Zeb held up his hands. “Nothing. None of my business. Just― It’s been eight years, Joseph. Don’t you think she might have changed since then?”
Joseph took a step closer to his brother, not caring that Zeb had a good two inches on him. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
“Hey. Nothing.” Zeb set a hand on Joseph’s shoulder. “I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”
“Whatever.” Joseph shrugged off Zeb’s hand and stepped back. “Let’s just play.” He jogged toward the rest of his brothers. “Asher, you and me against Zeb and Simeon.”
He heard Zeb’s exasperated sigh from behind him but ignored it. He didn’t know what Zeb had against Ava, but he wasn’t going to listen to it.
For the next hour, he played hard, intercepting Zeb’s passes and bringing him down a few times. By the time they called it quits, Joseph and Asher were up by a touchdown―and Joseph’s body ached in ways he hadn’t known were possible. Maybe twenty-six was too old for this.
He jogged back to his phone and picked it up, making a point of letting Zeb see him. Though Zeb was the middle brother, he’d always acted like the oldest―or at least the most demanding. Joseph supposed it served him well as a police officer―just not always as a brother.
He let his eyes drop to his phone, his heart jumping as he spotted the text from Ava: Griffin is good. His stitches are dissolved.
It didn’t take Joseph more than a moment to text his reply: Great! How about that hike? Tomorrow?
Chapter 8
Ava clicked her phone on, scanned the text from Joseph, then clicked it off again, setting it on the kitchen table in front of her. She’d done the same thing a dozen times in the past half hour. A rousing way to spend a Friday night.
It’s no big deal. Just reply already.
Except, what was she supposed to reply?
A yes was too dangerous. The way she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his visit last week, the way she couldn’t stop checking her phone for messages from him, had made that clear.
But saying no seemed unreasonable. First, because she’d promised him she wouldn’t hike on her own. And second, because she couldn’t come up with a good excuse. Anything she thought of, he would see through.
“What should we do, Griffin?” she murmured to the dog curled up fast asleep at her feet. Now that his stitches were dissolved and she didn’t have to keep him cooped up in his kennel all the time, he seemed to be sticking extra close to her. The dog let out an excited yip in his sleep, and Ava rolled her eyes. She was not taking that as an answer.
She clicked the phone on again, letting her thumbs hover over the keyboard. She would say . . .
The sound of the front door opening made her jump and let out a sigh of relief at the same time. Any excuse to delay this decision was welcome.
Griffin jumped up from his spot at her feet and let out a half-bark.
“Nice guard dog work there, buddy.” Ava patted his head and pushed back from the table, making her way to the living room to greet Aunt Lori.
But she froze at the threshold of the room. It wasn’t only Lori who was standing there. Behind her aunt stood a tall, thin man with the slightest hint of gray in his dark hair. Something about him was familiar, though it took Ava a moment to realize what it was.
“Mr. Germain?” She gaped at her high school history teacher. What was he doing here? With Aunt Lori?
“Hello, Ava.” Mr. Germain’s voice had always had a warm, friendly tone to it. Ava had often wondered if that was part of the reason so many of her friends had had a crush on him. She was suddenly grateful she hadn’t been one of them as she realized why he was standing in her living room.
Mr. Germain was Aunt Lori’s date.
She blinked from one to the other as Lori closed the door. “I’m going to go put this in the fridge. Unless you want it?” Lori held up a small carryout box. “It’s from the Depot.”
The Depot? That was a pretty fancy place for so early in a relationship.
“I’m good, thanks.” But Ava got the distinct feeling Lori wasn’t listening to her, since she’d already turned back to Mr. Germain.
“Can I get you something to drink, Michael?”
Michael? Ava snickered to herself. This was too surreal.
“Sweet tea would be perfect, but don’t go to any trouble if you don’t have any.”
“It’s no trouble.”
Whoa. That smile Lori gave him―Ava had never seen her aunt so . . . so . . . smitten.
Lori squeezed Ava’s arm as she passed. “I was just telling Michael about your photography. I’m sure he’d like to see some of your work.”
“Very much.” Mr. Germain stood at ease, hands in his pockets, as if he’d hung out here plenty of times. The same way he’d always seemed so comfortable standing in front of a classroom, bringing history to life.
“Ah. Sure, Mr. Germain. Most of them are in here.” She led him toward the family room.
“Call me Michael, please.” Mr. Germain laughed as he followed her. “You haven’t been my student in a long time.”
Ava nodded, even though there was no way she could call him by his first name. That would be way too weird.
“So, um, these are some of my pictures.” As she stopped in front of the wall Joseph had been admiring the other day, she tried not to picture the way he’d smiled at her, the way he’d talked to her as if nothing had changed―when everything had.
It took a moment to realize she’d missed a question from Mr. Germain. “Sorry, what was that?”
“I was just asking if you’d ever consider coming into the school to mentor our yearbook club. We have a few promising young photographers, but I feel like they could use more direction than I can give them.”
“Oh. Uh― I―” Her mouth went dry. There was no way she could ever walk into her old high school again. No way she could endure the stares of the students. “I don’t think―”
Aunt Lori bustled into the room, balancing three glasses of sweet tea. She passed one to Michael and one to Ava, who took it gratefully, swallowing a long drink to avoid discussing Mr. Germain’s question further.
“Should we take this out to the deck?” Lori asked, gesturing toward the French doors that led to the deck Ava had decorated with fairy lights.
Ava gaped at her aunt. She was pretty sure Lori had never voluntarily spent a moment outdoors in her life.
“That sounds perfect.” Mr. Germain smiled at Lori, who raised an eyebrow at Ava. “Join us?”
“Oh. Um. I have to . . .” She raised her phone vaguely in front of her.
“It was nice to see you, Ava.” Mr. Germain still seemed to think this whole thing was entirely normal. “Promise you’ll think about it.”
Ava nodded. She supposed there was no harm in thinking about it―since she knew she would never change her mind.
She slipped down the hallway to her room as Mr. Germain escorted Lori outside.
A strange sense of loneliness washed over her as she set her tea down. Aunt Lori had always been the biggest constant in Ava’s life―the one who was always there.
Somehow, it had never occurred to Ava that that might not always be the case. If Aunt Lori and Mr. Germain got married, what were the chances they’d want Aunt Lori’s grown niece living with them?
“Looks like it’s going to be just you and me, Griff.”
She glanced at the phone in her hand, then opened to Joseph’s text and tapped out a reply.
Chapter 9
Joseph grunted as he grabbed the backpack he’d loaded with a picnic for today’s outing. He was more than a little sore from last night’s football game with his brothers, but nothing was going to stop him from hiking with Ava. He whistled for Tasha, but she was already at his feet.
“You’re as excited about this as I am, aren’t you girl? A little sweet on Griffin maybe?” He scratched behind Tasha’s ears, but she dashed for the door.
He chuckled. “All right. I don’t wan
t to wait any longer either.”
The forty-five minutes he’d waited for her reply to his text last night had been agonizing. But so worth it when he received her tepid, “Sure.” His whoop had drawn a look from Zeb that he’d chosen to ignore. His brother didn’t know the first thing about Ava.
And you do? It’s been eight years.
He pushed the question aside and let Tasha charge out ahead of him. Of course he knew Ava. They’d always known each other better than they’d known themselves. He stashed his backpack in the trunk, opened the back door for Tasha, then jumped into the driver’s seat. It was going to be a perfect day―the start of everything, he could feel it.
He pressed his foot to the accelerator as he drove out of town, watching his speed closely as he passed the spot he knew his brother liked to sit in his police cruiser. The one and only time Zeb had pulled him over, he’d let Joseph off with a warning―and a promise that the next time he’d get a ticket.
But Zeb’s car wasn’t at his favorite speed trap.
Joseph pressed harder on the accelerator as the car started the climb toward Ava’s house.
Instead of responding with a surge of power, the vehicle quieted as the radio cut out abruptly, and the cold air blasting from the vents vanished.
Joseph flicked at the radio and the temperature controls. But nothing happened, and the car seemed to be slowing down. He pressed harder on the pedal, but the speedometer showed his speed rapidly decelerating.
Behind him, a car horn blared, and a second later, a pickup roared past, horn still screaming.
“Sorry, buddy,” Joseph muttered, pulling hard on the steering wheel to move to the gravel shoulder. Fortunately, the car made it all the way to the side of the road before it gave out completely.
Joseph sat staring at the dashboard. Now what?
He tried turning the key in the ignition again, but the engine was silent.
“Okay.” He let out a long, slow breath.
First things first. He grabbed his phone and tapped Ava’s number. He wasn’t going to let her think he’d stood her up.
Using his shoulder to press the phone to his ear, he reached across the passenger seat to dig the owner’s manual out of the glove box. He and this car had been through a lot together―and this little book had seen them through most of it.
After paging through the book for a moment, Joseph pulled the phone away from his ear. It should be ringing by now.
No bars.
Joseph groaned and glanced out the window. He’d forgotten how bad cell reception was here.
He tried dialing Dad’s number, on the off chance it would work.
But he knew it was futile even before he was met with silence again.
He shoved the phone into his pocket and turned back to the book. But the answer he found there wasn’t reassuring―it sounded like an alternator problem. He wasn’t a car guy by any stretch, but even he knew that without the alternator, his battery couldn’t hold a charge. And he couldn’t go anywhere.
All right, then. He clipped Tasha’s leash to her collar and got out of the car. “Looks like we’re going for a little run before our hike.”
They set off back toward town at a brisk jog, but between his sore muscles and the fact that veterinary school hadn’t left him much time to run, his pace felt more like a crawl than a sprint. At this rate, he’d get back to River Falls by sometime tomorrow.
And he’d need another shower.
He grimaced and forced himself to pick up the pace.
By the time he’d been at it for twenty minutes, his breath came in rough gasps, and sweat pooled between his shoulder blades.
“Keep going girl,” he gasped between breaths. Tasha gave him a look that said she wasn’t the one struggling to breathe.
I could use some help here, Lord. Maybe God would see fit to give him a burst of super speed or something.
He squinted toward the next curve in the road as a car rounded it. As the vehicle drew closer, Joseph made out the police lights on top.
He gave a gasping laugh-groan. “Not exactly what I had in mind.” He wasn’t one hundred percent ready to deal with his brother yet, but it was either that or keep running.
He pulled Tasha to a halt, then waved his arms over his head.
The police cruiser slowed and pulled to the side of the road. The passenger window slid down.
“What are you doing running out here?” Zeb looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Where’d you even come from?”
“My car.” Joseph fought to catch his breath, pointing toward where he and Tasha had abandoned the car. “It quit on me a few miles that way. I think it’s the alternator.”
“Could have told you that thing was on its last legs.” Zeb gave his best superior older-brother look. “Why didn’t you call?”
Joseph slapped his forehead. “Hey, why didn’t I think of that?”
Zeb locked the door. “If you don’t want a ride . . .” He inched the car forward.
“Okay, okay.” Joseph grabbed at the open window. “Sorry. I didn’t have any reception.”
“Well, get in.” Zeb gestured impatiently at the door as he unlocked it. “Put the dog in the back.”
Joseph did as ordered. “Can I use your phone? I’m late for something.”
Zeb eyed him. “A date?”
“Maybe. Phone please?” Joseph held out his hand. It wasn’t any of Zeb’s business.
“How far up the road were you?”
“I don’t know. Feels like we ran ten miles.” Joseph waved his hand in front of Zeb, still waiting for the phone.
“It’s not like I have a magic phone just because I’m a cop.” Zeb pulled onto the road. “That’s why I have one of these.” He picked up his radio and lifted it to his mouth. “I need a tow truck out on Highway Nineteen. Near Sandy Creek Road.” He waited for confirmation from dispatch, then glanced at Joseph. “I assume you were headed to Ava’s?”
Joseph tensed. Here came the lecture again. “So what if I was?”
Zeb sighed. “So nothing. I wasn’t trying to say anything bad about her yesterday. I just wanted you to realize that people change. Feelings change.”
Joseph shook his head. That was where Zeb was wrong. “I love her Zeb. Nothing has changed.”
Zeb glanced at him out of the corner of his eye but fell silent.
Joseph pointed out the window as they approached the spot where his car had died. “It’s right here.”
Zeb nodded but didn’t slow.
Joseph turned to him and raised an eyebrow. Was his brother really going to sabotage his date?
Zeb shrugged. “It’ll take a while for the tow truck to get here. I’ll take care of it. After I drop you off at Ava’s.”
Chapter 10
Ava checked the time. Again.
“I don’t know, boy,” she murmured, stroking Griffin’s ears as they sat on the front porch, both watching the driveway. The afternoon sun beat down on her long-sleeved shirt and leggings. She’d briefly considered wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but she wasn’t ready to let Joseph see the full extent of her scars yet.
Ever.
It was the same reason she’d put on makeup even though they’d only be in the woods.
But none of that mattered if Joseph didn’t show up.
He was supposed to have been there forty-five minutes ago. He had always been the most punctual person she knew. If he was late, it meant something was wrong. Maybe he’d had car trouble. Or maybe there was an emergency at the vet.
But she didn’t understand why he hadn’t called.
Maybe he’s not coming.
The door opened behind her, but Ava didn’t turn her head. Aunt Lori had already checked on her three times. The first time, Lori had said she was sure Joseph was running behind. The second time, that he was awfully rude not to call when he was so late. And the third time, she hadn’t said anything at all. Just sighed and went back inside.
“Why don’t you come in?” Lori asked
now, the gentleness in her voice giving away the words she didn’t say: He’s not coming.
“I’m good.” Ava kept petting Griffin’s ears, and the dog nuzzled closer to her. Sometimes she wondered if she’d trained him as a therapy dog to help others―or to help herself.
Both, she supposed.
“Michael and I were about to play a game of Scrabble. You know you’ll kick our butts.”
Ava shook her head. The thought of playing Scrabble with her aunt and former teacher was a little too bizarre.
Lori sighed. “Ava, I know Joseph reminds you of how things used to be. But just because he’s back doesn’t mean you have to give him another chance. He doesn’t―”
“It’s only a hike,” Ava interrupted. She didn’t need to have this conversation. She already knew only too well that there was no going back to how things used to be. “It’s not a date.”
It’s not a date, she repeated to herself.
Lori sat down beside her on the step. “Maybe it’s not a date in your head. But make sure your heart knows that too.”
“It does.” She had her heart well under lock and key.
Which did not keep it from giving a baby skip at the sound of tires turning onto the gravel at the bottom of the long driveway. The entrance was hidden behind a tunnel of trees, but Ava pushed to her feet, giving Lori a told-you-so look.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Lori murmured, standing and moving toward the door. “Not again.” She retreated into the house, leaving Ava wondering if she should finally set Lori straight about what had happened between her and Joseph―that it had been her, not him, who had called things off.
Not that it mattered, since it wasn’t like they were going to call things back on.
Still, maybe it wasn’t fair to Joseph to let Lori keep holding this against him.
Well, there’d be time for that later. For now, she watched the driveway, spotting the police cruiser the moment it emerged from the trees. Her heart clenched for a second, then relaxed. Joseph was in the passenger seat, his brother Zeb driving.
Joseph said something to Zeb, then jumped out of the car and opened the back door to let Tasha spring out. The dog bolted straight for Griffin, who was on his feet, sniffing her, in seconds.
Pieces of Forever: A Christian Romance (River Falls Book 1) Page 5
