In Love, Never Say Never

Everyone froze. After a few moments, Ashton coldly surveyed our ensemble. His gaze landed on John’s hand, maintaining its tight grip on mine, and lingered. Without betraying any hint of emotion, Ashton said coolly, “Wasn’t it enough for you to take Audrey away? You had to come back and take Scarlett too, hadn’t you? Did you think I’d stand idly by and let you do that?”

John laughed in derision. Narrowing his eyes, John looked at Ashton with evident contempt.

Ashton, however, did not take the bait. He slowly shifted his gaze to Audrey, who was still perched on John’s arms. Ashton’s gaze softened. Gently, he cooed, “Audrey!”

Audrey’s face burst into an expression of rapturous joy. Squirming in John’s arms, she proclaimed, “Mr. Fuller, you’re so handsome!”

We were all rather nonplussed by Audrey’s sudden confession. Bemused, I reflected, Is this really the best time to be talking about looks?

The charged atmosphere was abruptly reduced to a state of awkwardness.

John’s face looked glum. Meanly, he snapped at Audrey, “Audrey, what did I teach you?”

“I remember now!” Audrey’s features were squished in a moment of intense concentration. Suddenly, she raised her finger and intoned, as if she was reciting her lessons, “Other than Uncle John, any other men who are handsome are bad men!”

then turned to look at Audrey solemnly. “I’ll give you another chance. What do you call

O. Proudly,

we get home,” John said approvingly. Even as he teased Audrey, however, his

this mean that besides John, no other man in this world

can really manifest in the oddest

looked utterly unfazed by the ridiculous skit he’d just witnessed. Beaming brightly at Audrey, he said in a mellow, cajoling tone, “Audrey, it’s Daddy! Are you

immediately tried to

Audrey’s ears instantly pricked up. Wide-eyed with delight, she exclaimed, “Are you really

“Of course.” “No!”

at once. The difference between the two men could not be starker. John had spoken vehemently, his eyes wild. He looked as if he was on

his face. Entirely blasé about John’s indignation, he continued, this time extending both

beneath Audrey’s, coolly lifting her