Page 82 of Unstoppable Love

That was what I thought. Even while we were in town, on a Sunday morning when seventy percent of town was getting ready for church and it was only Earl Haven working the register up front, Ava was still ducking her head. She’d brushed her hair and left it down. She’d also washed her face and left it makeup-free. I’d had time to use the bathroom, pour two cups of coffee, and take her one while she was scrubbing yesterday’s mascara off her eyes, which got me a scowl in the mirror when I entered before she was ready to go.

Ten minutes later, we were in my truck heading to the grocery store in town, and Ava’s knee was bouncing non-stop.

She was nervous about spending time in town with me. In any other circumstance, I wouldn’t understand, but this was New Haven, and word spread faster than the damage of a summer tornado. I had no doubt she wasn’t nervous about me, but on what would be said about her, so I didn’t mind.

But her hiding her face from public view in the middle of the store was starting to get to me.

So yeah, I was taking my time. Drawing this out.

“Can we get the rest later?” As she asked, her stomach rumbled.

“Right. Sorry.”

So I didn’t need to be a dick and prove my point. I got it.

I grabbed the remaining items I needed for breakfast and lunch and explained, “Just so you know, I need about thirty-five hundred calories a day during the season. I eat a lot. And even with this in the cart, it’ll be gone by the time I leave Tuesday.”

“You have to eat that much?”

“Gotta keep the weight on, and we work out a lot. Wouldn’t do my team well to have me losing weight or cutting calories when my body needs it to heal and work properly.”

“Wow.” She sighed and tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear.

We reached the end of the aisle, and I stopped for another cart that was passing us.

“Mom?” Ava’s eyes turned huge, and her face paled.

Of all the people I expected to run into in the store, it was not Ava’s mom, with both of us clearly dressed in practically pajamas. Shit. I hadn’t even bothered to brush my hair or shave this morning.

“Morning, kids,” Connie said, quickly recovering from her surprise at seeing us.

“Why aren’t you in church?” Ava asked. She was standing straight now, no hiding in sight, but as I pressed closer to her and settled my chest to her back, my hand on the outside of where she was holding onto the car, her spine stiffened.

Connie shrugged. “Took a day off. The Lord doesn’t mind. Didn’t expect to see you two here. Together, so early in the morning. Now, that… the Lord might mind.”

“Mom.” Ava’s whisper was harsh and had quite a little squeak to it. “Stop it.”

“No worries. But I am a little jealous I haven’t seen either of you lately, so dinner tonight? We’ll see you around six.”

She continued pushing her cart, a satisfied, almost cocky smile on her face as she meandered past us. If I wasn’t so worried about the harsh breathing from the beauty in front of me, I’d be certain Connie whistled a happy little tune as she walked away from us as well.

“You all right?” I dropped my hand from the cart to Ava’s hip. She was still strung tight, and her breathing was still picking up.

“I cannot believe my mom said that.”

“About dinner or the Lord?” I poorly hid my amusement, and Ava spun, glaring up at me.

“This isn’t funny.”

“What’s funny is you don’t realize this was all planned. She knew we were here.”

“What?”

“She was dressed for church, and her cart was empty.” The surprise of getting busted in the grocery store hadn’t been enough for me to miss it.

“I’m going to stab Marty in her sleep.” She pushed the cart and headed straight toward the checkout where Lydia’s mother was looking anywhere but at us. “And my mom could have called, like a normal human.”

There was nothing normal about Connie Decker. Sweet and compassionate, her sass and feistiness snuck up on you.

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