Chapter 10 #2
Doing something was better than doing nothing.
Ava tossed back the dregs lingering in the bottom of her coffee cup and then scooted out of the booth at Good Day Coffee.
After waking early that morning, she’d come to the little shop for a breakfast sandwich and coffee and to write one of her articles.
She’d been surrounded by the din of the coffee grinder and espresso machine.
The teal walls and quirky knickknacks of the coffee shop kept a smile on her face, and the atmosphere inspired her writing until articles number four and five were completed.
There had been a constant stream of customers in the light and airy shop during the hour she sat with her iced caramel latte.
A few, including Seb Jonathon and Cody Hart, had even stopped to say hi.
Her heart felt warm and full. This was the community she was seeking, the small-town vibe she craved away from the rush of big city life.
Hitting Send, she emailed Judson the finished copy.
Despite the delicious breakfast and even better company, she couldn’t ignore the constant buzz at the back of her mind.
She’d finally finished her letter to the homeowners of the house on Zinnia and had given it to Mia on Monday.
It was now Tuesday. Twenty-four full hours.
The burble in her stomach every time she thought about the house threatened to turn into outright anxiety.
Better to combat the what-ifs with some action.
She rummaged in her sling bag for her wallet, then extracted a few bills for a tip.
“See you later,” Jill called. The bubbly, red-haired waitress had welcomed Ava and given her some local history while taking her order.
As it turned out, she wasn’t just the waitress; she also owned the place.
Apparently, she was part of the Kelley family who operated many of the restaurants in town.
That might be a good angle for a story. Ava jotted the thought down in her notebook.
She had already arranged to interview Patrick Kelley.
He’d promised to text her with a day and time that worked.
She’d ask him about the family connections when she talked to him about his participation in the cook-off.
“See ya, Jill!” Ava waved, then walked out into the breezy street.
The jeans and University of Wisconsin sweatshirt she wore didn’t quite keep out the chill of the morning.
She swiped open the weather app on her phone.
Thank goodness, the afternoon would be much nicer.
Maybe the wind would blow the clouds away and they could have some sunshine.
She navigated to her contact list and hit the button to call Mia. As the phone rang, she sent up a quick prayer. Lord, if it’s Your will—
“Hello, Ava,” Mia said. In the background, Ava could hear the high voices of two kids. “Finn! Stop crawling on your sister.”
Ava laughed. “I’m catching you at a bad time.”
Mia sighed. “No, it’s always something over here.” She gave a short laugh. “The only peace I get these days is when I’m in the office. And not always then, because I bring them with me sometimes. They’re my whole heart, but they can make it hard to do my job at times.”
Ava’s heart ached at the domestic picture Mia painted. Mia was at least ten years younger than Ava, but she already had her life together. Two kids, a fiancé who loved her, and an established life in a beautiful community.
All the things Ava wanted for herself. She could start with the house.
“I’m just calling looking for an update on my house.
” She winced. Calling it “my house” maybe presumed too much.
She began walking down the street. On her right, the windows of an antique store bristled with goodies.
She peered through the glass, giving a little wave to the woman putting a doily on top of the chest of drawers in the window.
“Finn!” A rustle from Mia’s end. High giggles sounded through the line. “That’s it, mister. If you can’t leave your sister alone, you need to go to your room. Sorry, Ava.” Mia’s voice came clearer through the line again. “I think I’ve bought a few minutes.”
“They sound adorable.” Ava put her arm over her stomach. The next storefront looked like a glassblowing workshop. The tinkle of a wind chime rang out over the street, and intricate glass bulbs hung in the window.
“They are adorable. And high energy. They’re not usually naughty, just full of mischief.”
“At least they’re separated now. Can’t get into too much trouble.”
“Oh, give it three minutes, and Maggie will be crawling all over Finn in their room. They like to be together. Anyway, you called about the house?”
“Yes.”
Mia sighed again. “I’m sorry, Ava. It’s not looking good.”
Ava stumbled on a cobblestone. Her heart sank all the way to her ankles.
“I gave your letter to the Realtor for the owners, and she said ‘Oh, thanks, I’ll add this to the others.’ I guess everyone who is interested in the house is trying the same trick.
” Mia cleared her throat. “She did promise to get back to us in three days, though. Normally it would be faster, but since there are so many people making an offer, the sellers are wanting to really think it through.”
“Okay.” The next building stood empty, its dark windows looking over a dusty floor.
The window boxes contained the remains of last year’s flowers.
“I’ll have to leave it in God’s hands, then.
” Easier said than done. She hadn’t known anyone to come through for her.
God Himself often felt very far away. “Are there other properties I can look at in the meantime?”
“I took the liberty of trying to find something for you,” Mia said. “But I didn’t see anything that met your wish list. Nothing in your price range, anyway.”
A pricking began behind her eyelids. Ava blinked away the sensation. “How far out of my price range are we talking?” She could maybe afford a bigger loan—if she lived on ramen and toast for the next year. Mia quoted a number that made her eyes water anew. “I’m sorry, was that in millions?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so.” Mia’s voice dipped.
“Most of the affordable housing got snatched up in our dollar housing scheme last year. Now it’s mostly the larger homes left.
And now that the island is becoming popular again, people are reluctant to sell.
We could try to put in an offer on a house on Poppy, but you would be quite a bit below asking price.
” A stream of giggles sounded on Mia’s end.
“Sounds like you better go.” Ava put her hand to her temple. The pressure did nothing to relieve the building pain.
“I really am sorry, Ava. I hope you land that house, but I promise to not stop trying to find something for you.”
“Mama, have snack?” A little voice echoed over the phone. Probably Maggie.
“Thank you.”
“I need to get these kids a snack and into their clothes before Cody comes to pick us up for the day.” Another rustle from the other end. “Just a minute, sweetie. Listen, Ava, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come to my wedding.”
Uh. “I don’t know how long I’ll be in town.” Ava crossed one arm across her stomach and clutched at her elbow.
Mia laughed. “I think you will—it’s tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow! On a Wednesday? I assumed it would be on the weekend. I know you said you wanted to keep busy, but shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, wrapping party favors or something?”
“It’s going to be pretty simple. It’s an outdoor wedding at Blueberry Hill Park followed by a picnic.
Picnics are kind of our thing.” A bumping sound came from Mia’s end of the phone line followed by the distinctive noise of a cupboard being closed.
“Here’s a cracker.” Muffled. “Sorry.” Mia’s voice came clear again.
“Anyway, I don’t want you to feel awkward or anything, but I’d love for you to be there.
I already consider you one of the locals. The weather should hold. Six o’clock.”
One of the locals? Overhead the sun came out from behind a cloud, painting everything golden. “How can I say no to a wedding and a picnic? See you there.”
“I hope so.” Mia’s voice became distant. “Finn—” The phone clicked off. Ava smiled and shook her head. Happy chaos.
The walk during the phone call had landed her at the junction of Main and Jonathon Boulevard.
She turned up the street. From here it would only be a short walk up to Poppy Lane.
Mia didn’t say which house was for sale, but surely it would be obvious.
It would be the one with a For Sale sign in the front yard. No harm in looking at it.
Her phone chimed with a text message.
Patrick
I have some time today. Patrick
Ava
Great. In one hour?
Patrick
See you then. I’ll make you a burger at the bar and grill.
Hopefully by then she would have worked off her breakfast sandwich. One thing seemed certain. She would never starve on this island.
She found Poppy Lane and walked past several houses until she spotted one with a For Sale sign.
In front of her was a small house, set back from the road.
White siding gleamed, and lilac bushes full of light-purple flowers ran along the sides of the craftsman-style home.
A huge metal pole shed loomed behind the house, casting a shadow over the lawn.
The shed must be twice the size of the house itself.
No wonder they had such a high asking price.
Someone would basically be buying two homes.
What would anyone keep in there? Certainly not classic cars, with the ban on motor vehicles.
Ava shrugged and turned back toward town.
Mia was right. She wasn’t interested in that property. At. All.
Her phone chimed again.
Emily
Fallen for any mysterious and handsome Michiganders?
She laughed. Emily was always trying to set her up with some guy or another.
Ava
No. Everyone here seems taken.
Emily
That’s the problem with a tiny island. You should move with me to LA.
Ava
Not the vibe I’m looking for.
Emily
I know. You want the small-town Hallmark guy with flannel and a short beard.
Or maybe green eyes and chef’s whites. Beard optional. She shook her head.
Ava
I’d settle for someone I can trust.
Her phone rang with a video call.
“You know the right guy is out there, right?” Emily got straight to the point. Her brunette curls sprang in every direction, and her eyes glinted with mischief.
“Hello to you too.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “We were already in the middle of a conversation.”
“Fine. You’re right.” Ava began retracing her steps back into town. Emily’s face bobbed with every step.
“Ooh! Out for a walk? Turn me around so I can see.”
Ava pivoted with her phone. “This is one of the residential streets.”
“It’s cute.” Emily’s voice held no trace of sarcasm.
“You’ll never guess who is from here.”
Emily closed her eyes. “Don’t tell me…Chris Pratt. He’s from the Midwest, right?” Emily opened her eyes again.
“I think he’s from Minnesota.” Ava tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “No. It’s Zach Sullivan. His family owns the big hotel, and he’s back participating in Flavor Fest.”
“The nemesis.” Emily grinned.
“He’s not my nemesis. If anything, I’m his.”
“I don’t think it works that way.” Emily put her face closer to the screen. “How come you’re always blushing when you talk about Chef Zach?”
“I’m not blushing.” But she could feel that her face was on fire. Drat this fair skin.
“Do you like this guy?”
“I…don’t know. He’s different than I thought he’d be.”
“Good different?”
Ava pictured his patience with the cooking class and the way he believed in her. “Definitely a good different.”
“Maybe he’s your lumberjack.”
“What?”
“You know, your small-town guy.” Emily waggled her eyebrows.
Too bad she wasn’t here in person so Ava could give her arm a swat. “Stop. He lives in Chicago. And he wants to move to the West Coast. Nothing small-town about him. It doesn’t matter if I like him or not. We aren’t going to be living in the same place in a month or two.”
“Ah, star-crossed lovers.” Emily batted her eyes.
“I’m hanging up now.” Ava grinned at her friend, then cut the call.
A moment later, a text chimed.
Emily
I’m not overlooking the fact that you said you like him. We are definitely going to come back to that later.
Ava wandered back to town, Emily’s text ringing through her. She reached Kelley’s Bar & Grill and pushed through the door. The scent of grilling onions and hamburger patties hung in the air.
Patrick waved at her from behind the long, dark bar. “Ava, over here. I hope you’re hungry.” Tall stools were tucked under the glossy surface of the bar counter.
A few patrons sat at the wooden tables scattered through the open space. On one wall stood a jukebox and a karaoke entertainment system.
As she walked across the scarred wood flooring, she scanned the other customers for a familiar shock of dark hair, heart pinching when she didn’t see him. Silly to expect him to be here, of course. But this only proved Emily’s intuition right.
She was falling for Zach.