Skylar handed Ramona another plate. “Luka and I had our chance a long time ago. You and Brett haven’t had your chance yet.”
“I don’t know about that,” Ramona argued.
“I do.”
She handed Ramona the last plate and began wiping down the counters and stove. They still hadn’t resolved anything because they were both stubborn Bradford women.
Luka was on his way to the kitchen to get Ava something to drink when he heard Skylar’s last remark to Ramona. He leaned against the door and took it all in. He turned and left without Ava’s glass of milk.
Luka and I had our chance.
The words played over in his head. Luka had to find a way to convince Skylar that they still had a chance. She is why he came home. His bank account was full. He had self-respect. He could take care of her and Ava if he never worked another day in his life. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy convincing Skylar that he was back for good. That he wanted her still. There wasn’t another woman that could replace her. No woman ever would.
If he allowed himself Luka could see the hurt. he had caused Skylar and it was a difficult pill to swallow. He sat by Brett who looked at him confused. “You forgot Ava’s drink,” he told him.
“The ladies were talking.” He didn’t give his brother any more information about what he had heard.
“Daddy, I thought you were getting me a drink.” Ava turned away from the television.
“Uncle Brett is going to get it for you,” Luka said.
“Why me?” Luka gazed at his brother with a look that had made other men want to pee their pants when locked inside a cage with him. Brett just shook his head. “I’ll get it Ava,” he said.
Brett went to the kitchen to get Ava’s drink. The two sisters were talking quietly. He cleared his throat. He didn’t listen in as Luka had. “Ava needs a glass of milk.”
“I’ll get it for her,” Skylar told him.
She filled a glass and started towards the door where Brett stood silently, trying to determine what he was supposed to do. Skylar pushed him toward Ramona then she stepped into the hallway and listened in.
She knew it was wrong but she couldn’t help herself. Skylar wanted both her sister and Brett to be happy and she thought they could be happy together. She was listening to them talk quietly in the kitchen. Skylar could barely hear them. She inched closer to the doorway trying not to be seen. They were actually being nice to each other. She saw that Brett had his hands at Ramona’s waist. This was going really well.
Skylar smiled. She waited longer while holding Ava’s cup in her hand to see what would happen next. An arm went around her waist and another hand grabbed hers encircling Ava’s cup to keep Skylar from dropping it. “What are you doing?”
Luka’s breathe was warm against her ear. She didn’t want to look at him. She didn’t want to see his beautiful eyes up close knowing how they had always made her feel. She closed her eyes to keep from doing so. Her resolve where he was concerned was weakening and she didn’t like it.
He listened himself. “Nosy,” he called her. “In the living room. Now. Ava is thirsty.”
She finally glanced up into his face. He smiled at her and the dimple that was in his right cheek deepened. His jaw was covered in whiskers because he hadn’t shaved for a few days, she guessed. “What?” He asked looking down on her. His voice was soft, pulling her in.
She shook her head, clearing it of the tantalizing thoughts that were rapidly invading her addled brain. There was no other excuse that she could come up with that would allow her to think anything about him that could be good for her. This relationship had to be about Ava. “Nothing,” she finally replied. “I’m taking this to Ava.”
Skylar slipped out of Luka’s arms and walked down the hall until she reached the living room. She handed the glass to Ava. Luka walked in behind her and took a seat in the recliner where she had been sitting. She went to the sofa and sat beside Dalton.
He put his arm around her shoulders, teasing Luka. She smiled up at him. She was relaxed and calm with Dalton. Luka wanted her to be like this with him again. He wanted her to be like this with him always. He watched her until she finally gave in and her eyes met his. He smiled at her. “Ready to go home?” He asked.
She shook her head yes but inside her head, she was screaming no. This was too familiar. Too much like a family. The family they had dreamed of as teenagers. Skylar rose from the sofa and tapped Ava on the shoulder. She was so engrossed in the television she didn’t know they were leaving. “Tell Grammy, your uncles and aunt goodnight. We’re heading home.”
“Ah Momma. Do we have to leave so soon? My show will be over in thirty minutes.”
“We aren’t staying that long. I have to get up in the morning Ava.”
Ava got up huffing at her mother but made her rounds telling everyone goodbye. Brett and Ramona came from the kitchen with Ava after she went to tell them goodbye. They had decided to leave with the three of them.
Skylar climbed in the front seat with Luka after she made sure that Ava was buckled in the back. Her daughter was ten. She didn’t need checked and Ava looked at her like she had lost her mind but it gave Skylar a few extra minutes before she sat beside Luka in the front seat of the truck.
She was quiet riding to the ranch with Luka and Ava. Skylar was lost in her own thoughts. Luka parked in the drive and grabbed his suitcase. He carried it to his new room while Skylar walked Ava to her room where she changed into pajamas. Skylar perched on the bed. When she was changed Ava walked to her mother. “What’s wrong Momma?” Ava took her hands in hers.
“Nothing baby. Why?”