27. Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Three
Duncan
The perfect fall day; cool air, and leaves rustling in the breeze have no effect on me as I get closer to David’s house. My heart accelerates, and my breath gets shorter. And faster. Which is ridiculous since the whole purpose of me going for a run is to get my heart rate up. It’s not like I took it easy before I circled back in this direction.
Apparently, my well-conditioned heart has a very different response to physical exercise versus its racing reaction at getting to see Ava. Inhaling the brisk air, I work to quiet the pounding in my ears.
Turning down David’s street, I slow my pace to a walk. Meanwhile, the closer I get, the harder my heart pumps. The pounding is no longer just in my ears, but it’s now making its way around my body like a herd of stampeding mustangs.
Running up the stairs to the house, I swipe my sleeve across my forehead, take a slow, deep breath, and then run my hand through my hair. I knock before opening the door and yelling out, “Hello.”
“Hi, Duncan,” Ava yells from the back of the house. “I’ll be right there!”
Stopping in front of a mirror, I give myself a quick once-over. I attempt to tame the unkempt mess on my head. Heels click sharply against the floor and I quickly move into the kitchen. If Ava tells Scarlett I was caught being vain, I would never hear the end of it.
Reaching into the fridge, I grab a bottle of water and lean against the counter, doing my best to look relaxed and unaffected. At the sight of Ava, my hand freezes. The bottle hovers at my lips, unable to move now that these stampeding mustangs are in my chest.
Her hair is in a high ponytail, her face has little to no make-up, and she’s wearing a loose sweatshirt and jeans. Taking a sip, I swallow past the lump in my throat. Everything about her is perfectly adorable.
“Your key.” She lifts the fob and gives it a shake. The smile she throws my way has my cheeks lifting.
Reaching my hand out, she drops the fob in my palm. Her fingers brush mine, sending a trail of heat through my arm and causing my breath to hitch.
“You mean ‘thingamajig,’ right?” Smirking, I take a sip of water in an attempt to wash the cotton ball down.
“Ha. Ha. Ha.” She narrows her eyes. “You’re so very funny.”
Unable to stop the laugh that bubbles up, I grin at her. “We both know I am definitely not funny.”
“Duncan, do you not recognize sarcasm?” Her blue eyes dance, and she gives me a lopsided grin. My eyes linger on her mouth for a moment before lifting my gaze to hers. The intensity staring back at me leaves me momentarily stunned. Slightly breathless, she pushes out, “We all know you don’t have a sense of humor.”
Knowing I’m not the only one affected by this close proximity has my body humming. Letting my eyes roam over her face, I acknowledge that I’m walking on shaky ground. The air feels like it’s being sucked from the room, making it difficult to breathe.
A shiver runs through her, and she lifts her hands to her arms, rubbing up and down. “Cold?” I ask huskily, taking a step toward her, letting my emotions dictate what my body does. Right now, every part of me wants to be as close to her as I can get.
Her round eyes sparkle as she shakes her head, and I slowly reach my hands out to her arms.
“Hey!” Ava and I both whip toward David’s voice and I drop my arms to my sides just as the door slams. “Duncan! What are you doing here?”
Disappointment rushes through me at David’s untimely arrival, but I do my best to cover it up by casually leaning back against the counter. “I’m here for my car. Got in late last night and figured it would be easier to have someone drop me off at home. I needed to run today anyway, and stopping by after made the most sense.”
“Oh,” David says, a knowing look on his face as he glances back and forth between the two of us. Making his way to the cabinet, he pulls out some coffee grinds. “Want any?”
“I need to head home and shower.” I play with the fob in my hands and shake my head slightly. “Red can still come over this afternoon to bake?”
“I forgot about that, but I’m sure Scarlett didn’t,” he chuckles, pulling a mug from the cabinet. “When is the fundraiser for Mile High Mutts Rescue?”
“This Saturday.” I shift my gaze to Ava only to find her watching me. Taking a swig of my water, I swallow hard. Looking back at David, I ask, “You’re still planning on stopping by, right?”
David laughs. “You know there’s no way I’d get out of that. Scarlett lives to see the dogs. She’s been talking non-stop about Ryder.” Sputtering sounds fill the room as the coffee begins dripping into the carafe. “Are you going, Ava?”
“Uh…I don’t know.” Ava answers David, surprise written all over her face. Bringing her gaze back to me, she asks shyly, “Do you want me to?”
That feels like a silly question since I want to be with her all the time. But before those words slip from my mouth, I take a sip of water and nod as I swallow. “But only if you want to.”
Ava narrows her eyes and tilts her head like she’s trying to figure out what I’m not saying. Lifting the bottle to my lips again, I swig what’s left and leave it on the counter. “Think about it, and let me know when you and Scarlett stop by. No pressure.”
The smell of roasted coffee beans fills the air just as a sputtering noise indicates the coffee is almost done.
“Time to head home.” I raise the fob at Ava and start to make my way out of the kitchen. “Thanks for the ‘thingamajig.’”
She rolls her eyes and chuckles.
“Thingamajig?” David asks, his brows pulled together.
“I’ll let Ava explain.” Grinning, I turn back and throw a wink her way. She swats at me, and I duck. Laughing, I jog toward the front door. “See you later.”
Ava’s mumbled voice follows, and I hear David’s laughter as the front door closes behind me. Sliding into my car, I back out of the driveway. I whistle the entire way home.
It’s only been a few hours since leaving Ava and David, but time has been creeping by. Looking at the clock, my chest expands, and a rush of energy runs through me.
Scarlett and Ava should be here any minute.
Rearranging the bowls, ingredients, and spoons on the island, I triple-check that I have everything we need. I pick up the aprons I prepared.
A grin slides across my face as I read them. I can’t wait to see Ava’s face when she sees hers.
The car door slams. I run my hands down my sleeves, tug the bottom of my shirt, and run my hands up and down my jeans.
Making my way through the kitchen and into the living room, I’m met with the sight of Ava holding the door open for Scarlett, and my stomach clenches.
Ava’s face glows as she beams down at my precocious niece. When her gaze lifts and meets mine, her eyes soften, and her grin widens. My mouth slides into a lopsided grin, and my heart skips like it’s jumping hopscotch.
Feet pound the floor as Scarlett runs to me. “Uncle Dunky! Aunt Ava has never baked dog treats before.” Dragging my eyes from Ava, I look down and see a blinding grin on Scarlett’s face.
“Is that so?” I ask, feigning surprise, as I lift her for a hug; watching Ava’s expression over Scarlett’s shoulder, I let my eyes skate over her face. Her eyes dance while Scarlett continues filling me in on some apparent ‘tea’.
“Yup,” she says enthusiastically before whispering loudly behind her hand, “She told me the last time she tried to bake something, it was a disaster ,” exaggerating the last word.
Ava shrugs her shoulders, and a sheepish grin covers her face. “What can I say? My skills are a bit lacking in the kitchen.”
“Well, we will have to work on helping her change that today, won’t we?” I stage whisper to Scarlett without taking my eyes off Ava. Scarlett nods vigorously, and I smile.
“Wait,” Ava asks, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Didn’t you burn a batch of treats that day I was here?”
I give her a mock glare. “If I remember correctly, someone interrupted me.”
Pinning her with my gaze, I’m reminded of the day she showed up asking me if I’d be willing to pretend to be her boyfriend. A tinge of pink stains her cheeks at the same time her eyes darken and I’m pretty sure she’s recalling that day too.
Crazy how just a few weeks can change everything.
“Come on, let’s get started!” Scarlett says excitedly, grabs my hand, and drags me into the kitchen. “Do you have an apron for Aunt Ava?”
“I do.” I look over my shoulder and smirk.
Scarlett runs over to the chair and grabs the aprons. She hands me mine and brings Ava hers. I slide mine over my head.
“Thank you, Scarlett. You definitely need to wear pink more often,” Ava directs at me, a playful glint in her eyes. “I think your teammates would get a kick out of it.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I roll my eyes at her, looking over at Scarlett. Throwing a thumb over my shoulder, I ask, “Do you want to tell your aunt who the real boss is?”
Scarlett turns to Ava, a grin splitting her face, hands on her hips. Ava covers her mouth and giggles when she reads. ‘While I have this apron on, I am the boss. Any questions?’
“Aunt Ava, look at yours!” Scarlett giggles and covers her mouth.
Letting the apron hang in front of her, she laughs, reading the message. When she slides the ‘It was me. I let the dogs out.’ apron over her head; it’s to me and Scarlett singing. “Who, who, who, who, who?”