Page 20 of Forged By Sacrifice

She put her head on her arms on the counter. “Thanks, Mac.”

Her eyes were closed in a way that was so not Ava that I watched her with concern as I drank the water. She didn’t even open them when a door creaked down the hall, followed by Georgie appearing in the kitchen.

Georgie’s hair was all mussed, and her eyes were still sleep-filled. She wore a tank top that showed more than it hid and a tiny pair of sleep shorts that showcased her long legs like her swimsuit had the day before. My entire body was more awake from the vision of her than it was from the run on the beach.

She ruffled Ava’s hair, saying, “Morning.”

Ava groaned at her, making my concern ratchet back up. Georgie seemed troubled as well, because she frowned slightly as she made her way to the Keurig.

She’d gotten all the way to the coffee machine before she risked a glance at me.

My body ached to kiss her again. To see if, this morning, she still tasted like the cherry blossoms blooming. Like my favorite season and my favorite fruit all in one. Her eyes drifted to my lips before she turned back to the coffeepot.

Ava peeked out from her arms to eyeball us. “What gives?”

“What?” Georgie and I both said at the same time.

Ava sat up. “Please tell me you did not swag-and-bag one of my best friends, Mac.”

“No!” Georgie and I both said again, which was not helping our case at all.

The coffeepot started whirring, and the smell hit the air. Ava instantly put a hand to her nose, jumped down, and headed for the bathroom, passing Eli in the hall. He turned around and followed her.

I stood, taking Georgie in from behind. Her shoulders were back, standing tall, as if she could take whatever life threw at her. Like she already had. I wanted to know more about all of that—every single bump in her road that had made her the elegant, confident woman she was now.

“I’m going to shower,” I said instead, pulling myself away from her and the way her skin was calling to me. Running didn’t seem like such a chickenshit thing anymore. Running felt right.

I practically smacked into Eli as he came out of the master.

“Ava said you were going to go to the bar with her?”

I nodded.

“Thanks, man. I need to put in an appearance at the office today before I take tomorrow off.”

“What time is Truck getting here?”

“I think his flight lands at around eleven. He should be here by two. I’ll let him know that if no one is home, go to the bar.”

I nodded and headed for the bathroom so I could be sure to be ready when Ava was.

? ? ?

It was early afternoon by the time we were done taking stock at the bar and filling every possible crevice we could fill before tomorrow came. Ava had spent the day, white as a sheet, going back and forth between the storeroom and the office while she checked in on the stock and the extra staff and security needed with Brady showing up.

Georgie had come with us, and she and I had done whatever Ava pointed at us to do. We brushed past each other without a word, but it felt like my body was building up enough electricity from the contact to be its own electrical storm. A storm that was waiting to be unleashed on something, anything, but especially her.

Ava finally sat down, and I could see she was shaking.

“Have you eaten anything?” Georgie asked, also noticing her friend’s condition.

Ava shook her head. “Don’t say food. The smells in here are bad enough.”

“Should I take you to the doctor?” Georgie asked.

Ava shook her head again. “No, but I think I’m going to run to the drugstore and see if I can find something that will calm the waves down.”

“’Kay. I’ll go with you,” Georgie said.

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