I had told Ashton to bring Alice back sooner, but how did a personal matter like that turn into what he claimed was a business trip?

As if sensing my confusion, Ashton clarified, "I mentioned it to Mr. Hall."

"Oh," I said, though the explanation didn’t immediately strike me as odd. It wasn’t until I had eaten a few bites of pancakes that it started to sink in.

"Wait a second," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "When did you and Mr. Hall get so ...