Chapter 5
five
AVA
I stand there after Gage walks away, forcing myself not to look over my shoulder at his retreating back. It’s more of a struggle than I want to admit. I have no doubt the view from the back would be just as good as the view from the front.
I wasn’t lying when I told him he was attractive. That man definitely doesn’t fit the stereotype of the donut-loving cop many movies and television shows always portray. No, that man clearly takes care of himself and takes his job seriously.
He wasn’t in his uniform, but the badge was clear as day hooked to his belt. He wore dark pants that hugged his hips and thighs like a second skin, a dark button-down with the top button undone, and a sports coat. I would have expected a police officer attending court to dress in a suit, but small towns typically allow for a more casual appearance. I’m sure I stand out dressed as formally as I am in my sleek and tailored black pantsuit with a matching blazer.
It took me a moment to really take him in when he came up to me, but it was difficult to look away once I did. His height was the first thing I noticed. Being five-foot-four means almost everyone is taller than me, but Gage towered over me.
His aqua-blue eyes got me next. They were so bright, and while initially filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite decipher, they quickly shifted to one full of mischief. It was hard to look away. But his high cheekbones and chiseled jaw covered with the lightest amount of stubble grabbed my attention—another thing that didn’t fit the court appearance I had come to expect from my time with the firm in Boston.
His honey-brown hair, shorter on the sides and longer on top, was tousled slightly, causing it to fall along one side of his forehead, giving him a rugged look.
He’s the definition of an attractive man, at least for me, and that is more than dangerous, especially with how he flirted with me—and how my body responded to that flirting.
One too many men have let me down when I thought I could trust them. Being attracted to a man as good-looking as Gage Flynn is just asking for more heartache.
Besides, I’m not in Ashford Falls for anything other than helping the Marks family. They have to stay my primary focus.
Gage is long gone by the time I glance over my shoulder in the direction he walked. I have no doubt, if I’m in town long enough, I’ll run into him again. That’s the hazard of being in a small town—you can’t avoid anyone for very long.
After finishing up at the courthouse, I make my way back to Declan’s house, planning on hanging out there until he gets home from work. Even after changing into leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, I can’t sit still—I’m too antsy.
I know there’s nothing else I can do with Scott’s case right now—I’ve done all I can.
After getting home from breakfast yesterday morning, Declan and I had a chill day, just catching up and spending time with each other. I went to my room at the same time as Declan last night, hoping to sleep, but sleep hasn’t been easy for me since everything happened with Brian and my parents.
When I finally gave up trying to sleep, I worked on the return suit for Scott’s case. That man loves those he cares for with his whole heart, and to try and rip a child from his home when he has limited time left in this world is the worst kind of human.
Filing the return suit this morning was the next step. There’s literally nothing else I can do until we hear back from the courts.
No, my unease comes from the number of unanswered notifications on my phone—all from my parents.
I still haven’t spoken to them since the night at their house over two weeks ago. As far as I know, they still think I’m at my apartment in Harborview. I want to be shocked they haven’t reached out to Declan, concerned about my well-being, but I’m not. After everything that’s happened, I’m more surprised they keep calling.
The silent treatment Declan and I received as children wasn’t in the casual or playful way most parents do, pretending the sound of our voice was the wind or something equally silly. No, they treated us like we didn’t exist. There was no acknowledgement that we were there at all. Meals weren’t made for us, we weren’t tucked into bed, we weren’t directed to take a bath or brush our teeth. For all intents and purposes, we simply didn’t exist.
It sounds harsh—and it was—but it was also all we knew when it came to punishment. Our parents weren’t the kind to come talk to us about what happened, to allow us to explain ourselves, to help us process the situation or our feelings. They would wait for us to apologize for not listening or doing what we were told before acknowledging us and allowing us to move forward.
Declan and I learned at a very young age that it was easier to do what they wanted than fight them and deal with their version of punishment. Mom and Dad also altered how they communicated with us, manipulating us into believing whatever they wanted us to do was our idea—though, I didn’t realize that until just recently.
Looking at the clock, I realize it’s close to Declan’s lunchtime. Sitting here thinking about everything that happened back home will only drive me insane. I know I need to figure out what to do in the long run, but I can avoid it for a little longer.
I’m a little early when I get to the school—but luckily, the staff in the front office remember me from the few times Declan has brought me to school with him, and once I finish signing in they let me head to Declan’s classroom.
As I walk past the first classroom in the art hallway, Quinn catches my eye. This must be her room now, but I don’t see any students in there. This might be the perfect opportunity for me to get to know her a little better.
“Hey!” I say from the doorway, making her jump slightly from behind her desk.
“Hey, your brother’s classroom is one more door down, but he’s got a class right now.” Her voice is friendly enough, but I’ve made my career on being able to read people, and I can see from her tense shoulders and the way her eyes bounce around slightly that she’s nervous.
“Oh, I know. I got here a little early, but thought I could bug you for a little.” I step into the classroom easily, trying to show her I mean nothing but getting to know her. “Unless you’re busy.”
“No, I’m not busy. Come on in.” Her shoulders fall a bit, and she waves me further into the room, standing behind her desk.
“Are you enjoying teaching so far?” I ask as I look around, taking in the artwork she has hung on the walls.
“You know what? Surprisingly, I am.” She hops onto the edge of her desk, taking a seat. “It’s not what I expected, but I love watching when a technique or concept clicks in their brains. It’s fun.”
I can’t help but smile when I turn to look at her. “You sound like my brother.”
“I’m going to take that as a good thing.”
“Oh, absolutely. I love my brother. Like you said yesterday, he’s a good man.” I turn back to the photos on the walls again and mumble the next part. “Better than most.”
“Everything okay?” I hear the concern in her voice, making me smile again—she really is just like Declan.
“There you go, sounding like my brother.”
The bell rings, signaling the end of class and saving me from her response.
“That’s lunch.” Quinn hops down from her desk, grabbing something from a drawer. “Did you bring something with you?”
“Yeah.” I hold up the bag I brought with me from the house. “Where do you normally eat?”
“Your brother normally meets me here, but we can head to his classroom.”
Before we have a chance to turn for the door, Declan comes barreling around the corner, heading straight for Quinn. “Okay, I’ve calmed down, but it took way longer than—” Declan stops talking abruptly when he sees me in the room with Quinn.
“I’m sorry?” A brief feeling of confusion flashes through me, but the second Quinn starts laughing and a look of horror passes over Declan, I know something is going on between them.
“Nothing,” he mumbles. “I didn’t know you were coming to the school today,” he says louder, pulling me into a hug.
“Yeah, I finished writing the return suit and filed it this morning, so I thought I’d come bug you for lunch before I look for something else to occupy my time,” I say a little flippantly. It’s a brush-off, and we both know it.
“You wrote and filed a court document all in one morning?” he asks in disbelief.
“Well, I wrote the brief last night, but I had to wait for the courthouse to open this morning to file it.” I avoid looking at him. I know he can see right through me, but I’m still not ready to talk about everything.
“You wrote it last night? You must have been up all night.”
I hear Quinn shift from her spot by her desk, but I don’t look at her—or Declan. “I haven’t been sleeping well, so I figured I would just get it done.” I finally look at him, trying to silently tell him to leave it alone.
“Ava, I don’t?—”
“Big brother,” I interrupt when he clearly doesn’t receive the message, “I told you yesterday I didn’t want to talk about it.”
Quinn walks up to Declan’s side, placing her hand on his back. He startles slightly, glancing at her before turning back to me. “You’re right.” He studies me for only a moment before turning back to Quinn and kissing her lips quickly. “Let’s sit.”
I follow Declan to the table placed in front of Quinn’s desk and take a seat across from the two of them.
“How’s your morning been?” Quinn asks Declan, changing the subject for me.
“It was good. Nothing out of the norm to report.” He glances at Quinn out of the corner of his eye, and she laughs, making me wonder exactly what I’m missing.
“What am I missing?” I ask out loud.
“Nothing,” Declan rushes to answer, and I think it might be better that I don’t know. “How was your morning?” he asks Quinn. “Anything else from Tyler today?”
“No, he wasn’t in class. I checked and he was marked absent from school today.”
“Weird. I don’t think he’s ever missed a day of school.”
“Tyler’s the kid you told me about?” I ask. “The one who acts out a little in class?”
If I’m right, Tyler is one of Declan’s favorite students, and while he’s always had a bit of a rough home life, he’s always been a good kid. This year, though, things have changed for him. Tyler’s become more withdrawn and acts out in class—things he’s never done before.
“Yeah. It’s normally not serious, but he was a little more disruptive than normal on Friday,” Declan tells me.
“Why not write him up?” I don’t know anything about being a teacher—at least not more than Declan has told me—but it seems like writing a student up would be the quickest way for them to learn a lesson.
“He’s so smart and doing well in his classes, but his behavior has him on the cusp of being expelled. I don’t want to be the reason for that,” Quinn answers. “I don’t want to ruin his chances of doing whatever he wants after high school.”
“Not everyone is worth saving,” I mutter under my breath. I know I’m being harsh, but I’ve been burned one too many times to offer more chances after people let me down.
“Do you know what you want to do with your time in town since you’ll be staying longer?” Quinn asks, changing the subject and saving me yet again.
“I honestly don’t know.” I know I need to figure it out, but I have plenty of time since I don’t have a job to get back to.
“Do you know how long you’re staying?” Declan asks as he picks at his lunch.
“Well, I’ve got a little over a month saved up. So I was thinking about staying through the new year.”
Declan stiffens in his seat, and I see Quinn place her hand on his back. “Ava.” He closes his eyes briefly before opening them and looking at me. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, and I want to respect that, but I need you to give me something to stop me from worrying.”
He’s right. I know I’m causing him more stress by making him imagine worst-case scenarios, but I’m not ready for the look of worry and sadness I know he’ll have when he learns the truth.
“I was fired from the firm.” I offer him a partial truth.
“What?” Declan breaths out.
“That’s all I’m going to say on it. I’m not sure I’m upset about it. Practicing law hasn’t made me happy for a while now.” I look at Quinn. She’s clearly someone my brother trusts and leans on for support, and I’m glad he has that.
I look back at Declan and give him as much as I’m ready to. “I just need a little time to figure it all out. I promise, when I’m ready I’ll tell you everything.”
Declan takes a deep breath before responding. “Okay. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”
“Thank you.”
I look back at Quinn and realize she and I aren’t all that different. Until recently, she was living in New York City as a big-time photographer with no plans of returning home. The only reason she’s here now is because of Scott’s cancer returning.
“I know you’re still in the same general field, but you did technically change careers. Would you recommend it?” I ask her.
“Ava!” Declan shouts, but Quinn laughs.
“You know what? I absolutely would. Sometimes, being forced to change one aspect of your life leads to a domino effect of wonderful things falling into it.”
We smile at each other, and lunch continues without issue.