Designed for Love (Texas Nights) by Kelsey Browning

desk you love so m—”
    “Ashton Nicole Davenport!”
    She froze and stared at Jessup. “What?”
    “You’re getting ahead of yourself.” He drew himself up to his full height, which put them about eye-to-eye. “I am moving to Shelbyville, but I already have suitable housing.”
    “But...”
    He squeezed her arm. “No affront intended, but a college student needs peace and quiet and study space.”
    “A what?”
    “I’ve enrolled in Southeast State for the next semester to pursue a degree.”
    Everything inside her went topsy-turvy, with excitement sinking and shame rising. Wasn’t this what she’d wanted for him—an excellent opportunity? And her first thought had been how he would make her life easier. Bad, bad Ashton. Like the old Ashton.
    Something rustled in the bushes, and she called, “Napoleon, here, sweetie.” More rustling and a menacing growl. That was not her dog. She dashed toward the yaupon the sound had come from and crashed through the branches slapping against her face and tangling in her hair. “Napoleon!”
    What she happened upon wasn’t her fluffy dog, but rather a couple of raccoons engaged in paw-to-paw combat over the burned mini-franks she’d tossed out earlier. “Hell.” The raccoons looked up at her and she could swear they narrowed their little masked eyes at her. She backed away with tiny, careful steps. “They’re all yours.”
    When she finally disentangled herself from the scratchy branches with clumps of pine straw poking through the mesh uppers of her heels, Jessup was holding Napoleon, both of them with innocent expressions on their faces.
    “You may be living in your own place—” she pointed an accusing finger at Jessup, then at her dog, “—but I’m keeping my eye on both of you.”
    * * *
    Deciding the blackjack party wasn’t the time to corner Gigi about a design job, Ashton invited her to lunch at Paradise Garden Café, which was situated in the recently renovated Kilgore house at the corner of Main and Petty. She took a moment to admire the three interconnected wooden signs hanging from the front porch eave—Personal Assets, Red Light Lingerie, and Paradise Garden Café. The old Victorian had been given a facelift with white paint, black trim and a new porch.
    Although the café could be accessed by the side door, Ashton entered the house through the front so she could admire her design handiwork. Delicate sconces, beautifully restored trim, and walls the color of a perfect latte. She’d been so certain decorating the Kilgore house would bring Designs to Die For heaps of business.
    She’d been wrong.
    But she planned to change that today.
    Before taking a left toward the café, she poked her head into Roxanne’s lingerie store to find her busy with at least five customers. Not surprising with the way she continually rotated her inventory. Some outfits, like the leather boy shorts and bra combo, were provocative. Others, like the pink-and-white candy-striped pajamas, were flirty.
    The woman had a knack for the sexy in a way Ashton—although she appreciated fine lingerie in her own drawer—never would have if she’d continued to run Davenport Lingerie.
    When Roxanne glanced over, Ashton gave a little wave, crossed the main hallway and bypassed the café’s interior to head for the veranda. It was a little cool yet, but only a few tables remained open under the portable heaters. She tucked her portfolio into the chair to her left and looked up to find Eden Durant, Paradise’s owner, hurrying over. “Meeting someone?”
    “My grandmother.”
    Eden used her pencil to flick her long dark braid from under the strap of her turquoise overalls and over her shoulder. “We have some fabulous peach herb tea today.”
    “Just water for me. But bring the tea for her.”
    Before Eden could walk away, Gigi, wearing a school-bus-yellow pantsuit adorned with a lion’s head pin on the lapel, strolled onto the veranda. How did it feel to have that much