Age of Ava (Vested Interest - ABC Corp 4)

“Gotta fill the tank.”

I was pissed he refused to take money for the pizza, but they gratefully accepted the cold beer I brought outside.

“Creemore.” Liam hummed in pleasure, taking a long swallow. “My sister get you onto this?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded, wiping his mouth. “It’s a family favorite.”

At my look of surprise, he shook his head. “What? You think we’re too rich and snobby to drink beer?” He laughed. “My dad drinks beer, eats tacos, loves to go bowling, acts like a teenager around my mother, and still cannonballs into the pool. We all had a pretty normal upbringing. We’re just people.”

“Except Bentley,” Ronan deadpanned. “He’s a bit snobby.”

Liam laughed. “It’s an act. He’s as much of a goofball as the rest of them.”

Ronan met my eyes and winked. “Snobby,” he mouthed. I held back my laughter. The two brothers reminded me of Ava.

We ate in comfortable silence, the beer disappearing fast. I brought out more, plus extra waters, and once we’d polished off the huge pizza, we finished the deck.

I refused to let them help with the cleanup, more than grateful for their efforts for the day. They waved as they left, Ronan assuring me he’d be in touch soon.

I put away the tools and climbed the sturdy, wide steps, already moving ahead in my mind to the cedar railings and posts I would add. The dark color of the boards and the red of the cedar would make a great color combination as accents. I planned to replace the old siding with a fresh, modern look, and I wondered what color to choose. I had a feeling Ava would tell me her ideas without much prompting.

I washed my hair, rinsed off, and headed to the bedroom, throwing on a fresh shirt and sweats. I was still towel-drying my hair as I walked into the living room and found Ava sitting on the sofa, Cash lying across her feet. I bit back my grin as a pleased feeling washed over me.

She had come to me tonight. I liked that.

“Little Dragon.” I winked. “Can’t stay away?”

She ignored my words. “You got a lot done out there today. Eating your Wheaties, Hunter?”

I laughed. “Your brothers insisted on donating some manual labor. Three sets of hands made it go fast.” I sat across from her in the old chair, first leaning down to brush a kiss to her tempting mouth. “They know their way around tools.”

She smirked. “Van—my uncle—is in construction. He built all the houses at our place. We all loved hanging around. He put us to work. My brothers, cousins, my dad, and uncles all pitched in. He taught us a lot. He still oversees all the flips Bentley does and helps out as foreman at ABC on occasion.”

“Huh.”

“Assumed the worst again, didn’t you? No one in my family is lazy, Hunter. We all have our skill sets, and none of us is afraid of hard work. Even Bentley can swing a hammer or throw up a wall. He’s a firm believer in understanding what goes on behind what you do. He can spot a weak foundation or a bad roof as fast as any contractor. Some of my best memories are all the dads and uncles working, framing a new house, joking and laughing. Van showing me how to use a hammer and a drill. Jordan teaching me how to plan out a project.”

“Is that how you got into your career?”

She hummed. “It certainly planted the seeds. I’ve always been highly organized. Mom says I wrote lists from the time I was a child. I would tell her what I wanted to do the next day, and she would write it out for me before I could do it on my own. I always found myself calmer when I knew what I was going to do. I think I got it from my dad. He’s always been big on lists, although he uses his voice to make his. He’s dyslexic, and he finds it easier.”

“Wow, that must be a challenge, given the business world.”

“It is, but he handles it well.” She looked sad for a moment. “He was always so glad none of us had the same trait. He never wanted any of us to struggle the way he did.” She met my eyes. “He had a really rough start in life. I’m grateful he is the amazing man he is. He swore he would never allow his children to go through what he did. All the BAM men are the same way. They support countless children’s charities and programs.”

“Impressive.”

She nodded. “They are. They all are.” She leaned forward, eager. “Maybe you could see for yourself.”

“Sorry?”

“Come meet my family. No one is going to try to buy your land or make you uncomfortable. They aren’t the enemy, Hunter. I swear.”

“Meet them,” I repeated.