Guided Love (Prick #1) (48 page)

The locket from Lucas, Mom's wedding rings, and the only wedding picture of her and my dad that they hadn't lost in the years they had been married.

I used to wear the locket all the time, but the night my brothers decided to mortify me beyond repair and Lucas decided to laugh it up
with
them, I put it in this box and walked away. Maybe if I kept his gift away from my heart, my heart would slowly let him go.

I sighed and shut the secret door that only three people in the entire world knew about. Me, Dad, and of course, Lucas. I mean how could I not let him know about it? He had convinced me to reveal my hiding spot long ago when playing with my brothers. He never told anyone about it, though, and whenever he was the one looking around, he never came to find me.

Another reason why the pieces of my heart belonged to him.

"Let him go? Yeah, right. You are doing a great job so far, Ash," I snipped to myself.

"Great job of what, my beauty?"

I startled and fell back onto the huge pile of shoes while clutching at the clothes I had just hung, ripping them off the hangers. Dad had always been the master of stealth and grace. Me? Not so much. I still smiled at the familiar nickname in my moment of pure terror, though.

Dad stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest and a huge grin on his face. Of all the people who knew about my infatuation with Lucas, Dad was the only one who was aware of how deeply I had actually fallen for him. He was the one I went crying to that night after all. He was the one who told me that things would work out for the best in the end and that no matter what happens in my life, I should follow my gut.

At the time, my gut was telling me to run away. He helped me run.

Got me into a nice apartment and helped me contact the people I needed to transfer my college credits and get set up to attend school in Ohio.

Why Ohio?

It's where my mother, Isabelle, grew up. It was the only place he was going to allow me to go. Isabelle means 'devoted to God', so you can imagine why he thought Ohio would be perfect. I was going to be close to my mother's parents who agreed to look out for me and who were also extremely religious. Unfortunately for Dad, they were already really old and both of them passed away within the first three years of me being there.

However, he still trusted me and he still knew that I needed this time on my own no matter the fierce protectiveness he felt for me. That's why Dad was my real hero. Regardless of what he actually wanted to do, he knew what he
needed
to do when it came down to it.

Let me live a life on my own.

"You scared the hell out of me, Dad!"

He chuckled and moved over to the foot of my bed and sat down. "I apologize, sweetheart. You looked like you were thinking pretty hard about something. Had me worried."

He still had a little of an Irish brogue when he spoke, but it was gone for the most part. Mom begged him to never let it go because it was what made her fall in love with him in the first place. He held onto it until the day she died, then he gave it up because what was the point?

I loved the few times it came out. Reminded me of how much they loved each other and how much he loved all of us. He had left his family behind to make a family with her. The reason why that wedding picture was so important to me. It reminded me to never settle, to hope for something as wonderful as what my parents had. He gave up everything to be with my mother. Love like that is rare these days.

I had only ever met his parents twice. Once the day I was born and once at Mom's funeral. Neither time really gave me the opportunity to get to know them, but they supported Dad when he found Mom and they never fought it.

"I wasn't expecting him to come over," Dad muttered and ran a hand through his still thick and nearly black hair. "He took a few days off, which he never does, and wanted to make sure he was ready for the meeting."

"You don't have to explain anything, Dad. It's fine. I'm over it," I lied.

"Really?" he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow. His dark blue eyes twinkled with mischief.

I sighed and stood with my chin held high. "I will be."

He grinned, "If that is what you want."

I didn't respond, because any denial would be another complete lie so, he watched me for a moment while I attempted to hide the turmoil running through me. Why did I have to care about that man so much? Why did he affect me like no one else could? It was really annoying.

"He lives down the street."

My head snapped up.
No, no, no.

"He moved into the old Johnson house several years ago. Left his mother behind in that nasty shack, made a name for himself. He is the youngest detective I have, but he is the best. I invited him over for dinner tonight."

"What?" I gasped. My legs were starting to wobble, but by some miracle they didn't give out. The last thing I wanted was to act like more of an idiot in front of him. Especially when Conall and Fergus weren't here. I wasn't completely prepared to act like the grown woman I wanted him to see. I had little scenes ready here and there, but a whole dinner?

I was so screwed.

"We won't be off until after six o'clock tonight. Would you mind whipping up something special?"

Against my better judgment, I nodded, my mind already planning a perfect meal to serve him. His favorite, my lasagna. Never had he spoken to me more than when I made lasagna. He praised and praised and praised while he was eating it and it had been too long since I heard him tell me how perfect of a cook I was.

"Great. I'll see you later tonight, my beauty."

He kissed my forehead and walked out of the room, leaving me to catch my breath and think about what I had moved back to.

Any other woman would take it as an opportunity to seduce the man she had loved for so long without interference from her overprotective brothers.
I
was hoping to take it as an opportunity to get over him and show him what he had missed out on.

"It's the only logical choice," I mumbled to myself.

Lucas wasn't going to know what hit him, but it was too late for him to do anything about it. I was going to be over it by the time dessert was over.