Family Bonds- Ava and Seth (Amore Island Book 5)

by Natalie Ann

  “They are,” he agreed. “Our whole family is great and even if you are annoyed with many of us, we are only watching out for your best interests. So cut everyone some slack. Seth is just doing the same too.”

  Her brother was right. Family ties and connections could be a pain and though at times she wanted to distance herself and make her own name and be her own person, she couldn’t deny the support she was getting now was immeasurable.

  “I know. He doesn’t need this stress. He doesn’t need this worry.”

  Her brother laughed. “You probably told him that, didn’t you?”

  “I did.”

  “And what was his reaction?” Carson asked, grinning at her.

  “He wasn’t so happy.”

  “No man would be. It’s almost an insult that you think he can’t handle it. It sounds to me that he’s handled a lot of shitty cards dealt in his life and is still going back to the table.”

  “That’s my point. He worried about his wife’s pregnancy and she died. Their son died. He’s a single father and worried about Adele. He is concerned over everything he does and says so that she knows she is loved and comes first. Yet he keeps trying to move on and now I’m bringing this to his life. Will he find it’s too much?”

  “As a father should do. So you are saying you don’t think he has room in his life or heart for someone other than his daughter? If you think that, then why are you wasting your time with him? I know you don’t want him to choose between you two and you won’t ask that, but there is a part of you that is hoping that you can at least be level at some point. That’s only natural.”

  She did feel that way. Just because Seth had other commitments and priorities didn’t mean that maybe he couldn’t find room in his life for her too. That she couldn’t elevate to that level.

  She didn’t think she’d ever be at the top of his chain in his eyes. At least not alone. But why couldn’t she be close enough or even in someone’s life?

  “I think he has room, but does he want to get involved with someone with my kind of baggage? Hasn’t he been through enough? We haven’t been dating long.”

  “So that’s it?” he said. “You think he’s going to think you’re too much of a headache and not want to be with you?”

  “Maybe,” she said quietly.

  She went about starting the salad in an attempt to end this conversation but knew the chances of that were slim when Carson said, “Now you’re being silly. And if he is the kind of guy that does that, then he isn’t for you. You’ve got to get out of your own head when you’ve never been this way before. Why are you?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose. “Maybe it’s just everything happening at once.”

  “Or maybe you’re starting to fall in love with him and don’t want to let yourself get there if you don’t think he feels the same?”

  “When did you get to be so smart?”

  “We are all smart,” he said. “We are doctors.”

  She loved that her brothers could always make her laugh. “We are. It just hasn’t been that long. I’ve known him about three months or so. We’ve been dating two or a little more, but one of those months was spent talking on the phone and not seeing each other.”

  “Exactly. And you got to know him more. How many people do you know in this dating generation do that unless it’s a long distance relationship from the start? Many don’t even last. I’m not sure I could have spent a month only talking to a woman on the phone and not seeing her.”

  She smiled. “That’s because you can’t sit still and that would require you to do it. Neither can Hudson. You both hate talking on the phone too. You both like to be around people.”

  “You’re right. We do. My point is, you’ve both already gone through things a lot of people don’t when they first start dating. Look at it that way. And he still wants to be with you and you still want to be with him. There are a lot of women who couldn’t handle his life.”

  “I know. I’ve thought of that. He’s dated a few, he’s told me.”

  “See? That makes what the two of you have even stronger so cut him some slack if he’s pissed that you didn’t tell him. Or that he’s mad you don’t want to stay with him. And another thing. Seth is a pretty laid back type of guy. The fact he is annoyed or pissed should tell you something.”

  And hours later when she was in the guest room, she called Seth to talk after she knew Adele was sleeping. “Hey,” she said. “Still annoyed with me?”

  She heard his sigh on the other end. “Sorry about that. It’s your life.”

  “It is, but I’d like to think we are trying to have one together. Or am I moving too fast? You can tell me if I am. I’ll understand. I’ll understand if all my problems are too much for you too.”

  There was silence on the other end, then he said, “Don’t even go there. Is that what this is about? Why you didn’t tell me on Sunday night? Because you think it’s too much for me?”

  And there was the anger again. Carson was probably right and she was looking at this all wrong. That maybe Seth was starting to feel more for her and that was where his reaction was coming from. “I did think it, but my brother told me it’s an insult to both of us.”

  “Which brother?”

  “Carson first and then later Hudson when we were eating dinner. They said everyone is watching out for me and it’s a man’s job to do that and I had to get over it. It only means they all care.”

  “We do,” he said. “And yes, I’d never put Adele in harm’s way, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is worried as much as confused over this whole thing.”

  “Confusion is a good word. I’m just trying to get through this. I was ready to put the whole identity thing behind me and thought I was doing a good job with it. Everyone that can find answers is, but it’s not a fast process. I’m moving on with my life. I thought or feel like what we’ve got is great. And then wham, I come home and find out someone has been in my house. But the only proof was the way I keep my doors shut.”

  “And smudge prints on the handles,” Seth said.

  “That too. Drew had cleaning people in the house before I moved in. I wiped everything down that morning, but who is to say it’s not my own print that is smudged too?”

  “But you wouldn’t have shut the doors, you said.”

  “No. I wouldn’t. Maybe the house is haunted?” she asked. “It does creak a lot like many others on this island.”

  Seth laughed. “Mine does too. I’m sorry if I was angry or annoyed. I don’t want you pulling away because you think I can’t handle something or I don’t need this in my life.”’

  “I’m not. I wouldn’t think that. And I didn’t hold back calling you for that reason. It was late and I figured you were in bed. It wasn’t an emergency.”

  “I know. I get it. I do want us to try to spend some time together this weekend. I know you’re on call though.”

  “I am. It didn’t stop us last time from spending the night, but your mother is gone for the month and that is hard too. You’ve got nowhere for Adele to go.”

  “Which got me thinking,” he said. “I’ve got a weeks’ vacation coming up in August. It’s probably too short of notice for you to take time off to do something with us.”

  Her heart was starting to race. “I don’t think I can get a full week off, but I can probably get a few days if I’m not on call. But considering everything going on in the past few months, I’ll try for a week. They will just rearrange my schedule. Appointments are made all the time before we put in for vacations.”

  “I don’t have any concrete plans and I can change my week to coincide with your on call schedule. So you tell me what works for you and I’ll make it work. Maybe we can go off island for a few days somewhere.”

  “I’ll let you know for sure tomorrow. I’d like that if you think Adele will be fine with it,” she said. “We’d be staying in the same place if we do that.”

  “We would. Let me ta
lk to her in the next day or so. Maybe we can have a sleepover this weekend and feel her out?”

  “I’ll follow your lead,” she said. They hung up a few minutes later and she had to remind herself that so far Seth’s lead was working out just fine for her too.

  26

  Watching Me

  “Are you sure you’re okay with doing this today?” Seth asked when Ava pulled behind him at the public beach and parked.

  “Of course. I might have to leave if I get a call and I don’t want Adele to have to stop enjoying her day.”

  “I love the beach and we’ve never been here before,” Adele said, dancing around with her little flower dress on over her bathing suit.

  “There are only a few public beaches now on Amore Island and hopefully they stay. I believe they are protected by the island council to remain for tourists to come over for the day and visit, but if it’s too busy, Atlantic Rise is down the road and we can sneak onto their beach. My cousins won’t care.”

  “It doesn’t look that busy,” Adele said almost running ahead of them.

  “That’s because it’s still early,” Seth said. They were up and out the door before eight thirty to get here. He was surprised Ava wanted to come to his house this early but shouldn’t be because she seemed just as excited as him to spend the time together this weekend. Even to the point she was staying the night.

  “The excitement of a youth,” Ava said. “I remember being like that as a kid too.”

  He wasn’t sure if he ever was. They came here a lot when he was a kid since his parents had the summer home. But he didn’t remember ever going to a public beach. His father never wanted to, saying there was no need when they had a beach on their property.

  It never bothered him, but he knew it did Adam. Seth would like to think that being laid back so much as a kid made it easier for him to adapt to changes. More like a crisis now and again.

  He was hoping he was done with them in life now though. Maybe. If they could get through tonight without Adele asking a million questions on where Ava was sleeping and then hoping they could slip it by her that Ava was in his room with the door shut.

  They’d be going to bed after Adele and hopefully getting up before her.

  “This beach is so much bigger than Grandma’s,” Adele said. “Can we go set up by the water?”

  “Not too close,” Ava said. “The tide will change here more than on the other side where your grandmother is. How about right here in the middle? That should work.”

  “Okay,” Adele said, stopping her run and then almost wiggling in place she was vibrating with excitement.

  He was glad his daughter seemed as laid back as he was too.

  Ava opened up the big blanket she was carrying and spread it out. Adele had a bag over her shoulder with sand toys and he had the cooler he was pulling with an umbrella strapped to it and two small beach chairs. Just enough to not make him feel like he was getting sand in his ass.

  He couldn’t remember if he ever had a beach day, when he thought of it this week, and was looking forward to this.

  “All set up,” he said. “Stay where I can see you, please.”

  “I will,” Adele said, grabbing two buckets and going to fill them with water.

  “You’re smiling a lot today,” Ava said to him.

  “I am. I got thinking earlier in the week I’ve never had a family beach day. The only time I remember going to the beach was when I was with friends. I mean a public beach. My mother had her place when I was a kid.”

  “We’ve spent a lot of time at the beach,” Ava said. “We had it at my parents and hung out there a lot with friends over the summer, but not everyone had beach access on the island and when you live here, you just want to get away from your parents’ eyes at times.”

  “Like now,” he asked.

  “I feel like everyone is watching me more and I understand it, but at the same time it’s fine. It’s going to be just fine. I feel it in my gut.”

  He reached for her hand and threaded their fingers together. “What else is your gut telling you?”

  “That we aren’t going to get much privacy today.”

  They both looked up to see Adele come running back with the buckets. “Why don’t you take your dress off?” Seth asked. He hadn’t realized she still had it on when she took off, but now it was getting caught up in her legs when she carried her buckets of water back.

  “I forgot,” she said, putting the overfilled plastic on the sand and then pulling her dress over her head.

  “That’s a very pretty dress,” Ava said. “Did you pick that out yourself?”

  “I did. Daddy doesn’t like to always go shopping. I know he doesn’t because we have to shop fast. But Grandma takes me to try things on and, once we know my size, then Daddy and I sit down with the computer and buy most things.”

  He felt himself flush over that, but it was hard letting a man go into a woman’s dressing room and he wasn’t bringing Adele into the man’s. It was what they had to do now and it was working. She was just too young to go in by herself.

  “I love to shop,” Ava said. “Maybe you and I can go together someday.”

  “Can I, Daddy? Can I go shopping with Ava?”

  He smiled. “I think I would love that.”

  Ava laughed when Adele dumped the water on the sand and then ran back to get more.

  “Why did she do that without digging?”

  “Because I taught her the sand is better wet, so that is what she is doing first, and then she’ll start to build.”

  “You’re pretty smart,” she said. “So, what are we doing about tonight?”

  “My hope is you’ll be in my bed all night, but I understand if you’d rather not.”

  “Why don’t we play it by ear?” she asked. “I’d love to do it as long as you feel comfortable. What are you telling Adele?”

  “Nothing. She’ll be in bed before us and hopefully one of us wakes up before her. If not, then we’ll deal with it. This is all part of it and I’m ready for her to know that this isn’t something that is a passing thing with me.”

  “Me neither,” she said.

  When Adele came back, she said, “Ava, will you build a castle with me? Are you as good at it as your mother?”

  “My mother loves to build in the sand. I’m not sure any of us are as good as her, but I’ll give it a try.”

  “You’re going to get filled with dirt,” he said.

  “Not if I take my shorts and shirt off. I’ve got a suit on too.”

  “Please do,” he said, his eyebrow wiggling. Yes, he’d seen her naked, but there was something about a woman in a bathing suit that always seemed sexy to him. And it’s not like he’d seen her naked in a few weeks either.

  She stood up and undid her shorts and dropped them down and then lifted her shirt over her head. “I might need some lotion on me,” she said, bending over to get it out of the beach bag she’d been carrying. He shouldn’t be shocked over the two-piece bikini that she was wearing.

  The teal with big white flowers on it wasn’t overly revealing, but it showed off enough of her body that she’d be drawing attention.

  “I like your suit,” Adele said. “It’s pretty. I want a two piece, but Daddy said no. Not until I’m twenty. Are you twenty?”

  Ava started to laugh. “I’ve been past twenty for a long time,” she said. “But maybe when you and I go shopping we can find an appropriate two piece that will make you both happy.”

  He squinted one eye at her and then shrugged. “We’ll see how happy it makes me.”

  “You always look pretty handsome in your suits for work, but it’s not the same as fashion for a little girl. Or fashion for a woman. Not even fashion for your mother, though she is pretty stylish.”

  He knew that. He always suspected the day would come when Adele and he would have fashion issues but didn’t think it’d be this soon. He’d have to let go of some things though and know that Ava would indeed put his daughter in app
ropriate clothing when they shopped.

  “I don’t always like all of Grandma’s clothes. They are kind of boring,” Adele said. “But don’t tell her I said that.”

  Ava crossed a finger in front of her chest twice. “I promise. But men, they don’t understand that fashion isn’t the same for all women.”

  “I understand just fine,” he said, realizing that he was going to get ganged up on and wasn’t even upset over it. He’d been missing this in life and hadn’t even known.

  27

  A Good Job

  Ava was thrilled to get through seven hours on the beach with only two phone calls for work. Nothing urgent that required her to go in and with any luck the rest of the day and night would be the same way.

  She was having a blast with Adele playing in the sand and going down to the water and splashing around.

  Seth seemed more relaxed than when they got here and she wasn’t sure what was going through his mind. If he was nervous about tonight or not.

  If he wanted her to stay in the guest room, she would. That didn’t mean the two of them couldn’t fool around though.

  Now they were on their way back to Seth’s to clean up and go to dinner. She needed to wash off all the sunscreen and any sand that was still clinging to her. Adele had her hair in a braid, but between sunscreen and saltwater it was looking fairly greasy.

  “Do I have to take a shower?” Adele asked, almost whining as they walked in the door to Seth’s house. She didn’t always show this side and Ava wondered if there might be a little bit of a tantrum coming.

  “Yes,” Seth said. “We are going out to dinner and we all need to clean up.”

  “I don’t want to,” Adele said. “Showers are at night or first thing in the morning. It’s not even dinner. So that means no shower.”

  Ava looked over at Seth and saw him narrow his eyes at his daughter. “That isn’t how it works,” he said. “We are going to dinner tonight, which you said you wanted to do.”

  “I do,” Adele said. “I like going out, but I don’t need to shower. I’ve been in the water all day.”