Page 129 of Exile and Embrace

I groan and grip the back of her head.

The car behind us honks, and she sits back, breathless and grinning from ear to ear.

“I can’t believe that you’re going to spend the day exploring with me.” Ava stares out the window, taking in the old stone buildings and their bright paint colors. “We’re going to have to take dozens of pictures. You better get your best smile ready for me.”

“Aves, I would do anything for you.”

I find a parking spot near our hotel and get out.

Ava follows close behind, her phone already out as she snaps pictures.

She takes off down the street, taking her time to glance in the shop windows. Her long skirt swishes around her calves as she walks while her crop top inches higher up her torso.

I hang back, taking in how lucky I am to call her mine.

Ava turns and holds her phone up, giving me a cheesy grin.

I glance at her over the top of my sunglasses.

Her playful little pout is enough to have me taking off the sunglasses and smiling for her pictures.

Once she has a picture she’s satisfied with, she ducks into a small shop with a white stone exterior and deep blue awning.

I follow her in, freshly roasted coffee wafting from the back of the little coffee shop.

Ava smiles up at me as I join her in the line. She leans into my embrace as I wrap an arm around her waist.

“What’s going to happen once we get back to Oregon?” She twists to the side to look up at me. “I know that you said you were taking a deal with Cillian, but what does that mean?”

“I’ll be stepping back from most of the hands-on things. He wants me to oversee the books and businesses and deal with the lower levels when necessary. There’s more to it than that, and as soon as I know more about it, I’ll tell you. There are still some things I didn’t get the chance to work out with him before I left for Tennessee.”

I keep the words vague in case anyone is listening who shouldn’t be.

Ava nods at me, her gaze distant as we approach the counter and place our orders.

I don’t know what she thinks about the deal, but I don’t have all the information yet either.

Cillian’s initial offer was good, but after some time to think about it, I want clarification on what my job will be.

And if he tells me that any part of my job will put Ava into direct danger, then I’ll ask for another position within the mob. Something that is behind the scenes as much as possible.

As soon as we have our coffees, Ava leads the way back out of the shop. She hops over a large crack in the sidewalk, seeming happier than she has since we went to Oregon.

There’s a sense of peace surrounding her that hasn’t been there before.

It’s nice to see.

After watching her tear herself apart to find out who her father was, I didn’t think that she was going to get back to the Ava I’ve known for years.

When she turns and raises her phone to snap another picture, an impish smile curving her lips, I know that she’s going to be fine.

And if she isn’t, I’ll be there to help her get through whatever finds my way.

I may have lost one family, but with Ava, I’m gaining the family I always wanted.

The sun dips toward the horizon as I loop my arm over her shoulders. “Are you ready to go back to the hotel?”

“Can we explore more tomorrow?”

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