Page 6 of One Touch

“Go-faster stripes?”

“Not quite. These are pinstripes.”

I mixed the paint, slowly adding a stream of thinner until the consistency felt right. Years of doing this had taught me to always trust my own senses over a measuring jug.

“So, they don’t make the car go faster?” I loved it when Ava asked questions. Her bright blue eyes opened up so wide it was like she was taking in the entire universe.

“Nope, just fancier,” I explained. “And fancier means a better price, which means a better vacation for us.”

Ava grinned. “Promise you’ll take me to Disney World?”

“If I get these pinstripes good enough, I’m booking us the entire Disney experience. Breakfast with Goofy, lunch with Mickey, dinner with . . . Ronald.”

“Daddy!” Ava squealed. “It’s Donald!” She looked at the car, her expression clouding over. “But what happens if you make a mistake?”

I laughed sardonically. “I won’t.”

“Yeah, but what if you do?” Ava had a thing about mistakes. Really beat herself up over them. It had gotten so bad in recent months that she would spend hours triple-checking all her schoolwork.

She got it from me, no doubt.

“If I make a mistake, it’s fine. I’ll just go with the flow.” It was a lie, really, but I wanted it to be true. In reality, if I made a mistake, I’d obsessively redo the work until it was absolutely perfect, silently stew over it for days, and then analyze the experience for years to come, trying to make sure I never made the same mistake again.

“Go with the flow?” she asked, unconvinced.

“You know me. Mister Easygoing.”

“Good joke,” Ava said.

“Thank you. I’ll add it to my stand-up set.” I paused. “By the way, just so you know, we’re going to Disney World. I’m selling this car and taking you there. No ifs or buts. So don’t worry, okay?”

Ava nodded.

God damn, the girl deserved a vacation. A magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience that made her feel like the special girl she was. Not defined by her mom dying when she was a toddler, and her dad working himself to the bone at the garage to support her single-handedly.

I grabbed a brush. “Okay Ava-Raver, now Daddy’s gotta focus for the next half hour or so to get this paint job done. I can’t stop, ‘cause I have to keep the paint wet while I work. You need anything before I dive in?”

“How am I supposed to know?” She pouted, looking down at the pile of reading books I’d laid out for her.

I frowned. Something was eating at her. I sighed, set down the brush, and went over to her.

“Everything all right, darling?” I crouched beside her, studying her little face.

She brushed her glossy black hair behind her ears, scrunching her mouth up just like her mom used to. “I dunno. Just bored. I wish we didn’t have to come here at the weekend. It’s unfair.”

My eyes narrowed. I knew what this was about. “You sad we’re missing Lily’s wedding?”

Ava sighed. “Lexi and Rhea are going.”

“That’s different. Elara is the maid of honor. Lily only had space for a certain number of people.” Then, under my breath, I added, “That’s what happens when you have a wedding at a crappy dive bar with no proper seating.”

I couldn’t say I was disappointed not to be there. It didn’t seem right. Vlad didn’t seem like the kind of guy who deserved someone like Lily. It was like watching a reckless teenager takea classic Cadillac for a joyride. Not that I had a thing for Lily Lane, of course. Well, not a major thing. I mean, sure, I went into her store to buy coffee way more often than I needed to because I was a sucker for her pretty smile. And her long legs. And her wicked sense of humor. But a man was allowed to look, right? It didn’t mean I was obsessed with her. I just objectively appreciated the fact she was a tall, beautiful, redhead who excelled at selling ridiculously steamy novels.

And there was nothing creepy or weird about the fact I purposefully asked her for complicated coffees just so we could spend a little extra time chatting in the mornings.

Somehow, Ava heard me. “No fair. I want to be at a crappy dive bar.”

“You don’t—trust me. If even one person were to break wind in—”

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