“No!” Nick practically shouted. He wasn’t stupid enough to take things further with Ava, and after the dirty glares directed at him, he didn’t think he’d have much of a chance even if he wanted to. But having Brad stay would be added precaution.
Brad slapped him on the back then sat in the chair at the kitchen counter. “She’s back for five minutes and she’s already got you all twisted.”
Nick scrubbed a hand over his eyes. “She hasn’t gotten me twisted.”
“No? From what I witnessed, you either want to strangle her or toss her over your shoulder and take her to the nearest bedroom.” He shrugged. “That’s pretty twisted if you ask me. But damn, how she’s grown. She was gorgeous ten years ago, but she’s stunning now. It’s understandable she’s messing with your head.”
Nick knew that this was nothing more than an observation. Brad was madly in love with his wife Lexi. A marriage Nick envied and thought he could have for himself when he’d married Kate. But he’d made a huge mistake, knew it the second he’d said “I do”. He’d hated himself when he couldn’t give Kate the love she deserved. It killed him to witness her devastation when it all fell apart. He’d been selfish trying to fill a gap caused by another woman.
Then Nick remembered how excited Brad had been seeing Ava and betrayal sunk heavy like lead in his gut. “Why the hell were you so happy to see her?”
Brad twirled the bottle in his hands. “Why wouldn’t I be? I haven’t seen her in years.”
He stared at his brother with disbelief. “Have you forgotten she could’ve ruined our business before we even got it off the ground?”
For a moment, surprise flickered in Brad’s eyes. “Come on, she did us a favor. If it wasn’t for her spreading the rumor that we were opening up a brothel and getting the town worked up about it, we wouldn’t have worked so damn hard to make the workshop and caryard succeed. We wanted to prove to everyone and ourselves that we weren’t just two deviants mucking around.”
But what about what her leaving had done to him?
As if Brad had read his mind, he said, “She must have had a good reason for leaving.”
Did his mother and brother laze around drinking tea catching up on gossip like two old ladies? His mother had said the same thing.
“It was years ago, I don’t give a fuck anymore why she left.”
Brad stared at him like he didn’t believe him for a second but didn’t utter a word.
“Why are you here?” Nick demanded for the third time and then noticed a duffle bag next to the chair Brad occupied. “Has Lexi finally come to her senses and kicked you out?” He gathered their empty bottles, threw them in the recycling, got two fresh ones, and sat back down.
Brad grinned like a man in love, and Nick wanted to wipe the sickening expression from his brother’s face.
“My woman’s too satisfied to kick me out. And now that she’s pregnant, she wants to be satisfied more often. Hormones or something. I’m not going to complain.”
Nick groaned and dropped his head in his hands. He didn’t want images of his lovely sister-in-law with his idiot brother. “Too much information, bro. Seriously, how are you going to be a father when you’re such a dick?” When he could see Brad was about to spout something, probably about his dick, he jumped in and said, “If you don’t tell me why you’re here, I’m going to kick your fucking arse out.”
“All right, all right! I’ve come to drag you back to work.” He’d guessed right.
“I’m not ready yet. There’s too much to do here.”
Brad frowned. “Percy and Kev have got the farm under control.”
“Percy doesn’t know how to do the books.”
“Hire someone to do it.” He said it as if it was so easy.
But Nick needed people here he could trust. He didn’t want just anyone sticking their noses into his father’s farm, and he didn’t want his mother having to worry about this stuff. She’d been through enough.
Brad stared him down with a dubious expression.
Nick blew out a long breath. “I can’t hand Dad’s farm over to just anyone.” He got off the stool and walked to look out the window. It continued to rain at a steady pace, and the late afternoon grew dark and ominous. “He put years of his heart into this place. The least I can do is keep it running the way he would.” He heard Brad slide his chair back, and he turned to face him. Brad leaned against the counter.
“Dad never would have expected you to do this. Yeah, he loved this place, but it was his passion. He knew it wasn’t ours.” He walked over and stood beside Nick and stared out the window just like Nick had done moments ago. “Did he ever tell us he wanted us to someday take over?”
Nick shook his head.
“That’s because he knew this life wasn’t for us. He knew we had different plans.”
“Mum loves this place too. She wouldn’t want strangers running it. Who better to do it than one of her sons?”
“She wouldn’t want you doing something you don’t want to do either,” Brad said. Nick opened his mouth to argue, but Brad cut in. “Don’t you miss the company? We have a new factory opening in Singapore next month. Normally, you would be there overseeing things. But instead you’re here.”
He couldn’t deny there’d been a strong pull deep in his gut to get back to work. But spending time on the farm the last seven months had quietened the desire to go back. Spending time with his mother and making sure she was okay while keeping his father’s business operating had been more important.
“You know what you’re doing and who to send to Singapore. And I’ve been doing a lot from here.”
Brad closed his eyes for a beat and took a deep breath. “You’re missing the point. Stop playing farmer boy and get back to work. Your work.”
Ava had called him Old MacDonald and now Brad called him farmer boy, and it pissed him off. He hadn’t put his life on hold to play pretend farmer. This was his parents’ home.
“You think I’m joking around here?” Nick paced in the small space of the kitchen. “If I wasn’t running the place, who would? You?” He flung a hand in Brad’s direction. “Your trips back home were always quick. Did you ever help Dad when you visited?”
Brad shoved his hands in his jean pockets and glared at Nick. “My visits may have been quick ones, but they were frequent, and I helped out when I could. Not that I need to explain myself.” He marched toward Nick and stopped inches in front of him. His lips flattened to thin lines. “How long had it been since you’d been home before he died? Months? And the time before that? So don’t point an accusing finger at me.”
“Fuck you.” Nick curled his lip in a snarl.
Brad’s shoulders sagged, and he sighed. “I’m sorry, man. Dad never expected you here all the time. He was so proud that we got off the farm and made something of ourselves.”
Nick slumped on the barstool, depleted of the energy to fight. “No, you’re right. I should’ve come home more often. I just couldn’t…”
Flicking a glance in the direction of Ava’s room, Brad said, “And he understood.”
Nick ignored where Brad’s gaze had drifted. “He understood that we needed to build our business. Nothing more.” If he hadn’t made it back to the farm regularly, it was because he was breaking his back getting their business off the ground. Not because of Ava and the memories that kept flooding back every time he set foot in Sunland Valley.
With a knowing expression, Brad nodded and said nothing more.
They spent the next few hours drinking beer and trading insults until Nick called it a night. He had to be up before the crack of dawn, and that was only four hours away.
He heaved himself from the couch that they’d ended up on, and pulled a blanket and pillow from a cupboard. “The couch is all yours. I can’t guarantee it’s comfortable.”
Brad’s head was tilted on the back of the cushions, his eyes heavy from too much alcohol and not enough sleep. “I thought I could sleep in your bed.”
; “Why the hell would you sleep with me in my bed? We’re not five anymore.”
A grin spread across Brad’s face. “I was hoping you’d be sleeping in Ava’s bed. With Ava.”
Nick couldn’t help but laugh. Brad and his immature brain. “Remind me again how you convinced Lexi to marry you?”
Brad kept the stupid grin on his face. “She loved my big—”
A pillow slammed into Brad’s face, cutting off his words.
Chapter 8
The next morning, Ava awoke to the smell of eggs, bacon, and most importantly, coffee. Her stomach growled at the delicious aroma. The last meal she had eaten was lunch at Maggie’s.
She hadn’t dared come out of her room last night to make herself something. Not with Nick and Brad having a heavy discussion. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but their tones were grim. She didn’t think Nick would have appreciated her listening.
So, she had pulled out a contract she’d brought along with her and read over her client’s husband’s ridiculous demands regarding their divorce settlement. No matter how many cases she handled, it still surprised her how vicious couples behaved; couples who had once declared their love in front of family, friends, and God. If Ava hadn’t seen the ugliness of her parents’ marriage, this surely would’ve swayed her off holy matrimony.
Once dressed in Maggie’s borrowed clothes, Ava ducked into the bathroom to freshen up then followed the scent of fresh coffee, passing Brad who was fast asleep on the living room couch. She found Nick in the kitchen piling a plate with eggs and bacon. His faded jeans sat low on his hips, and the army green t-shirt clung to his firm chest. Her stomach twisted, and her mouth watered. And she didn’t think it had anything to do with breakfast. Damn, she had to get her body’s reaction to him under control.
He glanced in her direction then turned to pick up the coffee pot. She couldn’t see any of last night’s heat in his eyes. Last night proved exactly what she wanted to know and more. That he wasn’t indifferent. But making him prove his desire for her had caused her to sit up and take notice of long-suppressed feelings. When once, one look caused her heart to bang hard against her chest and she could never imagine being in anyone else’s arms. And so, her challenge had backfired.
“Smells good. I’m starving,” she said, refusing to examine it further.
He placed three eggs and strips of bacon on his plate and brought it to the breakfast counter. He pointed to the dish. “Help yourself.”
Collecting a plate from the cupboard, she piled on the food. Nick raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t judge. I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday.”
He frowned. “Why didn’t you get something to eat last night?”
“You and Brad were having girl talk. I didn’t want to interrupt. I know how pissy women can get when that happens.” She slid on the stool next to him, and as she did her leg brushed against his. Even through the fabric of the denim they wore, a charge of heat traveled like lightning through her veins.
Nick stilled and his eyes hooded. They sat staring at each other when Brad wandered into the kitchen. “Did someone say my name?” Yawning, he scratched the back of his head then bent down and kissed Ava’s cheek. “Morning, sweetheart. Thought you’d be long gone by now. The rain stopped.”
How did she not notice? She scampered to the window and peered outside. Sure enough, no more rain. Not only that, the sky was clear of dark clouds and was now a brilliant blue. Like the rain-soaked sky from the past two days had never existed.
She smiled and sat back down and attacked breakfast with enthusiasm. “I’ll collect my stuff and we can go in ten minutes.”
Nick shook his head. “Sorry, not going to happen.”
She paused with a fork full of bacon suspended in mid-air. “Why the hell not?”
She didn’t want to spend another minute more than she had to closed up with Nick.
“The road is still flooded.” He picked up his plate, rinsed it, and placed it in the dishwasher.
“How do you know? The rain’s stopped.”
“Unlike the two of you, I’ve been up for hours. I’ve checked.” He gave Brad a disgusted look, but he only smiled back and threw a piece of bacon in his mouth. “We’ve had a lot of rain, it needs time to go somewhere.”
“But now that the rain’s stopped you can get me back home using the highway.” She was impatient to leave. Being alone with Nick had proved too hazardous. And Bella needed her, so the sooner she sorted that out, the sooner she could go home to Brimland Point and back to her own life.
“I’ll have a lot to do now that the weather’s cleared. The earliest I can do it is this afternoon.”
“This afternoon!” Ava sighed and slumped her shoulders. Stay a few more hours or call her father to pick her up? She had no desire to see the man at all, and she certainly didn’t want to be stuck in a car with him, because then she might have to actually talk to him. It looked like she was staying.
Brad sat next to her. “Don’t look so disappointed. It’s not every day you’re lucky enough to spend the morning with two sexy Williams men.” He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes but laughed at his comical expression.
“So, you’re planning on helping with the cows today?” Nick asked Brad.
“Ahh, as much as I’d love to, I promised Mum I’d help her frame some photos.”
Nick snorted. “Anything to get out of a little hard work.”
“Have you seen how many photos she wants me to frame? She’s selling bucket loads.”
That reminded Ava to talk to Lauren about selling some in her gift shop. She was sure Lauren would love them. She needed to take photos and send them to her friend before she left Sunland Valley.
“When did you become such a pussy?” Nick gave Brad a disgusted look.
“Not a pussy, little bro.” He tapped the side of his head with his index finger. “Smart.” He shoved back from the counter and strolled into the living room. Ava assumed to get ready to go help Maggie.
“I guess farming life isn’t for everyone,” she said to fill the awkward silence that had fallen over the kitchen once Brad left.
“Brad never liked it much. Always had an excuse for getting out of work.”
The tension from last night easing, she smiled. She remembered. Nick had always been the one to do everything he could to help out in his spare time. Brad would be nowhere to be seen. That was how she had spent a lot of her time with Nick. Riding along in his truck, checking on cows and fences and anything that needed to be done. And discovering secret hiding places where they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
She jerked herself out of her nostalgia and rose to put her plate in the dishwasher. Then made to leave the kitchen to let Nick do whatever he had planned for the day.
“Feel like going for a drive around the farm?” he asked.
His back was turned away from her while he cleared the dishes, so she couldn’t see his expression. Was he being serious?
“Now that the sun’s out I thought you might like to see the place again after all these years.”
He was serious. He was really offering to take her out with him.
She froze for a beat. He’d been doing everything he could to stay away from her, and after last night, she thought he’d be scurrying away. If she were smart, she should be running too, but she glanced out the window. The day was too beautiful to stay indoors, and she would love to see the farm after being away so long.
“Give me a sec to put on my shoes.”
“I’ll wait for you outside.”
* * * *
Nick threw the gear he needed for the day in the tray of the truck and whistled for Molly to jump in. He secured her safely and scratched her behind the ears, and her tongue rolled out in pure bliss. “Why can’t all women be as uncomplicated as you, Molly?”
Molly nuzzled her face on Nick’s chest.
What was he thinking asking Ava to come for a drive? One minute he couldn’t stand
being in the same room, and the next, the words spewed out of his big mouth, sounding eager to spend the day with her. Tightness squeezed his heart. Even with the ghosts of the past playing with his mind, he had a hard time staying away. And what was even more surprising, she’d agreed to come along.
She made her way over to the truck wearing the too-big jeans and joggers his mother had given her and one of his jumpers. There was nothing sexy about the clothes, but she’d be drop-dead gorgeous in anything.
“I’m looking more like a farm girl each day, don’t you think?” Placing her hand on her hip, she struck a pose.
A farm girl was not the term he’d use, and he stared at her longer than the situation required. She dropped the playful stance, stared back, and stepped closer. She must’ve read the hunger in his eyes, because her chest rose and fell at a rapid pace and she glanced at his mouth. Molly barked, impatient to get going or wanting attention, and the moment was broken.
Nick stepped away and scratched Molly behind the ear. “Okay, girl, let’s go.” He jumped in the truck and Ava followed.
The next hour was spent checking on fences, and Nick listened to Ava’s commentary on everything she remembered and all the things that had been added since she’d been gone. Would she be remembering what they’d gotten up to in some of those secluded places too? If she did, she said nothing.
How many times had he driven along these roads imagining Ava by his side when he finally made it off the farm and had built a bigger and better life? He’d always pictured a future together. But they’d been kids. Even if she hadn’t left, it probably never would’ve worked. Hell, who knew if it would have lasted much longer than that summer. What once felt like a stab to the chest now only stung a little. It had only taken ten years.
“Nick, stop!”
He had already seen what had made her yell and was braking. At the dam, a calf, chest deep in mud, was struggling to free itself. Its mother stood by its side, mooing in distress.
He vaulted out of the truck, pulled out rope, and ran to it. The calf, tired from struggling, laid its head in the mud. It’d probably been stuck for a while and was starting to weaken.
Chasing Trouble Page 7
