around to make sure.”
“Ash”—Nicole’s hand rested on Ashley’s shoulder— “I think you’re overreacting. The guy’s gone, and he wasn’t Jeffrey.”
“May I help you?” a woman answered.
She knew her friend was right, and suddenly, her conviction drained away.
“Sorry, wrong number,” she mumbled before hanging up.
Reclaiming her spot on the couch, Nicole said, “I know Jeffrey being free has really freaked you out. Do you want to talk about it?”
“No. Everything’s fine. I guess I’m just tired.”
“And maybe you had one too many like me. I mean, Jared sure made those drinks strong. And I wouldn’t mind seeing him again when I come back this way in a couple of days. I’ll only be able to hang for a few hours before heading back to Denver, though.”
“Yeah. I’ll ask Whitney about his schedule. It’s too bad you have to go back to work on Thursday.”
“I know, but I’ll be back when I can spend more time with you. Listen, why don’t we hang out here and watch a movie?”
“That’ll be good,” Ashley replied, but her mind was on the man who’d