Instead of the enthusiastic yes Lori had given the picture, she nodded slowly. “I . . . It was . . .” She swallowed. “It was good. I guess I never really thought of God like that―patient. Waiting for us. Loving us. Forgiving us.” She shook her head. “I’m not saying I’ll go all the time. But I think I’d like to hear more.”
If Ava hadn’t been buckled in, she would have jumped up and danced. Or crushed Lori in a hug. Pastor Cooper had certainly been right about that whole waiting on the Lord thing.
She remembered what Joseph had said. He had been praying that she would change her mind about dating him. When she’d finally said yes, he must have felt the same way she did right now.
Until she’d ruined it.
No doubt he’d have no patience for her now.
Chapter 34
Joseph was lying on the couch Tuesday night, unable to work up the energy to order a pizza, when his doorbell rang. A firework of hope launched in his chest as he sprang to his feet.
Ava?
He’d texted her earlier to ask if they could talk, but she’d never responded. Because she’d wanted to talk in person?
As he charged toward the door, his eyes caught on the dishes scattered uncharacteristically across the living room. He should probably clean up first, but he didn’t have time for that right now. He had to see her.
He ran a quick hand over his hair as he pulled the door open but dropped it as his eyes met the woman standing there. “Oh.”
Lori laughed. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“Yeah.” Joseph ran a hand over his hair again. He’d gotten the distinct impression ever since he’d returned to River Falls that Ava’s aunt no longer approved of him as she had when he and Ava were in high school. He wondered briefly if she was in part to blame for Ava’s hesitation to be with him. “Sorry. I thought maybe you were―”
“Ava. Yeah. I know. I saw your text.”
“You did?” And had Ava seen it? But he didn’t ask.
“Could I come in for a minute?”
“Um. I guess?” He had a very bad feeling about this, but he stepped aside and gestured toward the living room, stacking bowls and plates as he followed her. “Sorry about the mess.”
But Lori didn’t answer as she took a seat on the edge of the couch. Joseph remained on his feet, watching her.
After a moment, he remembered the manners his mama had drilled into him. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“What? Oh. No thank you.” Lori rubbed a finger back and forth across her lip―he wondered if she got that from Ava or Ava got that from her.
“Look, Joseph,” she said abruptly, and his defenses instantly came up. She was going to tell him to leave Ava alone.
“I know this is long overdue,” Lori continued. “But I owe you an apology.”
Joseph gaped at her. She was apologizing to him? “For what?”
He didn’t realize he’d asked the question out loud until she said, “I never thanked you for saving Ava. That night.”
“You don’t have to―”
Lori held up a hand. “Yes I do. I was angry with you for the way you left Ava afterward―”
“She―”
Her hand came up again. “I know now that she was the one who broke up with you. But even when I didn’t know, I should have thanked you. She’s the most important person in the world to me―”
“To me too.” This time he wasn’t going to let her stop him. “I would do anything for her.”
Lori studied him for a moment, as if trying to assess the truth of his statement. Finally, she said, “I know you would.”
“If she’d let me.” He couldn’t help the semi-bitter laugh. How hard was it to let someone love you?
“I know. She’s a stubborn one, our Ava.”
Joseph grinned at that. He liked the sound of it, “our Ava.”
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked, not caring if his desperation was obvious.
Lori worried her lip, then looked up at him with a gleam in her eyes. “Can you cook?”
Joseph nodded, then stopped. “Sort of. I have a great chicken cacciatore recipe. But it’s not like she’s going to agree to come to dinner. She practically ran away from me the other night.”
“Leave that to me.” Lori sprang to her feet, dusting off her hands as if she were going to get to work. “You just make the chicken.” She glanced around, wrinkling her nose. “And maybe clean up a bit.”
Joseph’s laugh felt light and full of hope. He was going to do better than clean up a bit. He was going to make it magical.
Chapter 35
“Well, girls, I think we might pull this off.” The dogs watched intently as Joseph stirred the chicken, then gave everything a final once-over.
Patio table set for two. Check. Candles and hanging lights. Check. Soft music. Check. Suit and tie. Check. Shoes.
Shoes.
That was what he was missing.
Laughing at himself, he opened the back door to let the dogs out, then hurried to the closet to get his dress shoes.
He still wasn’t quite sure how Lori was going to convince Ava to come. But he had no choice but to trust that she would.
He paused with one shoe on, offering a prayer that God would bless their night together. That he would give Joseph wisdom to show love and patience for Ava. That―
A wild yowling from outside interrupted his prayer and drove him to the door with one shoe on and one shoe off.
The smell hit him first.
Pungent. Acrid. Rotten.
He covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes watering at the strength of it.
Skunk.
He stepped outside to find the dogs slinking toward the house.
“Yeah. You better look ashamed,” he called to them. “How am I supposed to explain this to Ava?”
“Come on. Let’s go.”
Ava looked up from the book she’d been reading, squinting at Lori. Sometime between when Ava had started reading and now, dusk had fallen, but Ava had been so absorbed in the book that she hadn’t thought to turn the lights on.
“Go where?” She closed the book over her finger. She’d showered and changed into her pajamas right after she’d come home from the studio. Preparation for a big Friday night at home.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” Lori smirked at her. “Come on.”
Ava crossed her arms. She wasn’t bothering to get up and get dressed for anything less than a―
Nope. There was nothing she would be willing to get up and get dressed for right now.
“Fine.” Lori rolled her eyes. “It was supposed to be a surprise, but Michael has a friend who has a dog he can’t keep anymore, and I said we’d―”
Ava sprang off the couch. “Seriously? We’re getting another dog?” She thought guiltily of Princess. If she was going to bring another dog home, it should be the pup she’d come to think of as her own already. But that would mean having to see Joseph. Anyway, Princess was plenty happy with him. This way, she could have a dog that was wholly hers, no strings attached.
She followed Lori to the car, asking a million questions about what kind of dog it was, how old it was, what had made Lori change her mind about getting another dog.
But Lori refused to say another word―though her smile grew bigger the closer they got to River Falls. It wasn’t until she gave up asking questions and turned to look out the window that Ava caught a glimpse of her reflection and realized she’d already washed off her makeup. She patted her face, feeling suddenly naked and vulnerable.
But it wasn’t like she was going to compete in a beauty contest. She was going to get a dog―who wouldn’t care one bit what her face looked like. She forced herself to let her breath out and think about something else.
“I take it your dinner with Mr. Germain went well the other night then?”
Ava’s and Lori’s schedules had seemed to conflict all week, and Ava had barely seen her aunt since Sunday.
; “It did.” Lori’s voice was full with her smile. “He asked if I’d be willing to stay together, either way.”
“What does that mean?” Ava frowned. “Like you would move to Nebraska?”
Lori shrugged. “Maybe. Eventually. Not right away. Not unless we were . . .” For the first time in Ava’s life, Lori looked shy. “Married.”
“Wow.” Ava tried to take that in. For so long, Aunt Lori had been the only person in her life. And now she might get married and leave.
“I mean, it wouldn’t be for a long time yet,” Lori rushed to add. “We’d probably do a long-distance thing first. And that’s if he even takes the job . . .” Lori trailed off, but Ava’s attention had been snagged by the street they’d just turned onto.
A pit opened in her stomach. “Mr. Germain’s friend lives on the same street as Joseph?”
“Well . . .” Lori slowed the car.
And Ava knew. “Take me home, Lori.” Her voice cracked, and she clutched the door handle. “Right now.”
Lori shook her head. “You have to stop pushing him away, Ava. He loves you. And you love him. Even if your thick skull won’t let you admit it.”
Ava grasped at her cheek. “I don’t have makeup on.”
“He doesn’t care about that, Ava,” Lori said gently. “And I think you know that.”
“I―” She clapped a hand over her mouth and nose as a strong odor invaded the car. “What is that?” she asked around her fingers.
“Skunk, I think.” Lori slowed and turned into Joseph’s driveway. “And it’s stronger here.” She put the car in park, then passed Ava a paper shopping bag. “You’re going to need this.”
Ava lowered her hand from her face so she could open it, but Lori stopped her. “Wait until it’s time.”
“Time?” Seriously, this night couldn’t get any weirder.
“Just go.” Lori shooed Ava out of the car. “And remember, stop pushing him away.”
Ava swallowed. What would Lori do if she refused to go inside? Come around and pull her out of the car by force?
Ava would like to see her try.
But as Ava studied the house, looked at the little flower bed out front where Princess liked to dig, focused on the porch steps where she and Joseph had talked, she realized that she did want to go in there. To apologize to him for running out of the restaurant last weekend, if nothing else. Or maybe to―
No. Nothing else.
With a sigh, she pushed the car door open, the stench of skunk immediately intensifying. Trying to avoid inhaling, she made her way to the porch, clutching the mystery bag in her hands, as Aunt Lori drove away.
With a deep breath that she immediately regretted as the smell of skunk musk coated her tongue, she pressed the doorbell. There was an instant racket inside―barking, a scramble of claws on hardwood, a yell, and more barking.
The moment Joseph opened the door, Ava burst into laughter. Who said the night couldn’t get any weirder?
Both dogs were dripping wet, their fur sticking up in odd spikes. Joseph was soaked too, his white dress shirt half tucked and half untucked―and his hair stood up in adorable spikes. But the funniest part was the look on his face―pure consternation.
“What have y’all been doing?” Ava asked as both Tasha and Princess rubbed their wet bodies against her legs.
“I am so sorry.” Joseph gestured for her to come inside. “Everything was all ready and perfect, but these two decided they needed to make friends with a skunk. It didn’t want to make friends back.”
Simultaneously, the dogs shook off, sending water droplets flying across the room―and onto both Ava and Joseph.
“I was able to get the smell mostly out of them with a baking soda and peroxide mixture, but it smells so terrible outside that I don’t think we can eat out there like I was planning.” He pointed toward the doors that led to the patio outside, where Ava could see a table still set for two―complete with candles and romantic lights. “Not that there’s any food,” Joseph continued. “I was so busy with the dogs, I burnt the chicken cacciatore to a crisp, so . . .”
“It’s okay.” She reached out a hand to him without thinking, letting her fingers rest on his wet sleeve. “This is really . . .” She looked around again. “You went to a lot of trouble for me.”
Joseph held her gaze. “I would do anything for you. And if that means never going out again, if it means cooking for you and cleaning up for you and even washing the skunk out of dogs for you, I’ll do it. Whatever it means, I’ll do it.”
That was . . . wow.
Ava had to take a step backwards to breathe, though she wasn’t sure if that was from the intensity of his words or the intensity of his scent. “Why don’t you go get changed? You’re soaked. And you smell a little skunky, no offense.”
Joseph laughed and pointed at the bag she still clutched in her hand. “And you should probably look in there.” He disappeared down the hallway, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll change in my room. You can use the bathroom.”
Ava peered after him, puzzled. She didn’t need to use the bathroom. She turned her attention to the bag, opening it and reaching inside, a gasp slipping from her as she pulled out a shimmery, silver dress―the one she’d been planning to wear to prom with Joseph. Ava hadn’t even realized she still had it. She’d figured Lori had tossed it out long ago.
She ran her fingers over the silky fabric, letting herself wonder if it would still fit.
“Ava?” Joseph called from down the hallway.
“Coming.” She made her way toward his voice and found him standing in the door to his bedroom, his dress shirt unbuttoned and untucked around the t-shirt he wore beneath it.
“You don’t have to wear the dress if you don’t want to,” he said. “You look perfect just the way you are.”
Ava glanced down at her clothes, suddenly realizing that she was wearing her pajamas and no makeup. But instead of embarrassment or horror or fear, all she felt was relief. Joseph had seen her the way she really was―and he hadn’t run away screaming.
“I just thought it might be fun to . . .” Joseph’s brow wrinkled, as if he was afraid he’d offended her. “But considering that we’re probably going to end up ordering pizza, maybe it’s kind of silly.”
Ava skimmed her fingers over the dress again. “I want to wear it.”
Joseph could not stop staring at Ava. Not only because she looked breath-stoppingly beautiful in the flowing silver dress that set off her green eyes and delicate shoulders but also because he couldn’t believe she was really here. Couldn’t believe she was eating pizza and smiling at him over the candles he’d rescued from the patio. Couldn’t believe she hadn’t gone running the moment she’d arrived at his house and smelled the skunk.
As they finished their dinner, he reached for her plate, accidentally brushing her hand. She didn’t flinch but smiled.
It gave him courage. “I was thinking.” He stood and carried their plates to the sink. He may have been feeling brave, but not quite brave enough to look at her as he asked. “We never got to dance. At prom, I mean.”
“That’s true.” Ava’s voice didn’t hold its usually guarded quality, which gave him just enough confidence to ask the rest.
“So I thought maybe we could now?”
Ava didn’t answer right away, and his confidence dipped. “Or we don’t have to. We could play chess or watch a movie or―”
“Joseph―” Ava interrupted. “I’d like to dance with you. It’s just . . .”
He looked up to find her tugging at a strand of hair.
“I’ve never danced with a boy,” she said shyly.
Joseph’s laugh boomed loud enough to make Princess spring excitedly to her feet and prance toward him. “Sure you have. Remember in middle school? You danced with Stewart Block. I was so jealous.”
Now Ava was laughing too. “You’re right, I did. I couldn’t walk for a week afterward, he stomped my feet so many times.”
“Well, I promise n
ot to stomp.” He stepped toward her and held out a hand, holding his breath as she eyed it.
Finally, her hand landed in his, and a zap of familiarity mingled with anticipation flowed up his arm. With his other hand, he opened the song he already had queued on his phone.
As the first strains of music floated toward them, he set the phone on the table and gathered her to him. Her jasmine scent surrounded him as her hands came to his shoulders, and all he could do for a moment was breathe in and hold her tight.
As the first verse of the song started, he forced himself to move his feet.
“Is this . . .” Ava pulled back a little.
“Our song.” He’d been driving her home from Bible study one night when the song had come on the radio.
“This is our song,” she’d said, turning up the volume. Not really understanding the point of having an “our song,” but wanting her to be happy, Joseph had agreed. Over the past eight years, he’d been glad of it―every time he heard the song, it reminded him that love could outlast anything.
“Joseph.” Ava’s whisper was strangled.
He stopped swaying but didn’t let go of her. “What is it, Ava?”
“We can’t go back.” She looked away from him. “We can’t be who we used to be.”
Joseph tightened his hold on her. “I know.”
She turned her eyes on him. “You know?”
He nodded. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said the other night. About how you’re not the same Ava you were then. And I realized, you’re right.”
“Oh.” Ava’s face fell, and she tried to pull away from him, but he held her tight.
“You’re not the same Ava. And I’m not the same Joseph either. We’re both older. Both wiser, hopefully. Both carrying new hurts and scars.”
She nodded, and her lip trembled.
“But―” He moved his hand to her cheek. “None of that changes my feelings for you. If anything, it makes me want to spend more time with you. Get to know new Ava even better.”
Ava brought her gaze to his. “And what if you don’t like new Ava?” she whispered.
Pieces of Forever: A Christian Romance (River Falls Book 1) Page 17
