Chapter Thirteen

After late nights poring over the new designs and then celebrating Maggie’s birthday, Ava had never been happier to sleep in. When she rolled over and saw it was ten o’clock, she almost sprang out of bed in a panic. Then she quickly remembered she was no longer in Honolulu, no longer working for Emerson & Smythe, and was now her own boss.

A boss, who after one more look-see, would send her proposal off to California. Then all she’d have to do is bury the urge to squirm with excitement, until she got the news on the bid. Sitting up, she turned to sling her legs over the side of the bed and knocked into a lump of warm fur.

“Hey there, big boy.”

Gunny’s tail thumped on the hardwood floors.

“Yeah, I’m happy to see you too. It’s nice to wake up to a devoted man who doesn’t ask anything of me. I bet you believe in me, don’t you? You wouldn’t ask me to miss out on the chance of a lifetime to go sailing or make coffee, would you?” She scratched behind his ears and chuckled at the throaty groans the dog made. “You’re so easy to please. Can you keep a secret?”

The German shepherd thumped his tail again.

“I’m so excited I could just burst. I really, really want to get this job. But, even if I don’t, at least I was finally asked to the dance. Me, myself and I. Not Emerson & Smythe. Me, Everrett Architectural Design. Though I am curious as to how the heck that happened.”

She pushed to her feet, grabbed a robe and made her way to the kitchen with Gunny at her heels. Her mind still stuck on how the committee had discovered her, she wondered if, maybe now that Greg worked for SO&M, somehow he had recommended her. But that didn’t make any sense either. Besides, she could drive herself crazy, circling around the oddball ideas bouncing around in her head. She needed to stop overthinking and just enjoy the ride.

In the kitchen, she reached for a coffee packet to put in the pot and spotted the note from her mom. Off with Missy for the PTA bake sale. Won’t be home until late. Neither woman had had a child in grammar school for ages, and yet they both baked and supported the PTA’s bake sales the same as they had when all their kids were young. Ava supposed maybe they were just gearing up for when they had grandchildren in school. Though now she did fuss a lot over Nick’s son, Bradley. And soon she’d have Billy and Angela’s little girl to fawn over. Apparently life was looking up for all the Everretts.

Greek yogurt in one hand and hot coffee in the other, Ava made herself comfortable on the sofa, just as the front door opened.

“Morning, sunshine.” Billy walked through the door.

“Morning. Want some coffee?”

“Nope, already had more than my share for the day.”

“What brings you by? Shouldn’t you be on the boat?”

“No, only running one boat this morning. Nick and Doug have it covered.”

“Only one? That can’t be good, this time of year.”

Billy waved her off. “It’s the bigger Island Girl. This is fine for the beginning of the season. Besides, it freed me to pick up some cupcakes.”

“Cupcakes?”

“Mom made an extra batch, just in case the bake sale went well, and asked me to come get them.”

“Really?” How had she not sniffed out cupcakes?

“They’re still in the oven.”

“Then they need to be iced.” Ava set the coffee mug on the table and shoved to her feet.

“Nope. All ready to go on a platter and wrapped in plastic.”

“Then why are they in the oven?” She followed her brother into the kitchen.

“Seriously?” he asked, opening the door and pulling out the large tray of lemon cupcakes with coconut icing.

“Oh, crap. Are those my favorite?”

Billy nodded.

“No wonder she hid them.” Ava laughed. “Sneaky woman.”

“If it helps any, Mom promised to bake more, when she gets home.”

“That’s all right. I don’t need the extra calories.”

“You look fine. You’re too damn young to be counting calories.”

“Tell that to my metabolism.”

He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. “You look fabulous. Everyone says so.”

“Everyone?”

“Anyone who matters.”

“Oh, yes, the pool grows quickly smaller.” She chuckled again. God, she loved her brother. Even if it meant living at home for a while, it was so worth it to be near family again. She’d forgotten how much she missed the day-to-day little stuff. Sure she’d come home often enough, but these playful little sibling chats weren’t the same when she lived on another island.

Billy set down the cupcake platter on the counter. “Do you have a minute?”

Ava glanced at her robe. “Do I look like I’m going anywhere?”

He chuckled and pulled out a kitchen chair. “I wanted to chat about Kenny.”

“Nothing happened.”

“I know that. I was just messing with you. But…”

She waited a beat. “But what?”

“I saw the look in his eyes.”

“And?”

“He’s hurting.”

“Looking at me made him hurt?” She’d noticed too but tried for a coy grin nonetheless.

Billy cast his eyes heavenward. “I’m serious.”

“Sorry.”

The tiny muscle at the base of his jaw twitched, and the intensity of his gaze darkened.

“Hey, you really are worried. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I might never know. But I recognize the looks, and I know Kenny. Something went down bad or wrong or whatever. He’s on extended leave. I don’t know whose idea it was. But that’s never a good sign. Something or someone is being investigated, and the team is standing down for a bit. Kenny chose to come here. I’m glad, but I’m worried.”

“I didn’t notice.”

“He’s a SEAL, Ava. They lock down their emotions very well. For a time. Eventually shit has to come to the surface. I don’t want you in the middle, when it does.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“It’s more than that. He’s looking for a safe harbor. A way to feel whole. Normal. But it wouldn’t be real.”

In other words, all he needed, like the old Linda Ronstadt song said, was someone to lay down beside him. She got it. And her brother’s warning. But she wasn’t going to turn away from a friend, if he needed her. She just hoped all he needed from her was a supportive little sister. Or maybe one to kick his ass.

* * *

While the idea of going diving this morning had sounded fabulous last night, by the time the party ended at two thirty, John knew enough to tell Billy to leave it for another day.

His sisters were already in bathing suits by the pool, soaking up the sun. He suspected, under the heavy sunglasses, they were probably sound asleep. After the fireworks had gone off, the music had turned up, and the dancing had begun. Rose and Heather had put all those years of dance lessons to good use. They’d done everything from the Lindy Hop with friends of the family as old as Methuselah to some line dancing that all the young kids seemed to know. There was even a chance for a Charleston contest that landed a couple people in the swimming pool.

John had barely gotten a chance to chat with Ava after the fireworks. The fellow she was with, Kenny, didn’t leave her side. And, under the circumstances, it was probably best John kept his distance anyhow. They came from two different worlds in two different places, and her free-spirited island ways would never fit in full time with his schedule. He worked all day and most nights. What woman would accept that in her life?

Unless, of course, all she wanted was his money. But Ava wasn’t any woman, and she had no clue how much he was worth. What he needed was to stop thinking about her so damn much. She wasn’t right for him. Or maybe he wasn’t right for her. Whatever. He had no business letting his mind linger on her infectious smile or the throaty laugh that made his every nerve ending hum with awareness. The electricity when she was near was so palpable it could power the entire neighborhood.

Using some of the leftovers Annette had insisted they bring to the guest cottage from the party, he slapped together a pulled pork sandwich with a little more gusto than was required for a pig that was already dead. So focused on not focusing on Ava, he was startled to hear his phone ring in the other room.

Not that it surprised him to hear the phone, but it was totally out of the ordinary for him to be up and about, and his cell phone not to be in his pocket or attached to his ear. Even more unusual was for him to let the call go to voice mail, while he finished making his sandwich. Maybe there was something in the water in Hawaii that forced everyone to be laid back. Or could that sweet old lady, Billy’s mother, be drugging him? That thought had him laugh out loud. Right. And Miss Marple was a sure-footed cat burglar.

Grabbing his plate and a small bag of chips, he walked to his room and looked at the phone. Evelyn. Making himself comfortable in the big armchair by the window, he took in the sweeping view of the Kona coast, as he hit Return Call.

“So you haven’t drowned?” Evelyn said with humor in her tone.

“Nope. Having an early lunch.”

“Drowning were the odds favorite. My money was on Maggie threw your phone in the ocean.”

“Ha, ha.”

“Well, I, for one, am glad you’re finally taking it easy.”

“That is what you wanted?” No need to tell Evelyn that he’d been working himself into a lather over one unavailable brunette. “What’s up?”

“You were right.”

“You doubted me? What was I right about?” He hoped to hell one of the jobs hadn’t imploded, because he wasn’t ready to hop on the next flight to Lord-knew-where.

“I heard from Howard. The drawings arrived in his email about an hour ago. He already forwarded them to all the committee members, and they’re exactly what the group had hoped for.”

He dropped his sandwich on the plate, his appetite giving way to a burst of satisfaction. “So she’s in?”

“Sounds like it. Board meets first thing in the morning to confirm. John, did she really do this in a few days?”

“I don’t know how long she’d been working on them.” Not that it mattered. Now he had a new dilemma to deal with.

“What happens now?”

Some days he’d swear that woman could read his mind. “I don’t know.”

The reality of being awarded the contract collided with simply knowing she was that good. He wanted to work with Ava Everrett’s designs almost as much as he’d wanted to kiss her senseless last night. The woman was fascinating. Smart, beautiful and one hell of a talent, she was irresistible. Which brought him back to his current dilemma. How well would they mix business with pleasure? Because there would be an abundance of pleasure. Of that much he was dead sure. And, for that matter, how well would she handle finding out Forrest Maplewood was one and the same as F. John Maplewood, CEO and President of FJM Global? Currently the head honcho on the South Bay Aquarium project.

“Did I lose you?”

“No. Just thinking.”

“Well, don’t think too hard. You’re supposed to be on vacation. Resting. Relaxing. Enjoying your sisters.”

“I am.” Though the person he’d most been inclined to rest and relax with was most definitely not a sister.

“And no thinking about business. You leave this project to us. Any changes you want to make can be done when you return to work. Next month.”

“Yes, boss.” Evelyn might as well have had his job. She always kept him and his business on an even keel. And maybe she was right again. For now he’d continue to be Forrest Maplewood, Magnolia’s vacationing construction-working brother. Once Ava was settled in on the Bay Area project, it would be much easier to break the news that her new friend was her new contractor. Or at least he hoped the hell so.