Love Isn't Blind 2 Read Free

quitting while his book was only a quarter written, she felt as though she were abandoning more than just a person who didn't know how to act around her; but there was only so much treatment like an outcast she could stand.
    Helene was her usual kind and supportive self. They'd become closer over the last few days, spending time talking in the evenings and even retreating to the housekeeper's room to watch a movie on her television. Anthony didn't have a TV anywhere in the house and didn't like the idea of having one sitting around just because all houses should have one. That was fine with Ashley; she'd rather read a good book than stare at a screen for hours at a time, but the comfort of sitting in a battered old armchair and gossiping about the characters in a British historical drama with Helene was quickly becoming part of an evening she looked forward to.
    Helene, of course, had yet to acknowledge the strained relationship between Ashley and their boss. She was too smart a woman and had been around far too long to not realize that something had happened, but she was blessedly quiet on the subject. The only real indication that she knew anything was the way she'd begun to treat Ashley as a member of the strange little family unit she'd built with Anthony. Their conversations became far more frequent and casual, and an easy-going friendship blossomed into something akin to what a girl and her grandmother might share. The only real downside was that Helene was intent on using food to cure whatever heartache Ashley might be feeling inside, and with only two of them in the house, it was a chore to keep up with the steady stream of brownies and cookies and other baked treats that came out of the oven every day while the boss was away.
    A week went by without either of them hearing from Anthony, when suddenly one evening Helene perked up from her chair during the middle of an episode of their TV show.
    "That'll be Mr. Lang at the door," she said. Helene stood and folded the blanket she had laid across her lap. "You just go on watching, and I'll see to his bags."
    The voices on the TV faded into the background as Ashley's heartbeat kicked into overdrive. The idea seeing him once he was settled was at the forefront of her thoughts, but she knew it probably wasn't the best idea. She'd have to keep her distance until he asked for her. After all, she was the employee and he was the boss. He'd made it very clear that he didn't want anything more than this, and there was no point in her banging on his door and scolding him with questions about what the hell he might have been thinking when he took off in the middle of the night just to get away from her.
    No, it was better to follow his lead. He was a man used to being in control, this much was clear. He'd spent so much time in situations where his life depended on as much knowledge and influence as possible, and the idea of falling in love with a woman like Ashley was probably too much for him to handle. Love was more difficult to navigate than any hostile territory his missions might have taken him to, and she had to tell herself that time to adjust to this new person in his life was probably what he needed the most.
    "What did I miss?" asked Helene, stepping quickly past the television to settle back into her chair.
    "Sorry?" asked Ashley. She had no idea what the woman was referring to.
    "The show, dear. Did the valet confess that he'd broken Lady Hemmingsworth's priceless vase?"
    "Oh, um, I really don't remember," said Ashley. She felt her face flush with the embarrassment of essentially admitting she'd been so preoccupied with Anthony's return that she hadn't noticed what had been blaring on the TV right in front of her.
    "Not to worry," said Helene. "I always record them so I can watch them later. Mr. Lang bought me one of those digital recorder devices so I can save my shows. We can just zip right back and pick up where we were interrupted."
    Ashley mumbled something about