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“But,” I said, “don’t you remember earlier that Ava mentioned restaurant sounds bothered her? The coffee shop is no better. We shouldn’t put her on the spot. This isn’t about me needing help. It’s aboutyouneeding help.”
I needed Ava here, full-time. How else was I ever going to discover what was going on with him?
“I beg to differ,” he said, serving my words back to me on a smug platter.
Here and now it was hard to uphold any theory that he was losing his mind. He wasn’t struggling to find words. His mental acuity seemed sharp. Razor sharp. His humor was intact. His empathy. However, I couldn’t simply dismiss his forgetfulness lately.
“Actually,” Ava said, her gaze darting between us, “I was okay in the coffee shop this morning. The sounds were… surprisingly pleasing.”
“Then it’s settled?” Dad asked her.
Ava smiled, big and bright. “It’s a deal.”
I let out a sigh of defeat on the Magpie’s front even as relief swept through me. By living here, she was going to be able to keep a better eye on him than I ever could—even if she was only technically working for Dad part-time. And then she could report back to me on anything that might seem amiss.
It seemed as soon as my body felt the swirls of relief, thoughts of Donovan popped back into my head. I tried to push them back out, but it was of no use.
What had I been thinking by saying yes to a date? I didn’t want to rehash our past, relive that pain. I should cancel. Yes. Definitely. I’d call him up and tell him I changed my mind.
But…
I wanted to go.
I wanted to sit next to him, stare into those mesmerizing eyes, and believe we finally had a chance. I wasn’t a scared young girl anymore. He was back in town for good. Once we worked our way through old hurts, there wasn’t anything to hold us back.
We could take our time, get to know each other again. See if there was still something between us worth reviving. And I hoped we could do it quietly, without the whole town finding out. At least at first. I didn’t want the pressure, the scrutiny.
“Oh! I almost forgot.” Ava’s mossy green eyes sparkled with joy, making them shine like emeralds as she dug into her bag. “I brought references.”
“Yes, yes,” Dad said, taking them from her and immediately passing them to me. “Formalities only. I trust my instincts, and they’re saying you’re trustworthy. Plus, the Chanel doesn’t hurt. You’ll have to tell me about the mending—” He glanced at his watch, winced. “Later.”
Ah yes. He had to get to his none-of-my-beeswax appointment.
“Before I leave,” he said, “there is one other small wrinkle we should work out. A crease, really.”
“What now?” I asked, eyeing him warily.
He took a sip of tea, taking his time to answer. Finally, he said, “It’s going to take me at least a week to sort through the guest room to make it livable. Ava will need another place to stay until then.”
“I’ll book a hotel,” Ava said quickly. “I passed quite a few of them on my way here.”
“Nonsense,” Dad said. “You can stay with Maggie since Noah’s room is currently unoccupied.”
Ava blinked. “Noah?”
Trying to decipher the look in my father’s eyes—and failing—I said, “My son. He’s currently away at college.”
For a change, I was glad Noah wasn’t home. This way, he didn’t know about the changes in his grandfather. There was no need to stress him out—or for him to see me stressed out. He’d only want to come home, to help. He didn’t need to be pulled away from the life he was building at college or be distracted from his studies. I could handle what was going on with my father on my own. Well, with a little assistance from Ava.
“Of course you’ll stay with me, Ava. I’m happy to have the company.”
“Wonderful!” Dad clapped and stood up. When he walked around the table to give Ava a hug, a piece of paper fluttered out of his pocket.
I bent down to pick it up. It was a business card for Orrel Gibbs. On the back of the card in Dad’s scribbly penmanship was written,Monday 11A.M.
I slipped the card onto the table and watched as my father pointed out a dolphin fin not too far offshore. As Ava laughed with delight, I fought to calm a storm brewing within me.
Because apparently whatever was going on with Dad involved a probate attorney.
