Chasing Trouble

by Sonia Stanizzo

  “You’re right,” Ava said, “I’ve been away too long, but living here was never easy for me. It’s not hard to see that Dad and I don’t get along.”

  “Why don’t you?” she asked through waterlogged eyes.

  Bella would’ve been too young to remember the constant arguments or cold shoulders. And she hadn’t been born to see how their father had treated Ava’s mother. It surprised her that Olivia had stayed with him all these years. These days was he more careful hiding his affairs?

  How did she tell Bella their father was a liar and a cheat and crushed Ava’s mother’s spirit so badly she drowned in alcohol and eventually killed herself? She couldn’t. From what she’d seen, Bella had a good relationship with him, and she didn’t want to damage that in any way.

  “We just clash. I had a lot of teenage angst and rebelled. We never got over our differences.” A bit of a weak explanation, but it wasn’t the horror story her life had been nor was it a lie.

  Nibbling her bottom lip and averting her gaze, Bella said softly, “Mum told me once that Dad and your mum had a bad marriage. She said Dad wasn’t very nice to her.”

  Ava scoffed. “That’s putting it kindly.” But Bella’s wide-eyed expression had her adding, “They had a lot of problems.”

  “But why do you hate him so much? It had nothing to do with you.”

  “I don’t hate him.”

  “It looks like you do.”

  “Well, I don’t. And I’m sorry I haven’t come home to visit. I promise I’ll come back again soon.” And she would, for Bella’s sake. “But you shouldn’t have lied about something so serious to get me here.”

  “You’re not going to tell on me, are you?” Her voice was shrill.

  Ava narrowed her eyes. “I should. What you did was a terrible thing to do.”

  “I’m sorry.” Bella’s eyes once again filled with tears, and her bottom lip trembled.

  “You’re forgiven. But don’t do it again.” She pulled her in for a quick hug.

  She couldn’t tell Bella she wanted to go home as soon as her car was ready, which she hoped was today. If she had to stay an extra couple of days and play happy family, she’d just have to squash down any resentment toward her father, stay away from Nick, and do it for her sister.

  * * * *

  Ava entered the dim interior of the stables to visit Amber. The familiar scents of horses and hay that she loved greeted her and tickled her nose. When she reached her horse’s stall, she found her father checking Amber’s hooves.

  “Is she okay?”

  Startled, he dropped the hoof pick. Amber whinnied her greeting and stuck her head out of the stall. Brushing her hand over her velvety nose, Ava pulled a carrot from her jean’s pocket and gave it to her.

  “Everything’s fine. I was about to take her out into the paddocks.” He slipped a halter over the horse’s head, the carrot already finished, and opened the stall’s gate.

  “Here, let me.” Ava held onto the halter, walked Amber outside, and took her to the nearest paddock. She opened the gate and gave the horse a soft tap on the rump.

  Securing the paddock, she turned and was surprised to find her father standing behind her. Walking past her, he leaned his arms on the wooden fence. Ava did the same. She should’ve gone back inside so she didn’t have to make uncomfortable small talk, but she loved watching Amber so she stayed.

  Amber trotted over to them and rested her head on Ava’s shoulder. Laughing, Ava wrapped her arms around her neck.

  “She’s happy you’re back,” he said in a gruff tone.

  “Why is she even here? You told me you sold her.” The long-ago heartbreak resurfaced, and she couldn’t conceal the resentment from her tone.

  He shrugged his shoulders and, surprisingly to Ava, a moment of sadness crept over his face. “I thought it would make you stay.”

  “It was a shitty thing to do.”

  “I know.” He didn’t even try to make excuses.

  “And you’ve kept her all these years, and you kept my room exactly how I left it. Why?”

  “I hoped you’d come home.”

  Even though Olivia had already told her the same thing, she didn’t quite believe it.

  A heavy weight dropped to her stomach. She thought he would’ve been happy not having her around making his life miserable. Because that’s what she’d been doing when she’d lived here. She wanted to make his life as miserable as her own. And even though she’d been the biggest brat, he wanted her home. Staying mad at him was getting harder to do.

  “I should have made more of an effort,” Ava said.

  He rubbed a hand over his chin, and the stubble made a scratching sound. A memory of him playfully kissing her cheek when she was little and squealing because it itched sprang to mind. But that was before she was old enough to know her parents’ relationship was toxic.

  For Bella’s sake she was going to force the old hurt down and be part of the family. But there was something she needed to know. “How are you covering up your affairs these days? Olivia looks happy, so you must be getting better at hiding them.”

  He whipped his head around and glared at her. “What the hell kind of question is that?”

  “It’s a curious one. You never cared if Mum found out about your affairs, but I’m assuming you’re being more discreet now.”

  Kicking the fence post—which caused Amber to flick her ears back, toss her head, and trot away—he pinned Ava with a hard glare. “I’ve never cheated on Olivia. Don’t start talking crap like that around here. You’ll only upset her if she hears you.”

  “I find it hard to believe you’ve been faithful all these years, not after the numerous affairs you flaunted around Mum.” The semi-truce that had formed earlier was already crumbling. They couldn’t be around each other more than five minutes without getting under each other’s skin. “Is that why it would upset Olivia if she heard me? Because she’s caught you before?”

  “I know you have no reason to believe me after how I treated your mother.”

  “Pfft, you think?”

  “I’ve never cheated on Olivia. I love her too much to ever do that to her.”

  “But you didn’t give a shit about Mum, so that was okay?” she spat and pivoted on her heels to leave.

  Reaching out, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back around. “I loved your mother. I fell at her feet like a fool, that’s how much I loved her. But things changed…got complicated.”

  “What changed, what got complicated? All I can ever remember was the hostility between the two of you. You couldn’t have been in love for long.”

  Dark shadows pierced his eyes, and he frowned. “Things didn’t work out. We both wanted…needed different things. We made mistakes and hurt each other. We…I should have done things differently.”

  Something big must have happened; she could see the pain in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry for what I did, how things…” He cleared his throat. “...ended.”

  She was too. Sorry she told her mother about her father’s mistress, Olivia, being pregnant. Sorry she couldn’t stop her from jumping into the car while drunk and killing herself. That was the weight she would live with for the rest of her life. Forgiving her father was more likely than forgiving herself.

  * * * *

  Nick was washing his greasy hands when a familiar Audi drove into the workshop. He’d seen it many times around town and knew exactly who it belonged to. As he watched Bernardo Cardona get out of the car, he noted that he didn’t look like someone who was sick. Then again, his father had looked as healthy as a horse when his heart gave out.

  Sauntering over to Nick with an air of arrogance, Bernie trailed his gaze over him like he was sizing him up. It had been years since they’d been in the same room together. The last time hadn’t gone too well.

  “Come to offer me more money to stay away from your daughter? I didn’t need it then, and I definitely don’t need it now.” Better to get straight to the point. He
must know Nick had been seeing Ava; there was no other reason he’d be there.

  “Doesn’t seem like there’s anything I can do about you spending time with Ava. I don’t like it, but like she keeps telling me she’s a grown woman and can do as she pleases. I figure once she goes back home, you’ll quickly be forgotten.”

  “So, if me seeing Ava isn’t a problem, why are you here?” The secret that Bernie had been keeping from Ava sprang to mind. Nick still wasn’t sure if she knew, but he had a feeling he was about to find out.

  “Oh, you seeing her is a problem. There’s just nothing I can do about it. It’s what you know that I’m more concerned about.”

  And there it was. Bernie hadn’t told Ava the truth after all these years, and Nick bet Bernie was scared that he was going to let the cat out of the bag.

  “Don’t you think you should’ve told Ava by now?”

  “No. She’s better off not knowing.” He waved an impatient hand in the air.

  “But she’s held onto so much resentment against you all these years. If she only knew the truth about what her mother did…”

  “I said no!” Bernie snapped. “It’s better to lay all the blame on me than her mother.” Clearing his throat, he pulled his shoulders back. “I trust you’ll keep it to yourself?”

  At the sight of Bernie’s vulnerability, Nick knew it was taking a lot out of him to ask. It must be hard for the big, arrogant son of a bitch, who was used to getting what he wanted, to come and beg for his secret to stay buried.

  “I still think it’s a mistake keeping this from her.”

  And Nick didn’t like keeping something this huge from her either. Their relationship, although temporary, had shifted after they’d made love last night. He’d yet to call her or she him. Emotions had run high that night, so he figured they both needed some time to sort through them.

  If someone had told him that his feelings would have changed from the anger he’d had toward her only a few days ago, he would’ve laughed in their face. And now he couldn’t stop thinking about her. She occupied every waking moment and starred in some good dreams too. But would he take what they’d started to build any further than the time they had left in Sunland Valley? The answer should be no, but it didn’t sit right in his gut...his heart.

  “This isn’t your business. Make sure you keep the hell out of it,” Bernie said, pointing a finger at Nick.

  Pretentious, old bastard. Nick nodded stiffly in agreement. It was a family matter, and since Ava was going to be gone soon, this really didn’t have anything to do with him.

  Bernie nodded back then flicked a glance toward Ava’s car. “Is it ready?”

  “I just finished it.”

  “I’ll take it back with me and have someone retrieve mine.” As he was getting into the car he flung over his shoulder, “Send me the bill.” The door closed with resounding force. Then Bernie was gone, and still trying to keep them apart as much as possible.

  Chapter 17

  The sun beat down on Nick’s shoulders as he nailed the last of the framing around the gazebo. Wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his forearm, he stood back to inspect his work. It wouldn’t be long before the old, run-down structure would be as good as new. Only the floor and a coat of paint was needed, and then it would be back to its original glory.

  Seeing the disappointment on Ava’s face at how dilapidated it had gotten caused his chest to tighten. It had been a place that held special memories for both of them. He couldn’t leave it that way even though his mother was selling the property to Percy. If he’d left it in the state it had been in, Percy was likely to tear it down. During the last two days, Nick had spent hours restoring it so that wouldn’t happen.

  Over the last two days, Nick had tried calling Ava, but the calls always went to her voice mail. He’d left messages, but she had yet to call him back. Although she did reply to his text message about attending the races and said she’d see him there.

  Something deep and more than they both had expected ignited the night they were together on a blanket underneath the stars. Ava dealt with it by avoiding him. He dealt with it by pounding nails and timber together. But now it was time to face what was really happening between them.

  He wanted Ava, not only in his bed but in his life. That woman had owned his heart from the day they’d met, and they belonged together. Convincing Ava might not be so easy.

  * * * *

  On the day of the races, Ava took particular care in the way she dressed and was pleased with the outfit she’d bought from a cute little boutique in town. She’d spent too much time dressed like a farmer’s daughter this past week and not like herself. It was time to glam up. It was like putting her armor back on in preparation to do battle. She was going to need it when she came face-to-face with Nick.

  It was also time to leave town. She’d already told Bella she was going back home the day after the races. There was too much work to catch up on, and she couldn’t stay any longer. And although her sister was disappointed, she was happy Ava had promised to come back next month and made her lock it in her diary. Ava hoped by then Nick would be back at his real work now that Maggie had made the decision to sell, and she wouldn’t run into him.

  Leaving him tugged painfully at her heart. What she needed to do today wasn’t going to be easy, but it was best for them both. Thinking she could keep their time together brief and unattached had been a joke from the beginning. The wall around her heart had crumbled bit by bit from the moment they’d kissed in the pouring rain. And when they made love on the grass, it had crashed into rubble at her feet, leaving her heart open and raw. She couldn’t risk being so exposed, because she could get her feelings trampled on again, and she couldn’t let that happen.

  With one last glimpse in the mirror, she left the room. It was time for Nick to see who she really was and the way she lived her life.

  * * * *

  The public lawn at the BNW Racecourse was teeming with an array of color. From behind the floor-to-ceiling windows in the VIP lounge, Nick watched men dressed in suits and women dressed in colorful outfits with elaborate headgear, mingling on the grass. Many of the patrons cheered as the magnificent horses thundered on the muddy track toward the finish line. Others threw their losing tickets on the ground and complained.

  It was another great turnout. Trainers from around the country entered their horses in the races BNW Racecourse held four times a year, and thousands of people flocked to the event.

  On his left, a loud cheer ripped the air, and he turned to see Bernie getting his back slapped in congratulations from his colleagues. His horse, Winter Sky, had finished first once again. The mare was showing great potential.

  But it was the scene outside in the lawn marquee that captured Nick’s attention. Amongst the sea of people, he didn’t need the bright yellow, figure-hugging dress with the thigh-high split to help find her. Nick could spot Ava anywhere, and he’d bet Ava was down there knowing full well she had a captivated audience. And not just from the men making fools of themselves around her.

  Clutching a scotch glass in his clenched fist, he tossed back the amber liquid inside, ignoring the burning sensation in his throat. It didn’t compare to the burning in his gut.

  She stood surrounded by four admirers who were doing their best to win her attention and no doubt trying to get her somewhere more private. A few times she’d glanced into the grandstand where he was standing right before she plastered a smoldering smile on her face and wrapped an arm around the closest sucker. Because that’s what they were—suckers. They were falling for her flirtatious act.

  Although the blood in his veins sizzled with heat watching her touch another man, he knew exactly what she was trying to do. This was her way of pushing him away. Too chicken-shit to face what was so obviously happening between them.

  A curvy woman with dark brown hair slid up beside him and placed a hand on his bicep. But the only dark-haired beauty he wanted feeling him up was the one in the
lawn marquee flirting with every man at the racecourse.

  “I haven’t seen you at Dexter’s lately,” she purred and pressed up against his side.

  Karen, Kylie? He couldn’t remember. “I’ve been busy. Excuse me, I need to be somewhere.”

  He released her tight grip and stepped away. Her puffy, red lips dropped into a sad pout, but he didn’t have time to worry about…Kylie? There was a bigger issue going on below. Ava had chosen her victim and had disappeared around the corner of the grandstand.

  Bolting down the stairs, he elbowed through a crowd of punters at the betting ring. Two men tried stopping him to talk, but he ignored them and kept moving. When he arrived at the area he last saw her, it was deserted except for a couple of drunk men sprawled on the ground nursing their beers.

  “Did a woman in a yellow dress just come past this way?”

  The man who seemed more alert pointed a wobbly hand toward the carpark. “A really hot ch-chick went that w-way with some l-lucky bastard,” he slurred.

  Fuming even more now, he stormed to the area where the drunk guy had pointed. Was she that scared of facing her feelings that she needed to sabotage their relationship?

  Zigzagging through the assortment of vehicles, he finally spotted them. The little prick had her pressed up against a car, his hands heading toward her arse and his mouth at her ear. Red-hot fury blinded Nick. He felt a strong urge to wrap the clenched fists at his sides around the arsehole’s neck.

  Taking menacing steps toward them, he laid a heavy hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Take your fucking hands off her.”

  * * * *

  God, what was Ava doing? These guys who were hanging around like a bad smell were so dull and boring. Only a few months ago conversation, or even mild intelligence, wasn’t necessary; a pretty face and a great body was all she’d needed. She’d come to the races to get her old life back, flirt with the cute men, and maybe go a little further with one that took her fancy. Well aware of a dark, brooding figure standing in the VIP grandstand watching her every move. He needed to see what she was really like and that they had no future together. The sooner Nick understood, the better.