She smiled. “You plan on renting it, then? You aren’t staying?”
“No. It will be a good rental income. I’ll come check on it every so often.”
“With the view and the area, I’m sure it will do well.”
I smiled in thanks and picked up the file. My mind was already planning, thinking of the lumber I would need for the addition, the machines I would have to rent, the roof extension. I was so busy thinking, I almost missed her. I pushed at the door leading out as she pulled, and we both froze as we recognized each other.
Ava was dressed in slim-fitting slacks, a purple blouse peeking out from a tailored vest that hugged her torso and looked anything but masculine on her frame. Her hair was twisted up away from her face again, and her makeup was skillful and light. The heels she wore made her legs look long and sexy.
But it was the expression on her face that caught my attention. She looked tired. Defeated. Her shoulders were bowed, her eyes dull today. She smiled in greeting, but it didn’t reach her eyes—they remained leaden and distant.
“Hello, Hunter.”
“Ava.”
“We need to stop meeting like this,” she said, although the humor sounded forced.
I chuckled. “A trip to city hall isn’t complete without running into you, Little Dragon. Here to chap some asses?”
She shook her head, the action causing the small purple studs in her ears to twinkle. “Just dropping off some more paperwork.”
I stepped aside. “Don’t let me hold you up.”
She sidled past me, the scent of her drifting by. It was floral but not heavy, with an undertone of something citrusy and light. It was lovely and suited her well.
“Thank you,” she murmured and kept walking.
I stared after her, shocked.
No quips, no needling, no teasing. She was withdrawn and…sad was the only word I could think of.
I was surprised how much that bothered me.
I headed to the truck and climbed in. But I didn’t start it. I sat, watching the door for some reason.
Waiting, I realized with a jolt, for Ava to reappear.
When she did, I observed her. Even her walk was different today. Slower, as if the act of moving forward was almost too much. Before I could stop myself, I was out of the truck and by her SUV.
“Ava.”
She looked up, blinking, surprised to see me there.
“Hunter?” she asked. “Is there something I can do for you?”
The tone of her voice told me everything. She’d been doing things for everyone, and she was more than sad. She was exhausted. Drained.
I stepped closer. “Yes.”
I saw her struggling to stay polite. Be kind. Because if there was one thing I knew about her, it was that she was always kind.
“What might that be?” she asked, trying to sound upbeat. “I don’t have much to give, but I can try.”
“Have dinner with me.”
“Pardon me?”
I stepped closer. “Have dinner with me.”
“Why?” she breathed out.
I couldn’t explain it to her. I had no idea how to tell her what I was feeling. That seeing her this way, fatigued and weary, made my chest ache in an odd way. It brought out a sensation of wanting to help her. Something I had never experienced until this very moment.
“I felt like Chinese, and it’s never fun eating that alone. I like to have a few dishes. Come eat with me. Relax a little. You look like you could use it.”
She glanced at my casual clothes and down at her outfit. I laughed. “You can go change if you want. Or stay dressed up. I don’t mind.”
Suddenly, her eyes were bright again, the fog from earlier disappearing. “Hold up.” She rounded her little SUV and opened the trunk. She reached in and pulled out a pair of flat shoes, kicking off her high heels. She undid the buttons of her vest, sliding it off and tossing it in the trunk with her discarded heels. She pulled the silky fabric of her blouse out of her waistband, letting the material hang loose around her hips. Then she reached up and unclasped her hair, running her fingers through the dark silk that hung straight to her shoulders.
She sighed in happiness and looked at me, lifting her arms. “Will that do?”
She was artlessly sexy, her hair not perfect, her blouse wrinkled, and her pants a touch too long with the flats. But her shoulders were straight, the light back in her eyes, and she was smiling.
“Perfect,” I assured her. “I assume you know a good Chinese place?”
“The best. You want to follow me?”
“Yeah, Little Dragon, I’ll follow you.”
She paused before sliding behind the wheel. “Hunter?”
“Hmm?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Thanks.” She smiled at me, the wattage that of the bright afternoon sun in the summer. Its warmth hit my chest, lighting me up.
I got into my truck, shaking my head. Adorable didn’t begin to cover it. Neither did sexy.