by Durano, Liz
I roll my eyes. “Lisa, it could be anyone.”
“Of course, it can,” she says, winking. “Or it could be Dr. O’Neill.”
I grab my purse and walk toward the front door. “Since you’re pretty intent on embarrassing me, I’ll take you up on that free time. I’ve been wanting to check out the river while I’m here that I even packed a towel and a change of clothes in the rental car just in case.”
“Take your time, dear,” Lisa says, holding the door open as I make my way down the front steps. “Maybe you could even call the doctor in case he’s free.”
I groan. “You are impossible.”
As I drive away, it feels good to be out of the hospital. It feels even better to be heading to the river where I plan on skinny dipping at my favorite spot as long as there’s no one there.
My phone beeps as I turn into Main Street and I almost don’t check who it is. It’s probably Ryan again. But as my phone beeps the second time, I sneak a peek and my heart skips a beat when I see someone else’s name pop on the display.
I park the car on the side street and with the engine idling, I tap on the phone display.
I heard your mom’s been discharged. How is she doing?
She’s doing great.
How are you and are you busy?
I’m doing great and currently heading to the river.
May I tag along?
Sure.
After texting Parker directions, I meet him along the South Fork where there are places where people can lay out and swim in the crystal clear waters below the bridge. Already, there are people set up with their towels on the uneven ground and boulders while others splash around in the cool water.
But instead of joining everyone else, I lead Parker toward a narrow trail leading away from the bridge.
“Where are we going?” he asks, looking nothing like a doctor in a white t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts and top siders, but just as gorgeous.
“It’s a hidden spot about twenty minutes from here. No crowds.” As he catches up with me, I stop and face him. “Unless you prefer the crowds, then we can stay here.”
He shakes his head. “No, not today. I’d like to do some exploring, if that’s fine with you.”
We don’t talk as we follow the trail I used to take with my friends when I was younger. Like most teenagers, we needed a place where we could hang out, let go, and maybe if we were daring enough, skinny dip, too.
But that was as far as we went with the benefits of privacy, for the more people knew about the spot, the higher the chance someone could walk in on you and catch you doing something best saved in private. And the older we got, the more we appreciated it for what it was, a nice place to stay cool and enjoy the waters during the searing hot summers.
Parker and I work up a good sweat by the time we arrive at my secret spot half an hour later. I’d forgotten how secluded it actually is. While he’s hardly out of breath as he stands atop one of the main boulders, I’ve clearly let my cardio go.
“Wow. This is gorgeous, Ava,” Parker says as he tears his gaze away from me and looks around him. Boulders and rocks surround the area and below us, the water is crystal clear, inviting.
“I think the deepest part is about eight feet, which happens to be right below us. No diving though, to be safe,” I say as I look down and then back up at him. “Do you like it?”
“Very much. No crowds.”
“Now and then you’ll have a group of kids but not today. It’s not so warm yet, but wait till summer and suddenly your secret place isn’t exactly a secret.”
“You’ve swam here then?”
“Many times,” I reply, winking playfully. “Clothing optional.”
Parker laughs. “If you’re trying to get me naked, it’s not going to work. Not today.”
I snap my fingers in mock disappointment. “Oh, darn it!”
As Parker’s hearty laughter echoes in the canyon, I feel the weight of the world lift off my shoulders. It brings me back to that night in Las Vegas, to the moments when he held my hand as we watched the band perform our favorite songs, and then later, when he looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. And right now, that’s exactly how I’m feeling as he pulls out a towel from his backpack and sets it down on the warm boulder, beckoning for me to sit.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Thanks for coming along with me,” I say as I sit down and he settles down next to me. The sound of rushing water surrounds us as it courses through the rocks in the distance. Below our feet, the watering hole is calm and clear. Tempting.
“I should be thanking you for letting me come along,” he says. “I doubt I’d ever find this place on my own.”
I shrug. “There are directions online now, if you know where to look.”
“True, but there’s nothing like a local to show me exactly where it is and saving me the embarrassment of having to ask for directions.”
I peer at him. “You’re one of those, huh?”
“You knew exactly where to turn and which house to walk past and which one to turn right at,” he says. “I’d have been the clueless one, constantly retracing my steps until someone has to send out a search team.”
“You’re too modest, Parker,” I say. “You look like you know a thing or two about finding your way out of these things. Still, you’re right. You’d have looked clueless if you made the wrong turn and ended up in someone’s backyard.”
He chuckles. “Not a good look.”
“Depending on whose back yard you end up in,” I say, giggling. “Anyway, there are other watering holes around here but this is the one that’s the most secluded.”
Parker’s eyes narrow. “Just how secluded?”
I spread my arms. “It’s-just-us-right-now-secluded.”
I can almost feel his next question, one that comes a few minutes later. “Wanna skinny dip, Ava?”
“But I thought you said you weren’t going to get naked today,” I say, laughing.
“I changed my mind. But to be honest, I’m trying to get you naked, Ava Turner.” Parker gets up from the boulder and pulls his shirt over his shoulders, revealing rock hard abs.
“I…” My voice trails when he starts undoing his belt. Suddenly Parker stops and looks at me, a mischievous grin on his face.
“Or are you too scared to do it?”
I get up and place my hands on my hips. “Oh, hell no, you did not just challenge me, Dr. Parker O’Neill.”
“You know I just did.” And with that, Parker slides down his shorts and boxer briefs, sets them on top of the towel and jumps—butt naked—into the water.
Chapter Six
Parker
I’d been stripping old linoleum tiles in the rear parlor when I decided to take a break and text Ava. And I sure am glad I did because I’d rather be swimming in the river with her than stripping one more tile.
But ever since I met Ava again, keeping busy around the house has been the only thing that has kept me from asking her out. And as much as we texted each other to ask how she or her mother were doing, I definitely wasn’t going to do more than that while her mother was still in the hospital.
But the moment I heard that her mother had been discharged, I could barely concentrate on anything related to restoring the damn house. That attempt lasted two hours.
And here we are…
We swim for half an hour, doing our best not to peek but of course, we do, playfully flirting like horny teenagers until we spot a group of people coming down the slope. Like two kids about to be caught doing something they shouldn’t, we quickly get out of the water, dry ourselves and get dressed. The last thing I need is someone claiming they saw their neurologist skinny dipping in the river.
“What were you doing before you texted me?” Ava asks as we sit side by side on the boulder watching the teenagers arrive, their excited voices echoing in the canyon.
“Nothing too exciting. Stripping off the linoleum flooring in the rear parlor.” I pause,
noticing her expression go from surprise to curiosity, her eyes narrowing.
“Rear parlor? You sound like you live in an old house or something,” she says as I nod.
“As a matter of fact, I do. The Victorian on Northern Street.”
Ava’s eyes widen. “Wait. You mean the Federalist Victorian? You bought it?”
“Yeah. Why?”
She stares at me in surprise. “I never would have pegged you as anything but a contemporary modern type. Frank Lloyd Wright, Philip Johnson… the Bauhaus movement. That kind of modern”
“Hush,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Modern contemporary architecture isn’t bad, but my grandfather restored houses and taught me everything I know when I was in high school. So that’s what I know. When I moved out here, the houses were one of the first things I saw. Before I knew it, I fell in love with the place and it’s one of the reasons I took the job at Auburn Springs Medical. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of work to be done on the house but that’s how I ended up being able to afford it. Technically, you could call it a fixer-upper.”
Ava stares me curiously. “You really are serious about staying here, aren’t you? You’re not about to fly off at the next best offer.”
Her words confirm what I already know. I heard about the previous doctors who took the position at Auburn Springs Medical only to leave when they got better offers elsewhere. I know many people assume I’ll do the same thing.
“I don’t plan to, not when the house alone is a commitment by itself.”
We both watch the teenagers jumping into the water for a few minutes before Ava speaks. “Growing up, one of my friends used to live on that same block but she’s since moved away. We used to stare at that house from her bedroom window and wonder what it looked like inside.”
I nudge her playfully with my elbow. “I could give you a tour if you want.”
Ava’s face brightens. “Really?”
“Really.”
Her smile widens. “I’d love that.”
“Just say when.”
She bites her lip, her eyes sparkling. “When.”
* * *
Forty minutes later, Ava parks her rental car behind my SUV and steps out, the excitement and anticipation on her face unmistakable. I’ve never given anyone a tour of my house simply because I hate showing off something that’s not yet complete. But at the same time, if I waited until I was really finished with it, no one would ever see it.
I begin the tour in the living room where I managed to find certain design elements to match the era the house was built. Some are replicas while others are originals.
It could be a shorter tour but I don’t want to rush anything. Luckily, Ava doesn’t seem to be in a rush, not when she has questions—lots of questions—and before I can stop myself, we’re talking about the safety of using heat guns for stripping layers of paint to which stain would be ideal to highlight the original patina of the wood flooring lying beneath the linoleum.
“One of our clients last year was a restoration company and I was introduced to details that pretty much escaped everyone else’s eye, for my team, at least,” she says when we finally make it to the master bedroom. “But because I grew up in Gold Rush country, it was fascinating, to say the least. It was a reminder of home.”
“And yet you live in New York,” I say. “So how does a small-town girl end up there anyway?”
“Ambition, drive, and an overwhelming desire to see the world outside Auburn Springs,” she replies. “Growing up in a small town… and one as small as this place, I was bored out of head, basically, and thought that living in the big city would cure me out of my boredom. I also needed to make a lot of money so Mom could hire employees for the shop.”
“Did it work? The boredom part?”
“I guess, but then it stops being about boredom than about just making it. I mean, we’re talking about New York here. Everything’s go go go, and the higher you make it up that corporate ladder, the more you realize there’s still a long way to go, especially as a woman,” she replies, her expression thoughtful. “And I want that corner office.”
“You must love what you do to keep doing it.”
Her brow furrows. “I thought I did, but Mom’s accident has changed a few things. The obvious one being that I need to live closer in case another emergency crops up. I’ve actually been wondering if maybe I should consider…” Her voice fades and she tugs at her hair. “Never mind. It’s silly.”
“No, tell me, Ava,” I say softly. “I’d like to know.”
“Since Mom’s surgery, I’ve been wondering if I should consider slowing down. Living life a bit more… no, enjoying it a bit more than I’ve always convinced myself I was,” she replies, her gaze distant. “Sometimes, I wonder if, in my pursuit of success, I’ve lost sight of what’s really important.”
We’re standing in front of my bedroom now, the tour forgotten. “Like what?”
“Being home,” she says, taking a deep breath and exhaling. “Family. Friends. My mother.”
I reach for her hand and squeeze it. “I’m glad she’s feeling better, Ava.”
She nods. “Yeah, which reminds me… it’s late and I need to get back. She must be wondering where I am.”
“I understand.” I release her hand and we make our way back down to the first floor. “Thanks for inviting me to go with you to the river. I had a blast.”
She pauses at the door and turns to face me. “I did, too, Parker.”
“Have dinner with me tomorrow night?” I ask as she reaches for the doorknob and pauses.
“You do know everyone will be talking about us,” she says. “If they aren’t already just because they saw us at the cafeteria.”
“Does that bother you?”
Ava shrugs. “Not really, considering I grew up here so I know the drill. You must have been the talk of the town when you first moved in.”
I nod, doing my best serious expression. “I imagine I was, but I’ve never been one to let my fame get to my head.”
“Oh, good,” she says, giggling.
“And if there’s anyone I’d like to be seen with, it’s you, Ava.”
She blushes. “In that case, my answer is yes, I’d love to have dinner with you, Parker.”
I kiss her softly, feeling her lips brush against my mouth, the taste of the outdoors mingling with the delicate scent of her skin. Ava’s arms slip around my neck as my kiss deepens and I feel her lips yield to my tongue slipping between her teeth. I don’t want her to leave, not yet. I want to get to know her better before she leaves Auburn Springs.
I want her to stay.
The buzzing of her phone snaps me out of my thoughts and I pull away, breathing hard as I gaze at her looking up at me, surprised. It’s the last thing I want to do but I remind myself to take things slow. True, we had a one-night stand eight months ago and maybe there’s a familiarity between us even after all that time, but I want more. I clear my throat as I gently run my thumb across her cheek.
She pulls out her phone and sighs. “I have to go.”
I clear my throat and open the door. “Let me walk you to your car.”
Chapter Seven
Ava
I can’t believe Ryan has the gall to ask me to return to New York just because my mother is home from the hospital. But that’s exactly what he did, his text message ruining what would have been a perfect end to an amazing day with Parker. But I also should have known better than to check my phone the moment I drove away from Parker’s house.
Why couldn’t Ryan’s text message arrive later… or not at all? I could still have been kissing Parker right now or even better, doing something else, one that involve a bed. Definitely way better than stewing over a text message I shouldn’t have read in the first place.
“There’s a promotion waiting for you if you can come home and help me get this off the ground, Ava,” he says when I finally answer his call the moment I get home. “You’ll finally that corner office you so rightful
ly deserve.”
Considering Ryan is repeating something he told me before I left, I shouldn’t believe him. But I do—or pretend to—only because he and I aren’t the only ones doing this campaign. There are five other people in our team and as assistant creative director, it’s my job to make sure everything is as good as it can be.
And so, without jumping into a plane and flying back, I do what I do best after a quick stop at a local boutique. From the moment I get home and check on Mom, I pull up the networking app and work remotely with the team.
By four in the morning, we complete everything and I crawl into bed and sleep until 11 AM.
When I make my way downstairs, I find Mom in the living room doing her exercises with her physical therapist. After I take a shower half an hour later, I find her in the kitchen heating something in the microwave with an occupational therapist looking on. She tells me it’s called activities of daily living, in preparation for the time when I return to New York in a week and she’ll be by herself in the house.
The realization leaves me uneasy. What if she has another fall and she’s by herself?
“Don’t be silly, Ava. I’ll be fine,” Mom tells me when I suggest that we have someone come in to help her around the house. We’re having lunch on her patio overlooking her garden. Already, her vegetables are growing, her tomato plants crawling up the vertical trellis and her grape vines latching on to the overhead arbor. Interspersed between the plants are large plastic bunnies in preparation for the weekend egg hunt are already lined up behind us.
“I just worry, Mom, that’s all. I’m on the other side of the country and if anything happens to you, I won’t be able to forgive myself.”
“For what? For living your life the way you’ve always wanted to? For being independent, successful, never having to rely on a man?”