16. Ava #2
I looked up, meeting his gaze. Duke smiled broadly. “Take all the time you need to consider it—but we’d love to have you join the Aviators, Ava.”
I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. “This is a dream job, Mr. Preston. I accept. Without hesitation.” I sucked in a breath. “I know that’s probably wildly unprofessional.”
He chuckled. “Not at all. It just tells me you know what you want. I admire that.”
I spent the next hour reviewing the contract, touring the facilities, and asking questions. By the time I left the Aviators’ offices, my cheeks ached from smiling.
I deserved this. I’d worked my ass off for years. Graduated at the top of my class in law school. I’d sacrificed. I’d hustled.
And for once—if only for today—I felt chosen.
The Aviators chose me. They saw my talent, my ambition, my potential. They saw me.
And they still wanted me.
Me: You are looking at the newest Austin Aviator!
Walker: You realize you’re not on the team, right?
Weston: Congrats, Ava. That’s badass. You deserve it.
Addison: Congrats, Avs! Between Walk, Farrah, and now Ava, I feel like the Aviators should name a conference room after our family or something. Maybe even a section of the stadium…
Walker: I like it…The Walker James Room. Or The Walker James Deck. Or even lounge or club, I’m not picky.
Weston: Dipshit.
Addison: Not what I had in mind.
Me: Thanks for the hookup, Walk. This is a literal dream come true and Ellie will be in the same building with me every day!
Walker: I just dropped your name. You closed the deal. You’re going to crush it. Have you told Coh?
Me: ………
Walker: AVA JAMES. You do realize he will find out. You know….by seeing you at the field. And by realizing HIS DAUGHTER is there.
Me: I know, I know. I’m telling him today. Chill.
I notified my firm that I wouldn’t be returning after my maternity leave. They weren’t thrilled, but they understood. I was starting my new job with the Aviators in a week, and somehow, I still hadn’t told Cohen.
I didn’t know why I was so nervous about his reaction, but I was. He was on his way over now to pick up Ellie for the afternoon. With the Aviators entering playoff mode tomorrow, Cohen’s schedule was about to get even more demanding, which meant limited time with her.
When he stepped into my apartment, I immediately noticed something was off. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. His chocolate-brown hair was more disheveled than usual, the scruff along his jaw thicker. He looked exhausted.
We’d both been carefully skirting the space between us lately—but me being the Nosy Nelly I was, I couldn’t help myself. I had to know what was going on.
“Hey,” I said gently. “Everything okay? You look tired.”
He rubbed a hand across his jaw. “You saying I look like shit, Trouble?” The nickname eased some of the tension between us. A welcome reprieve from the awkwardness we’d fallen into.
I shrugged. “You don’t look great, CoJo.” I rested my hands on my hips. “What’s going on?”
He sighed. “I'm just stressed about the playoffs, we've got a tough schedule, and I'm not as confident without your brother on the mound if I'm being honest.” He lifted Ellie from her Boppy and held her up, her giggles filling the room. “There’s my girl.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I get it. But you've got a great pitching staff. The bullpen is stacked.”
He chuckled. “I love how much you know about baseball.” Then, as if he’d realized the warmth in his voice, he cleared his throat and straightened, settling Ellie against his chest. “Yeah the bullpen will save our ass, but we're still missing a strong ace in our starting rotation.
Everyone thinks the new guy we got in July is it. I'm not convinced yet.”
He wasn’t wrong. Walker’s retirement had left a noticeable gap.
My fingers worried the hem of my shirt. Since we were already talking about the team, I figured now was as good a time as any to bring up the job.
“So,” I said carefully. “Not to abruptly change topics. But I’ve got some news.” I glanced down. “I got a new job.”
Cohen smiled immediately. “That’s great, Ava. Congratulations. I know you've been stressed about going back to your old firm.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I swallowed. “But there’s more. I got a job with the Aviators.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
I panicked and immediately started talking to fill the space.
“Duke mentioned to Walker that they were looking for a contracts attorney. Walker dropped my name. I interviewed with Lane and the legal team, and they offered me a salary I couldn’t refuse.
There’s on-site daycare for Ellie, and the office—” I exhaled.
“It’s just so… family-friendly. Over half the lawyers are women.
Most of them are moms. It’s a dream job for me.
I’ll stay out of your way, I promise, I don’t want this to be weird, I—”
“Ava.” He lifted a hand, stopping me.
“Slow down.” His voice was calm. Steady. “You don’t have to justify anything to me. You wouldn’t be in my way.”
I looked up.
“Congratulations,” he said sincerely. “That’s an amazing opportunity. The Aviators are a great organization to work for, Duke and Lane especially.” His mouth curved into a grin. “And I love that Ellie will be at the field. Means I’ll get to see her more.”
It was the first genuine smile I’d seen from him in weeks—and it felt like thirst-quenching rain after a long drought. Restorative. Satisfying. And I didn't realize until that moment how much I had missed it. Missed him. Missed us just being able to hang out and talk.
“Really?” I asked softly. “You’re okay with this?”
“Of course.” His eyes held mine. “I want whatever’s best for you and Ellie.”
The weight on my shoulders lifted all at once.
He grabbed Ellie’s bag from the counter, then hesitated. When he looked back at me, I saw uncertainty flicker across his face.
“Why don’t we order takeout tonight and celebrate?
” he said carefully. “I’ll grab your favorite Chinese food and a bottle of champagne.
” He cleared his throat. “You don’t really have anyone in Austin to celebrate with.
And I could use more time with Ellie before my schedule gets insane.
” He tacked the last part on quickly, like he needed to make it about our daughter and not me.
I hesitated. But the idea of celebrating felt too good to turn down. And he was right. I didn’t have anyone else here, no one to bask in the accomplishment with.
“Yeah,” I said finally. “That would be great.”
“Good.” He headed for the door with Ellie. “Come over around six?”
I nodded, smiling.
When the door clicked shut behind him, I sagged against the counter.
The hard part was over. His reaction had gone better than I’d ever expected. I felt like we were finally moving in the right direction of getting our friendship back to where it was.
And yet—I couldn’t shake the feeling that telling him had been the easy part.
The hard part was still coming.