Age of Ava (Vested Interest - ABC Corp 4)

“It is,” Ronan insisted.

“Why?”

“Because you deserve more than casual, Ava. You deserve the whole thing.”

I stood and looked down at my brothers. Their sincerity was evident, their need to look after me strong. I adored them, but I needed to make sure they understood.

“I’m not like you. I don’t want the ‘whole thing.’ I like my life the way I like it. Just let it go and let me live my life the way I want. I promise you, I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you really?” Liam asked. “Or is that what you tell yourself to make it easier?”

I shook my head. “I love you two, but I need you to butt out. Do you hear me?”

They both looked frustrated but nodded. I dug into my pocket and handed Ronan a folded piece of paper. “See if you can do anything with that, okay?”

He opened it. “This is the house Hunter is working on?”

“Yeah. He is going to need an architect’s drawings for the addition.”

He huffed a sigh, and I bent and kissed his cheek. “For me, Ronan. Look it over for me.”

“Fine.”

I patted his shoulder and kissed Liam’s cheek. “Thanks. Now, go back to your wives, boys. Stop worrying about me.”

“Not likely,” Ronan snorted. Liam nodded in agreement. “What he said.”

I picked up my now-cold coffee and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

A while later, I found Nan sitting in the library sipping a cup of tea. A warm shawl was tucked around her shoulders, and her cane rested on the arm of her chair. But her eyes were bright and her smile welcoming. I sat across from her, and we chatted about a few projects ABC was working on.

She studied my face. “You look tired, Ava.”

I shook my head in denial. “I’m fine. Busy.”

“Is the office too much?” she guessed shrewdly.

I waved off her concerns. “It’ll pass. It always does.”

She frowned and took a sip of her tea. “It is always acceptable to ask for help.”

“And I will if I need it.”

She pursed her lips and changed the subject. “I hear you met the Owenses’ grandson. He told us you helped him.” Then she lifted one eyebrow. “He also informed us you were bossy and ate his potatoes.”

I laughed. He was right on both counts. “Something like that. But he’s one to talk. He’s pretty bossy himself.”

“He is an interesting young man. Too young to be so jaded.”

“Do you know, Nan? What happened? Why he’s stayed away?”

She sighed. “Not entirely. They were always private. I know the daughter was a handful. A free spirit. She left home when she was young. She came back for a while, then disappeared again. One day, Jordan and I were out past the trees picking wild blueberries. We heard an argument—not the words but the loud voices, and we saw Jack and his daughter Nina outside. She was yelling and pushing at her father. He wasn’t reacting, but when she disappeared and came back, dragging a little boy behind her, he tried to stop her. There was more yelling on both their parts, and she put the little boy in the car and drove off.” Nan paused. “The little boy didn’t seem to want to go.”

“That was Hunter’s mother taking him away,” I surmised.

Nan nodded. “Gail never spoke of it, but she always looked sad. The few times I was in their house, I noticed all the pictures of their daughter were gone. There was one of the young boy. I had seen him in town with Gail once. He had a head full of dark hair and those eyes. So unique. But neither Jack nor Gail talked about them.” She finished her tea. “I don’t think they ever got over losing them.”

“She never came back?”

“Not that I know of.”

I thought about what Hunter had said—that he never had a home. That they moved and traveled all the time. I could imagine him as a young boy, always on the go, never really happy or settling. That would certainly affect a person. I also remembered his words, “It was the only way I knew to live.” Was he really going to live that way the rest of his life?

“He seemed like a pleasant young man. A little guarded, but nice,” Nan mused. “Stubborn as hell. Independent.”

“I think he had to be.”

She nodded. “One would have to be patient and let him see there are different ways to live,” she said, meeting my gaze. “Especially if one cared about him.”

“I was only asking,” I replied.

“Of course you were.” She patted my hand. “I didn’t think anything of it.”

She left me sitting there, staring at the water. I sighed and decided to head home. I had things to do today since I had spent the entire day yesterday with Hunter and Cash.

I had to ignore the urge to forget my responsibilities and go back to Hunter’s. I wasn’t certain I would be welcome, and I didn’t want to risk it.