CHAPTER SEVEN
Twenty minutes after Ava’s unsettling run-in with Jarod, she pulled into the parking lot of the local community center where Christian’s Sea Cadet meeting was being held. The first thing that caught her eye was the familiar red truck parked near the front with a Navy sticker plastered on the back window.
Her heart skipped a beat. She knew Aussie was inside, and the idea of seeing him again made her both excited and nervous.
Ava had replayed her conversation with Sarah from earlier in her head at least ten times by now. Was she really crushing on Aussie? She had tried to convince herself it was just a passing attraction, but the butterflies in her stomach every time she thought about him said otherwise.
She took a deep breath as she locked her car up and made her way into the building. As soon as she stepped inside, her eyes found him near the back of the room, standing casually by the rear door, leaning against the wall. Aussie was hard to miss. His broad shoulders, confident stance, and the way he seemed so at ease in any environment made him stand out.
When he saw her, his face lit up, and he waved her over with that easy smile she was starting to think about more often than she should.
She walked toward him, her heart doing that little flutter thing it always seemed to do around him. “Hey,” she greeted, her voice steady despite the nerves tightening in her chest. “Thanks again for bailing me out and picking up Christian.”
Aussie waved her off, his smile never wavering. “No problem at all. I wasn’t doing much at home anyway. I’m always happy to help.”
She nodded, grateful. His casual demeanor made it seem like it really wasn’t a big deal to him, but to her, it meant a lot, more than he probably realized.
“So, how was your day?” he asked, his tone light but his eyes sharp with interest.
Ava’s muscles tensed at the question. She should have known better than to think Aussie wouldn’t notice something was off. He was trained to read people, after all. “It was fine,” she replied, but her voice faltered slightly. His gaze didn’t waver, and she knew she couldn’t brush it off. She sighed. “Jarod. Well, he followed me to my car after court.”
The mention of Jarod’s name made Aussie’s expression harden, his playful demeanor shifting in an instant. “He followed you?”
“Yeah, but it’s fine. He was trying to apologize for that night at dinner, she said, omitting the part where Jarod had grabbed her. Aussie already looked like he wanted to track the guy down.
“I don’t like him following you,” Aussie said, his voice low.
Ava quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on Jarod any longer. “So, what did I miss? How’s Christian doing?” she asked, gesturing toward the group in the room.
Aussie studied her for a moment longer, his jaw tight, but he let it go. “The commanding officer was just going over some things about the drills and what the program entails. Christian’s been asking some really good questions. He’s really interested in how the program can help with a future military career.”
Ava felt a swell of pride for Christian. He’d had such a rough time with foster care, but seeing him excited about something made her happy and excited for him.
As the meeting wrapped up, Christian spotted them and rushed over, his eyes bright with excitement. There was another boy dressed in a Navy Type III uniform walking with him. “Ava!”
Seeing his smile was what she desperately needed after the day she had.
“Hey! So, how was the meeting? I caught the last part of it,” she asked him.
“I really like it. I think it will help me with learning what to expect when I go to enlist after I graduate.” He gestured to the boy standing with him. “Oh, and this is Cody,” he looked up at Aussie, who was standing there watching the interaction. “you know his dad Frost.”
Aussie chuckled. “I do. And it’s nice to see you again, Cody.”
The young boy grinned. “Nice to see you too, Sir.” He then turned toward Ava and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too, Ma’am. I told Christian that if he has any questions about the program, he can call me.”
Ava smiled. “Thank you, Cody. That was very nice of you to offer that.”
“It’s no problem. But I need to head back over to help clean up.” He turned toward Christian. “I hope to see you at the next drill.”
“Me too,” Christian replied.
The boy said goodbye to Ava and Aussie and then rejoined the others who were already starting to clean up.
Christian turned back to Ava and started telling her all about what he learned. Ava smiled at his enthusiasm, her heart warming at how much this meant to him.
“Do you think it is okay if I join?”
Ava smiled. “If this is what you want, I don’t see why not. With what you’ve told me, it sounds great.”
Aussie grinned beside her, nodding in agreement. “It’s a great program. You’ll learn a lot, and it’ll give you a good foundation if you’re serious about the military.”
Christian practically beamed at that, though his excitement faltered for a moment as he glanced at Ava.
“There’s an enrollment fee, though. And a packet we have to fill out. I don’t want to ask for too much. You’ve already done so much for me.”
Ava’s chest tightened at his hesitance. She looked him in the eyes. “Christian, the cost isn’t a problem. I want to do this for you. We’ll get the packet, fill it out together, and find out when the next drill is, okay?”
Christian’s face lit up again, and before Ava knew it, he threw his arms around her in a rare hug. It caught her off guard, and for a moment, she was frozen. When she hugged him back, she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep her emotions in check.
“Thank you, Ava,” he whispered to her, and she could hear the emotion in his voice.
Aussie must have noticed her struggle because after Christian ran back over to grab the enrollment packet, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
She gave him a grateful smile, trying to blink away the last of her tears. “Yeah. It just makes me happy to see him so excited about something with everything that he’s been through.”
“He’s lucky to have someone like you in his corner. You truly care about him, and it shows.”
She blushed.
“I guess I can say that I’ve been in his shoes before.”
Aussie scrunched his eyebrows together, but before he could ask what she meant by that comment, she changed the topic.
“I know I’ve said this multiple times already, but thank you again for helping me out. And you really didn’t have to stay through the meeting.”
Aussie’s face reddened slightly, something she hadn’t seen before. He looked almost embarrassed or shy. It was a look that was incredibly endearing, especially for someone as confident as him. “Well,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “Part of the reason that I stayed was because I wanted to see you.”
Ava’s heart skipped again, and her stomach did that familiar flip-flop. He wanted to see me? Her mind scrambled, her nerves firing on all cylinders. She didn’t know what to say. She wanted to see him too, but saying that out loud felt like it might tip the balance of whatever was happening between them.
Before she could respond, Christian came bounding back over, his excitement pulling her out of her thoughts. “I got the packet! We just need to fill it out, and I can start!”
Ava smiled, happy for him. “Great, we’ll work on it tonight.”
Christian’s stomach rumbled, and he gave her a sheepish look. “Uh, what’s for dinner?”
Ava laughed, feeling the exhaustion of the day hit her all at once. “I’m too tired to cook. Where do you want to go?”
Christian’s eyes lit up. “There’s this new buffet in town. Can we go there?”
Ava chuckled. “Sure, that sounds good.” Then, an idea struck her, and she turned to Aussie. “You should come with us. That is if you don’t have any plans.”
Christian nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Come with us, Aussie!”
Aussie looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. “I’d love to.”
“Great!” Ava said, smiling.
As they all walked out to their cars, agreeing to meet at the buffet, Ava felt a mix of excitement and nerves again. Christian hopped into her car, buckling up before he turned to her with a mischievous grin.
“So, are you and Aussie, like, dating now?”
Ava nearly choked on her laughter. “What? No! Aussie and I are just friends.”
But Christian’s grin only widened. “Uh-huh. I saw how he looked at you, Ava. And how you looked at him.”
Ava couldn’t help but laugh again, though part of her knew Christian wasn’t far from the truth. Maybe there was something there, she thought.
◆◆◆
Ava sat across from Aussie and Christian at the buffet restaurant, a casual warmth settling over the table as they picked at their plates. Christian’s excitement from his Sea Cadet orientation still lingered in the air, and Ava couldn’t help but smile, watching him devour his meal with youthful enthusiasm.
“So, Aussie,” Ava began, trying to learn more about the man who had come into their lives so unexpectedly, “what do you usually do for Thanksgiving?” She twirled a fork in her fingers, her gaze shifting between him and Christian, wanting to include the boy in the conversation.
Aussie, mid-bite, grinned and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “It depends, really. We’re usually on rotation with the team. Right now, we are on rotation. So, Bear, our team leader, and his wife Jocelyn are hosting dinner at their place. If we aren’t on rotation, I try to make it home to see my family.” He paused, eyes flickering between Ava and Christian. “How about you guys?” he asked.
Christian shook his head, looking both curious and a little shy. “My foster families weren’t big on holiday get-togethers.”
Ava felt a familiar pang in her chest, the one that surfaced during the holidays when memories of spending them alone haunted her. Ever since Evelyn had passed away, she’d been on her own for Thanksgiving, Christmas, all of it. Hearing about Aussie’s team gathering and the camaraderie they shared made her feel a quiet sense of envy—not jealousy, but a longing for that kind of connection. She admired the closeness he had with his team, something she had never truly had, save for Evelyn.
Aussie must’ve noticed her silence because he leaned in slightly, his expression softening. “What about you, Ava? What are your plans for Thanksgiving?”
Christian perked up at the question, eyes wide with interest. Ava shifted in her seat, feeling the weight of their attention. “Well, normally, I’d spend it alone,” she admitted, her voice quiet but steady. “But this year’s different.” She glanced at Christian with a smile. “This year, Christian and I are going to make dinner and spend it together.”
Christian’s face lit up, and Ava’s heart warmed at the sight. “Really?” he asked, almost disbelieving.
“Of course,” Ava said, reaching over to ruffle his hair. “You’re not going to spend your first holiday with me eating takeout.”
◆◆◆
Aussie watched the exchange, a small smile tugging at his lips. He liked how natural Ava was with Christian and how she took care of him without hesitation. It was clear that she had a huge heart. And seeing her with Christian only made him respect her more.
The evening had been enjoyable. He hadn’t anticipated feeling this comfortable around Ava and Christian, but there was something about them that put him at ease. He didn’t have to try and go the extra length to impress Ava, and he didn’t feel the usual pressure of making himself seem like the capable Navy SEAL. With her, it was just easy to be himself.
He studied Ava, her eyes warm as she listened to Christian talk about his Sea Cadet orientation. She was down-to-earth in a way he hadn’t expected, not flashy or looking for attention. She was just real, and that was something Aussie admired. She was also fiercely protective of Christian, and he could tell she genuinely cared about the kid. That spoke volumes about who she was at her core.
In the short time he’d known Ava, he already saw so many qualities in her that he’d want in someone to spend the rest of his life with.
He wasn’t like some of the other guys in the teams who didn’t want to get attached and just slept around. Aussie came from a big family, and he knew he wanted one of his own someday. The challenge, of course, was his job and what it entailed. It made relationships tough. It was the constant unknowns, the time apart, and the reality that a lot of people couldn’t handle that kind of lifestyle. Cheating was common, but not for him. If Aussie ever committed to someone, that was it. No messing around. To him, a relationship was sacred.
He glanced at Ava again, sensing something was holding her back, something that made her hesitant to let herself open up fully.
He didn’t know the full story about her past, but from the little snippets that she mentioned, it wasn’t hard to figure out that she grew up in a system like Christian. For someone like that, letting someone in probably felt risky. But Aussie didn’t mind taking it slow. He had time, and getting to know her better was something he genuinely wanted.
As the meal wound down, Aussie leaned back in his chair, feeling a deep sense of contentment. “I’ve had a great time tonight. Thanks again for inviting me.”
Ava smiled softly. “I’m glad you came. It’s been nice having you here with us.”
Ava paid the bill, though Aussie initially argued with her about it and insisted that he pay. But after she told him that she was paying him back for taking Christian to his meeting, he reluctantly gave up.
As they made their way outside, the cool evening air wrapped around them. Just as they reached their cars, an older woman pushing a cart stood off to the side, selling single roses. Aussie’s gaze lingered on the cart for a moment before he approached the woman and bought a yellow rose.
He turned to Ava, holding the rose out to her with a gentle smile. “For you,” he said, “as a sign of friendship.”
Ava’s eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks flushing slightly. She looked at the rose and then back at Aussie, her expression softening. “Thank you,” she whispered, her fingers brushing against his as she took the rose.
Christian grinned, watching the exchange with an amused glint in his eyes.
Aussie chuckled and nodded toward them. “I had a great time tonight. If either of you ever need anything, you know where to find me.” He turned to Christian, his tone playful but serious. “And if you’ve got any questions about the Sea Cadets or the Navy, give me a call. You can also tag along to the shooting range with me sometime if you’re up for it. As long as it is okay with Ava.”
Christian’s face lit up again. “Really? That’d be awesome!”
Aussie laughed, giving him a light pat on the shoulder. “Absolutely.”
He walked them both to Ava’s car, the air between them easy and warm. Christian said goodnight, and he got into the car, leaving Ava standing there looking up at him, her dark eyes drawing him in.
“Thank you again for dinner. I enjoyed spending time with you guys.”
She shyly smiled. “I enjoyed it too.”
“Maybe we could do it again sometime,” he said, leaving the offer out there.
“I’d like that,” she replied, and he couldn’t stop his lips from tugging upward into a smile.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Goodnight, Ava.”
“Goodnight, Aussie,” she whispered before sliding into her car.
He smiled, watching as she got herself settled. “Drive safe,” he said and winked before shutting her door.
She offered him a warm smile through the window and waved as she pulled out of the parking lot.
As Ava drove away, Aussie stood by his truck. The warmth from the evening lingered, and as he climbed into his own vehicle, a sense of something new and promising stirred within him.