Read Online Downpour (Alpha Love - A Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Book 1) by Olivia Stephens - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Olivia Stephens
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as to what has them in such heated conversation but too polite to ask. “Hi Ash, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You didn’t, Edie,” Ash turns his megawatt smile on to the woman. “What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to tell you how much Arthur loved the chair. He’s been talking about it non-stop for the past week.” She laughs, but there are tears in her eyes.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that, Edie.” Ashton lays a gentle hand on her shoulder, and Sofie is touched at how sensitive he is with this woman who is obviously in pain.
“And I wanted to ask if you’d take this.” Edie hands over an envelope, her hands shaking a little from emotion as she does.
“Edie, we’ve talked about this already.” Ashton gently takes the envelope and tucks it back into her bag. “There’s no need.”
Edie nods like this is a conversation that they’ve had before. “You’re a good man, Ashton.” She squeezes his hand and seems to pull herself together. “And who is this beautiful girl? You don’t have the look of someone from around here.” Edie winks at Sofie knowingly and the warmth in the older woman’s face makes Sofie smile instantly.
“I don’t know about the ‘beautiful’ but guilty as charged on the second count. I’m just visiting in Beaumont. I’m Sofie.” She sticks her hand out to shake, and Edie takes it in her bird-like grip, shaking it slowly and looking into her eyes. Sofie wonders what it is about people around here and the way they look at her like they can see right through her.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Edith or Edie as everyone calls me.” Abruptly she turns around, throwing a smile at Ashton. “I better get going. I’ll leave you kids to it.” She doesn’t say what she thinks she’s leaving them ‘to’ exactly, but the obvious wink that she gives Sofie as she walks out gives her a good idea of what’s on the older woman’s mind.
Ashton looks after the woman, shaking his head a little.
“That was a nice thing you did for her.” Sofie tries to keep the admiration out of her voice and fails. “Who’s Arthur?”
“Her husband. Early onset Alzheimer’s. He was my second grade teacher, known him for a long time. He helped me a lot, taught me a lot about myself.” Ashton suddenly clams up, like he’s not used to letting anyone in to his world.
Sofie swallows the lump in her throat that’s formed at his words and turns away so that he doesn’t see how his simple act of kindness has affected her. “So this really is your place, then.” She looks around at the beautiful wooden furniture. The craftsmanship is easy to see.
“Like I said, just because it doesn’t have my name on it, doesn’t mean that it’s not mine.” Ashton looks at her pointedly and smiles victoriously.
“You have some beautiful pieces here,” she says, knowing that she would be lying if she said that she wasn’t impressed by everything she saw in the store.
“Thanks, but I think that’s more about the wood than me,” he says humbly, looking around the floor of the store.
“You made all of this?” Sofie can’t keep the shock out of her voice, and she’s sure that her dark eyes are wide with surprise. “You made the chair for Arthur?”
“Do you see anyone else here?” Ashton looks around him, as if there might be someone hiding in the store.
“No, I’m just, you don’t look like...I didn’t expect that.” Sofie takes a deep breath, trying to figure out when it had become so difficult for her to talk to men. It had always been something that she’d been good at; she was good at lines, bad at relationships.
“Well, I’m nothing if not unexpected.” Ashton smiles, his blue eyes sparkling with merriment, and Sofie gets the distinct impression that he’s not just talking about his talent as a furniture maker. “You should take that off,” he says so matter-of-factly that it takes
“You didn’t, Edie,” Ash turns his megawatt smile on to the woman. “What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to tell you how much Arthur loved the chair. He’s been talking about it non-stop for the past week.” She laughs, but there are tears in her eyes.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that, Edie.” Ashton lays a gentle hand on her shoulder, and Sofie is touched at how sensitive he is with this woman who is obviously in pain.
“And I wanted to ask if you’d take this.” Edie hands over an envelope, her hands shaking a little from emotion as she does.
“Edie, we’ve talked about this already.” Ashton gently takes the envelope and tucks it back into her bag. “There’s no need.”
Edie nods like this is a conversation that they’ve had before. “You’re a good man, Ashton.” She squeezes his hand and seems to pull herself together. “And who is this beautiful girl? You don’t have the look of someone from around here.” Edie winks at Sofie knowingly and the warmth in the older woman’s face makes Sofie smile instantly.
“I don’t know about the ‘beautiful’ but guilty as charged on the second count. I’m just visiting in Beaumont. I’m Sofie.” She sticks her hand out to shake, and Edie takes it in her bird-like grip, shaking it slowly and looking into her eyes. Sofie wonders what it is about people around here and the way they look at her like they can see right through her.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Edith or Edie as everyone calls me.” Abruptly she turns around, throwing a smile at Ashton. “I better get going. I’ll leave you kids to it.” She doesn’t say what she thinks she’s leaving them ‘to’ exactly, but the obvious wink that she gives Sofie as she walks out gives her a good idea of what’s on the older woman’s mind.
Ashton looks after the woman, shaking his head a little.
“That was a nice thing you did for her.” Sofie tries to keep the admiration out of her voice and fails. “Who’s Arthur?”
“Her husband. Early onset Alzheimer’s. He was my second grade teacher, known him for a long time. He helped me a lot, taught me a lot about myself.” Ashton suddenly clams up, like he’s not used to letting anyone in to his world.
Sofie swallows the lump in her throat that’s formed at his words and turns away so that he doesn’t see how his simple act of kindness has affected her. “So this really is your place, then.” She looks around at the beautiful wooden furniture. The craftsmanship is easy to see.
“Like I said, just because it doesn’t have my name on it, doesn’t mean that it’s not mine.” Ashton looks at her pointedly and smiles victoriously.
“You have some beautiful pieces here,” she says, knowing that she would be lying if she said that she wasn’t impressed by everything she saw in the store.
“Thanks, but I think that’s more about the wood than me,” he says humbly, looking around the floor of the store.
“You made all of this?” Sofie can’t keep the shock out of her voice, and she’s sure that her dark eyes are wide with surprise. “You made the chair for Arthur?”
“Do you see anyone else here?” Ashton looks around him, as if there might be someone hiding in the store.
“No, I’m just, you don’t look like...I didn’t expect that.” Sofie takes a deep breath, trying to figure out when it had become so difficult for her to talk to men. It had always been something that she’d been good at; she was good at lines, bad at relationships.
“Well, I’m nothing if not unexpected.” Ashton smiles, his blue eyes sparkling with merriment, and Sofie gets the distinct impression that he’s not just talking about his talent as a furniture maker. “You should take that off,” he says so matter-of-factly that it takes
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