The Ashtons - Cole, Abigail & Megan

warmth, like a welcoming candle. Was that just friendship? And when she’d reached for him last night as he entered her…that had felt very like love.
    If only he could know, one way or the other!
    Cole ran his forearm over his forehead, wiping off the sweat that was chilling him as it dried. He’d better keep moving. He’d stiffen up if he just stood here.
    Slowly he started back to the cabin. He could ask her what she felt for him. That was as logical as it was terrifying. But what would it prove? Even if she said she was passionately in love, could he believeher? She’d spoken of love before. It hadn’t kept her from leaving.
    He had to be sure of her. One way or the other, he had to know.
    Moving faster now, he laid his plans.
    “Look, I’m sorry,” Cole said, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that wasn’t holding the phone. “This came up unexpectedly, and I can’t get out of it.”
    Silence.
    This wasn’t part of his plan. He’d put off seeing her for two days, citing work—he’d been spending a lot of time with her, he’d said, and had to catch up. It was halfway true, but the real reason was that he needed to see if she’d take off.
    Having a genuine business emergency hadn’t been part of his plan. “I’ll make it up to you for canceling tonight. We’ll go out Friday. Maybe to that new club—”
    “I’ll be at my aunt’s on Friday night.”
    Right. “Okay, Thursday. We’ll do whatever you want.”
    More silence, then: “Are you getting that déjà vu feeling? I used to hear that a lot. Or maybe you aren’t feeling anything at all. That would be safer, wouldn’t it?”
    “Dammit, Dixie, I didn’t conjure this guy out of thin air. He’s the rep for a major distributor, and if he wants to talk about carrying our new chardonnay, I’m for damn sure going to talk to him. He’s only in town for this one day.”
    “And no one else can handle this?”
    “Lucas is down with a stomach bug. Mercedes and Jillian don’t know enough about the production end, or where else we’re committed. And Eli wouldn’t know what kind of volume discount to agree to. Besides, he’s lousy at this sort of thing.”
    “You’re doing it again. Hiding behind work, finding excuses to pull back.”
    “Don’t be childish,” he snapped. “I can’t dance attendance on you every minute.”
    The sudden dial tone in his ear made him wince. Way to go, Ashton. But it was the thickness he’d heard in her voice that haunted him as he got ready for his meeting. It had sounded a lot like tears.
    “Dixie?” Mercedes paused in the doorway. “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing.” Furious at being caught crying, she wiped away the evidence.
    “Right,” Merry said dryly, coming into Dixie’s room—the one that used to be Cole’s. “I know. You’re feeling sentimental because it’s National Oatmeal Month.”
    “Always gets to me.” Dixie sniffed. “National Opposites Day is coming up, too.”
    “And Ben Franklin’s birthday. Another big occasion.”
    This was a game they’d played back in college, when any excuse to shop, eat chocolate or sleep in late was a good excuse. Congress was always making special days that no one paid any attention to,Dixie had told Merry. It was their solemn duty to see that no occasion went unobserved.
    “Is it National Hugging Day yet?” Dixie’s smile was a tad watery, but she did feel better.
    “Close enough.” Merry honored the almost-occasion by giving Dixie a hug. “So what’s up? Your work going okay?”
    Dixie flopped her hand in a so-so gesture. In fact, work was going fine—so well that she was dragging out the last sketches so she’d have an excuse to stay at The Vines a little longer.
    Merry sat on the bed beside her. “Your aunt?”
    “Not this time. Your brother.”
    “Uh-oh. I thought things were going great with you two. Tell me what’s wrong. As long as it doesn’t involve sex,” she added hastily. “I do not want to hear about your sex life when it’s my brother you’re having sex with.”
    “Oh, no. The sexual part of our relationship makes me scream with joy, not cry.”
    Merry looked pained.
    Dixie’s grin hardly wobbled at all. “Okay, okay. No sex talk. The thing is…oh, I don’t know what the thing is.”
    She shoved to her feet and started pacing. “He’s giving me these mixed signals. I’m trying not to mention sex, but that is part of it. When we’re together that way, it feels important. Like I truly matter