Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
How could he stick an AirTag in my purse?
It certainly explains a lot. I can’t believe he’d sink to such a low level to keep track of me.
Ugh, I should’ve listened to Daphne. She knew years ago he was trouble with a capital T.
And she was right. When I tell her the stunt Dylan pulled, she’ll want to kill him herself.
As I sit in the car beside Fernando, I replay scenes in my head from over the past eight years.
In vet school and throughout my residency, Dylan balanced me out.
He made sure I didn’t spend all my time buried in a corner of the library.
He pulled me out of my shell and helped me develop the social skills I needed to be able to confidently speak to my clients.
But that’s where his help ended. As I grew, he stayed stuck in the past.
Dylan only cared about number one. Himself. He said he loved me. But I doubt it was ever the type of love I craved. I was just a pawn. A stepping stone to another woman, project, job, or whatever else he was after. He had no problem dumping the Queen of Vultures right after they got engaged.
It would only be a matter of time before that was me.
My heart wouldn’t be able to take riding the Dylan roller coaster a second time.
It’s already been broken once. A second time would be .
. . I don’t even want to think about it.
There’s already a bitter taste in my mouth. “Goodbye, Dylan,” I whisper softly.
I swallow hard and shift my attention to the man beside me. Fernando has his hands steady on the steering wheel and eyes focused on the road. It’s funny. The paths we’ve walked in our past relationships are eerily similar.
I pined after Dylan for years, while Fernando loved his Isabel.
Neither of us could see their flaws until it was too late.
And when they broke us, it hurt as if someone had forced us to walk through a bed of hot coals barefoot.
I take a deep breath. At least he’ll finally get his happy ending.
Isabel is a lucky woman. She’ll never find a better man than Fernando.
I hope maybe one day, I’ll be lucky too.
After my trip to Spain, I’m gonna need another vacation from my vacation.
I don’t notice until Fernando stops the car that we’ve left Santa Luz behind us and we’re in a dense forest area.
The foliage is so thick, it’s hard to tell what time of day it is.
Only a few patches of sunlight filter through the canopy of trees.
Climbing out of the car, I feel how the temperature has dropped. I run my hands over my forearms.
“Here.” Fernando slips a fleece jacket over my shoulders. “We have about an hour before the sanctuary closes. We can come back another day and explore some more if you enjoy it.”
I don’t have to ask where we are. I hear the mighty roar of a tiger.
It’s a sound that I heard often at the Colorado Zoo.
When you stand beside a tiger, only separated by a few inches of thick steel, the sound of its roar reverberates through your bones and reminds you as a human how puny a species we really are.
The sound still sends a chill through my body.
“We can have a look at whatever big cats you’d like,” Fernando says.
He purchases our admission tickets, and we wander silently from enclosure to enclosure. I can’t believe Fernando thought to bring me here. It lifts my spirits to see the animals in wide open spaces, doing natural behaviors like sleeping and surveying their territories from high perches.
“I thought they’d be more active,” he says as we pass another exhibit, where the lion is stretched out asleep on top of a pile of rocks, soaking up the winter sun.
“Big cats are like their domestic cousins. They’re creatures of the night,” I reply.
It’s the first time I’ve spoken in over an hour. I’m happy to have the animals to focus on instead of my nonexistent love life.
We come to the far end of the sanctuary and ascend a set of stairs to a viewing platform overlooking an area with sandy-colored rocks, tall grass, and a water feature. The sign on the right displays an image of the Iberian lynx.
“This is what we’re here for,” Fernando says as we claim a seat on the bench in front of the glass. “I know this is the cat you were the most excited to see.” He squints out at the exhibit. “I don’t see anything, but if we wait long enough, maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“We might, but then again, lynxes are experts at hiding. They’re born with those dark spots that help them camouflage seamlessly in their habitat.
” My own eyes gaze out near the rocks and among the shrubs, searching for any sign of movement or spots.
“I would really like to see one. Spain is the only place in the world you can find this particular species.”
We hear the chirping of birds and the sound of the water plummeting over the man-made falls to the pond below. The tranquility soothes my mind. “I needed this,” I say to Fernando. “I’m not in any mood to be around people right now, except for you.”
“I thought the sanctuary would be a nice escape for you. Just like how the ice rink is for me.”
“It is. This place is purrrrrrrrrrrrrfect. Pun intended.” I pull my jacket a little tighter around my body. The temperature has continued to drop. “I’m glad you were with me when Dylan showed up. It was reassuring to know I had somebody on my side.”
“I’ll always be on your side,” he emphasizes. “That’s what fake boyfriends do.” He scoots closer to me, so our legs are nearly touching and slips his own jacket over the one I’m wearing. “That man has some serious issues. I hope he listens to you and stays away.”
“I think he will.” I gaze forward, staring into the enclosure. “He doesn’t know about our arrangement. For all he knows, if he shows up again, he’ll have to answer to you.”
“I’ll be ready,” Fernando affirms. “Just between us, it was a pleasure to see him squirm. He deserved it.”
“He did,” I agree.
“How are you doing mentally and emotionally?”
“Would you believe me if I said I’m fine?” I turn my head toward him. “I’ve had plenty of time to process not having him in my life. When he walked out of the restaurant, my gut told me it was the end of an era. I think I can finally close the Dylan chapter of my life.”
“That just goes to show how strong a person you are, Ava.”
I wish I could begin writing the next chapter with Fernando, but I know it’s not meant to be. Instead, the next chapter starts with me being a more confident Dr. Brown and running my own practice.
We sit for a little while longer. My head makes its way onto his shoulder, while his arm drapes itself over my body, pulling me closer to him.
It feels like a warm cocoon. I know I’m flirting with danger, but he’s reciprocating, and I can’t bring myself to scoot away from him. My eyes slowly flutter closed.
“Ava.” I hear Fernando’s voice sometime later. “Ava,” he repeats.
I hide a yawn with my hand and sit up. I guess I must’ve fallen asleep. “Hmm?”
“Look,” he whispers excitedly, pointing up at the upper left corner of the rock pile. “Is that . . .?”
“Yeah, it is,” I breathe, now fully awake and leaning forward in my seat.
Crouched down at the top of the habitat near the waterfall’s edge is the elusive lynx.
Its ears have long fluffy black fur. Its main coat contains a series of spots similar to a bobcat or cheetah.
But its most impressive feature is its bright-yellow eyes.
The lynx is gazing directly at us as if we’re on exhibit.
“It’s so beautiful.” I take out my phone and snap a few photos. “I wish I could get closer.”
“I don’t know about that. Those paws are large, and I bet they come with equally sharp claws. I wouldn’t want to be scratched by them.”
“The lynx would be more afraid of you than you are of him,” I tease.
“Hmm . . . if you say so.” He doesn’t sound totally convinced.
The bushes around the lynx crackle and sway.
A moment later, another lynx appears, rubbing its head against the body of the sitting one, urging it to stand before it disappears.
The sitting lynx lazily pops to its feet, yawns, and sticks its butt into the air, stretching.
After giving us one final glance, it, too, disappears into the thicket.
“That was special,” I say, grinning widely. “How long was it sitting there while I was asleep?”
“Not long. I only noticed it a minute ago. You were right about the camouflage. I had to take a photo and zoom in with my phone to see if it was really there.”
“Well, thank you for waking me up and showing me.” I start to lean in to kiss him, but stop short and force myself back to my side of the bench. That was too close. “What time is it? It must be close to closing time,” I say quickly.
“You can if you want to. I’m giving you permission.”
I blink slowly a few times and return my attention to the gorgeous man sitting next to me. “To do what?”
“Kiss me.”
I lower my chin to my chest and stare at him with wide eyes. Have I heard him correctly? He licks his lips. They’re full and a perfect shade of cherry-red. “That’s not a good idea.” I shake my head. “You’re with Isabel. I can’t be the reason you two break up again.”
Fernando inhales sharply. “You think I’m getting back together with Isabel?”
I blink a few more times, now fully awake. “Aren’t you?”
“No,” he says emphatically.
“Oh.” A chorus of gospel singers starts singing at the top of their lungs inside my head. Fernando is still single! “Back at the restaurant, you mentioned lunch with Isabel and clearing your schedule. I just assumed . . .” My voice trails off.
“We were an item?”
I nod.
“I can see where you might get that idea.” He rubs a hand over his jaw.
“At breakfast today, Isabel and I decided to be friends again, but that’s it.
I made it clear that any romance between us has fizzled out.
” He sighs. “Anyway, the reason I wanted to clear my schedule to meet her for lunch is to discuss a skating show she wants my help putting together.”
“A skating show,” I say slowly. I hang my head. “I feel so dumb right now.”
“No, Ava, you’re not dumb. Before we were interrupted, I wanted to tell you that we weren’t together.”
He takes my hand in his. “Since the day you helped me out in the clinic, I’ve been attracted to you.
The more time I’ve spent with you, the deeper that infatuation has grown.
I thought I’d be able to stick to my rules and avoid ever falling for someone.
But I’ve failed—miserably, I might add. Because since we landed in Lisbon, all I’ve wanted to do is kiss you senseless and make you my real girlfriend. ”
My breathing increases. My stomach begins to perform somersaults. That’s what I’ve wanted all along too. “But what about yesterday in the car when you freaked out on me?”
“That was one of the dumbest moves I’ve ever made.
” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “It was a last-ditch effort to convince myself I shouldn’t risk another relationship.
I didn’t want to get hurt again. But all I managed to do is make myself more miserable.
I’m tired of being alone. I want to be happy again and spend my time with a woman I’ve grown to care deeply for.
” He cups my cheeks with his hands. “I realized today that I can’t run the risk of losing you to another man.
I want you for me. I want to spoil you rotten, teach you to skate, and learn all about animals from you. ”
His words cause my brain to go fuzzy. I don’t need to hear anything else from him.
And I don’t want to wait any longer. Leaning forward, I greedily plant my lips on his and kiss him.
Deeply. His arms wrap themselves around my back, while mine loop around his neck, and he pulls me into his body.
Despite only having a light long-sleeve shirt on, he serves as my personal heater.
I’ve waited so long for this second kiss.
Unlike our first time, we’re not putting on a show.
There’s nothing fake about this. It’s like my body has been dropped in a glass of expensive champagne.
Everything within me feels like it’s sparkling, and I’m filled with bubbles of delight.
His lips are so silky soft. His cologne is fresh, a muted lemon scent.
As we break apart, I giggle. “How is it you’re always so warm?”
“That’s just how I am.”
We nuzzle our noses and kiss again at a much slower pace. I allow my brain to completely shut off, my emotions to run wild, and my body to do as it pleases.
We only leave the sanctuary when some of the keepers come through and tell us they’ve been closed for over an hour. Oops. When you’ve been enjoying yourself so much, there’s not much else that matters in the world.
With my fingers laced through Fernando’s, we slowly meander to the exit and back to the car. “Well, at least we don’t have to pretend anymore in front of your family.”
“I was under the impression you weren’t pretending even when everything was fake.”
My face flushes. “Okay, I wasn’t.”
“Well, if we’re admitting the truth, neither was I.” He licks his lips. “I was looking for every possible excuse to play the boyfriend card with you.”
I elbow him lightly in the ribs. “You should’ve told me sooner.”
“I know. I could’ve saved us a lot of time and trouble.” He sighs. “It won’t happen again.”
“It had better not because I’m not letting you go anywhere.” I giggle. “You’re my boyfriend. Nobody else’s.”
“I could say the same for you.” He swoops his arms under my legs and lifts me up as I laugh wildly, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“I have no intentions of letting you go anywhere either. You’ve captured my heart.
I hope you like being spoiled rotten because that’s exactly what I intend to do with you.
I’m a man who’s been starved for love for too long. ”
He gives me a peck on the cheek and puts me down at the car. We return home, both smiling widely and feeling as if we’re floating along on a magic carpet ride.