Page 40 of Verdict

"Burger."

"Food you hate the most?"

"Easy. Shrimp."

Ava gasped. "Shrimp? Seriously? Shrimp is the best!"

"Nope. The whole black stringy thing that is literally their shit. Not doing it." I shook my head.

She laughed, "They clean that out!"

I shook my head again, shifting uncomfortably in the saddle. My inner thighs were starting to burn, my ass hurt, and my junk didn't feel right. "I don't know how you willingly jump over things with these animals."

She grinned, a small laugh breaking free. "It's a lot of fun."

I scoffed. "Sounds more like terrifying."

Somehow, in the midst of twenty-one questions, we'd reached the clearing, also known as 'Walker's Spot.' He wasn't wrong; it was definitely the best view of his property. Hills rolled on for miles into the distance, painted with colorful wildflowers and large oaks. A river flowed quietly through the landscape, the sun casting a glitter of diamonds off the surface. I took a deep breath and took it all in.

Snapping me out of my daze, Ava spoke. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

With my gaze settled firmly on hers, I nodded. "Incredibly."

Ava turned her head quickly, looking back out at the view—breaking the spell. We sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the horses lower their heads to graze.

"Thanks for doing this…" she trailed off. "And thank you for sticking around and doing this whole parenting thing with me. Ellie and I are really lucky to have you."

I swallowed past the lump that formed in my throat. "You don't have to thank me, Ava. Ellie is as much my responsibility as she is yours." Leaning forward, I propped my forearms on top of the saddle horn. "If anything, she's lucky she has you as her mom."

Ava's eyes shone with what looked like unshed tears, her lips tipping up in a slight smile. But as quickly as the emotion appeared, it was gone. "Who would have thought we would make such good parents?" she chuckled softly. "Especially together?" she joked. I had quickly learned that Ava's MO was to revert to humor when she was uncomfortable or trying to mask emotion.

It wasn't my place to push her, so I simply nodded and forced out a laugh. "Your guess is as good as mine."

I carried a sleeping Ellie across Ava's apartment and settled her into her crib. I brushed my fingers gently through her dark hair, her eyelashes fluttering softly. I could watch her sleep all day. When I turned to leave the room, Ava was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching.

"I think today was a lot for her; she’s out cold." I made my way past Ava and into her living room. Once she quietly closed the door, she followed behind.

"Definitely. But it was fun, I'm glad we decided to spend some time in Primrose Hill." She began playing with the end of her long ponytail. "And I love that I got to see you on a horse," she teased.

I scoffed. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it. My junk still hurts." I shifted myself in my jeans for dramatic effect, pulling a laugh from Ava. I loved making her laugh. Loved knowing the brightness in her eyes was because of me.

I lingered for a moment, and I wasn't sure what for.

Did I want her to ask me to stay?

She didn't seem in a rush to lead me out the door either. The quiet stretched between us. The air felt charged.

Ava clapped her hands together, as if to cut the tension. "Well, I should get to bed. I'm pretty exhausted, and Ellie's been waking up a little earlier lately."

I thumbed over my shoulder toward the door. “Yeah. I’ve got to get to the field early in the morning.” I turned to leave, then stopped short, pivoting back. “Hey, would you want to bring Ellie to the game tomorrow night? I’ve got seats behind the dugout. I even got her those little headphones for the noise.”

“Yeah, that’d be really fun. I haven’t been to a game since y’all won the World Series. Thanks.” She flashed me a soft, appreciative smile.

The World Series.

I shoved the memory down before it could take shape—that night…with her.

“You can bring Aria too if you want. There are four seats,” I continued, pushing past it.