Chasing Trouble

by Sonia Stanizzo

  “As much as I want to be inside you right now, I don’t think I want Jerry and Chris listening.”

  She stepped away, adjusted her top, and combed her fingers through her hair. “You’re right. So tell me, Nick,” she said with a cool demeanor, as if they hadn’t wanted to rip each other’s clothes off only seconds ago. “Why are you getting your hands dirty on a farm and workshop? Shouldn’t you be running a corporation?”

  He pushed himself off the desk. “After Dad died I needed to take care of the farm. I only come to the workshop when needed.”

  “You’ve been here that long?”

  He nodded.

  “Isn’t Percy able to do it?”

  Yes, Percy was more than able. “Mum needs me here.”

  “Maggie’s doing so well selling her photos and keeping herself busy, maybe she might like to leave the farm and be closer to town near friends.”

  A niggling sensation prickled the back of his neck. His mother had mentioned selling the farm once before, but he’d dismissed it. Now Ava was suggesting she might want to move into town. Before he could respond, Ben strolled into the room, grinning from ear to ear when he spotted Ava.

  “Look who’s here, Ava Cardona, all grown up and prettier than ever.” Ben’s gaze traveled over her from head to toe.

  Ava narrowed her eyes like she was trying to place where she knew the man from. Then her eyes grew round. “Ben? Ben McDermott? It can’t be. You used to be…”

  “A skinny geek? I filled out all right, didn’t I?” He held out his arms and spun around.

  Ava laughed and gave him a once-over similar to what Ben gave her. “I’d say you filled out rather nicely.”

  Ben had been the high school geek. Though he hadn’t been into computers and high-tech gadgets, he’d pulled apart engines, building them back again, only faster and louder. The nickname came about because he was as thin as a bean pole and wore thick-lensed glasses. After discovering the gym and having Lasik surgery, he could never be mistaken for a geek again.

  “I see you’ve kissed and made up with the boss,” he said, pointing to Nick.

  “Nick’s your boss? You might need to explain that. I’m not sure exactly what Nick’s occupation is anymore.”

  Sauntering closer to her, Ben’s voice deepened. “Maybe we can catch up with a drink tonight?”

  Blood pounded in Nick’s temples at Ben’s obvious flirting. Gritting his teeth, he managed to snarl, “How did Beth take the news about Jane?”

  Turning back to face Nick, Ben didn’t appear worried about his harsh tone. He actually gave him a teasing smile, like he knew he was fucking with his mind. “Beth knows my heart belongs to her.”

  “It’s your dick she doesn’t have control over,” Nick added.

  Ben shrugged. “Speaking of my favorite body part, I promised Beth I’d stop by. The phone sex we just had didn’t satisfy her as much as the real thing.”

  “Too much information, Ben.” Nick looked over at Ava, and she was silently laughing. She probably thought Ben was joking.

  “I better not keep her waiting. Great to see you again, Ava.” Leaning in, he planted a long kiss on her cheek, extremely close to her mouth, and placed a hand on her hip.

  A burning sensation grew in Nick’s chest, and he wanted to ram his fist in Ben’s face for touching her. Why? He had no idea. Ava wasn’t his to claim. She could touch and kiss whoever she wanted. The burning sensation exploded at the thought. Fuck no. While she was in town and they were going to continue whatever the hell they were doing, she was his.

  When Ben broke away from Ava, he gave Nick an exaggerated wink. “See ya, boss.”

  After he left, Ava said, “Wow, he’s broken out of his shell, and his body. I can’t believe that’s geeky Ben. He’s one good-looking guy and knows it too by the looks of things.”

  Taking her by the shoulders, Nick swung her around to face him and slammed their bodies together. She gasped, but her eyes simmered with desire as she looked at him. God, that was exactly the way he wanted her to look at him, and only him.

  “If we’re going to be together while you’re here, there’s going to be no one else. And stay away from Ben.”

  Not that Ben would pursue Ava. Nick knew the flirting had all been an act to piss him off, and it worked.

  “You can’t tell me what to do.” She tried pulling away, but her movements were weak and as unconvincing as her words.

  Lowering his head, he placed a soft kiss on her lips then pulled away. It took a moment for her eyes to flutter open. “It will only be you and me.”

  “Like I said, you can’t tell me what to do.”

  He kissed her again, this time firmer and longer, and her body quivered against him. “Tell me.”

  She sighed and rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I have much time to build up a flock of men in the few days I’m here.”

  It wasn’t exactly an agreement, but it was her way of doing what he asked without giving away her power.

  She stared longingly at his mouth, like she wanted the kiss to continue, but she stepped out of his arms. “I have to go. Dad might be worried I’ve stolen his car.”

  “He doesn’t know you’ve taken it?”

  “No, so I better return it before he calls the cops and reports it missing.” She laughed, but the amusement didn’t reach her eyes. He had a feeling she didn’t want to go back.

  “Come over later. We can have dinner, and you can stay over.”

  “It’s tempting, but I need to spend as much time with Bella as I can. I’ll try to come by later tonight after she’s gone to bed. I’ll see if I can steal another car.”

  They walked back into the workshop. “I have a yard full of them, take your pick.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t want to have to explain to Dad how I got it.”

  “Years ago you would have rubbed it in his face.”

  Opening the car door, she slid onto the leather seat. “I don’t seem to care what he thinks anymore.”

  Then he remembered why Ava was in Sunland Valley in the first place. How could he have forgotten to ask why Bella needed her here so urgently? With a hand on the roof of the car and the other on the open door he asked, “What was Bella’s emergency?”

  “Dad has cancer. They haven’t told her yet, but she overheard them talking about it. She wants me with her when they break the news.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “I’m not sure. He looks well, and he has a healthy appetite. I don’t know if Bella got the information right.”

  “You haven’t talked about it with him?”

  The shadow of the roof filtered across her eyes, but it wasn’t enough to mask the skepticism. “Bella doesn’t want me to say anything yet. There’s something strange going on.”

  “I’m sure you’ll sort it out.” With that, he gave her a quick kiss and closed the door.

  Watching her reverse out of the shop, his heart banged behind his ribs. It hadn’t beat so hard and fast since they were together ten years ago. Giving himself a shake, he decided to go for a walk. It was probably only the excitement of having Ava in his arms and not being able to do anything about it that had him feeling so jittery.

  The street outside the workshop was buzzing with traffic and pedestrians. With no direction in mind, Nick followed the footpath with the magnificent mountain range as the town’s background. The afternoon sun shone golden light through a dusting of cotton ball clouds, striping the landscape with shining rays. Nick found himself smiling at such a beautiful day spread out in front of him. Or maybe he was smiling because of the woman he just had in his arms. Yeah, she sure put a spring in his step.

  How did his feelings for Ava come full circle in only a few days? Nick had been ready to leave her stranded in the middle of a storm with only the cows for company. Now he looked forward to when they would meet again.

  Even before he’d found out about Bernie’s secret, she’d crawled under his skin and occupied his mind...and in a good way. And
they knew where they stood in terms of what they wanted. A temporary affair ending when she left town. No one got hurt, and they could remain friends and be on their merry way. Perfect. In theory it was every man’s fantasy, but why did his gut twist at the thought of Ava walking away…again?

  Before he could think further about it, he came across an empty shop. But what made him stop short was his mother walking out of it with Phil, a real estate agent. The smile on his mother’s face as she talked to Phil dropped the moment she saw Nick standing a few feet away.

  “Nick… Hello, sweetheart.” A stiff smile was put into place, and she said a quick goodbye to Phil.

  Nick nodded a greeting to the agent and waited until he left. “What are you doing looking at an empty shop?”

  “I’m considering leasing it for a gallery for my photos.”

  It left him speechless for a beat. He knew she loved photography but didn’t think she took it seriously enough to want to lease out a shop.

  Giving himself a mental shake, he peered through the grimy window into a dark, dingy space. “Since when have you wanted to own a gallery? And why in a shop like this?”

  Her laugh sounded a little high-pitched and forced. Clasping onto his arm, she guided him away. “Let’s get a coffee and I’ll explain.”

  Finding the closest café, they chose a table with some privacy. A waitress took their order and scurried away. The café was small but busy enough to be noisy. Nick had a feeling he’d need the noise to muffle his reaction to whatever his mother was about to say.

  Watching her fiddle with a tiny silver bucket of sugar on the table, Nick had a sick feeling he wasn’t going to like what was coming. Especially because she’d avoided eye contact since they’d sat down.

  “Mum, what’s going on?”

  She stopped fidgeting, placed her hands in her lap, and took a deep breath. “I want to open a gallery to sell my photos.”

  “Okay, you’ve mentioned that, but why do you need a shop? Especially a dingy one? I thought you were doing well selling them online.”

  “The shop only needs a good clean and a lick of paint. It’s perfect for what I want. And yes, I am doing well selling them online, but I want something that keeps me busy and out of the house.”

  The waitress arrived with their coffees. Once the cups were placed on the table and she went on to the next customer, Nick continued with the conversation. “I thought the farm kept you busy.”

  “Not so much anymore. Percy and Kev do a great job taking care of things, and they hire farmhands when they need extra help.”

  Nick shook his head. “I didn’t mean the labor stuff, but the books and ordering.”

  She gave Nick a small smile. “You’ve been doing that for me, and Percy has too. Besides, I never liked doing that stuff. I only did it because it helped your father.”

  Okay, starting a new hobby didn’t sound so bad, so why did his mother look as if she was about to do a runner? “If you’re going to be traveling more often into town, I’m going to give you a new car. Yours isn’t reliable enough.”

  She waved a hand in dismissal. “There’s nothing wrong with my car. It’s only six years old.”

  “Exactly, it’s too old. It could break down, and you’ll be stuck who knows where. I have a car in the yard that will be perfect.”

  His mother took a sip of coffee, her hand trembling slightly. When she placed the cup on the table she reached across the timber and clasped his hand. Here it came, the bomb he’d been waiting for.

  “Nick, I’m not going to be doing a lot of traveling, because I’ve decided to sell the farm and move into town.”

  The quietly spoken words blasted in his head. Sell the farm?

  “No.” His response shot out like a bullet, and his mother jumped. Guilt squeezed at his chest for sounding so harsh. Taking a deep breath, he tried to gentle the tone of his voice. “No, you really don’t want to sell the farm.”

  Clasping her hands, she placed them on the table. “I know this is hard on you. But I think it’s for the best.”

  Nick scrubbed a hand at the back of his neck. “You don’t want to live there anymore?” The sad eyes staring back at him gave him the answer. “You don’t like living on the farm without Dad.”

  A tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away. “There are too many things that remind me of your father. And being out there all alone I constantly think about him. Some days I feel like I can’t breathe because I miss him so much.”

  “But you’re not alone out there, you’ve got me.” But how much time had he actually spent with his mother while he’d been home? Between working on the farm and at the workshop, not much. “Okay, I understand why you want to relocate, but you don’t have to sell.”

  “I have no use for it.”

  “Then I’ll buy it.”

  His mother gave a small laugh. “And what will you do with it? You have enough business of your own, which by the way, you should be getting back to,” she said, giving him a stern look.

  “Maybe I need a change. I could run the place full time.”

  She shook her head. “You will do no such thing. Farming isn’t for you.”

  “But it was for Dad, and he loved that place.”

  “Yes, he loved farming, not you.”

  “I owe it to him to keep it running.”

  She held up her hand like a stop sign. “You don’t owe your father anything. Why would you say that?”

  Blowing out a long breath, he slumped back into his chair. “I should’ve been around more before he died. Maybe if he’d had more help he wouldn’t have had a heart attack.”

  “Oh, Nicky.” The tears were back as she reached across the table to take his hand again. “That was not your fault. You couldn’t have prevented it. Do you hear me?” Her tone was fervent.

  He heard her, but it didn’t stop him from thinking otherwise.

  She squeezed his hand. “Your father was so proud of what you and Bradley had achieved.”

  “Brad managed to find the time to come visit more often.”

  “Your brother had no reason to stay away. You did.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  She gave him a warm smile. “You lost the love of your life in this town. Your poor heart got shattered. The memories here were tough on you.”

  He shifted in his seat. “I got over it,” he said, ignoring the tightness in his chest.

  “My darling boy was head over heels in love, and you didn’t just get over it. Trust me, a mother knows these things. And I couldn’t help but notice a little spark between you two again.”

  “We’ve settled our differences, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Have you kissed and made up?” she asked, looking at him hopefully.

  “Mum!” He laughed. “Stop being so nosy.”

  She shrugged. “Just asking. But seriously, go do what you do best, and that involves cars not cows. You’re shouldering guilt you shouldn’t be feeling.”

  It had been coiled in his gut for so long he wasn’t sure he knew how to let it go. But having his mother tell him his father was proud of him was a start. As much as it killed him to know his mother wanted off the farm, he understood completely why she needed to leave. The emptiness of his father’s absence echoed around the fields, but he couldn’t let her sell it to just anyone.

  “I still want to buy it.”

  “No, sweetheart. We all need a clean break. I’ve offered it to Percy and Kev, and they want to buy it.”

  “I bet you’re practically giving it away to them.” They were like family, and his mother would do anything to help them out.

  “I don’t need much.”

  “I’m still giving you a new car.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, but he stopped her.

  “And I’ll buy you the space you want for your gallery. I don’t want you wasting money on rent.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he continued. “I assume you have a house in mind?”


  Leaning back on the chair, she crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring his posture. “I’m old enough to take care of myself. I don’t need you to spend your money on me.”

  “I know you can, and you will, after I set you up with what you need. I don’t want you to argue about it or I’ll involve Brad in this too.” At his mother’s long sigh, he asked, “Where’s the house you’ve been looking at?”

  She tried to stare him down with a disapproving glare, but eventually she gave in and threw up her hands. “It’s the miner’s cottage on Willow Avenue.”

  He knew the one, and the owner, and he’d buy it for her.

  As they left the café, his mother turned to him and hugged him tightly. “Thank you.”

  “What for?” He was the one who should be thanking her for giving him what he needed to weaken his grip on the farm and the guilt at not being there for his father.

  “For being a wonderful son. A son a mother and father can be proud of.”

  Wonderful wouldn’t be the word he’d use, but he hugged her back and said, “Thanks for being the greatest mother.”

  Pulling away, she tapped him lightly on the arm and gave a watery laugh. “Now go take care of your own business. And maybe go get the girl.” Waving, she hurried across the street before he could respond.

  There was still much to do there before he could leave. Buying his mother a house and work space would take a little time. Getting the girl was high on his to-do list also, but not the way his mother intended. No, a few more days in his bed and he’d be ready to let her go back to her own life, and he’d finally get back to the company. In theory, it all sounded perfect. But how would he feel when he watched her walk away? This time they knew where they stood, so he had nothing to be worried about.

  Chapter 15

  Lying on top of the old, frilly bedspread on her bed, Ava stared up at the ceiling. Dinner had been another awkward occasion. Ava and her father didn’t speak while Bella and Olivia chattered like old hens to fill in the tense silence. It again surprised her that he bothered showing up for the meal, and she’d watched as he devoured steak, potatoes, and had an extra helping of apple crumble for dessert.