Protecting You (A McCord Family Novel Book 1)

by Amanda Siegrist

  Ava smiled. "I know, silly. It's been crazy around here. It's a nice way to wake up, that's for sure."

  Zane looked down at her smiling face and kissed her on the lips. "Good. I'm glad you're not mad at me. I can't help myself when it comes to you."

  "Why would I be mad at you?"

  "You seemed mad at me outside. Did I say something wrong? You wouldn't let me lay down with you. I wasn't sure you wanted me in here anymore."

  "I'm not mad. I was exhausted from it all and needed a moment by myself. It's nothing you did." She placed her hand on his cheek, softly caressing. "Trust me when I say, you'll know when I'm mad at you. I'll let you know point blank. I can't rely on you forever to comfort me to sleep, can I?"

  This was his moment. The perfect opening to express how he felt. Could he do it? "You're still here. Why not rely on me? I enjoy laying here with you."

  Ava sighed quietly. "I enjoy it, too."

  He smiled, trying to keep his misery out of it. "Are you hungry? It's past suppertime and I never ate before I climbed in here with you. I could use some food."

  "I guess I could. I'll meet you out in the kitchen. I need to get dressed and use the bathroom."

  He placed a quick kiss on her lips and left the room before he spilled his guts on how he truly felt.

  ***

  Ava scooped flour into a cup when Austin walked into the kitchen. Some of the flour filtered onto the counter, blowing a small cloud of white powder onto her shirt. It wasn't the only part of her that was messy from her dubious baking skills.

  "What are you making?" Austin asked as he eyed her shirt full of—everything. "Looks like you are really bonding with the ingredients."

  Ava raised an eyebrow and glared as she made a motion as if she was going to throw the cup of flour at him. "I'll have you know baking is not as easy as it looks. I'm attempting those biscuits you two just love. And another apple-pie. It's not as easy when Eleanor isn't here."

  Austin laughed. "Making more of Zane's favorite things? How sweet." He backed away a little with his hands up in an innocent gesture when Ava came closer with the flour. "Okay, I'll stop. Where's Eleanor?"

  "She ran to the store for some groceries. We ran out of some things for the chicken dinner she wants to make tonight. What are you two up to out there?" Ava asked, trying to calm her emotions down inside without making it obvious how his words affected her.

  "Just working on removing all the debris from the barn so we can start building a new one. It's not easy. I have some good and some bad news. Which one do you want first?"

  "Good news, please. I hope it's that they found Frank Westlen. I have had enough of this waiting around crap." She started measuring another cup of flour after tossing the first one in the bowl.

  "No, sorry, it's not that. It's only been two days since they brought Dani in and she confessed to asking her brother Frank to teach us a lesson, as she so elegantly put it," Austin said with irritation. "I can't believe I dated a woman who would be so callous and try to hurt us like that. This could hurt us for the winter. We lost money." Austin shook his head in regret.

  "You can never fully know someone sometimes. You can't blame yourself that she's a bitch or that you didn't know she had a brother with serious issues with the law."

  "Yet, you knew something was wrong with her with just one brief meeting," Austin pointed out.

  Ava smirked. "First of all, mister, I wasn't thinking with the head in my pants when I met her. Women sense things about other women than men do. I could see her jealousy of me within seconds. It just screamed warning bells to me, that's all."

  "All good points. At least Sandra wasn't involved. Chief Tanner said she was hanging off the arm of another guy when he went to question her."

  Ava laughed. "I'm not surprised. Good for Zane. Not that I'd let her within a hundred feet of him."

  Austin smiled. "So, my good news. Do you still want to guess what it is?"

  Ava started mixing her dry ingredients, slowing her stirring a bit when flour started to spill over the sides. "I'm done guessing. Just tell me."

  "I found Gerta earlier. She was out in the north pasture with some of the cattle. She seemed happy and content. Not sure the cows felt the same way about her," Austin said with a grin.

  Ava beamed at him. She put her bowl down and ran over to him, grabbing a hug. "That is good news. I was worried about her. It took too long to find her."

  Ava pulled away from him and started laughing.

  "What's so funny?"

  "It looks like you've been baking with me now. Oops," Ava said as she pointed to his shirt, where her ingredients transferred to him.

  Austin looked down and laughed. "Thanks a lot."

  Ava walked back over to the counter. "So, what's the bad news? You just said she's good and happy."

  Austin looked grimly at her, creating instant concern. "Well, I brought her to Zane and told him I found Gerta. That all our pet goats were safe and sound. He told me that they weren't pets. Can you believe that? He still won't accept them as pets."

  Ava gave him a goofy grin and laughed. "That's not bad news. You had me going there for a second. That's just not nice, Austin."

  Austin cracked up. "You should've seen your face. I swore you would find that bad news. I know how much you think of them as pets. And most pets are family to people, which in turn makes the goats family. I explained all of that to him, and well, let's just say he threatened another shovel of manure at my head so I walked away."

  Ava joined him in laughing. "You are devious, Austin. Leave him alone. He'll come around."

  Austin grinned. "Yeah, you think so? Think you can convince him they're pets and call Gerta by her name?"

  Ava looked at him. "I don't know. He can be stubborn."

  "He can be, that's very true. It would take a brave woman to take on that kind of man."

  "Are you getting at something here, Austin?"

  "Nope. Just making conversation. I guess I better get back to helping on the barn now. Can't wait to try those biscuits."

  "Well, I hope they're good. It's not looking good so far," Ava said dreadfully as she looked at the mess in front of her. Ingredients filtered everywhere on the counter, different types of spoons lying around, each one messy. Measuring cups galore with several bowls all filled with something. Now she wasn't sure if she counted the appropriate cups of flour into the bowl.

  "I'm sure they'll be delicious. Zane will love them," Austin said with a wink.

  "They aren't just for him. Knock it off."

  Austin laughed as he started to walk out, then turned back to her just before he got to the door. "I can't wait until you're truly my sister. It's so much fun picking on you."

  He left her standing there with shock on her face and a little confusion mixed in.

  ***

  "These biscuits are delicious, Ava," Zane said as he took another bite.

  Ava glared at him. "You're lying to me. They aren't that good. Not like Eleanor makes them."

  "Now, Ava, it takes practice to get them just right, but Zane's not lying, they are good," Eleanor said with a sweet smile.

  "Yes, but not delicious," Ava pointed out.

  "They are to me so accept my compliment. I know for a fact the apple-pie will be just as delicious because the first one you made was," Zane said honestly.

  "You did good, Ava. I agree. I was a little concerned when I saw you earlier. All the ingredients were on you and not in the bowl," Austin said, a deep sigh escaping as his eyes twinkled with delight.

  "You better stop it, Austin. You've been off the hook today with your comments," Ava said with a scowl.

  "What other comments?" Zane noticed the exchange of looks between the two.

  He could still remember how Austin's shirt looked when he came back to the red barn's rubble. He wondered how he got flour all over him. Even risked asking him. Austin had told him that Ava hugged him when he told her he found Gerta. Shockingly, jealousy suddenly coursed through him o
ver his own brother. He had almost knocked Austin down for even touching Ava like that, but stopped himself before he moved one inch.

  Just a sister to Austin, he knew that. Jealousy lingered anyway. The doubt had started to worm its way inside. Austin had always been the best one with the women. Austin could make Ava laugh without effort. He saw it all the time.

  He took another bite of his biscuit as he waited for one of them to respond before he blurted something out he would regret.

  "Nothing. Just teasing her is all, Zane, you know, about Gerta. I told her you still don't think of Gerta as a pet," Austin said.

  "A goat isn't a pet." Zane looked at Ava, who suddenly looked unhappy. "But if it makes you feel better, I can consider thinking of the goat…Gerta, as a pet."

  Ava glanced at Zane with surprise. He smiled warmly at her. She smiled tentatively back. "Thank you, Zane. Gerta would like to hear you say that to her."

  "Well, that's stretching it a little too far for me to talk to her that way," Zane said awkwardly.

  "Baby steps. We're making headway here because you called her Gerta," Ava said happily.

  Zane smiled at her and kept eating. Maybe he'd eventually get there if she stayed with him forever.

  But that would never happen.

  ***

  Ava sat on the swing, enjoying the afternoon air. The wind bit her cheeks as the sun beat hotly on her. Sweat rolled down in trickles because of the humidity, but she still enjoyed it all.

  One week had passed since the fierce fire swept through their aching hearts. They finally finished removing all evidence of the red barn. Austin and Zane started building the foundation of the new barn that she insisted be red again. Zane had smiled at her and said that wasn't a problem. With regular chores still needing their attention, not much had been accomplished yet.

  The week had been long and tiring. But the hard work they put in made all her aches and pains worth it. It wasn't just physical aches coursing through her body, but sexual ones. Zane still hadn't made it to the store for condoms and Ava wasn't going to buy any.

  He continued his torturous arousal of her body at night, stopping just before he committed the actual sin. She wondered if he didn't want to go all the way. He had been to town numerous times over the past week, plenty of opportunities to stop at a drugstore. Yet, when he explored her body at night, it didn't seem as if he didn't want her. It was so confusing, along with Austin's continued teasing that she was Zane's woman. Did Zane see her like that? No correct words could define what was between them. At first, it was comfort, feeling secure. Now, it all left her wondering.

  He was Jimmy's brother, making it slightly awkward. Immoral. Wrong. Strange.

  The bedroom was their safety zone where they could share the truth and honesty between them, yet she never broached the subject. Or the fact she had talked to her father yesterday.

  "How are you doing, sweetheart? You sound better."

  Ava had smiled even though her dad couldn’t see. "I'm feeling a lot better. I don't know what happened to me, Dad. I was just so lost in the beginning, but it's been good here."

  "That's good to hear. I was starting to get really worried about you until Austin stepped into my office. I would've sent you away for help. I would've. I know you lost someone dear to you and not in a good way, but you still have to live. You have to be strong."

  "I know, Dad. I am stronger now. It's still hard thinking about Jimmy, but it gets a little better each day. Austin and Zane have been great. I think it's helped all of us."

  "Zane? He's been decent to you? Because I remember trying to talk to him and he wasn't that friendly. Nor did I hear that he had any high opinions of you."

  Ava had taken a deep breath, wondering how to respond. "He's been decent. We've worked out our differences and came to an understanding. I wouldn't be where I am without him…and Austin, too, of course."

  "Good. When do you think you're coming back home? I can hear you're better."

  Ava had frowned; glad her dad couldn't see her now. "Soon, I guess. They still haven't located Frank Westlen who started the fire. I'm not leaving until he's been caught. I already threatened the chief of police, just so you know, that he better not screw things up or I'll take care of it all. Just in case I need bail money."

  Peter had laughed heartily in her ear. "You did, did you? That sounds like my Ava. I'd be there in a heartbeat for you. Nobody's locking up my little girl." He sighed. "I understand if you need to stay until then. I hope it's soon you come home, though, because I miss you."

  "I miss you, too, Dad."

  Ava whirled that conversation in her head until a pounding ache formed in her chest. She missed New York, but she would also miss this farm. She would miss Zane furiously, knowing he wouldn't visit her. Ever.

  Her thoughts were still scrambled when Chief Tanner pulled into the yard. She stood up from the swing, taking her time as she met him at the bottom of the steps.

  "Good afternoon, Chief Tanner," Ava said brightly. She pasted on a smile as if she hadn't been sitting there worried over the way her life was going.

  "Good afternoon, Ms. Rainer. I heard you paid a visit to the station a few days ago. Left quite an impression on Officer Dorcher," Chief Tanner said nicely.

  "Did I? I was very polite, if I do say so myself," Ava said with a twinkle in her eye.

  "Yes, you were. I meant that he was infatuated."

  Ava blushed. "Oh. Well, give him my regrets because I've always had the 'no dating cops' rule. Growing up a cop's daughter and all."

  "I'll be sure to let him down gently." Chief Tanner smiled. "I assume you're satisfied with the progress of the case. You didn't storm my office yet."

  "Oh, Chief Tanner, I sure do like you and your forthrightness. You've done an excellent job as you have your suspect with supporting evidence to go with it. The only thing I'm raging about is that Frank hasn't been found yet. I know that's not your fault. Not my area of expertise, locating suspects, but I wouldn't mind taking over as it is highly frustrating."

  "I'm glad I've passed your inspection," Chief Tanner said with a small chuckle, then turned a little serious. "Are the boys around?"

  "Why do you always call them boys?"

  He laughed. "I don't know. Always have, I guess. I was close friends with their dad and just see them as sons to me. Makes them my boys. Good fine men they turned out to be."

  "I agree. I'm glad they have you to look out for them."

  "I guess I could say the same about you…looking out for them. Quite a fierce young lady you are."

  "Thanks, Chief. And in answer to your question. They're in the fields, checking the crops and the cows and whatnot. They should be coming back soon if you want to wait for them."

  "No, I'll just tell you and end your suspense. We found Frank Westlen and he's in custody," Chief Tanner said with a wide smile.

  "Oooo, Chief, I should—" Ava shook her head in a teasing manner. "Why didn't you start with that news? Where was he?"

  "He was hiding out with some of his drug buddies in St. Cloud. St. Cloud Narcotics Unit conducted a drug raid, and when they ran him through the system, they saw our warrant. He's still sitting in their jail on drug charges, along with assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, amongst other charges. He's not going anywhere for the foreseeable future."

  "Good. I won't have to worry about Zane and Austin when I leave. Did he confess?"

  "I just talked with him myself this morning and he asked for a lawyer. Don't worry about it though, because we have his sister, who got a plea deal on her accessory charges in exchange for testifying against him. We also have a fingerprint on one of the glass shards that are his. We got him." Chief Tanner started for his vehicle. "Let the boys know for me."

  "I'll do that. Thanks for the quick work on the matter. I apologize if I offended you in any way with my words, but I wouldn't take any of them back," Ava said with a grin.

  "You have a funny way of apologizing, Ms. Rainer," Chief Tanner said
with a laugh. "I'm sorry to hear you're leaving. I have a feeling the boys will miss you greatly." He gave her a funny look she didn't understand and then continued, "I could always use a great crime scene investigator in my department if you're ever interested in a job."

  Ava jerked slightly. "Thank you, Chief. I appreciate the kind gesture. I'll keep it in mind, but as of right now, I'll be heading home to New York."

  "Are you sure about that?" He winked at her and got in his vehicle, leaving Ava standing there dumbfounded.

  Chapter 11

  Ava turned up the volume a bit, took a sip of beer, and looked at Jimmy. "Did you talk to Zane today yet?"

  Jimmy groaned. "I was wondering when you would assault me with that question. No, I haven't."

  "Have you at least talked to Austin?"

  "Ava, I have no issues with Austin, so yes, actually today. He said Zane's just as stubborn as the day he was born. Don't worry, okay?"

  Ava nudged him in the shoulder. "I'll always worry until you two make up. How's Austin?"

  "He's good. Has a new woman. Go figure. He said he can't wait for spring to officially start because it was a slightly rough winter. Farm wise for them, that is." Jimmy sighed.

  "Why did you ever leave the farm? I can see you miss it terribly at times."

  "Because I wasn't meant to do that. I love the farm, don't get me wrong. It's my home. I have great memories, but I always wanted to be a cop. Now Zane, he always wanted the farm. He'll never leave."

  "Why New York then? You could have been a cop there."

  "True. I don't know. I figured if I was going to be a cop, I was going to go big or go home. No other place on earth to be a cop, but here, right? My world would be a sadder place without knowing you," Jimmy replied as he nudged her shoulder.

  "That is all true as well," Ava said with a smile. "I just wish Zane would've come here to visit rather than causing a fight."

  "Me too. I'm actually surprised he came for that. He told me he would never step foot in this city for any reason."

  "Well, call him tomorrow," Ava said with a smile.