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

by Natalie Ann

  Thirty minutes later they were pulling into the police station after Mac sent them a text that Michaela was there and went willingly.

  They rushed in with Seth trying to fight back the anger. “Where is she?”

  “In a room in the back,” Mac said. “First off. She’s crying and remorseful. She admitted to being in the house but said she didn’t take anything.”

  “There was nothing missing,” Ava said. “So she isn’t lying.”

  “Why was she there then?” Seth asked Mac.

  “Let’s go find out. Letting her sit in there while we waited is working her up. She doesn’t know you are here,” Mac said.

  They walked into the room and Michaela looked up, tears in her eyes, then shock on her face. “What were you doing in Ava’s house?” Seth asked right away.

  “I just wanted to look around. I’d heard you were dating someone and where she lived. I don’t live that far away, or didn’t you remember that?”

  He actually hadn’t thought much of it, that Michaela was a few blocks away. Why would he? He’d only been to Michaela’s place a few times and it was at night.

  “How did you know I lived there and how did you get in?” Ava asked.

  She was surprisingly calm about this, considering it was his ex. “A friend of mine rented that house years ago. Before the last tenant. I had a key because I watched it for her when she traveled a lot. The locks had been changed, but I remembered one of the window locks was loose. I had to get in once when I forgot my key.”

  “So you just wanted to look around?” Seth asked.

  “I wanted to see what was so special about her that I didn’t have,” Michaela said, crying. “I thought we had something special and then you just dropped me. You haven’t dated anyone since and then all of a sudden not only are you seeing someone, but you are out with your daughter with her.”

  “You’ve been watching me?” he asked.

  “Not like you think. Our mothers are friends. I hear things,” Michaela said.

  Shit. His mother was going to be devastated that she might have said something that led to this. “So you went in her place to look around?”

  “That’s it. But when I was in there, it felt off. Like I needed to get out. I shouldn’t have done it. But I didn’t think it was wrong since I didn’t take anything. I didn’t do anything other than look in each room. Then I left fast.”

  “But you walk up and down all the time,” Ava said. “And you were looking in the window Sunday.”

  Mac hadn’t said a word and when Michaela looked at him, he just lifted his eyebrow. “Explain to her what you said to me. She is the one that will determine if any changes are brought up on you.”

  “I walk all the time around the neighborhood. I really do. And then when I found out where you lived, it was just curiosity. Really, that is all the whole thing was. After I met you that one day, I realized who you were. I mean I realized who you were related to and knew it would be smart to let it drop and hope it didn’t come back on me that I was in the house. But then I saw Seth’s SUV there and...I just wanted to look in the window. It was stupid, I know.”

  “So if I wasn’t related to the Bond family you would have been stalking me?” Ava asked.

  “No! It’s that I had to put it behind me. I knew I couldn’t compete with you. It was stupid, it was. But honest to God, it was just jealousy. Nothing more. I was hurt that Seth broke it off with me. It’s nothing more than that. I guess I still thought I might have had a chance since I hadn’t heard he was seeing anyone until recently.”

  Seth dropped his head down and looked at Ava. “It’s your choice to do what you want about this.”

  She nodded her head and turned to leave. Seth and Mac followed her out. “I don’t see any reason to press charges. Is there a way you can make it clear that I will change my mind if I hear or see her anywhere near us again?”

  “Leave it to me,” Mac said. “We’re done here though. At least you know who was in your house.”

  She gave her cousin a hug. “Thanks, Mac. One mystery solved.”

  They left and went back to get Adele at her parents’ house. In the car, Seth said, “I’m not sure I can apologize enough for this.”

  Ava started to laugh and he didn’t know what to make of it. “I never thought my life would be this exciting when I decided to move to the island.”

  “How can you laugh at this?” he asked.

  “How can I not?” she said. “I’m relieved. You have no idea the weight off my shoulders that that is what this was all about. That it was not someone who wanted to rob me or hurt me.”

  He let out a breath. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “I am. Now you need to figure out what and how much you are telling Adele. I vote for saying nothing at all. Make something up. Parents lie all the time to their kids.”

  This time he laughed. “I don’t normally. Not even sure what the heck to say.”

  “Tell her I won a bunch of money at the casino and as the president of the bank you had to help me carry it to my safe deposit box. She’s six, she’ll believe it.”

  He shook his head. “She probably will.”

  34

  Moment of Awkwardness

  Six weeks later, Seth and Ava were walking into The Bond Retreat once again. This time for Drew and Amanda’s Friday night wedding. Adele was at his mother’s and he and Ava got a room to stay. Why not, he figured? They could have a few drinks and relax and not worry about driving the couple miles back to her place.

  They’d gotten through their vacation together and only had one moment of awkwardness on the ferry ride home.

  “I had the best time ever,” Adele had said. They were on the railing overlooking the water, Boston harbor a faint view in the distance. They’d only planned on staying a few nights at Ava’s parents but had so much fun with day trips and sightseeing that they stayed from Saturday until the following Saturday morning.

  Not once did Adele ask where her father was sleeping and he and Ava had managed to get up before Adele each morning. He supposed it wasn’t a big deal at this point as they’d been dating for months and Ava was always staying at his house, but it was best to not have a conversation like that either.

  “I’m so glad you had fun,” Ava had said. “I did too. I haven’t been on a vacation in a long time.”

  “Why not?” Adele asked. “I thought adults could go anytime they wanted.”

  Ava had smiled at his daughter. “It doesn’t always work out that way. I’ve spent a lot of time in school and was itching to get to work. When I took time off it was normally long weekends and a few days here and there. Besides, I haven’t had anyone to spend a nice vacation with other than family.”

  He hadn’t been sure what to make of that statement but knew it wasn’t the time to comment. He wasn’t one to talk, as his only real vacation in the past several years had been the week trip to Ohio to visit with Ellen’s family.

  “Well, now we can go on vacation together all the time,” Adele said. “And if you lived with us we could have fun every day.”

  He looked over at Ava to see her reaction to that statement. Neither one of them had talked much about the future more than they knew they loved each other. He found it funny that his daughter was the one that pushed them on their first date and now it was almost like she was innocently pushing them toward another step.

  Their relationship was still somewhat new. He liked what they had, but he’d be lying if he didn’t say or think he’d like more of it too.

  There was no reason to put pressure on either of their shoulders right now though.

  Ava had laughed. “I just got my place.”

  “But it’s so far away,” Adele said.

  “Nothing on the island is that far, Adele,” Ava had said.

  Adele had dropped it after that and the topic hadn’t come up again.

  The rest of the summer flew by; it was only a few weeks anyway. Adele started school and the before-and-aft
er care program, letting his mother have her life back. It seemed to be working for everyone.

  And on the first day of school, Ava had suggested she cook dinner and had a special batch of chocolate chip cookies for Adele, saying her mother always made the first day fun like the last day of school.

  Another thing he never thought much of before and was glad to have a woman’s influence on his daughter. Even to the point when they were on vacation, Ava took Adele shopping alone for clothes. He was both nervous and thankful at the same time.

  Not nervous that Ava would say or do anything inappropriate by any means, but that his daughter was getting so used to it and would want only Ava every time.

  This was where he wondered if they should slow down but found his heart wouldn’t let him if he tried.

  “Here we are again,” Ava said when they walked into the room the ceremony would be held in. “Hopefully the next day won’t bring us another surprise.”

  He laughed, remembering the last time they had dinner here and a night out, they’d found out who had broken into her house.

  Since then Michaela had apologized. She’d come into the bank to do it personally and asked if she could apologize to Ava too. He’d said that would be up to Ava, but in the end it never happened.

  Instead he’d heard that Michaela had left the island and found a job elsewhere. It was best in his mind, and his mother had been upset when she found out that what she’d said might have led to what happened by talking about his new relationship with her friends.

  He’d assured his mother that, on an island this small, Michaela would have found out eventually and probably would have done the same thing. It was over and done with and behind them.

  “I don’t have any more exes on the island,” he said. “How about you?”

  “Nope. None for me. And hopefully this isn’t too much family overload for you. It shouldn’t be massive, but the Bond family alone will take up a great number. Then there are coworkers and friends. There are probably going to be a hundred and fifty people here, but for the Bond family, that is small.”

  “What about Amanda’s family?” he asked.

  “Last I knew Amanda only had her sister coming in terms of family. At least that is the word from who showed up at the bridal shower. It seems like all my cousins are finding mates with small families.”

  He didn’t know much about anyone else, but it did ring true for him too. “I don’t think my family is all that small, but we just aren’t close,” he said. His mother had a few siblings; his father did too. He had plenty of cousins, but again, no one that kept in touch and he was fine with it.

  They took their seats to watch the ceremony. The room had filled up quickly. When the music began, he looked up at the altar and noticed Drew almost bouncing he was so excited, as the first bridesmaid came down the aisle. Just two by the looks of it since Drew’s brothers, Bode and Coy, were the groomsmen.

  “That is Mac’s fiancée, Sidney, that just walked down. And here comes Hunter’s wife, Kayla.”

  “So keeping it in the family,” he whispered back.

  “Those girls were roommates and best friends before they found their significant others.”

  He hadn’t realized that but then thought back to how his wedding was with Ellen. Adam was his best man, and he had two other groomsmen. The significant others of friends of Ellen’s. People he didn’t talk to anymore.

  He hadn’t only lost his wife, but also the friends they’d had. It amazed him how no one contacted him anymore and he wondered why. If they couldn’t bear it, or out of sight out of mind.

  When Amanda made her way down on the arm of Hunter, he realized how much this family stuck together. He didn’t know the situation in Amanda’s family, but the Bond family had a role in everything to make up for it for the bride.

  Drew had a grin from ear to ear and Seth was reminded of his own wedding day. But instead of feeling melancholy for being at the first wedding since his wife had died, he glanced down when he felt Ava grab and squeeze his hand. There was hope for him and his future. That she understood and she was there for him too.

  “How are you doing?” Ava asked him an hour later when they were sitting at their table alone for the moment. They were seated with her brothers and parents. Her brothers didn’t have dates and were at the bar, her parents mingling.

  Hors d’oeuvres were set up and being walked around while the wedding party was having pictures taken. Dinner would be soon, but for now he and Ava were enjoying each other and a drink.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because you were staring at the front and not moving. I got the feeling you were having flashbacks and it never occurred to me that could happen.”

  “I was,” he said. “Not in a bad way. More like I had an epiphany.”

  “And what was that?” she asked.

  He didn’t have a chance to say anything though when the first of the Bond family came over to talk that he hadn’t met yet. “So are you going to introduce me?” the man said.

  “Seth, this is Jarrett Bond. Mac’s brother. The one that is a state trooper on the north end.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Seth said, shaking hands with the tall man. It seemed like all the Bonds were big men.

  “Just wanted to come and say thank you for watching out for our cousin. I heard you got everything under control relatively fast for her. If you need anything, I’m not far away.”

  “Thanks, Jarrett,” Ava said. “Hopefully we can put this all behind us soon.”

  Jarrett had nodded his head and left, but several more family members came over through the course of the night getting introductions and thanking him.

  Hours later, Hailey rushed over, pulled out a chair and sat. “Hey, sorry it took me so long to come say hi. You know what it’s like at these functions. Everyone wants your ear for something. How have you been?” Hailey asked Ava.

  “Hanging in there,” she said. “No word on anything?”

  Hailey grinned. “I got the last of your debt cleared up a few days ago. We’ll get the official letter in a week or so they said. Once I’ve got it, I’ll start moving on getting it all cleared from your credit reports. But you no longer have that debt that you didn’t incur hanging over your head. As for who did it, I haven’t heard anything. You’d have to get an update from Griffin there.”

  “That’s a relief,” she said. “And I’m sure Griffin will call me if he has anything.”

  “It sure is. Thanks again, Seth, for all your help. If you hadn’t acted as fast as you did or called Ava in personally and got the ball rolling properly, it might not have gone as smoothly.”

  “Just doing my job,” he said. Ava’s family was thanking him a lot tonight. It was almost getting uncomfortable.

  “This was smooth?” Ava asked. “I’d hate to think what it’d be like if it wasn’t.”

  “You don’t want to know,” Hailey said. “I’ll touch base with you soon. I’m getting waved over there. No rest for the weary. I should be off the clock, but I never am when we’ve got these big family functions.”

  “That is probably why she is so thin,” Ava said. “She never sits still.”

  “Your family is almost overboard with their gratitude toward me,” he said.

  “Yes and no,” she said. “We all care about each other. It could have happened to any of us. Well, maybe not, but you understand what I’m saying. We stick together and it shows. I know this island likes to break us up or classify us from what branch we come from, but the truth is, we are all one. It takes getting used to, I know.”

  “It does,” he said. “I guess part of what was going through my mind earlier was that. That I never had an extended family like this before. It can be overwhelming and comforting at the same time.”

  “That is a great description of it,” she said, grinning at him.

  “The way most of your family has welcomed Adele, I really can’t thank everyone enough. I didn’t realize how
much she might be missing this or needing it.”

  “I think we all needed it, Seth. Not just Adele, but maybe you?”

  He leaned in to kiss her. “I think I finally found what I need.”

  35

  Words And Wishes

  Ava couldn’t have asked for a better night.

  The music was playing. The conversations were plenty, even if they were a little overboard, using Seth’s word from earlier. And the drinks were flowing, which she desperately needed.

  She was feeling loose in a way she hadn’t before and couldn’t wait to get Seth back to their room to show him how much she’d found what she was looking for too.

  The past several weeks she’d felt like what they had had taken a turn.

  Maybe it was the week they’d spent together at her parents’ house. Even Adele saying she should move in with them. Sure, that had thrown her for a loop, but she tried to brush it off as a little girl’s words and wishes.

  She realized that she wasn’t a little girl and it was a wish she might have too.

  She’d never lived with a man before. She’d stayed the night with men, but not many and not for a full week like she had with Seth.

  There was never a dull moment that week together, but they were able to relax each night. They’d run around to museums, or shopping, shows, or road trips. Then they’d get home and she’d cook them dinner if there was time, and if the weather was nice enough, they sit out by the pool.

  She’d laughed when Adele told her father they needed a pool at the house if they couldn’t live on the beach, but he handled it like he always did when his daughter made those comments.

  There was a part of her though that not only wanted to give Seth so many things, but his daughter too. She was coming to love the little girl just as much as her father.

  “The wedding is winding down,” she said when they were on the dance floor. There was something so romantic about being in a strong man’s arms while the music played, their hips swaying, her head on his shoulder.