Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-one
River
It’s Saturday, a full six days since she agreed to me coming as her date to the charity beach event.
It’s been an insane week at work; everyone, and I mean everyone, wants me to design their builds.
Whether it’s a house, an office block, a shopping mall, or — I kid you not — a miniature palace for their dog.
I’m not complaining, though. It’s exactly what we hoped would happen for the company and the prices I can charge are eye watering. At this rate my house is going to be paid off before it’s finished.
I’ve also spent every night wrapped around my pipsqueak, whether it’s been at my apartment or hers, it’s not mattered — we’ve been together and that’s all I care about.
My gaze snags on Ava in cut off shorts and a loose t-shirt.
She’s dressed down, she’s got sand covering all different parts of her body, and her hair is pulled up in a messy bun, but she’s never looked more beautiful.
She comes alive around these children, and they do the same around her.
I don’t think she realizes how they gravitate to her, how she’s the one they’ve all sought out on arrival.
Even the adults are drawn to her in a way I’m quite sure they don’t understand.
She has a magic about her, it’s what’s made the past five years so fucking hard to resist her.
She catches me staring and her dazzling smile gets directed at me. My heart actually hurts with how much I love her. She’s not someone you ever get over, she’s the one for life, the one you never let go of.
“You must be here with my star employee.” The voice comes from behind me and I turn to see who it belongs to. I’m met with a middle-aged woman, her greying hair pulled back in a severe bun, but her eyes are gentle. This must be Ava’s boss, Donna.
“What gave me away?” I say as I hold my hand out for her to shake. “I’m River, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Probably the way you’ve not been able to take your eyes off of her for even a minute.” She chuckles. “I’m Donna, the woman who’s lucky enough to have your lovely girl work with her.”
“If you were to ask Ava, she would say she’s the lucky one.”
“And that’s one of the many things that makes her the wonderful person she is.” I smile at her words before my gaze finds my girl again. I’m not able to look away for long, she’s far too mesmerizing.
“You should go and join her; the kids would love to have you play the games.”
“I will,” I murmur.
And I will, but right now I’m content just watching.
***
I’m sweating.
Christ, these kids have run me ragged, especially a little brown-haired girl with pigtails by the name of Paisley.
“Again, Mr River, again,” she squeals as I collapse in the sand.
I’ve jumped in the bounce house, kicked a ball around in a miniature soccer game, and chased them around with a water gun for the past few hours; I don’t think I can manage another step.
“Give me a minute, Pais,” I wheeze. “I just need to catch my breath.”
“Kids.” My girl calls from a short distance away. “The ice cream truck is here. Why don’t you all get a cone and go sit under the tent in the shade.” Her words are met with shrieks of excitement as every child charges towards their sweet, cold treat.
“Here.”
I open my eyes to find her standing above me and holding out a vanilla cone. “You’re an angel,” I breathe as I sit up and pat the sand next to me. She sits down and leans her head on my shoulder as she licks her own pistachio cone.
“Thank you for today, the kids have loved having you here.”
“It’s been my pleasure, baby. They’re good kids.”
“They are,” she whispers. “Do you want children?”
“With you? Yes, I want everything with you. But I don’t want children for at least five years.”
“Five years? Why?”
“Because for five years I treated you like a piece of shit, I made you hate me. I want five years of loving you, five years with it being just the two of us, where I don’t have to share you with anyone.
Five years where you get every single piece of my heart, because when we have kids their needs will come first, and that’s not what I want right now. I just want you.”