Lucas shook his head in frustration, raking his hands through his hair. “I told him that second mortgage was a stupid idea,” he muttered.
“You knew about the second mortgage?” Ava demanded.
Lucas scoffed, his signature asshole personality coming out to play. “Of course I knew. Dad called me for advice on his financial situation a couple of years ago. I told him not to take out equity against the cabin, but he didn’t listen. And then he died, buried in a mountain of debt. That’s why we fell out years ago. That’s why I wasn’t even talking to him when he died. Because he was full of pride, and I was too angry he put me in this position in the first place. Keeping secrets from the two of you.” Lucas looked at Ava. “About you.” The lines around Lucas’ eyes grew more prominent as he gave Ava an impassive stare.
“You could’ve talked to us,” Noah said, breaking the oppressive silence in the room after Lucas’ confession.
“Yeah, because the three of us have such heartfelt conversations.” The sarcasm in Lucas’ tone caused Noah to flinch.
Ava stepped closer to Noah, but he backed away from her. She tried to hide the hurt that stung her at his retreat.
Lucas gave a bitter laugh. “And that right there is why I didn’t tell you guys. You two have always had each other’s backs. You two are always the favorites. Mom’s favorite is Noah. Dad’s favorite was Ava.And you two always liked each other more than me. I’ve never been anyone’s favorite in this family.”
He put his hands on his hips and stared down at the desk, like his admission took all his energy.
Ava’s heart cracked. She hated her brother had felt that way all these years. Sure, he was an asshole, but that’s what she liked about him. She didn’t know his prickly exterior hid vulnerability underneath. She questioned how well she knew anyone in her family. How well she even knew herself.
“Lucas, that’s not–” Ava’s excuse was cut short.
“It’s true. And I’m…” he stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath before looking at Ava and Noah. “I’m done.”
Lucas stomped from the room and down the hall. Ava and Noah stood in silence as they heard the jingle of keys and the door open. The telltale alarm cut short as a clatter sounded from the front door.
Ava rushed from the office, but Lucas was gone. The door slammed behind him. On the hardwood floor in front of the door lay the broken pieces of the wooden loon alarm. Her throat burned as tears sprang to her. The soft tread of Noah’s footprints pulled her attention away. She turned to look at him, but his face was closed off.
“Noah,” she said, holding off the tears that wanted to fall. She couldn’t handle both of her brothers being upset with her.
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the broken loon alarm on the floor. “It’s not your fault, not really, what Dad did. But it’s a lot to process,” he said quietly. “I’ll be back, but I need some air.”
He stepped around the loon pieces and left the house, letting the door close gently behind him. Even when upset, her brothers reacted differently. Lucas was a tornado of intense emotions, while Noah left behind a quiet sadness.
Ava dropped to her knees and gathered up the pieces of the alarm, wiping away the few tears that escaped. She placed them on the dining table, debating what to do. She couldn’t bear the thought of throwing it away, but she wasn’t sure she could look up a YouTube video for how to reassemble a homemade wooden loon alarm.
I bet Owen would know how to fix this.
A knock sounded at the door. It couldn’t be her brothers; they would walk inside. Her mind jumped to Owen, as if he appeared at her very thought of him. She rubbed her eyes and smoothed down her hair before rushing to open the door.
“Hey O–,” she stopped short at the person on the other side. “Alec?”
Chapter 20
The Ambush
Alec’s sandalwood cologne tickled her nose, making her nose scrunch up and her mouth open to hold back a sneeze. She couldn’t help but compare his cologne to the natural coffee notes that clung to Owen, and how much more she preferred the latter.
“Hey, sweetheart. I’ve missed you.” Alec gave a wide smile, showing off his perfect veneers. A smile she used to swoon over but now inspired indifference. “It’s just me, in the flesh. No need to gape.” He chuckled and reached out to nudge the bottom of her chin.
Ava stepped back when his fingers brushed her face and snapped her lips together. “What are you doing here?” She looked him up and down, noting his crisp button-up and perfectly styled hair. His sleeves rolled back to reveal his toned forearms. Ava felt nothing looking at him.
“My calls and texts haven’t been reaching you, and I haven’t seen you since the meeting I set up with the board members. You left the call before we could talk. I’ve been worried about you,” he said, thatperfect smile still on his face. A face that she used to find handsome. He took a step closer. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”
Ava considered saying no and keeping him outside, but her engrained southern manners and hospitality training wouldn’t let her. She stepped back and swept her arm inside, waving him into the combined kitchen and dining room. She watched him look around the initial space, cataloguing everything he saw.
“This is the cabin? You weren’t kidding that your Dad loved loons.” His placid smile still in place, he stepped close and grabbed her wrists in a gentle hold. Lifting them to kiss the backs of her hands. “It’s so good to see you, finally. You’ve been hard to reach.”
Ava pulled out of his grasp, stepping back and crossing her arms across her chest. “Why are you here? And how are you here? I never gave you the address.” His unexpected arrival confused her. She’d told him stories of the cabin and Cedar Falls, but never enough detail for him to find the location of her dad’s property.
“When you stopped responding to my attempts to reach out to you, I grew worried. You weren’t even responding to my follow-up emails about the meeting. Then Morgan texted me–”
