Cam was somewhere in the house talking to his sister, who’d arrived while they were out. Asher was sitting in the corner of the living room, strumming his guitar. Her mother and father and Ida were in the games room playing cribbage. There were no paparazzi around, since Ida had charged them next to nothing to stay at her house. And Elsie was stretched out on the sofa reading a book and trying her best not to fall asleep. Between the quiet sounds of the guitar and the crack and hiss of the fireplace, it was hard to keep her eyes open. She was content. Her house was full of people that mattered. Even Asher counted. At some point he’d become more friend to her than lover. And she also realized that what he ultimately wanted from her was friendship as well. “You awake over there?” he asked, still strumming. “Barely,” she murmured. “Cam’s a good fellow.” “Yea, I think so too.” “You like him?” “Yup.” “You love him?” “That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it, Ted?
