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“Ugh, Dad! School, school, school. That’s all you ever care about.” Mia stormed off.
“She’s got the teenage mood swings down pat.” I try to make light of the situation.
“She sure does. Give it a few years, and she’ll work it out.”
“Years? I don’t know if I’ll survive.”
“Sure you will. Come on, let's get some coffee.”
“Good morning, you two!” Roberta sings as we enter the kitchen. “We’ve got fresh coffee over there, and breakfast will be ready at 8.”
“Thanks, Roberta. I’m going to grab a cup and see what I need to get Pony Cottage back in commission.”
“Mind if I follow you around today? For the story?”
“Of course. Let’s go.” We head through the dining room, where a few ladies are sipping coffee, waiting for the day to start.
“Travis, I’ve been waiting for you.” Barb stops us. “Can I have a word with you?”
“Sure, what can I do for you, Barb?”
“I was hoping to speak with you alone.”
“Sorry, Barb, I can’t do that. Ava is our manager-in-training, so I need her to experience it all.”
“I asked your daughter to have you come to my room last night,” she says indignantly.
“Yeah, sorry. By the time I finished my office work, it was too late. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“You could never disturb me.” She takes a step closer to me. I take a step closer to Ava.
“So, what is it that you need?”
“Um, the window. I couldn’t get it open. I like to get some fresh air in my room at night.”
“Oh sure, I’ll send Kenny up to take a look. He’s Mr. Fixit around here. Now, I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you at breakfast in about an hour.” Ava grabs my hand, and we walk off before Barb can come up with anything else.
“She doesn’t quit easily, does she?”
“She sure doesn’t.” I walk quickly toward the front door. We hop into the golf cart and head over to Pony Cottage.
“I may have to stay out here with you if we can get it back in working order. I’m a little scared of Barb and what she’ll do if you’re not around!” I say only half kidding.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be your protector,” Ava says, standing tall and flexing her muscles.
I can’t help but laugh at how ridiculous that is. I’m easily twice her size.
“Hey, it’s not that funny.”
“Yeah, ok.” I’m starting to enjoy her company. She’s got a fun yet calming presence–just easy to be around like her brother. Ryder and I hit it off from the get-go. It’s always been an easy, natural friendship between us. But Ava isn’t Ryder. She’s a lot more attractive than Ryder.
Playing her boyfriend has its perks. When she grabbed my hand to get me away from Barb, I felt a spark, but I think it was more of a jolt to my system. It’s been so long since I’ve had physical contact with another woman.
“OK, I think I see where the problem is. I’m not sure if I have the right part to fix this. I’ll look in the shed after breakfast. Let’s get back.” We get into the golf cart and drive back toward the house.
“Dad! Dad!! Come quick!” Mia is yelling, running toward us.
“What is it?!” I say, alarmed, hoping she’s overreacting but preparing myself for the worst.
