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“Where would you suggest? I don’t fly commercial, so I’m not going to be hitting on women at the airport.” He said it with a smile that made Grady relax.
“Maybe it’s the unexpected. I wasn’t looking for anyone. And if I were, I wouldn’t have been looking at the airport. Maybe you just need to forget about it, and it’ll find you when you least expect it.”
“Maybe so.” Jacob checked his watch. “Anyway, I’ve held you up long enough. I’ll see you on Wednesday night.”
“Yeah. See you then. And thanks for asking Ava.”
“It really is my pleasure.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Will Scooter be okay?” Ava was sitting on the floor with the puppy in her lap. They were almost ready to head up to the big house. Grady was putting his coat on, and Hannah was just putting her phone in her purse.
“He’ll be fine. I don’t want to take him up there because there’s going to be a lot of people. Are you okay? Do you have your hat and gloves?”
“They’re in my pocket.” Ava smiled at her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” It’d been so cold when she’d gone to pick Ava up from school yesterday that she’d taken an extra hat and pair of gloves for her. She’d been so thrilled with them that Hannah said she could keep them. The gloves were a bit big, but not too bad.
Grady came and put his arm around her shoulders with a grin. She slapped his arm. She knew what he was thinking. He’d joked last night that he was thankful that she had small hands – and not just because of the gloves.
He winked at her before turning to Ava. “Come on. Scooter will be fine. I can pop back and check on him. It’s not like we have far to go.”
Ava kissed the puppy’s head and then got to her feet. “Will there be lots and lots of people?”
“Yes.” Hannah guessed that she was nervous about going up on the stage in front of them all to turn the lights on with Jacob. “We’re expecting a crowd. But there will be lots of people you know.” She looked at Grady.
“That’s right. Auntie Molly and Uncle Marcos are coming. And Auntie Chelsea and Uncle Grant, and Uncle Antonio and Auntie Mary Ellen, and Uncle Cameron and Auntie Piper, too.”
Ava frowned. “They’re not really my aunties and uncles, are they?”
“No.” Grady ran his hand over her hair. “Technically, aunties and uncles are the brothers and sisters of your parents. But those guys all love you the same as if we were family.”
Hannah watched Ava’s face, wondering what she was thinking.
“So, I have Uncle Braydon and Aunt Vanessa.” She made a face that told Hannah that they weren’t her favorite people.
“That’s right.” Grady didn’t look too thrilled at the mention of their names either.
Ava smiled. “And I have Uncle Jacob and Uncle Xander, too.”
Hannah glanced at Grady, not wanting to correct Ava, but not wanting to confuse her either.
Grady raised his eyebrows. “Are you forgetting someone?”
Ava cocked her head to the side. It was a habit she seemed to have learned from Scooter. “I don’t think so.” She looked at Hannah. “Do you have any more brothers and sisters?”
Hannah shook her head.
“Err. I meant me! What about Uncle Grady?” He scooped Ava up with a big smile on his face.
But Ava didn’t smile back.
“What’s up, Pixie?”
Ava shrugged and buried her face in his neck. “I’m not a big baby.”
Hannah raised her eyebrows at Grady, but he shook his head, indicating it wasn’t a problem. “I know that. What’s up?”
