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Chapter Seventeen
Ava
In the airport terminal, Ava ran her palms down her damp black jeans, having been drenched from her earlier sprint inside in the pouring rain. She wrinkled her nose at the intensity of the deluge. If this VIP Corbin did show up, he’d likely complain about the nasty weather. She’d flown in all conditions, racked up hours in the rain, but she wanted things to be perfect for Wesley tonight, including investors in good moods. Wesley had done so much for her. They’d shared an amazing night together—one she would forever hold precious in her heart no matter how their relationship panned out.
She glanced at her phone, noting the hours she’d been waiting and hoping Regina would text back, confirming the VIP wasn’t coming so Ava could return to Bluff House. Wesley had left it up to Ava to figure out. All she knew was the next flight arriving from Newark would land at seven. Regina came to mind. The girl had connections; maybe she’d know something. But she hadn’t responded.
Finding a seat away from the windows, Ava went back to playing Candy Crush on her phone. On her third try to beat a hard level, her phone rang. She expected it to be Regina, but Jack’s face appeared on the profile picture.
She felt bad Jack had to stay in his room for the evening because Miguel had other plans tonight.
“Hi, Jack. Everything okay?”
“Mom!” The speaker crackled with the harsh sound of the wind carrying his elevated voice.
It didn’t sound like he hunkered down in his bedroom, nor did it sound like he wandered around downstairs at the event.
“Where are you?” Only muffles met her. “Are you outside? Jack?”
“Yeah. I’m going to the tea house.”
“No. The storm is getting worse.”
“I left Goliath in there.”
“What?”Again?
“We came out to watch you fly away.”
“Aw, Jack, c’mon. You need to be more mindful.”Why had he even been in the tea house?Jorge had warned everyone it was scheduled for repairs. When she got back, Jack needed a gentle reminder about responsibility and respecting what was off-limits.
“When are you coming home? I don’t like this storm.”
The howl of wind and rain lessened. He must have gone into the little building. “You shouldn’t be out there. That structure isn’t secure.” Annoyance and frustration clogged her voice. She’d told him a hundred times to keep track of this things, especially his pet.
“I couldn’t leave Goliath out here all alone! He’s scared too.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have taken him out there to begin with. And anyway, he would have been fine for one night.”
Along with a boom of thunder came Jack’s whimper.
“Jack.” She straightened her spine, controlling her voice with military precision, her annoyance and frustration dropping off. “Listen to me.”
“Mommmy,” he whined, making her gut tighten at the panic in his voice.
This thunder and lightning storm triggered a fear within him; she’d learned firsthand how deeply from hours of him crying and her soothing him.
“Do you see Goliath?”
“It’s too dark.”
She heard the tears in his throat.
“Put me on speaker and use the flashlight on your phone.” She waited. “Is your light on?”
“Yeah, I’m looking.”
“Great. Stay focused. You’ll find him.” She prayed her steady, encouraging voice would fortify him long enough for this mission to succeed and get him safely returned to the house.
