Chapter 15 #2
“As far as not knowing how to cook, I trusted you with that information and you practically shouted it to everyone in earshot.” She blinked rapidly against the stinging in her eyes.
“You said you feel like everyone always betrays you—maybe it’s because you treat them like this.
” She jabbed a finger in his sternum. “I never did any of those things you’re accusing me of.
At least, not the crazy-talk ones.” He leaned away from her, so she moved closer to him.
“Yes, I wrote some things in my notebook, yes, I gave that other person some paprika. But I can’t believe you’d think I’d actually sabotage everything just for an article.
” Her breath came in short gasps. “Maybe you really are the person I always thought you were.”
Zach wrung out a washcloth and began wiping down the table. “I guess both of our eyes are being opened today.”
“Hey, is everything all right here?” Ollie stood on the other side of the table, Eliza beside him. They both wore matching expressions of worry and concern. “Ava, you okay? Zach?”
“We’re fine, Oliver.” Zach’s growl wasn’t very convincing.
“Ava, do you need me to take him out for you?” Ollie started coming around the table.
“I’m fine, Ollie.” His concern for her was sweet, especially as he was Zach’s brother and should, by rights, be on his side.
“She doesn’t need you to defend her,” Zach said.
Ava straightened. “What I don’t need is another person in my life who doesn’t know me and doesn’t want me.” She untied her apron and threw it at the ground near his feet.
Behind her, a crowd ringed around them. Dani pushed her way through until she stood between them.
“What is going on here?” Color was high on Dani’s cheeks.
“Ava—” Zach said.
“Are you going to accuse me again?” Something red-hot flared through her chest.
“No. Don’t say anything.” Dani cut her hand through the air. “This was completely unprofessional, Zach. You’re disqualified. Third place now goes to the first runner-up.” A murmur rippled through the crowd. Dani shook her head and turned away.
Ava raised her chin. “I guess that’s my signal to leave.”
Zach’s shoulders heaved. He froze. Blinked. Opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He ran a hand through his hair. “Ava. Wait. I—I had some bad news and I’m reacting poorly.” He reached out a hand to her. “Let me explain. Please.”
Bad news? She’d give him bad news. “Goodbye, Zach.”
Weaving her way through the crowd, she beelined for the exit. A few people gave her an “Attagirl” as she passed by.
She broke free of the cooking tent and headed straight for the hotel. If she was lucky, she could make it there before the tears started falling.
She was moving so fast, she almost didn’t see Mia. The young woman had Finn by one hand and held Cody’s with the other. Cody held Maggie in his arm.
“Ava!” Mia’s call stopped Ava in her tracks. “I thought I’d find you here. I know the contest must have just ended.”
“We had hoped to be there, but the kids got restless,” Cody said. “We ended up finding corn dogs and walking around.” Maggie patted Cody on the head.
“I’m sorry we missed it,” Mia said. “How did you and Zach do?”
Ava’s heart seized. “We took third.” And lost everything.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Or congratulations?” Mia’s brow furrowed. “Third is good, right? Even if it’s not first, at least you placed.”
Try telling that to Zach. But Mia didn’t need to know the humiliation Ava now felt. “Third is good, but we’re disappointed not to have won the money for the Silver Platter.” That was an understatement, but again, Mia didn’t need someone to rain on her apparently perfect day.
“Mom, can we get cotton candy now?” Finn tugged at his mother’s hand. “You promised.”
“Just a minute,” Mia said. “I have to talk to this lady first. Cody, would you mind taking them to pick out the candy? I can join you in a minute.”
“Of course. No problem.” Cody gave Mia’s cheek a swift kiss, and Ava’s heart clenched again.
Mia transferred Finn’s hand into Cody’s and then dropped a kiss onto each of her children’s heads. “Be good, you two.” She ran a hand along Cody’s arm. “You be good too. They can share a cotton candy. Don’t spoil them.”
“Who, me?” Cody tried to look offended, but his mischievous smile ruined the look.
“They’re just so fun to spoil.” He kissed Mia again.
“Okay, kids. We need to listen to your mom. What kind of cotton candy do you want, pink or blue?” They turned and made their way through the crowd, Finn and Maggie calling out blue and pink simultaneously.
“You really do live a charmed life.” Ava crossed her arms over her stomach.
Mia broke into laughter. “Really? Is that what you think? I suppose you don’t really know me.”
“Um, yeah. Two adorable kids, their dad is handsome, you have life on Jonathon Island all figured out.”
“How do you know their dad is handsome?” Mia gave her a strange look.
“I mean.” Ava waved her hand at Cody’s retreating back. “I’m not like, trying to be creepy or whatever, he’s ten years younger than me, but Cody is pretty handsome.”
Mia’s face cleared, and she began to laugh again. “Cody isn’t their dad. At least not until after the adoption papers are signed.”
“What? I thought…” But no one had actually said that Cody was the father of the kids. She’d just assumed because he was so good with them.
“My first husband died,” Mia said. “There is nothing charmed about my life. I got pregnant with Finn in my first year of college and moved home to marry his dad, my high school boyfriend. When I was pregnant with Maggie, Troy died in a boating accident.” Mia’s eyes grew distant.
“Cody helped me a lot during that time, and we fell in love.” A half smile formed on her face.
“Blessed, yes. Definitely blessed to have known the love of two good men. But charmed? Not at all. That’s why that verse from Psalms means so much to me.
I had to learn to trust God again after He took my husband. ”
“I’m so sorry.” Now she felt terrible. “I didn’t mean to belittle you. I had no idea about any of that.”
“How could you? You didn’t grow up here, so of course you wouldn’t know any of the local gossip.” Mia’s voice was gentle.
“I’d like to.” Ava swallowed hard. “Well, maybe not grow up here, obviously, I’m already grown.
And I don’t mean I want to be a gossip. But I’d like to belong to a place where everyone knows everyone.
A community to call home.” A familiar longing filled her.
“Those are some of the things I put in my letter. I’m hoping it swayed them a little, knowing that the person who wants to buy their mom’s house wants to make it a home, not just an Airbnb or something.
” Now she was rambling, but the emotions of the day had her exhausted, and she couldn’t seem to turn off the tap that was her words.
Her limbs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds each.
“Ava.” Mia’s face fell. “I’m sorry to deliver bad news, but I wanted to tell you in person.” She pulled a letter out of her purse and handed it to Ava. “The sellers went with another offer. I’m so sorry. This is the rejection letter.”
Rejection letter. Ava resisted the urge to laugh in her face. It wasn’t Mia’s fault that the timing was so bad. At least they had the courtesy to reject her in a letter and not in front of a whole crowd.
She wanted to collapse into a heap right there in the middle of the Jonathon Island Flavor Fest grounds.
“Tell me you have another option for me.” Ava’s lips could barely form the words.
“I’m sorry, I truly am. There aren’t any other places in your price range.” Mia gave her a pitying look. “There’s nothing on Jonathon Island for you right now. I can keep an eye out, though.”
The white picket fence. The cute retro bathroom. The tight-knit community. The possibility of belonging someplace, to someone. All gone. Ava dragged herself up to her room in the hotel. She crashed onto the bed.
Her phone dinged with an incoming email. She glanced at the screen. The preview text read “Ava, What were you thinking?” and the sender was Judson.
Now she just wanted to crawl into a hole. But her job was on the line. She swiped open the email.
Ava,
What were you thinking?
These last two articles were trite and full of clichés.
Did you lose your talent along the way to the island?
I’ve included some suggested edits for you.
Please go down to the beach and find your discarded talent.
I know you can do better. I’ll be expecting the edits and final few articles next week.
Judson
P.S. It will be hard to sell the others on remote work if this is what we can expect from you.
Cringing, she opened the edits. A horror movie had less red effects.
She read through some of the notes. Okay, Judson had a point.
A few of these lacked the attention she usually put in.
She’d let Zach and her desires for the new home distract her.
Too bad she couldn’t bring herself to care about it.
Her dream of moving to Jonathon Island was already dead in the water. See? Clichés.
Except, she really loved her job, remote or not.
Somehow she would have to find the strength to write her articles.
Tomorrow she would pull herself up by her bootstraps, stop using clichés like bootstraps, and get back on track.
Because she couldn’t afford to lose her job too.