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“I have to go to Montreal with Rachel on Monday, but I’m sure she won’t mind if I stay here. We were supposed to have a girl’s weekend, but her car broke down, so we have been here since yesterday morning.”
“I should be back late tonight. Can we talk tomorrow?”
Ava nodded, and he squeezed her hand before he let go and left the porch. She watched him run back towards wherever home was.
She shook off her jacket while still on the inn’s porch and went up to the room. Rachel was sitting on her bed reading on her tablet. She looked up when Ava entered and noticed her face was flushed, she knew something had happened.
“You saw him, didn’t you?”
“He talked to me. I went for a run, and he was behind me. We talked in the park.”
“I talked to him, too. After I had left the room yesterday, I was walking by a bar and saw him inside. I talked to him about you, and what had been going on the last four years he has been away. Maybe it softened him and made him realize he needs to be with you.” She noticed how sad Ava looked. “What did you say to him today?”
“He told me that he needed to do what he did. He said he saved my life in the field where the accident was, did CPR until the ambulance arrived. I overheard Brooke telling dad, but no one ever told me directly. Did you know that?”
Rachel put her hand over her mouth, “I had no idea. No one said anything to me. I would have thought my father heard that piece of the story from Peter.”
“He and I are supposed to talk more tomorrow. He said he had to go to Syracuse today to run an errand for his boss. I want to know about him now, though. I’m not sure if I can wait until tomorrow.” Inside emotions were roiling around in her. She wanted to hear things from him today, but he had an obligation. Ava had no idea what she should do with herself for the next twenty-four hours.
“So you aren’t going to go with me to Montreal?” Rachel asked.
“I’m sorry, do you mind?”
Rachel knew how important this was, so she chose not to make a big deal out of it. The Volvo would be fixed tomorrow, and she could make the drive the three hours by herself.
“It’s fine. Hell, we have all been telling you he is never coming back, and here he is. You might as well hear what he has to say,” she gently said to her cousin as she reached out to grasp Ava’s hand.
“I’m starving have you eaten?”
Rachel looked at her sheepishly. “I did. I’m eating for two and had no idea where you went. I’m ready for a nap now.”
Ava glanced at her watch. “It’s only nine o’clock!”
“Well, that’s another thing pregnancy does, it makes you tired,” she said yawning.
“I’m going to go across the street and see if I can get an egg white omelet.”
“Good luck with that. That diner seems to only serve good stick-to-your-ribs food, and I doubt that you are going to find healthy there. Have some pancakes; they won’t kill you once in awhile.”
Ava sneered at her and headed for the door. “Have a good nap.”
She walked across the street to the diner. They did have an egg white omelet, and she ordered it. While she drank her coffee, she noticed the same woman that Xander had kissed the day before. She was sitting two tables over with her two children. She was curious about Xander’s life but didn’t want to intrude on their breakfast.
When the waitress brought her eggs, she pushed them around the plate. Her mind kept racing, and she was trying to gather up the courage to talk to the woman. Her little boy was playing with a racer car. He would wind it up and let it go on the table. His little sister kept trying to grab at the toy and successfully pushed it off the table in mid-race. It hit the floor and bounced off Ava’s sneaker. She bent down to get it and rose to give it to the boy. The woman looked up and thanked her.
“You’re Ava, aren’t you?”
Ava looked at the woman in astonishment. “Have we met?”
“No, not officially. But Alex keeps several pictures of you besides drawings.”
“Drawings? I don’t understand.”
“Alex is probably going to kill me if he finds out, but do you have some time?”
“I have nothing going on today. I was supposed to speak with Xander, but he said he had an errand to run for his boss.”
“Ah, yes that would be my father-in-law. He sent Alex to Syracuse for a pickup. You called him Xander?”
