Free Redeemed by Becca Jameson

ridiculous of course, but the idea still seeped into her mind.
    Footsteps on the stairs made her spin around. She almost tripped over her own feet, heart pounding as she waited for the owner of the stomping feet to emerge.
    “Hey, squirt,” Josh announced as his legs came into view.
    She set her hand on her chest and glared in his direction.
    “Sorry,” he said when he noticed her stance. “I forgot to announce myself.” He strolled across the room and briefly pecked her cheek.
    She couldn’t ask for better family. Even her own brother took care of her.
    “Why are you off today?”
    “It’s Monday. I’m always off on Mondays.” He stepped toward her easel and furrowed his brow as he stared at the blank canvas. And then he chuckled and grinned at her. “I get it now. You’re working on a rendition of the yard. Cute. You’ve nailed it.”
    “Ha ha.” She tried to be miffed with his not-so-subtle jibe, but she couldn’t hold the emotion. A smile crept across her face. “I’m good. What can I say?” She shrugged.
    “You okay?” He wandered toward her.
    “Yep.” No .
    “I spoke to Evan last night.”
    And you found it necessary to tell me this why? She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything. Who cared if Josh spoke to Evan?
    He continued anyway. “He’s got some meeting today and then he says he’s coming home for a few days.”
    “So? How does this concern me?” She cross her arms and hugged herself tight, suddenly cold.
    Josh fingered the afghan on the back of the couch and leaned his hip against the upholstery. “Don’t try that with me, Ash. I mated with Samantha months ago myself. I know you have to be hurting, no matter what you say. I don’t know how you can do it.”
    “Do what?” She dipped her head, sorry she’d asked.
    “Ignore the calling.”
    Deflated, Ashley’s shoulders fell. He was right. Every time she thought about Evan her heart pounded and her body reacted in ways she could barely define. Sure, she’d had sex. Obviously she’d had sex. But she’d never felt half what she felt just thinking about Evan. No encounter with Damon compared to the way her body reacted to Evan’s the one and only time he’d touched her cheek for several brief seconds two months ago.
    But then she considered the future. She would be a pain in his ass for life if she dragged him into her mess. It wasn’t fair to him.
    “Why are you doing this?”
    “Doing what?” She knew good and well what he referred to, but it was so much easier to play ignorant.
    “Pretending you don’t care. Faking like you can brush Evan under the rug and move on.”
    “Any other choice would be cruel.”
    “And you think what you’re doing isn’t? You’re only hurting both of you.” He held up a hand when she stepped back. “Look, I didn’t come here to lecture you. I’m sorry.”
    He circled the couch and took a seat. “How are your classes going?”
    “Okay.” She was taking two online classes this semester, trying to get her feet back under her. At least they occupied her mind and kept her busy. Her art filled the rest of her time, when she was able to disassociate and really let herself go long enough to concentrate.
    “Just okay?”
    “Stop acting like Mom and Dad. I get enough of that already.”
    Josh chuckled. “All right. Fine. You win. Listen, the reason I came by was to see if you wanted to go for a run.”
    Her heart pounded hearing the words. She was already shaking her head before he finished the sentence. “It’s snowing outside. The weather sucks.”
    He laughed again. “Ash, you know good and well it’s the perfect weather. No one would come upon us and it’s beautiful. It’s my favorite time to shift. And it’s so rare to get to do so during the day.”
    “I have a lot to do.” She ducked her head and stared at her feet, shuffling them on the floor. “I have homework and I’m working on a painting.”
    “The one with the snow scene?” He pointed to the