AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Once Stuart went back to Yachats, Aine intended to have it out with him. She’d had enough of his seesaw behavior.
“Thanksgiving is less than a week away,” Tabon said to Stuart. “You stickin’ around for it?”
“That’s up to Aine,” he answered, looking at her.
“I’d love it if you would, but you should know that Penelope and Tara are arriving on Tuesday.”
“Who are they?”
“You remember. Ava, Quinn, and I went to boarding school and college with them.”
“Doesn’t sound familiar, but I look forward to meeting them.”
She and Stuart had talked about her friends more than once. It humiliated her that he said he had no recollection of it. She knew her cheeks were flushed, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
When the meal was over, she invited Stuart to take a walk on the beach, but he begged off, saying the cold was making his knees ache.
“I’m heading back to the inn if you want a ride,” offered Striker.
Aine prayed Stuart would decline the invitation, but he didn’t.
“What time should I expect you in the morning?” he asked.
“I’ll walk you out.” Aine all but pulled Stuart through the front door. “I’ll take you back,” she said once they were outside. “We can talk about what you’d like to do tomorrow.”
“Should we—”
“No,” she answered before he could say another word about Striker. “He’ll figure it out.”
—:—
“I’d laugh if it weren’t my sister-in-law on the other side of these games you’re playing,” said Razor, pointing out the window. “Looks like you’re spared a driving companion tonight.”
Ava stalked back down the hallway after putting the baby down, and made a beeline straight for Striker. “You and I need to talk.”
Razor raised his eyebrows and smirked. “You’re in for it now, man,” he whispered.
“Have a seat,” she said with her hands on her hips.
Striker knew better than to argue.
Rather than sitting herself, Ava paced back and forth in front of him.
“My sister is also my best friend, Striker. The last thing I want her to do is leave, but if you keep this up, I’m going to tell her to.”
“Keep what up?”
“You can’t keep your eyes off of her. Do you think she doesn’t notice? Or that Stuart doesn’t?” She shook her head. “You broke her heart. Don’t you get that? Stop acting like you’ve changed your mind. Unless you have, you’re being incredibly unfair to her.”
“Are you finished?”
Striker heard Razor chuckle from somewhere behind him.
“You can talk,” she answered.
“I care about your sister, and as I’ve told her countless times, I want us to be able to be friends.”
The noise he heard Razor make sounded like a cross between a cough and the word “bullshit.”
