Page 13 of Ashes to Ink

Now was not the time to be dating a woman that he reallyadmired, respected, and one that happened to have a daughter that he reallyliked.

“You asked out Abby?” Adrienne asked as she walked throughthe door, Mace behind her.

Ryan put his hands over his face and shook his head. “Whydid you have to walk in at that exact moment?”

Adrienne just grinned. “Because I’m amazing and I needed tohear this, apparently. So, did she say yes?” She shook her head. “Of course shesaid yes. You wouldn’t look so sick to your stomach if she hadn’t said yes.”

Mace looked down at his woman and then back up at Ryan. “Ihave no idea what that means. Why do you look sick?”

“Because she said yes.” Ryan let his hands fall and staredat his friends. They were in a lull between projects, something that they allliked to take advantage of if they had time. Having moments where they coulddiscuss business and life was good for the four of them.

However, Ryan really wanted someone to walk into the shopright now so he could work on a tattoo. Anything so he didn’t have to talk toAdrienne about the fact that he had asked Abby on a date. Anything so he didn’thave to talk about any of it at all.

But because this was Ryan and his life, no one walked in.

He turned to face Adrienne fully. “She said yes,” he repeated.“Yes. What was she thinking? What was I thinking? I wasn’t supposed toask her out. I know the rules. You don’t poach on your own territory. Orsomeone else’s territory. I can’t even make words anymore. What is wrong withme?” He put his head in his hands again, ignoring the way that Shep and Mace started chuckling beside him.

He would get them back later for this. Of course, he hadalready gotten to Mace a bit when Mace started dating Adrienne. He’d evenwalked in on them once—or three times. He’d lost count. He really didn’t wantto think about that.

Shep had come into Ryan’s lifealready married with a baby. But Ryan had also walked in on Shepand Shea making out in the closet like teenagers.

Apparently, his lot in life was to walk in on his friendsmaking out with their people.

He really needed a new role.

Or a new life.

Or maybe a new address.

Could he live in Timbuktu? Was that even a place anymore?

Oh, God, he was losing his mind.

Adrienne stood in front of him then, and he looked down ather. She pulled her dark hair back, her bright eyes staring at him. “You askedher because you like her. She said yes because she likes you. She’s gentle, butthen again, Ryan, so are you.” Ryan opened his mouth to protest, to say therewasn’t anything gentle about him and they all knew it, but Adrienne held up herhands. “No. You are. You might be a badass like everyone else here. You havethe tattoos, the piercings, you have the bad attitude when you feel like it.But you’re sweet. And I don’t exactly know why you are so sweet sometimesbecause you won’t tell us anything about your life, but I will wait for gossipa little bit later. What I want to know now is if you’re happy about this.Because I see something in your eyes, and it looks like fear. Do you want totalk about it?”

“Don’t make him talk if he doesn’t want to,” Shep murmured.

“Don’t tell your sister what to do, it’ll just make her gooff in the opposite direction,” Mace answered.

Adrienne flipped off her brother and her man, all whilelooking at Ryan. That took skill.

“I asked her out. I don’t know if I should have.”

“I’ve watched you look at her, just like I’ve watched herlook at you. I like the two of you. And I know that you both respect each otherand our little territory here, as you put it, enough that you’re not going tomake the same mistakes you might have with other people. Go slow. Test it out.Just know if you make mistakes and hurt her, I will geld you. I’ll still letyou work here, but you will have no balls. That’s not a threat as your employerbut as a friend of Abby’s. And as your friend. Don’t go ball-less, Ryan.Treasure your balls. Don’t piss me off. And don’t hurt Abby.”

Both Shep and Mace crossed theirlegs, laughter in their eyes. Ryan flipped them off just because he could and thenlooked down at Adrienne once more.

“You sure do like to talk about my balls.”

“That’s my sister, you asshole,” Shepput in.

“And my woman. Maybe I’ll be the one to geld you before yougo see Abby. She might not like it if you have no balls.”

Everyone started laughing, and Ryan closed his eyes, holdingback a groan. He’d officially lost his mind, but then again, he couldn’t reallyhelp it. He hadn’t grown up in the sanest family, not with his parents doingtheir best to make sure that Michael was the most spoiled brat ever. Not whenthey had put all of their hopes and dreams into Ryan and then pushed him awaywhen he didn’t do what he was supposed to.

“Why don’t you tell me what else is going on while I cleanup my station and get ready for my client?”

“It’s fine.”