The scent of lime and cream tickled Ashlyn's senses as she shifted the dish in her hands and knocked three times on the apartment door. Her current mood both amused and shocked her.The day progressed slowly while she bided her time, eagerly anticipating this dinner with Kass and Derek. She'd even finished work early so she could head home and make her grandmother's famous Key Lime Pie for dessert. But now that she stood outside his apartment at precisely 6:30 pm, as requested, Ashlyn could sense the doubts beginning to creep back in again. Butterflies took flight in her stomach, their flapping creating a tornado within her gut. If he didn't open the door soon, she was sure to lose her lunch all over the pie.Ashlyn took a couple of deep, calming breaths as the back of her neck broke out in a sweat. She could do this. It was just one harmless dinner to say thank you. Derek was a good person, and Kass would be there to keep anything from getting too uncomfortable. You can do it, Ash.

Ashlyn stood from the table and hurried towards the front door, guided by the sound of the laughter; his laughter. Was he really here? Or did her ears deceive her?"What are you doing here?" Kass' voice bounced with excitement as the person holding her likely moved. Ashlyn smiled in anticipation.Ashlyn pulled the door open as wide as it would go. Joy sparked within her on confirmation that it was, in fact, him: Zion. Her eyes took in that familiar mop of red sand hair, her ears twitching with the sound of his rumbling laughter. Centimeters from her, Zion stood, squeezing Kass against his chest, her legs swinging above the floorboards. When he lifted his head, and his eyes met hers, Ashlyn's heart warmed at the joy reflected in his expression. Sometimes she forgot just how much she missed him living nearby.Zion placed Kass down and stepped towards Ashlyn."Ash." He grinned, holding his arms wide open, an invitation. It only took a single blink before Ashlyn threw herself into his

Try as she might, Ashlyn couldn't find the words to answer. At least not the words he would accept. She shifted uncomfortably beside Zion, wishing she could burrow deeper into the blanket. She shouldn't have left the letter on the bench. It should have been discarded like the last six monthly letters she'd received, courtesy of her mother's recommendations. But in her rush to get to Derek's, she'd left the open mail on the counter. Not that she'd known Zion or her mother would be visiting.Her head whipped in Zion's direction, her back straightening. Mom. Had she seen the letter too? Zion shook his head no upon reading her expression."I threw it out before she could see." Ashlyn's shoulders relaxed. At least she didn't know.Zion bent one of his legs and drew it towards his chest. Leaning his arm against his knee, he shifted his weight to focus his gaze on Ashlyn."Why did you stop going, Ash?" Against the darkened sky, she could still make out the concern in his expression b

Bumper's breath smelt strongly of chicken and something else when he jumped up and trailed his tongue across Ashlyn's face. Laughing, Ashlyn tried to push the golden retriever away so she could enter the house, but he kept up his incessant grooming."Bumper, what are y—" Kass rounded the corner and came to a stop when she saw Ashlyn and Zion standing in the doorway. There were smudges of dirt on her face and pieces of grass in Kass' hair. It looked as though it had been an eventful morning on Bumper watch."It's about time you two got here." Kass rolled her eyes playfully in exaggeration, a bag of dog food in one hand, a dog leash in the other."Do you wanna go for a run, boy?" Zion asked, scratching Bumper behind the ears."Already done." Kass grinned, hanging the dog leash on the hook beside the door. "Got to keep our boy in shape for all the ladies." She winked. Kass then launched into a story about their time at the park earlier that morning and all the dogs that had followed

"You two, stop flirting. We've got work to do." Kass clapped her hands twice, interrupting Derek and Zion's conversation about the basketball game the night before, and who they believed was the real MVP. Ashlyn giggled under her breath.Kass was in director mode, commanding everyone like marionette puppets, directing them this way and that. For the first hour, the spectacle had gone ahead as planned, but now it seemed some lines had crossed over, creating the unscripted chaos the boys now partook in."Marcus!" She growled, slapping his forearm. "Put down the damn balloon. El tonto!" Marcus let go of the gold balloon he'd been sucking on, and it flitted around the room, the helium from inside blowing it this way and that. Ashlyn ducked as it swept over her head. The men in the room erupted in a chorus of laughter, one more high pitched than the others.Kass, however, remained unimpressed as she walked over to the corner where Ashlyn stood, massaging her temples."It's so hard to