Chapter 25
twenty-five
AVA
It’s my third day at the bookstore, and I’m already in love with this job and place. I felt it before I walked in the door the first time and knew it for sure when Abbey and I started talking—this place is made to make you feel at peace as soon as you step inside.
I couldn’t have picked a better place to start again.
I’ve been working with Abbey in the mornings when the shop is busiest. Though, I’ve noticed the shop is busiest in the mornings because people come in for the treats Abbey makes, not because of the books.
“You know you could open a bakery with these, right?” I ask, waving a croissant around with one hand and covering my mouth—half full of the bite I’m chewing—with the other.
Abbey laughs, but doesn’t say anything.
“I’m serious. You need help in the mornings because of the crowd you’re bringing in with the mini bakery you’ve already created. You would kill at selling these things for real.”
“I’ve thought about it, but there aren’t any buildings available here on Main Street, and I don’t know if it would do well somewhere else.” She shrugs as she wipes down the counter from the morning rush.
I don’t know Abbey well, but something in that statement doesn’t ring true. “The people of this town would come to you no matter where you’re selling, believe me.”
We’re interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. “Crap. I’m sorry! I thought I silenced that.” I reach into my back pocket, pulling my phone out and muting the call.
“It’s fine. Take it.” Abbey waves me off.
I look down to see who it is first and see it’s Nicole’s lawyer. I don’t waste time and answer immediately. “This is Ava Day.”
“Ms. Day, I’ve got some news I’m sure your client will be quite pleased with.”
“I know I should wait for everyone else to get here, but I don’t want to,” I tell Scott when he opens the door for me a couple of hours later.
After the phone call with Nicole’s lawyer, I shot Scott a text asking if he’s free this afternoon. Once I had confirmation he was, I texted Caleb and Emily to tell them to meet me here around four, when I knew Declan and Quinn would be dropping Max off from school.
It’s quarter to four now, but I can’t wait to share the news with Scott. I don’t hold the smile back as he closes the door. “Nicole dropped the suit. Max is yours. Technically, she can refile, but a judge will never give it the time of day—not after this.” I feel the tears in my eyes before I finish speaking, and I see them reflected back at me in Scott’s.
“It’s over? Just like that?” His voice wavers, clearly overcome with emotion.
I give him a watery smile. “Yeah, just like that. It’s over.”
Scott stumbles slightly, catching himself on the wall next to him, and the tears slip free. “I don’t think I realized how scared I was about losing him until this moment.” He turns so his back is to the wall, his head falling back. As his shoulders shake, he lifts his hands, covering his face.
I know it’s mostly relief coursing through him, but there’s grief there, too. I know because that’s exactly what I’m feeling. Scott might not have to worry about losing Max to Nicole anymore, but he will lose all of us. He’s going to miss out on so many moments we all just assumed we’d have together, and it sucks.
I move to Scott’s side, wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug, and I let my own tears fall. The only saving grace is that we don’t have to spend the precious time we have left fighting to stay together. Now, we can just focus on us.
It takes him a second, but Scott’s hands fall from his face, and his arms wrap around me, hugging me as tight as I’m hugging him. Scott might not be my father, and I might have only known him for the past five years, but he has loved me and treated me more like a daughter these last five years than my own father has in my entire life.
“I want more time,” I whisper against him.
“Me too, Shortcake. Me too.”
Guess who’s getting their own place as of this weekend?
Gage
That was fast.
Where?
The guest house behind Scott’s place. Quinn and my brother are moving in with each other.
I’m in the middle of typing more when my phone rings—Gage’s name on the display.
“Impatient much?” I laugh as I answer, curling up on the porch swing at Declan’s with a large fuzzy blanket to keep me warm.
It might be winter, but it’s still early winter, so while the temperatures are definitely dropping, they aren’t unbearable. Of course, this is Maryland we’re talking about, and I’ve learned over the last five years that in Maryland, it could be the dead of winter, and you might end up with a day that hits the mid-sixties. They don’t say Maryland has twelve seasons for nothing.
“This felt quicker. Explain, please.” There’s noise in the background, but it quickly fades away.
“Aren’t you at work?” He’s been on nights the last two weeks, but he’s still made time to talk with me—something I'm choosing not to look too closely at for fear that I might let my heart feel what his persistent attention likely means. And I want to talk to him, too.
“Yeah, but it’s slow, and I’m at the station, so quit stalling and tell me what’s going on,” he teases.
“There’s really not much more to it.” I shrug even though he can’t see me. “I got a call from Nicole’s lawyer at work this morning telling me she dropped the suit.”
“That’s great news,” Gage interrupts, and I can tell he means it.
“Yeah,” I say softly, almost to myself. “I was so excited to tell Scott about it. I couldn’t wait for everyone to get to Scott’s to share the news. Which was probably a good thing.” I feel the tears building, thinking back to Scott’s reaction. “It hit Scott harder than he was expecting.”
“I bet. Scott’s an amazing father—and man. To go through everything he’s currently dealing with and then have to fight for custody of his kid on top of that? He didn’t deserve it.” A small smile grows at the confidence I hear in Gage’s voice.
I love that people see how amazing Scott is, and that I get to say I live in a town where the people support their neighbors like everyone here has supported the Marks family. It’s what I loved about Harborview—despite my parents living there—and it's why I kept my apartment in town. I love that Ashford Falls has it, too.
“So, how does this lead to you moving into the guest house?” Gage asks after a moment of silence.
“Well, after sharing the good news, we were all sitting around talking when Quinn announced that she was moving in with Declan.”
“And with the guest house empty and you looking for a place to live…it’s kismet,” Gage finishes for me.
“Yeah, it kind of is.” I laugh.
“I’m not gonna lie. Selfishly, I’m a little sad you won’t be a few houses down the street anymore.”
“Yeah, but now I’ll have privacy, and we won’t have to plan around what Declan is doing because it won’t matter if he’s home or not.”
“You make a good point.”
“I know. I’m a genius. You should know this already,” I tease. And the lightness I seem to always find in these conversations with Gage washes over me.
“Oh, believe me, I’m well aware of how smart you are.” He laughs. “It’s one of the things I find most attractive about you.”
“Is that so?” I question. I’m not saying it’s that out there to be attracted to someone’s intelligence—it’s just not something I’ve heard from other guys before.
“Of course. That, your honesty, and your confidence.” He says it so matter of fact it makes me pause.
“I don’t know about that last one. My confidence is shot,” I mumble.
“No, it’s not. It might be a little bruised, but you’ve still got it. You wouldn’t have shown up at my door that first night if you didn’t.”
“I don’t know if that was confidence.” It felt more like desperation to take back a little piece of myself from my parents and Brian.
“You telling me exactly what you wanted that night was, and you can’t argue that.” His voice takes on a husky sound like he’s picturing that night in detail, and it has my thighs clenching at the thought.
“Okay,” I say, sitting up in my seat. “I think it’s time for a new conversation.”
“Is that so?” he breathes, copying my words from earlier.
“Yes. You’re at work, and we aren’t having phone sex, so new topic, please.”
Gage laughs but changes the subject. “So, this weekend, huh?”
“Yeah.” I relax in my seat, a smile on my face. “Declan and Quinn are spending the next couple of evenings packing her stuff. We’ll make the switch on Saturday.
“Hasn’t she been here for like three months?”
“Yeah…” My voice trails off, curious at what he’s getting at.
“And it will only take them two nights to pack all her stuff?”
“Oh, yeah.” I chuckle quietly, realizing he wasn’t commenting on how fast their relationship seems to be moving.
Everyone is different, and I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t put things off, especially if you know what you want. You don’t know what the future holds so you’ve got to do what makes you happy.
“Quinn wasn’t planning on staying forever, so she never really put her own touch on the place. It’s mostly just clothes and camera equipment.”
“And you? You only need two nights to pack your things?”
“I only unpacked that first suitcase I brought with me.” I look out at the dark sky, studying the stars. “I knew I was staying when I got back on Christmas, but I also knew I wanted to find my own place, so I didn’t unpack everything I brought back with me. It’s all still in suitcases and boxes. Most of it in Declan’s garage.”
“I’m off this weekend if you need any help.” I hear the smirk in his voice.
“Hmm,” I hum. “I might not need help moving, but a good soak in that bath of yours would be nice when I’m done unpacking.” Now it’s my voice that turns husky.
“That can definitely be arranged.”
I'm reluctant to get off the phone with Gage, a thought I'm pretty sure I should be more worried about than I am, but I like talking to him. There’s a comfort in hearing his voice, knowing he’s there if—and when—I need him.
It’s the needing him that worries me. Because I’m pretty sure I do need him. And I’m not sure I’ve ever needed anyone the way I need Gage.
Needing Gage means something more serious than I thought I was looking for—than I thought I was ready for. Needing him means trusting him to be there for me—not that I have any reason to believe I can’t trust him. Gage has shown up for me every time I’ve asked him—and plenty of times I haven’t.
But it doesn’t feel right bringing someone into my mess of life. I know that Gage knows about all of it—and is still here. But my parents and Brian haven’t stopped calling since Christmas, and something in my gut says it’ll only get worse.
It’s better for both of us if things stay as they are. Moving into the cottage means it will be easier to keep things simple and just between us. And that’s exactly what I need right now.