Dust of Snow by Indra Vaughn Read Free Book Online Page B

a young
Robert Redford?”
    I laughed under my breath as I unlocked the
car, pretending the sun was in my eyes so I had to avert my gaze.
People had told me this before, actually. And by people, I meant
Mother, so I never thought it counted.
    “Joke’s on me, then,” I said when we were
buckling up, “since my name is Gregory Peck.”
    He grinned. “Was that on purpose?”
    “Not exactly.” I started the car and
reversed. “It’s tradition to name the first born in my mother’s
family after the grandfather. Not her fault she married a
Peck.”
    “What if you’d been a girl?
    “Gregoria,” I said.
    “Really?” Ashley made a face.
    “I know, right?” I laughed.
    Ashley relaxed a little deeper into his seat,
and he gave what sounded like a contented little sigh. “Where are
we going?” he asked when I pulled out of the parking lot.
    “Home.” 
     

FIVE

     
    I MADE THE hazelnut brew I usually kept for lazy
Sundays and went into the living room, where I was confronted by
Ashley’s shapely behind sticking out of my fireplace. Well, not
literally sticking out of it, but he was on his knees, kindling a
small flame. Curlywurly eyed him curiously from the scratching
post.
    “Your suit’s far too nice to spend time in on
your knees,” I said. “Go on, let me.”
    “You’re wearing a suit too.” His voice was
muffled as he fiddled in the fireplace.
    “Mine’s not tailor made.”
    I reached his side, and he sat back on his
heels, staring up at me. The little flame caught a piece of old
newspaper and flared, casting shadows over his face, making his
long lashes seem even longer.
    “I didn’t think you’d noticed.”
    Biting back my reply, I shooed him away from
the fireplace. “Go pour yourself some coffee,” I said. “It’s
hazelnut, so I don’t know if you’ll want sugar in that. I’ll do
this.”
    “All right.” Ashley gripped my palm tightly
and I gave him the leverage he needed to rise to his feet. His skin
felt nice and dry against mine, and the imprint of his hand stayed
with me while I breathed life into the fire.
    “So, spill the beans.” I blew the steam away
from my mug and led the way back to the fire. I watched as he made
himself comfortable on the other end of the couch. He liked to sit
like me, with his legs curled underneath him, not a care in the
world about rumpling his suit. “What’s got you so tired lately?” I
hoped I didn’t sound nosy. If he called me on it, I’d pretend this
was in the best interest of the company and I was just doing my
job. He didn’t call me out. In fact, Ashley looked relieved.
    Still, he didn’t start right away. Instead,
he focused his gaze on a little thread that had come loose from the
armrest, no doubt thanks to my resident feline. Ashley began to
pluck at it, and I hoped the whole couch wouldn’t come unraveled if
he yanked it too hard. The comfortable thing was getting on in
years.
    As I waited for him to speak, we sat in
surprisingly comfortable silence, and I was so glad he was here.
With Ashley curled up a couple of feet away and the fire warming
us, my life didn’t seem as empty as it had over the past year. It
seemed Ashley and I were maybe becoming friends.
    “It’s embarrassing,” he eventually said.
    I reached for him with my free hand without
actually touching him. It made him look up, which was my aim. “It’s
not as embarrassing as you think it is. It never is, and believe
me, I’m a walking encyclopedia on all things embarrassing. You can
trust me. I won’t laugh, and I won’t tell anyone.”
    Ashley smiled, his dimples going in for the
kill. Oddly enough it made him look even more tired. Handsome, yes.
Handsome beyond Carl—beyond my wildest dreams, to be quite
honest—but tired to the bone.
    “I have something called hypnic headaches.”
The smile twitched, like he was making an effort to keep it in
place, and then it faltered and died. He stared into his coffee as
if it might hold all the answers. That