Ash’s chest continued to pinch through her late lunch with Burke. But at least the tension in the very air around them had dissipated. Still, she didn’t like how she had to work so hard to convince herself that he liked her. Did it matter what the reasons were? Or when the attraction had begun?
“How’s your mom doing?” he asked as the waiter brought their check.
“She looked really good this morning, actually.” Ash saw the golden sun haloing her mother in her mind’s eye. “She loves to work in the garden.”
“I’m surprised she still does it.”
“If it’s been several days since her treatment, it’s usually okay.”
“When’s her next one?”
“Friday.” Four more days. These were usually the best days of the month for her mother—and for Ash too. “Should we go get her ramen bowl?”
“Sure.” He picked u
