Ava

by Denise Devine

  They followed their guide to the spot where they were to be hooked to the actual Diablo Zipline. Ava stood next to Jeff, facing the bay, but rather than allowing her fear to consume her, she held on to her safety line and concentrated on the breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime view. From up here, she could see the vast Caribbean Sea stretching for miles and miles. In the distance, the aqua water gradually turned to light blue where the sea met the sky at the horizon. To her left, on the other side of the sandy point, a large cruise ship majestically hovered in the water. Looming in the background behind it, forest-covered mountains jutted out to sea, their tops shrouded in misty clouds.

  The guide hooked Jeff’s harness to the trolley on the cable that would take him down the line. She walked over to Ava and connected Ava’s harness to her trolley. Ava shifted around in it, trying to find a comfortable spot when the harness began to swing back and forth slightly. She went still, holding onto the side bars.

  This is it…no backing out now. Breathe…

  They waited for team two to be hooked up to their trolleys.

  “All right guys, get in your landing positions,” their guide instructed. “That’s good,” she said as she checked on Ava and Jeff. “Excellent.”

  Ava glanced over at Jeff. He sat quietly in his harness, looking calm and relaxed, but he didn’t turn and look her way.

  “Landing zone, landing zone,” the guide called, speaking on her radio to someone on the other end of the zipline. “…this is the flight deck.” Someone at the landing zone told her to “stand by.”

  They waited for a few seconds then suddenly, the order came from the landing zone to release the next set.

  “Copy that…sending four!” The guide turned to Ava and Jeff. “Are you ready, guys? Let’s go!”

  Before Ava had time to grasp what was happening, off they went, both teams of two, speeding down the zipline, hurtling faster than a ride on a roller coaster.

  The pressure of the fast, downward thrust made Ava want to scream but the view beneath her held such incredible beauty that at first, she could only gasp for breath as she stared in awe. Soaring down the mountain with the wind in her face, she sat still, her hands clinging to the side bars, her gaze taking in the umbrella-shaped treetops of verdant, tropical forest below.

  Ohmygosh…Ohmygosh…

  The experience mirrored a simulated hang glider ride she’d once taken at Disneyworld, coincidentally called Soaring, but this was so much more because it was real.

  The forest flew by under her and Ava soon found herself gliding high over the beach, observing the canvas cabanas and the swimmers below, all the while descending lower and lower. She passed across the azure waters of the bay, the wind still rushing at her face as giant white caps roared beneath her, unfurling toward the shore.

  The line gradually descended to only a few feet above the water, bringing her closer to the other side of the bay. With the landing zone in sight, she began to whoop loudly with joy, letting Jeff know how much she’d enjoyed the ride. He’d arrived ahead of her and still hung from his harness, waiting to be unclipped from the line.

  Her trolley began to automatically decelerate. She glided toward the covered landing zone and saw the huge words painted on the front, reminding her to keep her knees up and apart as she slid in and made contact with the breaking mechanism. Laughing with hysterical happiness, she swung back and forth from the impact, waiting to be unclipped.

  Once Jeff had been unclipped from his trolley, he stood nearby, waiting for her. When she finally landed on her feet, her knees nearly buckled.

  “Whoa! Careful now.” He reached out and caught her, sliding his strong arms around her waist. “Hold on to me.”

  Ava threw her head back and laughed again. She would have danced around if she’d had the energy. “I did it,” she cried breathlessly. “I really did it!”

  “I told you it was the ultimate thrill,” he said, grinning like a little kid.

  “It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done, but it won’t be the last.” Ava slid her palms up his chest, loving the secure feeling of being in his arms. “I’ve been missing out on so much for a long time, but I’m never going to let go of my love of adventure ever again.”

  His eyes shone, gazing deeply into hers as he whirled her around, lifting her feet off the ground. She tightened her grip around his neck and pulled closer to him, showing him that this time she wanted him to kiss her, but as soon as she moved close, he stopped and set her down. Removing his arm, he took her hand instead and began to walk toward the bus to take them back to the parking lot.

  His gentle rebuff confused her.

  What’s wrong with him? He didn’t act this way at Turquoise Cove. What’s changed?

  Their attraction to each other had grown with each passing day. The kiss at Turquoise Cove—she knew he’d meant it, but at the time she was so shocked and upset about the surprise jump that she’d let it go. Had her angry reaction put him off? If so, her move a moment ago should have given him the proof he needed to know she had forgiven him.

  But…had he forgiven her for the way she’d treated him in return? She wished she knew the answer.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tuesday Evening, September 8th

  The Perfect Disaster

  They left Diablo Mountain and drove straight to Turquoise Cove. Ava surprised Jeff by jumping off the cliff and into the water not once, but three times. Even more surprising, she seemed to enjoy it more each time.

  They were walking toward the parking lot to drive back to the hotel when he received a phone call from Sheriff Hall.

  “We’re on our way,” Jeff said and hung up.

  “The photos we gave the sheriff provided him the lead he needed to find the thief and make an arrest. I guess they’ve recovered a lot of stolen property,” Jeff said as he unlocked their helmets and handed Ava’s to her. “I guess the guy had a small mountain of bags in the middle of his living room that he’d ripped off unsuspecting tourists.”

  Ava pulled her wet hair back and wound an elastic ponytail holder around it. “Really?” She put on her helmet and slid across the back of the bike. “Let’s go!”

  Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the police station, a square building with open windows.

  What, no air-conditioning in this building?

  They walked into a medium-sized room, divided into cubicles. Oscillating fans were strategically positioned to keep the air moving. Overhead, the rattan blades of a ceiling fan spun around, making a slight clicking sound. Even with all the moving air it was still hot in there, but the people on duty didn’t seem to notice.

  Jeff approached a woman sitting at the front desk answering the phones. “Hello, we’re here to see Sheriff Hall.”

  The sheriff suddenly appeared from his cubicle. “Good day. Please, come with me.”

  They followed him back to his office and sat down, waiting there as he disappeared into the Property Room to look for Ava’s purse.

  They were fanning themselves with a couple brochures when Jeff’s phone beeped, alerting him he had a text waiting. It turned out to be Dawson, but just as he started to read it, the door opened and the sheriff returned with a peach-colored Kate Spade brand bag. An identification tag hung on a string tied to the handle.

  “Is this yours?” He held it out. “It fits da description you gave me.”

  Ava checked the bag’s official ID number. “Yes, thank you!” She smiled happily and accepted the purse. She promptly opened it and looked inside. “It’s empty,” she said with disappointment.

  “I am sorr-ee, Miz Godfrey. That is all we recovered. Da thief had a lot of handbags and beach bags, but most of them were emp-tee.”

  Ava signed the appropriate paperwork and thanked him for recovering her purse.

  “At least you got your purse back,” Jeff said as they walked out of the building. He breathed a sigh of relief, ironically, to get outdoors and into cooler air.

  She slung it over her should
er. “It’s my favorite so I’m glad the police recovered it.”

  “You need something to put in it, right?” Jeff walked up to the bike and unlocked the helmets. “Let’s go get you a new phone.”

  She looked surprised. “Are you sure? I don’t even know where you’d get a new phone around here.”

  He held out her helmet. “There’s a store in downtown Morganville. I looked it up and, yeah, I’m always game when it comes to shopping for electronics.”

  He drove Ava to the island’s single phone store and helped her find a new one at a fair price. At the same time, he looked around, shopping for a possible new model for himself.

  The crimson sun dipped below the horizon, shooting streaks of gold and orange light across the early evening sky by the time they returned to the resort.

  “Breakfast tomorrow?” Jeff asked as they walked toward the entrance. “We’ll have time if we get there early.”

  “Sure,” Ava replied. “I’m going to get packed as soon as I get back to my room.”

  Jeff’s phone beeped again. Another text from Dawson. With all the shopping going on, he’d forgotten to read the first one. Concerned, he quickly swiped the screen. The first text informed him of a change of plans. The second one was merely Dawson requesting confirmation.

  Jeff stopped in the center of the parking lot, staring at the words.

  Ava continued on, but stopped at the entrance and turned around, frowning at him. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just got some news from Dawson.”

  “Oh?” She walked toward him. “You look surprised. What sort of news?”

  The moment I always knew was coming, but I didn’t expect it to come tonight…

  He truly didn’t want their time together to come to an end, but he didn’t show it. “There’s been a change of plans,” he said, keeping his voice even. He shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Dawson wants me to catch the ferry tomorrow instead of flying. It gets into Miami earlier in the morning and I need to meet him as soon as possible because we’ve got a full schedule for the day and the rest of this week.”

  Even though it was a short hop from the island to the mainland, flying and getting through two airports would waste most of the day and Dawson wanted him to arrive at the Miami office’s open house as early as possible. Jeff had hoped he could have enjoyed breakfast with Ava one more time, but the ferry left the island at eight in the morning. The restaurant didn’t open until seven, the same time he’d be at the dock, buying his ticket.

  She stared up at him, a lonely, faraway look present in the depth of her eyes. “Then I guess this is goodbye.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tuesday Evening, September 8th

  The Perfect Move

  Ava’s gaze locked with Jeff’s, desperate to understand him. He’d been backing off emotionally all day and she didn’t know why.

  The past two weeks on Enchanted Island had been the most turbulent—and the most wonderful time she’d had in years. What started out to be the “perfect mismatch” had turned into an adventure she’d never forget. She’d come to the island with an attitude of skepticism and fear, but the events of this week had changed her. Being with him had changed her.

  But now, judging by the blank stare in his eyes, this was truly goodbye. It disappointed, frustrated and angered her. He was polite, but his demeanor had reverted back to the first time they met and he’d introduced himself as a representative of Perfect Match. In other words, their relationship had been reset to a professional one only.

  So be it. Life goes on. I’m not going to let him break my heart.

  She held out her palm to shake his hand, determined not to let her true feelings show. “Thank you for all you and Perfect Match have done to help me recover what I lost. I appreciate your assistance.” She pasted a smile on her face. “Have a good trip.”

  Before her feelings could betray her, she turned and walked into the resort, resolved not to look back. She hurried through the lobby looking straight ahead, concentrating on not showing her feelings in public. The moment she entered the elevator and the doors closed, however, her bravado fell apart. Alone at last, she burst into tears.

  “This is stupid. Why do I care?” She argued aloud as she folded her arms and leaned against the wall. “I’m getting all emotional over a guy I’ve only known for a few days. Sure, we had some good times, but I guess that doesn’t mean he’d want to see me again once we both got back home.” Stifling a sob, she tossed her hands in the air. “So, it didn’t work out. The experience did serve to make me realize something, though. I’ve got to get on with my life—starting now.”

  As soon as the words tumbled out, she felt as though a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. For the past year she’d been living at her parents’ home, working for her dad and basically hiding from the world. Her divorce had not only destroyed her morale, but her faith in true love as well. Getting away from her issues had allowed her to see what she’d been too angry and depressed to realize all along—changing her life began with changing her attitude.

  The doors of the elevator opened and Ava walked out into the hallway, feeling like a different person. She strode purposefully to her room and went inside then kicked off her shoes. She poured herself a glass of Cabernet and walked out to her balcony to relax at the bistro table and enjoy the nighttime view of the garden for the last time.

  Tomorrow, she planned to check out early so she had time to visit Lisa and the baby on her way to the airport. At the terminal, she’d buy a notebook and start planning her future. A new job, a new place to live…

  Her phone beeped.

  Out of habit, she pulled it from her pocket and swiped the screen. It was the first time she’d looked at the phone since the sales rep at the store set it up for her. She didn’t want to tackle the hundreds of emails waiting for attention, plus texts and voicemails. She set the phone on the table and shoved it away.

  Not now…maybe later.

  Another situation she planned to change. No more living from email to email or text to text.

  Her hand must have accidentally connected with the voicemail icon because a voice suddenly asked for her pin number. Wondering if the pin actually worked, she tapped it out and hit enter. Voicemails began to flow on her new speakerphone. She moved to end the session, but her hand stopped mid-air as she froze, listening intently. An HR Specialist from Sunshine Airlines had called to offer her a job as a ticket agent and left the information to call back. If she accepted, her training would start in a week.

  She let out a whoop of joy. Halleluiah! She couldn’t wait.

  ****

  Tuesday Morning, December 2nd

  Minneapolis, Minnesota

  Ava stood in the living room of her new apartment and stared at the boxes strewn across the floor. She had two days to get her place in order before she had to go back to work.

  She’d been at her new job at Sunshine Airlines for three months now and loved working at the airport again. Once she’d finished her training and started her regular shift, she began earnestly looking for a place of her own. She loved her parents, but she needed her own space. They’d helped her move everything from her bedroom and the garage. Now it all sat piled up in her living room.

  She stared out her picture window to the freshly fallen snow covering the city in a pristine blanket of white powder. It seemed like ages since she’d visited Enchanted Island and she wondered wistfully what Lisa was doing this very minute. Probably sitting on a beach somewhere under an umbrella with Emma.

  I miss her so much. And the island. I’ll never forget the exquisite beauty of that place.

  Such thoughts made her uncomfortable. Every time she envisioned any aspect of Enchanted Island, she was reminded of Jeff. She hadn’t spoken to him since the last time she saw him and that’s where she wanted to leave it.

  Pushing him out of her mind, she picked up a box and began to unpack.

  By early that evening, she had her livi
ng room cleaned, pictures hung and most of the boxes emptied. In one corner, she’d set a small Christmas tree on a square table. The three-foot tree had white flocking and multi-colored lights, the perfect size for her apartment. She plugged it in and turned off the living room lamps.

  Home sweet home, apartment style.

  She poured herself a glass of wine to celebrate and relaxed on her sofa, enjoying the coziness of her new home.

  Her phone rang. Annoyed at having her peace interrupted, she glared at the screen. Oh, it was Lisa.

  “Hey, you,” Ava said cheerily. “Merry Christmas!”

  “Merry Christmas to you, too, and congratulations on your new apartment,” Lisa said. “I suppose you’re busy unpacking. I won’t keep you long.”

  Ava laughed. “I’m finished for the day. I’m sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine and trying to figure out how to work the remote on my new TV.” Setting down her wine glass, she picked up the remote, examining the buttons. “When are we going to get together again?”

  “That’s what I’m calling about. Shawn and I are flying to Minneapolis next week with the baby and getting a room at the Radisson Blu at the Mall of America. We thought it would make a nice family getaway for Christmas to visit a place with real snow and at the same time, we’d get some shopping done. Want to spend a day with us?”

  “Of course, I do! Name the day and I’ll be there.”

  In the background, Emma began to fuss. “How about next Wednesday?”

  “Sounds perfect. I get Wednesdays and Thursdays off. What time?”

  “Let’s meet after breakfast. We can catch up on each other while Emma takes her morning nap.” As if on cue, Emma began to wail.

  “Okay, see you then!”

  Good, Ava thought happily after she hung up. We’ll have a nice relaxing day together.

  ****

  Wednesday, December 10th

  Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota

  Despite being a weekday morning, the noise in the Mall of America rose to a deafening roar. People shuffled along elbow to elbow, no matter what floor Ava and Lisa traveled in the massive, four-level shopping complex. The mall housed over five-hundred shops, sixty restaurants, a movie theater, several hotels and an amusement park that took up the entire center courtyard. Oddly enough, the noise didn’t seem to bother Emma. She smiled sweetly for her picture with Santa. After that, Lisa gave her a bottle and put her down for a nap. Lying peacefully under a fuzzy blanket in her bassinette stroller, she slept through it all.