“Ican,” Ava assured. She almost felt goosebumps coming on as she realized they actually carried one with all of the bells and whistles she liked best. It even came with a few rolls of paper to get her started. “I’ll take this one.”
Jack blew out a whistle and shook his head. “All right then. You must really like your numbers.”
“I do,” she assured as Jack led them back to the check stand. “I’m an accountant, so I better.”
Jack jerked a look over his head. “You don’t say?”
Ava could swear she heard Richard groan behind her.
“I could really use one of those. You taking on any clients around here?”
“As a matter of fact, I am,” Ava said. “I’ll, um…well, I don’t have any cards on me, but—”
“She’ll call you,” Richard blurted.
Annoyance burned hot in Ava’s chest at his interruption. “Uh, yeah. I’ll call you.” Her jaw clenched tight as she watched Jack ring up the item and place it in a sack.
Richard extended his hand when the payment was due, but Ava was quick to wave it off. “Let The Homestead cover this for you,” he urged.
Ava thrust her new bank card into Jack’s hand. “No thanks, I’ve got it.” She felt the relief of winning that one battle, but inwardly, Ava sensed there were more to come.
Richard broke into a pace behind her as she finished paying.
“Alright,” Jack said as he handed her the receipt. “You folks have a nice day. And don’t forget to call,” he added. “I wrote my personal number on the receipt there.”
Ava smiled, grateful that she might just have her first job outside of the inn. “You’ll be hearing from me shortly,” she promised.
She turned to head out the door then, nodding at Richard as he pushed it open for her and stepped aside.
He hurried to open the passenger side of his car as well, then waited for her to climb in, his nostrils still flared with anger.
Ava grabbed her buckle as he gently shut her door, vowing to address the situation once they were in private.
The seatbelt clicked as she forced it into the chamber.
Richard’s door tore open a second before he climbed in behind the wheel. Yet as soon as he closed the door behind him, Ava piped up.
“What was your deal back there?”
Richard’s eyes widened. “You want to know what my deal was? Mydealwas that you didn’t seem to have a semblance of preservation for your privacy or safety back there. Did you or did you not go through the exact relocation training I did?”
Ava stared at him for a blink, stunned. “He’s not with the mob, Richard, I’m certain about that much. I wasn’t about to give him my old name or tell him where I was from.”
Richard opened his mouth, then shut it, his brow furrowing as he shoved the key in the ignition. Just when she thought he’d dropped the subject, he turned toward her again. “The relocation program aside, you’re a single woman and he’s some…stranger.And you’re telling him that you’re looking for a place and that you’ll be likely living alone.Badidea, don’t you think?”
Hmm. When he put it that way, maybe it was. “Is that why you spoke up and acted like we’d be living together?” And why did saying those words in that order cause an odd thrill to zip through her?
“You’re dang right it is. And do you really have to live out here in the city? Why can’t you just stay at the inn like the rest of us?”
Ava hadn’t exactly thought that was an option. She shrugged. “I don’t want to burden you guys, that’s why.”
His nostrils were flaring again. “I thought I made it clear the other day that sincewe’rethe ones who dragged you into this, we plan to take care of you like one of our own. Heck, it sounds like we’re the only family you have now. Would you just let us treat you like it?Please?”
He’d uttered that final plea with such intensity that Ava felt a spark of humor bubbling up over it. He ran a hand through his hair and rolled down his window, looking as if he’d just run a marathon.
“I’ll think about it,” she finally said.
“But you still want to go look at these places or not?” He picked up the stack of printouts on the dash and held them up.
Ava considered that. “Maybe just a few, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. I just…think it’s unnecessary for you to pay a bunch of rent, that’s all. And I’d rather you lived closer too,” he added.
Ava reached for the stack and plucked the page she’d tabbed with a sticky note. “How about we take a look at the ones here. If I don’t feel like they’re a good fit, we can head back to the inn.”
“And you’ll forgo this idea of moving out here?” he asked.
But Ava wasn’t ready to make any promises. “For a week or two, maybe. I’d have to see how it goes.”
That same tired look came over his eyes as he shook his head. “All right then.” He strapped his seatbelt. “Where to?”
