Donna put a hand on her arm. “It looks lovely, Ash, but I hope you didn’t squelch your creativity just to satisfy the historical society.” His mother sent a meaningful glare his direction.
A nervous giggled escaped her lips. “No, I didn’t squelch anything. The truth is I painted it in traditional Queen Anne colors because this isn’t my house.”
“Ash...” Donna moved in front of her, dipping down to catch her eyes. “We’ve talked about this. There’s no mistake in my mother’s will. The house belongs to you, just as she wished.”
“Not any more.” Ash smiled as she turned the papers around, holding them up where Donna could read them. “As you can see, I’ve signed over the house. It now belongs to none other than... Adam Walker.”
“What?” With his tongue dry like he had a mouthful of saltines, he grabbed the papers from her hands. “What have you done? I don’t want to own a restaurant!”
“Of course not.” Ash snatched the papers back and shuffled them, putting another page on top, with some sort of architectural drawings. “Look—these are the plans for your new orphanage, slash foster home, slash whatever you like. See? There are six bedrooms, plus a master bedroom suite. You’ll have room for as many kids as you want.”
“Is this some kind of joke? Did my brothers put you up to this?” He turned to glare at his twin. “This stinks of Daniel Walker. Very funny, Dude.”
Daniel made a strangled face, shaking his head. “Not me...”
“You’re not happy?” Ash’s smile dissolved away, as her eyebrows bent together. “But your mother told me it was your dream.”
“Mom?” Adam ignored the knot in the pit of his stomach. “You talked her into this?”
“I only said it was your dream when you were a kid.” His mom’s eyes looked as wide and confused as Adam felt.
“Ash? What’s going on? Why did you do this?” Adam reached for her, but she backed away, a single tear rolling down her cheek to splash on the house plans.
“I thought it was what you wanted. I thought it would make you happy.” She looked around, glancing from one shocked face to another. “All I wanted to do was make him happy.”
“Ash...” Adam tried to catch her gaze. “I don’t need the house to be happy.”
Another tear appeared and tracked down her face. “It doesn’t matter, because I can’t stay here any longer. I’m flying back to New York this afternoon.”
“Ash, no—”
“The house is yours.” She threw the papers at his feet, scattering them on the porch. “If you don’t like the color, you can paint it white again.”
Her hands came up to cover her face.
“Ash, just tell me... Do you...” Adam’s chest walls squeezed like he was having a heart attack. He couldn’t believe he was going to ask this question in fron
t of his family. “Do you like me?”
Chapter Fourteen
ASH KEPT HER FACE BURIED in her hands to hide her flushed cheeks. She felt seven pairs of eyes burning into her flesh. Could she possibly be any more humiliated?
With horror, she realized her subterfuge had failed—Adam knew the truth of her attraction toward him. But did he really expect her to confess it in front of their whole family?
She dropped her hands. Fortunately, she so angry she didn’t have to fake outrage. “Of course I don’t like you! What did I ever do to give you that impression?”
“Nothing, I guess.”
Why did he look like a whipped puppy?
She lifted her chin high, in a vain attempt to look down her nose at him. “You know what, Cousin? I’m going to leave now. The house is yours.”
She pivoted away, mustering as much dignity as possible while marching down the steps, even when her heel got caught in a crack in the wood.
“Where are you going, Ash?” Erin’s voice called after her.
Ash paused on the bottom stair. “I’ll be back for Lucky before I fly out this afternoon.”