Chapter 8
eight
GAGE
I can see in the way she holds herself that Ava’s not open to a conversation at the moment—something is clearly weighing on her. But even seeing that, I can’t walk away. I want to help lessen the load, even if only for a little while.
With a smile I’m not entirely sure I feel, I plop onto the seat next to her. “You know, I honestly thought I would run into you around town sooner than this, but somehow it never happened.” I turn to her, taking in her guarded eyes when she looks at me.
She scoffs, facing forward. “Been looking out for me, have you?”
“Oh, definitely.” I can’t take my eyes off her, even if she refuses to look at me. “Especially after learning about what brought you to town. Anyone who helps Scott Marks keep that bitch of a woman away from Max is a person I want to shake hands with.”
“Gotta love small towns,” she mumbles under her breath, releasing a deep sigh before speaking louder. “You already shook my hand.” She fiddles with the napkin Walt placed in front of her.
“Maybe, but that was before I knew what you were doing here.” I turn in my seat, angling my body toward her.
She lifts her head to look at me, studying me for a moment before mirroring my position. “Well, I wouldn’t want to let you down.”
She holds her hand out between us, offering me a handshake. Her eyes are still guarded, but there’s something else in them, too. Maybe sadness? Or resignation? I feel the smile fall from my lips as I take her hand in mine. It’s soft and warm. I’m not surprised by the softness, but I’m surprised by the warmth.
“You decided to come introduce yourself, did you?” Walt’s voice breaks through the moment as he places a pint in front of Ava.
I turn to Walt, quickly coming back to the moment. “We actually met earlier this week. I just wanted to commend Ava on helping Scott. That man deserves the best, and we all know from Declan that Ava’s the best.”
“Right, I forgot about Nicole being back in town.” Walt turns to Ava. “I’m sure you can’t talk about it, but Scott won’t lose that boy, right? He’s too good of a father and she’s too much of a…well, I don’t know the right word for that woman.”
“Bitch?” I offer.
Walt taps the side of his nose before pointing at me, signaling I’m right but he won’t be saying it himself.
One side of Ava’s lips tip up in a half smile as she shakes her head slightly. “No, I don’t think Scott has anything to worry about. I think any judge looking at the evidence will leave things exactly how they are.”
“Good,” Walt says right before the door opens, letting in another gust of cold air. He lifts his head, looking to see who entered, lifting his hand in greeting before looking back to Ava and me. “I’ll be back with your burger as soon as it’s ready.” He taps the bar twice before walking away again.
I turn back to Ava but don’t say anything. I’ve got so many questions running through my head, but there’s no reason for her to answer them. We don’t know each other, and something tells me she’s not really in the mood to change that.
I’ve always been good at reading people—it’s one of the things that makes me good at my job. But this woman clearly has a shield around her keeping herself safe, and I can’t read anything else. It’s driving me mad.
Her phone rings before I can open my mouth to say anything else. She pulls it out of her pocket, looking at the screen quickly before ignoring the call and placing it face-down on the bar. It’s only a minute before it starts ringing again.
Ava’s entire body deflates, her elbows falling onto the bar and her hands cover her face. The phone stops only to begin again, and her shoulders start to shake slightly.
As gently as I can, I place one hand on her back and reach around her to silence her phone. She jumps slightly at my touch. Trying to soothe her, I bring my mouth to her ear and whisper, “Just breathe. You’re safe here.” I don’t know what makes me tell her that, but something in my gut says she hasn’t felt safe in a while. Her body sags a little more, but I feel her take a deep breath.
I press the power button on her phone, shutting it off. I’m sure that’s crossing yet another line, but whoever keeps calling has caused enough stress. A few hours' reprieve is something Ava seems to need—desperately.
“I know it’s a stupid question, but you okay?” I ask after a few minutes when I feel her body stop shaking. I practically surround her. I’m on the edge of my seat, my body facing her, my legs open wide around her seat, one hand resting on her back, and my other arm across the bar in front of her. To anyone looking at us, I’m sure we look like a couple having an intimate moment, but I don’t really care what anyone else sees right now. My focus is entirely on her.
She shakes her head, her face still covered by her hands. After a moment she wipes her eyes and cheeks, one arm falling to the bar, the other propping her head up as she turns slightly to look at me.
“Honestly, no, I’m not okay.” Her voice is hoarse and barely above a whisper, but I hear her all the same.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I study her. Her eyes are a little red, but I wouldn't know she just broke down if I hadn’t seen it myself.
“Not really.”
“Okay.”
She sits up a little straighter, shock flashing in her eyes. “You’re not going to push?”
“No, I’m not going to push.” I let her study me for a moment, seeing whatever she needs to before I pull away from her, sitting back on the bar stool. I give her a minute, glancing away briefly. Whatever just happened was intense, and I can’t keep looking at the pain in her eyes, but I’m not ready to walk away either.
I turn back to her, asking the first random question that comes to mind, trying to distract her from the heaviness of the moment. “Have you had a chance to explore much of the town?”
“What?” she asks in disbelief.
“Have you explored the town any since you got here?”
“No, I heard you, I just…” She shakes her head slightly, momentarily looking down at the bar before picking her head back up. “Not really. Tonight was the first night I made it into town. I’ve been catching up with Declan and the Marks family.”
“I assume, with how much Declan talks about you, that you’re close?”
She studies me again as if she doesn’t know what to do with me before answering. “Yeah, we’re close. I don’t get out here to see him that much, but we talk as often as we can.”
“Do you live in Harborview or Boston? Boston’s where the law firm you work at is located, right?” I get a little more comfortable in my seat, resting my elbow on the bar, my head in my hand.
It feels like I already know a lot about Ava thanks to the way Declan talks about her, but seeing her this evening reminds me that even a proud older brother doesn’t know everything. I know if Olivia was in as much turmoil as Ava is, and I knew about it, I would be stuck to her side until I could fix whatever was wrong. From how Declan talks about Ava, I know he feels the same way about his sibling as I do all of mine. It might be overprotective, but it hurts seeing the people you care about hurt.
“Yeah, the firm’s in Boston. I have a place in Harborview and Boston, but I end up spending most of my time closer to the firm. It’s just easier.”
“Oh, fancy pants has two places?” I tease, causing a small smile to form on Ava’s lips.
“I’m not sure it makes it any better, but my parents own my apartment in Harborview, so it doesn’t cost me much, and my place in Boston is a tiny studio apartment.”
“Hey, don’t sell yourself short. Being able to afford two places shows how hard you work—it's definitely something to be proud of. I know how prestigious that law firm you work for is. They don’t let just anyone work for them.”
While there’s plenty in the news I try to avoid, I also like to stay up to date on current affairs. I’ve seen the Henry, Wellsley, & Ford name quite a few times. It’s no exaggeration that they are one of the biggest firms in Boston, representing some of the biggest names in the country.
She laughs, but it’s more self-deprecating than anything else. “I’m not so sure about that. My parents are close friends with one of the founding partners.”
My eyes narrow as I look at her. “Do you represent clients?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“I’m going to prove a point—just answer.” I sit up straight, getting serious. “Do you have clients you represent?”
She rolls her eyes but answers. “Yes, I have clients I represent.”
“How many?”
“I don’t know. It’s a fair amount. More than most at the practice, at least for family law.”
“Do you win?”
“Gage—”
“No, come on, do you win?” I stop her from avoiding the question.
She looks at me as if I might back down from my question. But if one thing is true, the longer you stay quiet, the more likely you are to get an answer.
“Fine. Yes, I win,” she says, a little exasperated.
“More often than not?”
Her eyes narrow. “Yes, more often than not.”
“Then I think it’s safe to say you kept the job because you’re good at it.” She opens her mouth to say something, but I keep going before she can. “Look, let’s be real: more often than not, it’s about who you know that gets you in the door. But it’s what you know that keeps you there. Your parents' connection might have gotten you the job, but I bet you worked your butt off the second you got there, and that’s what made them keep you.”
Her eyes bounce between mine for a minute before she looks down at the bar, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. “Thank you,” she murmurs.
I wait for her to lift her eyes back to mine before answering. “Anytime.”
We get caught in another trance, just staring at each other. Something I’m sure we would have continued doing, yet again, if it weren’t for Walt coming up behind the bar and my dad coming up from behind us.
“Sorry about the wait. There was a food emergency or something back in the kitchen.” Walt laughs as he sets Ava’s burger down in front of her.
“No worries, Walt. Thank you,” Ava addresses Walt, turning back in her seat to face the bar straight on, her body going taut yet again.
“I know I took longer than I said, but I just couldn’t leave until I’d finished organizing the tack room,” my dad says as he takes the seat on my other side.
“Forget it. I know exactly who you are, Dad.” I offer him a smile so he knows I’m only giving him a hard time as I turn in my seat.
I don’t want to stop talking to Ava, and, if I’m being honest with myself, I want more than just this conversation. But whatever is going on with her is weighing heavily on her shoulders, and I won’t be the reason she has more hurdles to jump. So, for tonight, I’ll be a sounding board—a guy at the bar who’s just there to talk.
“Well, it doesn’t seem like it was a hardship for you to wait for me. Who’s your friend?” Dad’s voice is light, and there’s a smile on his face, but when he sees the look in my eye, his head tilts, giving me a questioning look.
I shake my head minutely, trying to tell him not to keep going, but when he opens his mouth I jump in before he can say anything else. “This is Ava Day, Declan’s younger sister. She’s in town to help Scott with Nicole.” Turning to Ava, I see her eyes have gone a little round as she takes a deep gulp from her beer. “Ava, this is my dad, Nick Flynn.”
Dad leans around me, finally getting a look at Ava, and I see the minute he figures out what I was trying to tell him silently. She’s not in a place to be making jokes about anything more than a simple conversation happening between us. Dad knows I’m not a person for serious relationships, and he knows Murphy’s is a place I like to frequent to meet the rare tourist in town. And while I normally might enjoy Dad’s witty banter in those situations, I know he can sense this isn’t one of them.
He straightens in his seat—glancing at me so quickly I would have missed it if I hadn’t been studying him—before offering his hand to Ava.
“Nice to meet you, Ava. It’s awfully kind of you to come out here to help Scott.”
Ava doesn’t hesitate to place her hand in his, straightening in her seat, a mask of professionalism falling across her face. “It’s my job, and that man deserves a break.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Plus, he practically adopted my brother, so how can I say no?”
My dad laughs at the joke but glances at me out of the corner of his eye. He’s always been good at reading people as well, always picking up on the smallest tells, and I have no doubt he can see the mask she’s wearing. That tension in her shoulders, the shadow in her eyes.
“I know you just got your burger, but join us for dinner. My son and I could use some of your spirit to liven up the evening.” He stands from his seat, getting ready to find a booth for us.
“Oh no, I don’t want to intrude on your dinner.”
“Nonsense. I see this kid all the time. You aren’t intruding.” This time, he doesn’t give her a chance to say anything before walking away.
I watch him go and am honestly grateful for him in this moment. He’s just given me an excuse to spend more time with Ava. “I’d like to say you can ignore him, but he’s not one to take no for an answer.” I give her an apologetic smile. “He’ll probably come back here and steal your beer or burger to take them over to the table.”
She looks at me, a little dumbfounded, before Walt jumps in. “Unfortunately, Gage is right. Nick is not the kind of man to take no for an answer. Best to just get on with it and follow him.” His kind smile is back on his face, his dimple popping through. “I’ll bring you a fresh beer—on the house.” And just like my dad, he doesn’t wait for Ava to respond before he walks away.
“I—I’m not going to be good company. You literally just saw me in tears. Please don’t make me do this.”
Her voice is pleading, and the look in her eye makes me want to wrap her in my arms, but I hold myself back. Instead, I place my hand on her forearm, squeezing it. “Ava, you can do whatever makes you most comfortable. But, I can tell something is weighing on you, and truth be told, my dad's likely going to tell you any number of embarrassing stories about me that will be sure to take your mind off everything, so if you want to be distracted a little longer, you're welcome to join us. Otherwise, I’ll see you around town.”
I squeeze her arm once more before standing from my seat and joining my father at the booth he found for us across the room.
“She not going to join us?” he asks as I take the seat across from him.
“I don’t think so.” I reach out to stop him when he starts to stand from his seat. “Normally, I’m all for your meddling ways as I find them quite entertaining, but I think we let her be this time.”
He falls back into his seat, mock outrage on his face. “What do you mean ‘meddling ways’? I don’t meddle.”
I laugh louder than I intend to, but Dad is oblivious if he thinks he doesn’t meddle. “Dad, you’re always getting in Asher and Leo’s business, just like you did mine in high school. Leo just told me about the impromptu get-together you organized for him and his friends last weekend. I don’t know how I’ve avoided it the last three years.”
He stares at me with a serious expression on his face long enough that I think he might actually be hurt by what I said, but then he’s laughing with me, and the conversation carries on like it normally does with us—easy and carefree.
When a beer and a basket of food are placed on the edge of the table, I’m honestly surprised it’s Ava standing there and not Walt with our regular order.
“Is the offer to join you still open?” Her voice is strong, sure of herself, exactly like it was at the courthouse on Monday, but she shifts nervously, waiting for a response.
I feel my dad kick me under the table, knocking me from my trance.
“Of course.” I slide over in the booth, giving her room to sit down.
Ava takes the open seat, pulling her food in front of her. She gives me a small smile before she turns to my dad. “So, tell me you have some embarrassing stories to help shrink a bit of Gage’s ego.”
Now it’s my father’s turn to burst out laughing—loud and boisterous.
And I can’t help the smile that forms on my lips.