After she blew past her, mom turned to me and winked. “I take it she made a pass at you and got turned down.”
With a surprised look, I asked, “How did you know?”
Shaking her head, she chuckled and said, “Because I’m a woman, and I know how vile some of us can be. Jealousy does terrible things to people.”
Walking up to me, she kissed me on the cheek and then handed me a basket.
“What’s this?”
“A picnic basket.”
With a frown, I shook my head. “No, I know what it is, what’s it for?”
“It’s for you to take Ava lunch. With as much as you have been working the last few days around here, I’m sure she is going out of her mind in that tiny house all alone. I thought about inviting her up to the house tomorrow for lunch.”
With a smile, I said, “She would love that, I’m sure. She’s really getting around pretty good, I have to say.”
“So, with Thanksgiving next week, I dare say Ava will be joining us?”
Setting the basket down, I put all the grooming supplies back in the tack room. “If that’s okay with you?”
“Of course it is!” she exclaimed. “I really am found of her, Ryder. I see how happy you both make each other, but I must admit, I was worried.”
“Oh? Worried about what?”
“The two of you living together so quickly. Her being stuck in that small house twenty-four seven. According to your sister, it’s the most romantic thing she’s ever seen.”
I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Jennifer would think that.” Reaching for the basket, we walked together out of the barn. “But you have nothing to worry about, Mom. Everything is going great with us.”
She remained silent as we walked out of the barn. “So tell me, Ryder. How are you going to feel when Ava has to go back to reality? When your two worlds are separated by the paths you have both taken?”
My chest felt tight as I stopped walking and faced her. “I guess we’ll deal with that when the time comes. For right now, we’re living in the moment and isn’t that what you’ve always said to do?”
With a smile, she nodded. “Throwing my words back in my face, are you?”
“I learned from the best,” I said with a wink.
She waved me off with her hands as she said, “Go bring that sweet girl some food and let her know I’d love for her to join me for lunch tomorrow.”
Reaching down, I kissed her cheek lightly. “I will.”
The short walk to the stone house had my stomach in knots. There was going to come a time when Ava and I would have to face reality. But for now, I was going to lose myself in the world we knew at the moment.
“I’M STUFFED,” AVA said as she leaned back and sighed. “I swear I think your mother is trying to put weight on me with the amount of food she keeps sending over.”
With a chuckle, I nodded. “She’s worried you’re bored.”
“Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? This morning I finished a design I had been working on and it was amazing to have full concentration on it.”
I gathered up the paper plates and brought them over to the trash. One thing my mother believed in was making things simple. Thank God for that.
“Have you sent it to Maurice?”
She gave me a wide smile. “Yep. And he loved it! I’m not sure if he’ll use it, but he had very good things to say about it!”
I couldn’t help but feel her excitement. “I’m glad he liked it.”
Standing, she nodded her head. “Me too. I hate to say it … but breaking my leg might have been the best thing to ever happen to me.”