They got quiet, and I realized I was now trapped under two sleeping bodies. Beth was silent, and I wondered if she had fallen asleep as well. I nuzzled her head, and she nestled closer, making me smile. The warmth of the sun sank into me, and I felt my eyes drifting shut.
A ten-minute nap wouldn’t hurt any of us.
I woke up with a start, something tickling my nose. I batted it away, hearing Lucy’s giggle. I reached over, lifting her high, opening my eyes to meet her excited face. She was holding a blade of grass, waving it. “I woke you!”
I pretended to lift her like a set of weights. “Yes, you did, Lucy-loo.”
I sat up and set her on her feet. Beth and Evan were by the overhang, and Paige was across from me on the blanket, her legs crossed.
“Still sketching?” I asked, reaching for my thermos and taking a long drink.
“Just adding in a couple of details,” she said, concentrating with a frown.
“Can I see?” I asked.
She held out the pad, and I flipped through a couple of pages. She was very talented, her eye for detail astounding. On the last page, my breath caught. It was a sketch of me sleeping, with the kids and Beth nestled against me. It wasn’t finished, but already, it was awesome.
“I’ll do some shading and filling in,” she explained.
“Can I get a copy?”
She smiled. “Of course.” She began to get up and stopped. “Oh. A lady was here.”
My stomach sank. “A lady?”
“Yeah. She said she lived in the houses over there.” She pointed in the direction of the compound. “I think she was shocked to see us, but she recognized you, so it was okay.”
“Did she give you her name?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.
“No. She was younger, with dark hair and purple highlights. She seemed curious about us, you especially, being here, but I said you’d brought us for a picnic and had permission to be here. That appeared to amuse her.”
Ava. It had to be her.
Why the hell was she up here? She never came up this way—it was too rugged through the woods, which was one reason I loved the spot. I was guaranteed to find privacy.
What the hell were the odds that the one time I needed that privacy, she would show up?
I almost cursed out loud, but I managed to keep my frustration in check.
“She’s the daughter of one of the owners,” I said. “She is easily amused.”
“Well, she seemed nice.”
“Did she talk to Beth or the kids?”
“No, you were all asleep. I was sitting here sketching you when I heard a twig snap and looked up. She was standing there, looking confused and surprised. I went over and spoke to her for a moment, then she left.”
“I’ll speak with her soon.” I smiled benignly, knowing full well soon would be today.
And knowing Ava, she wouldn’t let this go.
I was busted.
Chapter Thirteen
Ronan
All too soon, the afternoon was over. I was surprised how the time had flown by, even with my forty-minute nap. I refused to let the knowledge of what Ava saw dampen my enjoyment of the day. We played a few games of I spy, ate some of the candy I had saved, then we packed up, and I drove them home. It had been a great day, aside from Ava, and I felt sad to leave them. But I knew they needed time without me as well and that I had monopolized Beth enough. I did kiss her senseless before I left, pressed against the brick of her house behind the bushes by the side door. I kissed her until she was breathless and wanting. Until I could barely see straight.
As if it were the last time I would kiss her.
Then I regretfully watched her walk away.
I pulled up to my house in Port Albany, not at all surprised to see Ava sitting on the deck. I knew she would be there and, no doubt, have a lot to say.
I climbed the steps, meeting her gaze. She looked so much like our mom with her dark hair and facial features. Her eyes weren’t as green as all the boys—instead, they were a mixture of green, gold, and brown, the colors swirling and at times one color more prominent than the other. Usually when she was emotional, they looked green. When she was angry, they were brown. Right now, they were normal, although the gold flecks seemed brighter. She was tough and smart at her job, keeping everyone in line with her no-nonsense attitude. The staff called her the General at work, but with her family, she showed her softer side.
I had a feeling, though, that wouldn’t be the case today.
“Ava.”
She stood. “Ronan.”
“Need to borrow some sugar?” I asked.
She crossed her arms. “Don’t even start with me, little brother. We need to talk. We can do it here and risk being overheard, or we can go inside.” She flipped her hair and glared at me, the color of her eyes now brown and dark. I had already pissed her off, which wasn’t a good sign. “Given what I saw earlier, I know you like covert operations, so I’m assuming inside.”