“When were you going to spill?” he asks.
“There’s not a lot to tell. It’s very new. She’s a beautiful fireball. She works at the local bakery.”
“Oh, I wish we could’ve met her,” Ava croons.
“She said it was too soon. I think she was trying to be respectful of my time with the two of you. I’m not used to a girl who doesn’t make every get-together all about her.”
“Ashley?” Michael asks with a wince.
“I take it she was the cause of the self-imposed moratorium on women?”
“Oh, he didn’t have a moratorium on women. Just relationships,” Mick says, pulling his fiancée into his side before kissing her.
“Ah.” She giggles.
“Come on, I wasn’t that bad. Besides, I wasn’t sure how long it’d be before I had another date. There aren’t that many women here.”
Ava pulls the lasagna from the oven she’s generously prepared. One whiff, and I’m instantly missing my mother’s home-cooked meals. “Well, it sounds like you found one. What’s she look like?”
“Me.”
“Poor girl.” Mick chuckles.
“She’s tall with dark hair and big blue eyes. But it’s more than her looks. She’s down to earth. She’s not always ‘on’ like Ashley was,” I say, putting air quotes around the word on. “Hell. I was so captivated by Ashley’s looks I never realized how shallow she was. She’s the complete opposite of Addison.”
“Ashley is the Carlson’s ring girl,” Mick whispers to Ava.
Her eyes immediately dart in my direction, but she’s cool. There isn’t the usual shocked expression. Just the slightest hint of congenial sympathy. As if acknowledging my past with renewed understanding. “I knew Ashley. Growing up, I mean. She and I competed in a lot of the same teen beauty pageants. I wish I’d known you before you met her. I could’ve warned you. Ashley’s only loyalty is to Ashley.”
“Yeah. Where were you? I had to find that out the hard way. At least I know what to avoid from now on.”
“Well, I’m happy for you, Trev. I was worried she’d done such a number on you that you’d end up like me. I went years without taking a chance. When you meet the right one, it’s worth the risk of getting hurt again.”
I look over to see Ava coughing as if she’s pretending to choke behind her fit of giggles, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand.
“Okay, okay. So I was a chicken shit. Ava put me through my paces when I wouldn’t man up. Lord help you if your Addison’s like that.”
The striking blonde places her furled hands on her hips in indignation. It might be believable if she wasn’t wearing that gleaming smile.
I can’t help but smile as Mick strides around the kitchen island, swoops her into his arms, and places a kiss on her nose before burying his face in her neck.
“All right. Keep it together until you get back to the White Oak Inn. I still don’t know why you didn’t stay here.”
“Someone can’t keep it G-rated.” Michael laughs as he bites into Ava’s neck and a bright red hue quickly shrouds her face. Is he talking about him or her? “Just looking out for you, man,” he adds.
“Got it.” I chuckle, more than a little shocked by this bit of intel. I can’t help but recall one very vocal Addison here recently and understand completely.
As if reading my mind, Ava asks, “Why don’t you call Addison? I’d love to meet her. There’s a ton of lasagna here. We won’t stay late so that you can spend the rest of the evening together.”
“Yeah. That’s why you’d be leaving early.” I laugh. “Maybe I will call her.” Sure it’s early in our relationship. But I feel good about this girl. I’m excited to have Ava and Mick meet her. Heading toward my cell phone, I stop in my tracks as something catches my eye. I’d left my laptop browser open to catch updates on the Richmond Federated 400 series.
A race feed is visible in a small window in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. But my eyes are drawn to a familiar face down below. Narrowing my eyes, I take in Ashley and her celebrity boyfriend as they pose for the camera. I feel steam rise as I see that asshole Martin has his left arm draped around my two-timing ex-girlfriend while his right is wrapped around my current one.
“You going to call her, Trev?” Michael asks.
I turn, stunned, unsure I’ve processed what I’ve seen. “What?”
“If you don’t call her soon, dinner will be cold.” He chuckles.
