The Brookfield Series Volume One (17 page)

“Geesh, is there a fire?”

“No, but there is a crying little girl. If we don’t get out of here now, Mark might change his mind.”

Ava laughed. “We don’t want that. Let’s get the heck out of here.”

After making the short drive back to town, they parked and decided to hit the coffee shop first. The Roasted Cup had the best coffee Ava had ever tasted. Even Julie loved it—the former New Yorker.

They ordered their coffee and then sat down at a small bistro table.

“It feels so good to be out,” Julie said.

“I don’t know how you do it. Always cooped up in that house.”

“Some days I feel like a prisoner, and some days it feels like heaven. I get to work in my PJ’s all day and be with Lila. Though, I’m thinking it’s time to hire a nanny of some sort. Conference calls are getting harder and harder with Lila around. It was so much easier when she wasn’t mobile.”

“I imagine. If you ever need help, just let me know. I’d love to spend some time with her.”

“I’m sure you’re busy with the shop. Speaking of which, take me by to see it. I want to see how the progress is coming along.”

“I’d love that. The only other person who has seen it is Kimberly.”

“And Seth.”

“Thankfully, it’s been awhile.” Although, she hated to admit she still looked for him to stop in.

“How come?”

Ava shrugged. “Guess he gave up trying to run me out of town.”

Julie took a long sip and smiled, but Ava didn’t let her speak.

“Don’t say anything. There is nothing between us. When I first met him, yes, I thought maybe. But from the moment he called me a nut job and I learned he was a prude, I knew it would never work. I’m not changing myself or what I want for anyone. I’ve done that enough already.”

“Are you ever going to tell me what happened with John?”

“There is nothing to tell. It just didn’t work.”

Ava didn’t like to talk about the past. She was no longer embarrassed that he had abused her and that she had put up with it, but she didn’t want that pitying look. The one where someone tells you how sorry they are and they wish they’d known. It wasn’t as though Julie could do anything about it now. No one could. It was the past, and it was going to stay there where it belonged.

After their coffee was finished, they decided to walk to Bare Necessities. The air was cooler now. Ava hoped that even though it was the end of summer and fall was due to begin any day now, snow would start soon. Not a lot but enough to get everyone putting their summer stuff up and getting their winter supplies ready.

Ava couldn’t wait for the first snow. She loved the fluffy white stuff, and she could never live anywhere that didn’t get snow often. The south would never be her home.

Ava dug her keys out of her purse as they arrived at the shop. She let Julie in and waited for her reaction.

“It’s gorgeous! I love it. You did all of this?”

“Not all but most.”

Julie walked in circles, her gaze taking in everything. “This is going to be ready in no time. Got a name yet?”

“Bare Necessities.”

“That’s perfect. Brookfield isn’t going to know what hit them!”

If the town let her open. In the back of her head, she still worried everyone was going to sign that petition Seth had talked about and she wouldn’t be able to open the doors to her place. And if she did, people might stand out front with signs, boycotting her. In her gut, something told her this wasn’t going to happen and she was going to be chased from town.

“I can’t wait,” Julie said. “Seriously. And I know a few other women in this town can’t wait either. Claire is a newlywed. I bet she will be in here.”

“Isn’t she close with Seth? She’s most likely on his side.”

“Doubtful. Claire probably routinely calls him a prude, just like you do.”

Ava tossed her dark locks behind her shoulders. She’d worry about the future when it got here. For now, she was going to pretend this was going to happen. “Enough about this stuff. This is our girls’ day. I think a pedicure is in order.”

“Sounds perfect. Do you mind if I call Mark first to make sure Lila calmed down?”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Go ahead.”

* * *

Of all the things Seth had to be out of, toilet paper was something a person had to have. Sure, he was a man, but it was still a necessity, so he took a ride to the local convenience store to pick up a four-pack. Of course, everyone wanted to chat with him.

Finally on his way home, all he wanted for dinner was a cold beer and leftover pizza. This week had been hell, and everything somehow revolved around one woman. Every disaster in town led to Ava, and every man was talking about her. Seth was ready to get home, where hopefully nothing would remind him of her. He was off tomorrow also, and he didn’t plan on leaving.

He flipped his blinker on and turned down Maple Street. He hated himself for it, but he had to make sure Ava wasn’t at her store. He figured she wasn’t. She hadn’t been the past few days, but you just never knew. Before he could safely sit down with his cold beer, he had to make sure she was home doing whatever it was she was doing … hopefully alone.

Only one light shone out on the sidewalks, and of course, it came from
her
place. Damn that woman for always making his life complicated. Then again, he’d made the choice to come down this road. Now he had to find out just how long she planned on being here.

He parked his truck along the curb, climbed out, and made his way to the store entrance. Pulling on the door, he expected to find it unlocked but was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn’t. He tapped on the glass and didn’t have to wait long for Ava to come from the back. His mouth dropped open. She looked stunning. Her dark hair was in ringlet curls, and she wore a beautiful cream dress. She was absolutely breathtaking.

She opened the door and greeted him in her usual flirty way, calling him officer. He grinned, hating himself for enjoying the playful banter. There was just something about Ava Miller. She invited him in, and he glanced around. She’d done a lot of beautiful work since he’d last been here. The store looked very upscale, not the trashy place he had imagined. There were colonial columns set up, and the walls were painted a nice sky blue. It looked like she was starting to sketch some vines to go along the top as a border. She really had an eye for design.

“So, officer, what brings you here tonight?”

“I was just driving by and saw you here and thought I’d see how long you would be working.”

She crossed her arms and leaned against one of the columns. He wasn’t sure why he was taking this moment to do it, but he
had
to take her in. God, she was sexy. His hands itched to touch. To see if she molded into him the way he imagined she would.

“Just a little work tonight. Julie and I hit the town today.”

“And you didn’t get arrested?”

Ava giggled. “No, we were good, contrary to what you might think, I’m really not that bad a person.”

“I don’t think you’re a bad person, Ava.” Had he given her that impression?

“You just dislike me, right?”

He didn’t say anything. How did he answer that? He wasn’t sure if he liked her or not.

“I won’t be here late tonight. Don’t feel like you need to send a patrol car by each hour.”

Her tone had changed, and he knew he’d hurt her feelings, which caused a strange pain around his heart he’d never experienced before. All he wanted to do was make it better. Before he knew what he was doing, he closed the space between them and stood directly in front of her. He inhaled her sweet rose scent, and the next thing he knew, he wrapped his hand around her neck and his lips sought hers.

She was soft … everywhere. From her lips to her cheeks, and he imagined she stayed that way all the way down. He pulled her closer, taking the kiss deeper. Her tongue met his, and she moaned. His manhood enjoyed that little noise and soon was pressing against his zipper, crying to be free.

Ava tasted good, and he couldn’t believe he stood in the middle of her sex toy shop, kissing the woman who infuriated him more than anyone else ever had. Yet as he kissed her, the world seemed to stop, and he felt like this was where he was supposed to be—as if all the events of the day had led him here.

His free hand started to roam. He had to feel her, touch her in any way he could. Lightly, he rubbed his palm down her spine until it stopped on her lower back. He ached to go farther, to grab that ass of hers. He knew even with both hands, there would be plenty to squeeze. He was an ass man, and she definitely had one that made his mouth water.

The kiss ended much sooner than he wanted. Ava pulled away and then stumbled backwards, trying to get away from him. “What was that?”

“I must have been doing something wrong, because I thought I was kissing you.”

“Well, yeah, you were. Why?” she asked.

“I … I don’t know,” Seth stuttered. He took a step toward her again, but she followed with another step back from him. “I didn’t want you to think I didn’t like you, because I do.”

“I’m confused. You like me, but you want me out of this town.”

“We could solve this easily.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Oh, really? How?”

“Open a different type of store.”

Ava started to laugh. “You’re something, Seth. Let me guess. You were going to try and get me into bed and then hope you gave me such an intense orgasm that I’d be putty in your hands and do what you wanted. Well, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’m so sick of men trying to change me. Get the hell out of here.”

“What … no. I wasn’t trying to get you into bed.” Or was he?

She put her hand up. “Save it. Just leave. I’m pretty sure, as the sheriff, that you understand you have no right to be here any longer when I ask you to get off my property. Unless, of course, you have a warrant.”

He didn’t know what to say. Somehow, things had changed fast. They’d gone from their usual playful banter to a kiss that had melted his heart, and now she was throwing him out. He was clueless and was getting the hell out of here. Part of him wanted to try and apologize but knew it wouldn’t do any good with Ava. Something she had said told him there was hurt in her past, so his best bet was to just leave her alone for now. Maybe later he could discover what had upset her. Until then, he’d steer clear of her.

Chapter Seven

The next morning, Seth busted through the doors of Honeycreek, looking for Claire. He was used to seeing her the moment he came into the bed-and-breakfast. He wondered if she was in the kitchen. Then again, this was the dead time of year. She might not have any guests, so it was possible she was in her part of the place with her husband. Hopefully, Jace was feeling better. Although, if Seth had a woman like Claire, he’d fake sick just to get her tender love.

His thoughts then turned to Ava caring for him. Only, in his fantasy, she wore a sexy nurse outfit, and she carried a tray with chicken noodle soup on it. She’d lean over him, her cleavage in his face, and feed him.

Shit. He had to stop this.

“Seth,” Claire called from behind him. He turned to find her. “What’s the trouble now?”

She knew him so well. “I kissed Ava.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

“It does me.”

“What’s the problem?” she asked.

“She thinks I kissed her only to get her to not open the shop.”

Claire raised an eyebrow. “Why would she think that?”

Seth raked his hand through his brown hair. “I kinda said something stupid.” He paused. “I told her things would be perfect if she’d open up a different type of store.”

“You said this after you kissed her.”

He nodded.

“God, what a jerk! Did she kick you out?”

He nodded again.

“Seth, what has gotten into you? This is so unlike you. Do you like Ava?”

“I think I do … and I’m worried it’s a little more than like. Shit, I can’t believe I just admitted that. That damn woman clouds my thoughts all day, and I’ve only know her a little over a week. A freaking week! I think about her all the time. Everything I do revolves around her. What do I do?”

“I can’t believe it. You’re in love.”

“What? No, I don’t think so.” He was infatuated, not in love.

“Seth, you are. And in order to not go insane, you’re going to have to accept her and the store she’s opening. Besides, it’s just a lingerie shop. I bet she wears that stuff every night. Lucky you. All Jace gets are T-shirts and pajama bottoms.”

“And you look damn sexy in that,” Jace said as he came into the room, greeting his wife with a kiss.

Seth’s thoughts flashed back to the morning he’d gotten Ava out of bed. She’d had on the sexiest pink panties he’d ever laid eyes on. He could only imagine what other undergarments she owned. And to go to sleep each night with her wearing something from her store…. She was definitely an angel sent here to him.