Age of Ava by Melanie Moreland

Chapter 6

Hunter

Ipicked up the building permit Tuesday morning. There was an older woman in the office now, and she was friendly, introducing herself as Milly and answering the few questions I had. I stopped at the pet store, selected a new collar, then bought a few groceries. I sat in my truck, using the information Milly had given me, and arranged for a disposal bin to be delivered by Thursday. I had to start cleaning out the house. It was going to take me a while to go through everything that my grandfather had squirreled away in the place. I hadn’t been kidding when I told Ava the house was a time capsule. I doubted much had changed since I had been there as a child. As fuzzy as my memories were, some things were very familiar as I walked through the house.

I grabbed lunch at the small diner in town. It was still early, and the place was quiet. I decided on the all-day breakfast, and I opened the folder with the lists I had made of everything I needed to do back at my grandfather’s house.

Or mine now, I supposed. It felt odd thinking of owning something. I wasn’t staying, but I had plans to renovate and use the property for income. I never stayed anywhere very long. I rubbed my eyes, not wanting to think too deeply on that subject today. I didn’t want to think about anything, especially not the one thing I couldn’t seem to get out of my mind.

Ava.

From the moment I had first seen her, she had fascinated me. Intrigued me. Our last two encounters had only cemented both sensations. Kissing her was dangerous. Having her close was an enticement I found too difficult to resist. That smart mouth of hers tempted. Her sexy laughter was an invitation to trouble. Even knowing she was part of the BAM family hadn’t diminished the draw I felt toward her. After what happened on Sunday, I knew I had to stay away from her. I had the feeling she could throw my entire world into chaos.

It didn’t stop her from popping into my head frequently, though.

I recalled the day I arrived in town and went to the lawyer’s office. He went over the will, explaining the house and property as well as a small inheritance that was involved. I had been shocked enough finding out about my grandfather, never mind that he’d left me some money.

“What are your plans?” he asked.

“Do I have a choice?”

“Many. Keep it, fix it up and rent it, sell it.” He shrugged. “It’s yours now to do with what you want. But there is an interested party.”

“Interested party?” I asked.

He only nodded, but I heard his secretary, Natasha, mutter something. She was younger than me, pretty, but there was a hard edge to her expression, as if she’d been wronged once too often.

Whatever she said, he ignored, and he handed me a copy of the will. “Your grandfather added a codicil not long ago, although it’s a moot addition now. You can read this over. I’ll make myself available for any questions you might have.”

I left, standing outside, unsure what to do next. Go see the property and decide, perhaps. That seemed the best course of action.

Natasha came out, handing me a card, distaste in her voice. “Mr. Daniels asked me to give this to you. This is the company that wants the property if you were interested.” She sniffed. “Your grandfather disliked them.”

I glanced at the logo on the card. BAM.

“Why?” I asked.

“They pressured him. Always snooping around the property, making up excuses to be on it. He complained to me more than once.” She leaned close. “Rich, entitled snobs, they are. Too good for any of us around here. Always throwing their weight around. They own all the land around yours, and they wanted more.” She shook her head. “They always want more. Your grandfather was sure they would ruin the entire landscape with their plans. He held firm.”

I hated high-handed tactics. I had seen them too often in the various jobs I had held. If that was how this company worked, I wanted no part of them.

Yet, Ava didn’t seem to be that way. But I didn’t really know her. And I never would.

I shook my head from my thoughts and returned to studying the lists on the table. Someone slid into the booth across from me, and I looked up, surprised to meet the beautiful eyes of none other than the woman herself. Ava Callaghan. She was in full business mode, a dark green suit hugging her torso, her hair swept into a knot at the base of her neck, the purple streaks barely visible. A silky-looking white blouse peeked out from under her jacket, and her makeup was minimal.

She was stunning.

“That seat is taken,” I said dryly.

Her eyes danced in the sunlight filtering through the windows. “It is now.”

My waitress came over and placed my meal in front of me. She smiled at Ava. “Coffee?”

“No,” I said at the same time Ava nodded.

“Please, Connie. And some rye toast.”

Good God, was there anyone this woman didn’t know?

Connie looked between us and shrugged, walking away.

“I don’t remember asking you to join me.”

She grinned, not at all put out by my tone. “I felt it. It’s one of my superhero talents. I can hear your inner voice.”

I picked up my utensils. “I hope you can hear what my inner voice is saying right at this moment. In case you’re unclear, that’s not ‘hey, you.’”

She giggled. A full-out, girlie giggle that seemed so out of place given her outfit and the vibe she was putting off.

The sound made me want to smile.

Which pissed me off and I deepened my frown.

“Don’t you have corrupt city officials to bother instead of me?”

“Nope, I’m all yours.”

“Lucky me,” I said sarcastically.

“Where’s Cash?”

“Locked in the house, no doubt trying to figure out how to pick the lock and escape.”

She grinned. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out. He’ll know how to hot-wire the truck soon.”

I had to chuckle.

She snagged a home fry off my plate, chewing it slowly.

“Hey, stop that,” I snarled, trying to smack her hand when she reached for another one.

“I love their home fries,” she protested.

“Get your own.”

“I like yours.” Then she snuck a piece of my toast.

Little thief.

I rolled my eyes and cut into the omelet. It was filled with ham, mushrooms, onions, and dripping with cheese. I closed my eyes briefly as I chewed. It was delicious, and I was starving. I wasn’t much of a cook, and there was little in the way of food at the house.

Ava hummed across the table, and I opened my eyes, shocked to see her nibbling on a piece of my bacon with my coffee cup in her hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” I reached across the table and snagged the cup back. I was too late to grab the bacon. “That’s mine.”

“I love bacon,” she informed me, as if that made it okay to steal it off my plate. “And I needed a sip. I don’t see the problem. We’ve shared spit already.”

I almost choked on the mouthful of coffee I was attempting to swallow.

My God, she had a smart mouth and the balls to use it.

Luckily, Connie came over and put the toast in front of Ava, plus her own cup of coffee, then refilled mine.

“Get her an order of bacon,” I said. “Please,” I added.

“I’m good.” Ava waved her hand.

I met Connie’s eyes. “Another order.”

She was laughing as she moved away. I had to bite back a grin as Ava put a slice of her toast onto my side plate to replace the one she’d eaten. I had a feeling she’d take it back soon enough.

“You finished your hair,” she observed, stabbing another potato on my plate.

Where the hell had she gotten that fork?

I glared at her. “Stop eating my breakfast.” Then I turned the plate so she could get at the potatoes easier. She wasn’t going to listen to me anyway.

I decided to give as good as I got.

“I finished everything you left incomplete,” I said, eyeing her over the rim of my coffee cup.

She sputtered into her cup, setting it down and coughing into a napkin.

“I see. I hope it was satisfactory for you.”

I tried not to smirk. It had been more than satisfactory. With the scent of her still on my skin and the taste of her in my mouth, there would have been only one thing better.

Being inside her.

As if reading my mind, she spoke. Her voice was quiet. “I’m sorry we were interrupted.”

“I assume that was a brother?”

“Yes. Liam.”

I grunted, eating more of my breakfast. She picked at the potatoes, which I had to admit were awesome with tons of onions and paprika in them. Her bacon arrived and she pushed it my way, and we ate it between us.

“I love bacon,” she mused. “It should be its own food group.”

I chuckled.

“It’s best we were interrupted,” I said finally, pushing away my empty plate.

She tilted her head. “Oh?”

“You’re complicated, Ava. I don’t do complicated.”

“What makes you say that?”

I waved my hand. “Oh, let’s see. A huge, rich family that owns all the land surrounding my property and wants to get their hands on it. You have a complete lack of respect for personal space and a habit of turning up in the oddest places. I value my privacy. I don’t need your family or you pushing yourselves into my life. I’m here to work on the house, and that is it. I’ll be gone in the not-too-distant future, so there is no potential for us.”

I didn’t know what I expected, but her reaction surprised me. She wasn’t put out by my words. She shrugged.

“My family is huge, yes. Rich, yes. I’m not. I work hard and earn my money just like everyone else does. As for your property, they would like to buy it if it was for sale, but you’ve made it clear it is not, so they won’t bother you about it. They made your grandfather very generous offers that he declined. They tried to be good neighbors, although he made it difficult at times.” She paused, as if contemplating her next sentence.

“I understand wanting privacy. I like mine as well. I don’t recall asking you for a future, nor planning one with you. Let me remind you that you asked to sleep with me first, not the other way around.”

“I did,” I acknowledged, falling silent as she kept talking.

“You seemed to be just fine with my lack of respect when your cock was in my hand and your tongue was down my throat.”

I blinked.

Jesus.

She had a point, though.

I cleared my throat, tamping down my amusement. “But it’s best nothing happened. In the long run, we’d both regret it, I think.”

“I see,” she said. “So, you have no desire to have sex with me anymore.”

“It’s not that. Not at all. Frankly, I’d give my left nut to have sex with you.”

“Your left nut?” She frowned. “Are you left-handed?”

“No.”

Her eyes twinkled. Danced with mischief.

“So, you wouldn’t give your more predominant nut—the right one—to have sex with me. Only your slightly useless left one.”

For a moment, I stared. Then I began to chuckle. The chuckle became a guffaw, which turned into a deep laugh. The kind you have to hold your stomach while emitting. I bent over, gasping for air as I shouted my amusement into my hand.

Who was this crazy, outspoken woman? And how did she make me feel this way—lighter and more relaxed than I could recall feeling every time I was in her presence?

Finally, I wiped my eyes. “You’re a strange girl, Ava Callaghan.” I swiped at my mouth with a napkin and stood, looking down at her. Before she could say anything, I bent down and kissed her briefly. Hard. Not caring who was watching.

“And yes, I’d give my right nut.” Then I winked and tossed a couple of twenties on the table. “Breakfast is on me.”

I was still laughing as I walked out of the restaurant.

* * *

My smile faded as I pulled up to the house, finding a car full of women waiting for me. I climbed out of the truck, grabbing the bags.

“Whatever you’re selling, ladies, I’m not interested. And if you’re some sort of welcome wagon, consider your job done.”

I walked past them, nodding. “Have a good day.”

“Oh, Ava didn’t mention how handsome you were.”

I stopped short at the sound of her name. “Ava?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “Did she send you?”

The eldest woman stepped forward. Her hair was snow-white, her hazel eyes intelligent, and her voice clear.

“No, Ava didn’t send us. In fact, she informed us you were private and to stay away. But seeing as you are our new neighbor and on your own, we wanted to welcome you and introduce ourselves.”

Another woman spoke up. She held a covered dish in her hand. “That’s what neighbors do.” She eyed me speculatively. Her green gaze was bright, as was her smile. Her purple streaks and facial features let me know she was Ava’s mother.

“I’m not here for long.”

Another woman holding some sort of container laughed. “You’re here now.”

I hesitated, wanting to tell them to go away. I didn’t do neighbors. I didn’t do anyone. I preferred to be alone. That was what I knew. It was all I knew.

“I’d offer you coffee, but I’m afraid I have no way to make any. Maybe another time,” I lied.

“Your grandfather sat outside drinking coffee all the time.”

“I found a carafe,” I admitted. “But no coffeemaker. It must have broken.”

The older woman shook her head. “Stubborn like Jack, aren’t you?” She stepped forward. “I’m Sandy Hayes. These ladies are Ava’s mother, Cami, and her aunts, Emmy and Dee. Now open the door, young man, and I’ll show you where the coffeemaker is.”

I was going to argue but realized it would do me no good.

“I have a dog.”

“We love dogs,” Emmy insisted cheerfully. “And we brought scones.”

Dammit. I loved scones.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “Follow me. Watch Cash doesn’t knock you over. He’s crazy.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, it was as if a hurricane had torn through the kitchen.

Sandy had laughed when I’d shown her the carafe, and she had opened a cupboard, finding a plastic cone and filters. “You add the coffee here and pour boiling water over it,” she explained. “It’s called a drip coffeemaker.”

“There’s no kettle either.”

“Your grandfather boiled water on the stove.”

“I have no idea how to use the stove. It’s propane-based.”

“I’ll show you,” Dee insisted. “That’s what we had before we had electricity and gas lines added to the houses.”

While she was doing that and showing me how to use the ancient equipment, the other ladies performed some sort of miracle. The counter was cleaned, some containers of food put into the refrigerator after they explained each had instructions to reheat or cook. They unpacked the groceries I’d bought, clucking at the store I had been to.

“There is a much bigger one about twenty minutes from here. Better prices and selection,” Emmy said.

“Okay,” I mumbled.

The kitchen table with its plastic table cover was cleaned off, and mugs and plates for scones were set out. They had brought jam and butter with them, already in doubt, it seemed, over my ability to have items such as those on hand.

They were correct.

Cash made a huge liar out of me, greeting them calmly, lying down, and accepting their attention with a wag of his tail. He ate up the attentiveness and cooing, making me roll my eyes.

Then the women all sat and waited for me to join them. I had no choice but to pull up a chair and sit, wondering how the hell to get them out of the house—fast.

“So, Hunter. Ava says you’re doing some work in here?” Sandy asked, looking around. She leaned forward. “I haven’t been inside this house in twenty years, and it looks exactly as I remember it.”

I snorted. “It looks the same as I remember it from thirty-plus years ago.” I stopped talking, picking up my coffee. I had to admit, the carafe and filter thing were old, but the coffee tasted good. I might spring for a kettle, though.

“Yes, you stayed with your grandparents for a short time,” Sandy mused. “Your, ah, mother…?” She trailed off.

“Dead,” I said shortly.

All the women looked horrified at my terse answer.

“We weren’t close,” I stated.

“I see your truck has Alberta license plates on it. Is that where you live?” asked Cami, tilting her head and studying me. She looked like Ava, although Ava’s eyes were unique and her expression was more mischievous.

“I’ve been there a year or so.”

“And before?” she asked.

I waved my hand. “All over. Look, ladies, I appreciate the visit and all, but I’m not one to talk about myself, and I have a lot of work to do. I’ll save you some time. The land isn’t for sale. Not to you, not to anyone. At least, for now. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know. No amount of baked goods or premade meals is going to sway my decision.”

They exchanged glances, and Emmy laughed. She was a pretty lady with golden hair and warm, dark eyes.

“You have us confused with our husbands. We aren’t interested in your land. We tried to befriend your grandfather, but he didn’t want that. Sandy knew your grandmother a little, but once she passed, that was the end of being neighborly. The only one who got even remotely close to him was Ava. She checked on Jack every so often and made sure he was okay. He’d let her sit on the porch on occasion, and other times, he’d tell her to go away. But she always returned.”

Somehow that didn’t surprise me. Any of it. The part about my grandfather or Ava. Emmy kept talking.

“We have no desire to talk business with you. All we wanted was to say hello, let you know we’re right over the bluff, and you’re welcome anytime.”

I felt a rush of guilt for being rude, and I cleared my throat. “Sorry, I’m not used to company.”

Cami patted my hand. “We understand. But we’re close should you change your mind or need anything.” She paused. “So, you’ve met Ava.”

I swallowed the mouthful of scone, wondering what she had told her mother.

“Yes.”

“She mentioned you were applying for some planning permission.”

“Yes. It needs some improvements.” I cleared my throat again, feeling as if I should say something. Something nice about Ava. Probably telling Cami I would like to fuck her daughter would fall outside the realm of polite society acceptance. “She was, ah, very helpful.”

Cami nodded. “She is very good at what she does.”

“She’s very mouthy,” I said without thinking. “And she’s bossy.”

They all laughed. “That’s my daughter,” Cami agreed. “Her father’s mischievousness and my outspokenness. It’s a bad combination.”

“She steals potatoes and bacon off my plate too,” I grumped, then realized what I had said when they all looked at me.

“Ah, I ran into her this morning.”

Cami grinned. “Potatoes are her favorite food—along with bacon. But I thought I taught her better manners than to take food off a stranger’s plate.”

“We’re hardly strangers,” I snorted, then wanted to smack my head on the table.

How the hell were these women getting me to say this shit?

“I mean, she helped me at city hall, and she returned Cash to me when he got off his lead,” I said, sounding lame even to my ears.

They all exchanged glances I was certain had meaning. And had something to do with me. I picked up my mug and drained it, wanting to curse. This time, though, I stayed quiet.

Emmy glanced around. “How do you plan on doing all the work?”

I held up my hands. “With these.”

“You can’t do it all by yourself. We have lots of strong men in the family. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask,” Dee informed me.

They all nodded again, having a silent conversation between them with their looks. I didn’t like it.

I didn’t tell them that wouldn’t be happening. I preferred to work alone, and if there was a job I needed help doing, I would hire someone. I remained silent.

They took my lack of response as their cue to change the subject. I ate a couple of scones and complimented Emmy on how delicious they were. They chatted about the area, and I pushed myself to remain polite. They were all kind, lovely women. Mothers. Caring and concerned, wanting to help. I mentioned I planned on shopping for a grill, and they recommended a place close to the grocery store they had mentioned. They told me about a great mechanic, where to shop for pet supplies that had a greater selection than the store in town, and a whole host of other information I didn’t ask for and had no idea I needed to know. But I smiled and nodded, allowing them to write down their phone numbers and email information. They didn’t force the issue when I didn’t offer mine in return.

Then in a flurry of goodbyes and hugs I wasn’t prepared for, they departed. I walked back into the house after waving them off and looked down at Cash. The house somehow seemed darker, duller since they left, which felt odd. Too quiet.

I preferred the isolation and the silence. I always had. It was all I knew.

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, boy.”

He woofed and thumped his tail on the wooden floor, seemingly agreeing with me.

I shook my head at the strange thoughts.