When one of the kids got in trouble, they often offered the names of staff members at the youth center to vouch for them.
“Oh.” Remi had a sudden surge of hope that they were here about Drew. She didn’t want the boy to be in trouble, but at least she would know he was safe. “Okay.”
“Can I send them back?”
“Of course.”
Lamar flashed his charming smile before he turned to disappear across the large central room where a dozen volunteers were setting up chairs and heating up the popcorn machine for movie night.
Remi swallowed a yawn and reached into her purse to switch on her cell phone. It was doubtful she’d missed any urgent messages, or even a friend with a last-minute invitation.
The screen glowed to life. Nothing. No missed calls. No messages.
Look at her. Miss Popularity.
Her lips twisted as she shook off her bout of self-pity. It was just the short days and cold weather that were making her feel blue. What she needed was a few days on a beach with a drink that had lots of alcohol and a little umbrella. That would perk her right up.
Maybe after the new year . . .
“Hey, Remi.”
Lost in her daydreams of a tropical island drenched in golden sunlight, Remi abruptly jerked her head around at the sound of a familiar voice. “Jax?” she breathed, her gaze sweeping over him as he stepped into the office.
He hadn’t changed much. There might be a little more silver in his hair, a few fine lines fanning from his eyes, but he was still as handsome as ever. And she’d bet good money he was wearing the same blue suit.
“It’s been a while,” he said with a rueful smile.
Dazed by his appearance, it took Remi a second to even consider why he might be at the youth center. Then an icy fear spread through her. Jax was a homicide detective. This couldn’t be good news. She placed her palms flat on the desk and pushed herself to her feet. “Are you here about Drew?”
He looked puzzled by her question. “No.” He stepped away from the doorway. “Actually, I brought an old friend.”
She released a shaky breath. He wasn’t here about one of her kids. The relief was so overwhelming, she didn’t even wonder who the old friend might be. Or even how Jax had known that she worked at the youth center.
Her distraction meant she was utterly unprepared when the second man stepped into the room. A painful mistake, as the ground shifted beneath her feet and her brain froze. Ashland Marcel. Lord have mercy. It’d been five long years since he’d walked away from her, but the time melted away at the sight of his lean face.
How many hours had she spent tracing each chiseled feature? The wide brow. The bold nose and astonishing blue eyes. He was more striking than handsome, but just the sight of him had been enough to make her heart thunder in her chest. And that hard, male body . . .
She knew every inch.
Intimately.
Remi’s knees went weak and she dropped into her chair. Ash grimaced and hurried around the desk to crouch in front of her.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to shock you,” he said in a soft voice, grasping her limp hands in a firm grip.
Remi cleared the lump from her throat. “I’m fine,” she lied.
She wasn’t fine. She felt like she’d just been sideswiped by a speeding freight train.
“I’ll wait for you in the car,” Jax murmured.
Coward, Remi inanely thought, watching as Jax backed out of the room.
“Your hands are freezing,” Ash said, rubbing her fingers between his big palms.
She shivered. But not because she was chilled. The shock was beginning to wear off enough for her to react to his familiar touch.
Christ, it’d been so long. And no one had ever been able to cause those potent sparks of awareness. Just Ash.
“This building is always cold,” she said, forcing herself to pull her hands free.
Her poor brain was already struggling to process Ash’s sudden appearance. She didn’t need his touch adding to her befuddlement.
Thankfully, he seemed to sense her need to regain command of her composure. Straightening, he turned to study the wooden shelves that were loaded with books and the five computers set on tables at the back. Everything was basic, but it served its purpose. The kids who came here needed the support of people who cared, not fancy equipment.
Remi allowed her gaze to roam over his broad back that was covered by a silver cashmere sweater that he’d matched with charcoal slacks. She could detect the muscles beneath the soft material, but he looked thinner. As if he’d honed his body to pure bone and sinew.
“Is this your classroom?” he asked, at last breaking the silence.
Remi willed her heart to slow its frantic pace before she answered. “Not really a classroom,” she admitted. “I tutor the kids who come to the center.”
He pivoted back to meet her wary gaze. “That’s what you always wanted to do.”
Her lips twisted. They both knew it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do. She’d gotten her master’s in education with the intention of becoming a full-time teacher who concentrated on at-risk students. She was going to change the world. Instead, she was a volunteer at a small center that made a minimal impact on the kids who walked through the door.
Still, she at least was working her way back toward her dreams. She took great pride in her grim determination. “I’m enjoying it, at least for now,” she said with a shrug. “Of course, it’s not like being a college professor.”
He rolled his eyes, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his slacks. “True. You actually make a difference.”
Her breath caught at his soft words. Lord, she’d missed this man over the past five years. She missed sleeping in his arms. And sending him a thousand texts a day just because she saw something that captured her imagination. But what she’d truly missed was his unique ability to make her feel good about herself.
When she was with Ash, she could pretend that she was the smartest, most capable woman ever born. As if she could take on the world and win.
Was it any wonder she’d tumbled head over heels in love with him?
“Thanks,” she breathed.
He cocked his head to the side, studying her with a puzzled gaze. “For what?”
“Not many of my old friends understand why I would waste my degrees volunteering in this place.”
His features softened. They both knew the reason she was there. And the effort it’d taken to get to this point.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone,” he assured her. “Your true friends will support you no matter where you decide to work.”
They shared a long, mutual glance of understanding. The sort of glance that only two people intimately connected could share.
Time ticked past. A second—then ten—passed before the sound of someone walking nearby jerked Remi out of her strange sense of enchantment.
Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. The days of lingering gazes were over. She’d made certain of that. Or at least she thought she had.
“I assume you’re in town to spend the holidays with your family?” she asked, belatedly wondering why Ash would be at the youth center.
Pity? Nostalgia? The ghost of Christmas past?
His features hardened, as if her question had reminded him of something unpleasant. “I’m sure we’ll get together while I’m home.”