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“Girl, I’m not talking about exercise. Us gals don’t look like this naturally.” She flicked her hair off her shoulders, emphasizing her slender upper torso.
This woman had raw sex appeal. Barb hadn’t stood a chance.
“What do you do in the evenings, you know, after Jack goes to bed and you have free time?”
“I watch cooking shows.”
Rosa busted out laughing. “That’s perfect.” She clapped her hands as if Ava said magic words. “You’ve got to join my Tuesday night club.”
Ava set down her almost empty lemonade glass, preparing to disagree and make a hasty retreat.
“I promise you’ll love it. Think of it as a girls’ night. Come to my house at seven tomorrow night.”
Dread and apprehension filled her. She’d never had girlfriends to hang with before, so a girls’ night out sounded like a night of feeling inferior to rich Oldport women. And yet, she had to ask, “What kind of club is it?”
“Technically it’s a crochet club. We call it Charity Crafting. Means we make stuff like scarfs, mittens, and slippers, and donate it to regional charity organizations.”
“Oh, ah, my grandmother taught me once, but I don’t recall how—”
“Nonsense! It’s not about the craft per se, though there are some rather talented gals. It’s about women getting together to blow off steam, chat with their peers. Recipes are a hot topic, too. Obviously some crocheters are better than others, so some donate more than others. There’s no judgment. Seriously, I’ve been working on the same piece for two years. It’ll be good for you to socialize.”
“Yeah, maybe, as long as I’m not working. I’m on standby.”
“Ooh.” Rosa shimmied her shoulders. “That’s a guy to be on standby for.”
Ava snorted a laugh, shaking her head. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”
“Who, me?” She teasingly batted her lashes. “I’m no matchmaker. I’m just someone who sees the magic between you two.”
“I should go now.” Ava felt torn. On one hand, this budding friendship felt real; Rosa was legit funny, and sassy—and most importantly, she’d seemed to like Ava enough to invite her over and keep her hanging around. On the other hand, could she take this teasing about Wesley? Her feelings for him were all too strong, nearly impossible for her to keep bottled up. Encouragement on the subject could be detrimental. By summer’s end, she and Jack would be moving on, starting a new life. She couldn’t afford to mess up. She owed Jack so much, wishing she’d done things differently in the past—like be a more present mother.
“Oh, hold on!” Rosa glanced at her phone. “Miguel’s asking if Jack can stay the night. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure, if that’s what Jack wants.” Yanking her phone from her pocket, she texted him to be sure. The emojis indicated he was ecstatic to have a new friend and to have a sleepover.How could she say no?
After Rosa talked her into another glass of lemonade, she eventually wandered back through the gate to Bluff House, feeling a sense of loss without Jack in tow. Her steps naturally took her on the path toward the helicopter, but as Wesley had required, the bird was in top shape, fueled, clean, and ready to go. While Wesley and his team worked, she wandered inside and attempted to read a book, but soon picked up a remote controller and playedDragon Rock.
“I didn’t expect to find you in here,” Wesley said, breaking her concentration.
She paused the game and lowered the controller. “I had some free time on my hands.”
“Where’s Jack?”
“He met a new friend next door. Rosa’s kid. He’s having a sleepover.”
“That’s terrific. I forgot she had a son the same age.” He stretched. “If you can tear yourself away from the game, would you want to do a meditation with me? I need to reset after all I’ve worked on today.”
“I don’t think that works for me. I can never relax.”
“That’s all the more reason for you to do it. C’mon, it won’t take long. I’ll buy you dinner after.”
Dinner? Just the two of them? Like a date?
No way.She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea or, more importantly, to see through her armor, learning exactly how she felt about him. She set the controller aside. “I could eat.”
How had those words formed?This internal battle between her heart and brain was brutal.
“Great!”
