As Long As You Love Me

by LuAnn McLane

  Ava almost suggested dirty martinis, but she had a feeling Arabella didn’t drink much and that the evening would get too boozy too fast. “I’m a chardonnay girl most of the time, even though I’m fascinated by the ingredients of classic cocktails.”

  Arabella wrinkled her nose and then rubbed her hands together. “Let’s get a little more adventurous. How about something like . . .” she said, and tapped her cheek. “I know! Rum runners! A Florida classic. Yes, I can make a pitcher.”

  “But rum runners take several ingredients.”

  “You do know your cocktails.”

  “My grandparents own a restaurant just outside of Chicago. I love watching them make cocktails, especially classics. We need pineapple juice, dark and light rum . . .” Ava frowned, trying to recall the rest of the recipe. “And other stuff.”

  “Oh, Jesse will have what we need.”

  “You know how to make them?”

  “Nope.” Arabella picked up her laptop. “But we’re about to find out. Bring out some super-junky snacks and I’ll get this party started.”

  Ava puttered around in Jesse’s kitchen, rounding up some snacks that she hadn’t indulged in since she was a kid. “Bugles?” she said, and laughed. “They still make those?” Ava put some in a bowl and then found Fritos, cheddar cheese Pringles, and Cheetos. She laughed and then opened the fridge, hoping to find veggies and dip or cheese . . . something—anything—to add a bit of nutrition or a guilt-free snack.

  Arabella entered the kitchen. “What’s taking you so long?”

  Ava shrugged. “It’s slim pickins if you want anything green.”

  “If you’re looking for something healthy, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Arabella said with a chuckle.

  “Jesse said he’d live on pizza if you didn’t send him real food.”

  “True.”

  “Did he tell you that your lasagna was amazing?”

  “Grady mentioned it, thank you, which was a huge compliment.”

  Ava felt a jolt of surprise. “Wow, he did?”

  “I know . . . a man who listens. Yes, girlie, he did. Oh! Maggie just texted me. She’s here! Let’s go out to the tiki bar.”

  “I’m right behind you with the snack tray,” Ava said, following Arabella.

  “Hey!” said a gorgeous redhead. “I’m Maggie. You must be the Ava that Jesse’s been talking about.”

  Ava put the tray of snacks down on the bar and gave Maggie a hug. “Nice to meet you, Maggie. Jesse’s been encouraging me to hang out with you guys,” she said with a smile.

  “I’m so glad you invited me. Jimmy’s heading over to spend time with his brothers, and he needs a break from his songwriting. I’ve had my nose to the grindstone too, so this is perfect.”

  Yap! Yap, yip, yap!

  Maggie laughed and scooped up a wiry-haired, big-eyed dog that was so ugly it was cute. “And this is Trixie.”

  “Hey, girl.” Ava reached over and petted Trixie, who closed her eyes in ecstasy.

  Maggie nodded. “Wow. Trixie is usually shy at first, but she seems to really like you.”

  Ava gave Maggie a glance. “Am I being sized up?” Ava boldly asked.

  Arabella and Maggie exchanged another glance.

  “No!” they said in unison, but then laughed. “Okay, yes, but you’ve already passed.” Arabella smiled.

  “Passed what?” Ava asked.

  “Inspection,” Maggie said. “Arabella’s already been telling me how much she’s enjoying working with you.”

  “I feel the same way,” Ava said, realizing how much she’d missed the camaraderie with women. Anthony had put the kibosh on her spending time with girlfriends, so, like Arabella, it had been a long time since she’d had a girls’ night.

  “I’m glad,” Arabella said with a warm smile. She pointed to one of the tiki-head stools. “Have a seat.” She handed Ava a drink.

  “Rum runner?” Ava asked, taking a sip.

  “They’re tasty,” Maggie said.

  Arabella nodded and then put a Bugle on each one of her fingertips. “Ladies, we’ve got some serious girl talk to do.”

  “Bella,” Maggie said with a shake of her head. “How can Ava take you seriously while you’re eating Bugles off your fingertips?”

  “Is this a serious convo?” Ava asked, and then took a sip of her rum runner. “Oh . . . oh, this is . . . mmmm, good.” She pointed to the hurricane glass and licked her lips.

  “Only Jesse would have banana and blackberry liqueur randomly on the shelf,” Arabella said.

  “Rum is such a chill alcohol. It totally matches his vibe,” Maggie agreed. “Ladies, thanks for pulling me away from a rather low-key Saturday night. And seriously? Jimmy needed to hang with his brothers. Oliver has been hounding him for a romantic song for Belinda, and Jimmy needed a night off.”

  “We all did,” Arabella agreed, and raised her glass. “To GNI!”

  “What’s that?” Ava asked.

  “Girls’ night in.”

  “Oh . . .”

  “Yes, my single lady,” Maggie said.

  “Maybe not single for long,” Arabella protested, but Maggie shushed her.

  Ava laughed. She could tell right off the bat that Maggie was super cool and salt of the earth. By the end of the first round of rum runners they were all eating Bugles off their fingertips and asking Alexa to play Heartbeat songs along with other hits from their teen years.

  “Don’t tell Jimmy that I also loved Backstreet Boys and ’NSync,” Maggie confessed in a loud whisper.

  “Oh, come on,” Arabella chided. “You had posters of Heartbeat on your bedroom wall too.” She ate a pointed Bugle off her index finger. “Ava, were you a Heartbeat fan?”

  Ava nodded. “Of course.”

  “Your favorite brother?” Arabella asked, while pouring another round of rum runners.

  “That’s unfair, since you two are with Heart brothers. Weird!” Ava said in protest.

  “Eh, true, so we’ll give you a pass.” Maggie nodded in agreement. “But we know her favorite now.”

  Ava wanted to confide in them. She knew that everyone present was sincere—including the little dog fast asleep in the corner.

  Maggie picked up two cheddar cheese Pringles and made them into duck lips.

  “Maggie!” Arabella scolded. “Are you serious right now?”

  Maggie shoved the crisps into her mouth and crunched.

  “She’s not serious,” Arabella said to Ava.

  “Hey, I’m just following your lead, Bella. It’s that kind of night.”

  Arabella reached onto the shelf and brought out the bottle of dark rum.

  “Oh no,” Maggie said, shaking her head. “No shots.”

  “Just chill, Mags.” Arabella poured rum on the top of all three drinks. “A little floater never hurt anybody.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes. “I’m gonna pay for this tomorrow.”

  “But it’s still tonight.” Ava grinned. “And I’ll fix breakfast in the morning. I make kick-ass waffles.”

  “See why I like her?” Arabella said to Maggie. “Cheers!” she added with a lift of her glass.

  Ava had been worried that the conversation would center on Jesse or head into personal—aka Anthony, aka A²—territory. Luckily, they were kind enough to avoid those topics. Instead, they chatted about music and fashion before moving on to their latest Netflix binges and books.

  They were to the point where finding bathing suits and taking a dip in the pool sounded inviting when Arabella got a frantic phone call from Grady.

  “What’s wrong?” Maggie asked.

  “Ella woke up and is asking for me.” Arabella started wringing her hands, looking distressed.

  “Grady can’t handle it?” Maggie asked with a little pout, but then she smiled. “Ah . . . I see what the issue is here. Mama can’t handle it.”

  Arabella bit her bottom lip. “Guilty.”

  “Will Grady pick you up?” Ava asked.

  Arabella shook
her head. “No, since the boys have had a few beers. But it’s only a ten-minute walk. I’ll be fine.”

  “Maybe fifteen, since we might walk a little sideways,” Maggie said with a chuckle. “I know it’s Sea Breeze and we all sleep with our doors unlocked, but still, I’ll walk with you, Arabella.” She turned to Ava with a warm smile and put a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, how I hate the night to end! Let’s do this again soon.”

  Arabella stood while Maggie bent down to scoop up Trixie. “Sorry, lovey. I was looking forward to a slumber party.”

  “No worries.” Ava stood up and gave them each a hug. “I thoroughly enjoyed this evening.”

  “Oh, the cleanup,” Maggie said with a frown.

  “I’ve got it,” Ava assured them, and then shooed them along with her fingertips. “Go, soothe little Ella’s tears.” Ava smiled as she watched them walk away, thinking it had indeed been a fun night.

  Inhaling a deep breath, she walked over to the tiki bar and started cleaning up the remains of the snacks. Spotting a Bugle, she put it on her fingertip and popped the crunchy snack into her mouth, humming to the music still coming through the speakers. While sipping the rest of her rum runner, Ava washed the hurricane glasses and put the liquor bottles back on the shelves, and in no time the tiki bar was spotless.

  Ava dusted her hands off and then decided to sit by the pool for a few minutes, trying not to think about the fact that she was at Jesse Heart’s house. She settled into a lounge chair, enjoying the cool ocean breeze, wondering if she should walk home. Yes, sleeping over at Jesse’s house with Arabella and Maggie was one thing, but by herself? Weird. She hoped she could simply lock the door from the inside, but then she seemed to remember an alarm system that would have to be dealt with and knew she would have to contact Jesse for instructions.

  Ava closed her eyes for a moment, trying to recall where she’d put her phone . . .

  Ava stirred, thinking she’d heard her name, but she didn’t want to exit the dream about Jesse.

  “Ava?” the low voice persisted. “What are you doing out here in the cold?”

  Cold?

  “Come on inside,” the soothing voice coaxed, and then Ava realized she was cold—really cold.

  Ava opened her eyes and stared into the concerned face of the man in her dreams. “Jesse?” She blinked. Was she still dreaming?

  “Let me help you inside.”

  “Inside where?” She frowned.

  “The house. You’re by the pool and it’s, like, sixty degrees out,” he said, as if it were below freezing.

  “What pool?”

  “My pool,” he said in a slightly amused tone, and bits and pieces of the evening came flooding into her rum-soaked brain.

  “Have you been drinking, my little chickadee?”

  Ava swallowed. “A run rummer or two.”

  “Run rummer?”

  “Yes, with swimmers on top.”

  “Floaters?”

  “That too.”

  “Ah, that explains a lot.” Jesse held out his hands. “Come on, let’s head inside.”

  Ava grasped his warm hands and got up but wasn’t prepared to be so unsteady on her feet. She stumbled sideways, holding on to Jesse’s hands, and a heartbeat later they landed with a huge splash in the pool.

  Suddenly sort of sober, Ava clung to Jesse, and although she was a strong swimmer, the shock of being underwater caused her to panic. She grabbed at Jesse’s chest, gasping for air when they broke the surface in the deep end of the pool. Her hair blinded her, causing further panic.

  “Hey, it’s okay, I’ve got you,” Jesse said in a calm tone that did very little to ease her anxiety. “Let’s get to the shallow end.”

  “There’s a shallow end? Oh . . . good,” she said, dearly wanting to brush her wet hair from her eyes—but letting go of Jesse wasn’t an option.

  Jesse chuckled, swimming forward.

  “You think this is funny, do you?”

  “Yes,” Jesse admitted, and when they were on solid ground, Ava kept her arms around his neck. He pushed the hair from her eyes.

  “Well, you won’t be laughing when you find out we ate all your snacks. All. Of. Them.”

  Jesse laughed harder. “Ah . . . Ava . . . God.”

  “What? You’re cute, you know that?”

  “Thank you.” He swept more hair from her face. “And you’re beautiful.”

  “You think so?” She tilted her head.

  “I know so.” Jesse gave her a quick kiss on the nose. “It’s going to be so cold getting out of the warm water. I keep it heated for late-night swims. Are you ready for this?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  SEXYBACK

  With his arm firmly around her waist, Jesse helped Ava slosh through the water to the shallow beach-entry end of the pool. The cool air had him shivering. Luckily, he’d entered the house through the front door, taking his keys and phone out of his pocket. He’d tried to call Ava to let her know he was on his way but had failed to get an answer. After seeing the delightfully cute and tipsy Arabella and Maggie, he’d decided he needed to come home and check up on Ava.

  “I’m so cold.” She shivered but laughed in spite of herself.

  “I do have a hot tub, if you’re interested.”

  “Yes,” she said with a full-body shiver. “Definitely interested.”

  “Okay, you’ll find bathing suits and towels in the pool house behind the tiki bar. And all of the left-behind suits and towels have been laundered.”

  “Good to know.”

  “I’m going to get the hot tub heated up. Need anything else?”

  “I think I’m good for now,” Ava said with a bit of a shy smile. “Maybe a water?”

  “Coming right up.” Jesse went over to the hot tub and cranked up the heat before heading back into the house. He checked the time on the digital clock on the microwave, noting it was too late to order pizza. Damn. But a quick check in the freezer made him smile. Yes, he had an emergency frozen supreme pizza. He hurried into his bedroom and located a pair of board shorts. He chuckled at Ava’s tipsy condition, firmly telling himself not to take advantage if she got flirty.

  Not wasting any time, Jesse snagged a beer and a bottle of water and then made his way back to the hot tub, but Ava wasn’t there yet. He glanced over to the tiki bar, hoping she hadn’t had a change of heart. He popped the top and took a fizzy swig, wondering if he should head over there or wait. But then she emerged with a beach towel wrapped around her.

  Jesse’s heart thudded in anticipation of seeing her in a bathing suit. “Ready to get warmed up?” he asked.

  Ava nodded. She pulled her hair up into a sloppy bun, and although her mascara was smudged from her dip in the pool, Jesse thought he’d never seen a prettier sight.

  And then she let the towel slip to the ground.

  Oh God. Jesse’s breath caught when she stood there in a baby-blue bikini. While he’d seen her in tight dance clothing, seeing so much lovely skin had him . . . oh shit, staring. Jesse tried to speak but had to clear his throat. “Um,” he began, searching for words. What was he going to say? He had no idea.

  “Is it okay to get in? I’m cold.” She hugged her shoulders.

  “Oh yes, sure. Just be careful not to slip.”

  “I will.” Ava nodded as she stepped over the stone edge and eased into the hot water. “Ah . . . this feels amazing. I love how the warm water spills over into the pool.”

  Jesse joined her. “I did the design myself.”

  “Well, you did a fantastic job.”

  “Thanks. I wanted to be able to use the pool in the cooler evenings of winter. Unlike south Florida, we get more of a seasonal change. Some nights can get quite cold even though we’re into spring.”

  “Um, cold by Floridian standards,” Ava said with a chuckle. “I can remember having snow on the ground during the Easter holiday. And a Chicago winter? That I don’t miss.”

  Jesse handed her the bottle of water. “I can’t imagine weatherin
g a frigid winter or not living by the ocean. It’s part of who I am.”

  “I can tell,” Ava said, unscrewing the cap on the bottle. “The surf shack, the tiki hut, and your collection of memorabilia are simply amazing.” Ava took a drink of her water. “And, I must admit, quite unexpected.”

  “Ah, you thought I’d have a typical bachelor pad, huh?”

  “I’m finding out there’s nothing typical about you, Jesse.” She tilted her head, making her cute bun slide sideways. “There’s much more to you than meets the eye—not that I don’t like what meets the eye . . . Wait, did I just say that out loud?”

  “Yep, and you can’t take sexy back.”

  “I don’t think I said sexy.”

  “Oh, it was implied.”

  “Is that right?” Ava laughed, and Jesse adored the sound. It was starting to dawn on him how hard her very public breakup with Anthony must have been and how the experience must have colored her opinion of men, trust, and falling in love. The heat of the hot tub made her cheeks rosy, and loose tendrils of damp hair curled near her cheeks. The urge—no, the need to kiss her was nearly overwhelming.

  “You’re staring,” Ava said softly, and damn if he didn’t see some of the same need reflected in her eyes.

  “I can’t help it.”

  Ava licked her bottom lip and her chest rose and fell as if she too was having trouble catching her breath.

  “Are we going to continue to fight this, Ava?” Jesse looked at her, daring her.

  Ava swallowed hard. “I have to.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “I do.”

  “Why?” Jesse persisted, and, as if on cue, the bubbles stopped, leaving them in silence.

  “Jesse, I’ve already explained.” Ava closed her eyes. If she started to cry, it would be his undoing. “Because I’m so scared,” she answered in a throaty voice that pierced his heart.

  “What did that asshole do to you?” Jesse asked, but her eyes remained closed as if she didn’t want him to see the whole truth. He clenched his fists beneath the water. He hadn’t wanted to ask the question, but he needed to know.

  Ava pressed her trembling lips together and Jesse wanted to cross the water and pull her into his arms, but he felt rooted to his seat while waiting for her response.