Page 43 of Ava
“What’s this?”
“Fifty thousand dollars in cash. Keep the receipts, but use this money for any more tickets you and the women might be getting. I have a feeling they’ll be racking up several of them in the future. Make a copy of the ticket, and when Ava gets back from court, attach the receipt to it.” When he saw their expressions, he grinned. “It’s not mine. One of the alphabet soups provided it.”
“Okay then.” Morgan laughed as she stood, and went over to the wall safe. She told Ava to use the computer to run a check on Officer Tanner. While she did that, Chip and Morgan hung up the county maps, and studied them. In red, they circled the entire county where Ava had been pulled over, and Morgan realized that was one of the counties that Tom had questions and doubts about.
CHAPTER17
Ava sworewhen she came downstairs after her shower. She had run Tanner’s name, but nothing was back yet. Either she didn’t have the right sources, or something was fishy with running his name. After she couldn’t go any further, she’d pulled the Jeep into the garage, and wrote down the parts she’d need to fix the broken tail light. At a standstill, she’d gone into the house, up to her room and showered. Earlier that morning, when everyone had been there to see the fully inspected and completed house, she’d brought her three bags of items. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had. She had put everything away, and decided to take a shower.
On her way downstairs, she remembered that she hadn’t bought any groceries yet, and she really, really didn’t want to go over to the ranch for dinner. She was at the bottom of the stairs when the front door opened, and Ava frowned when an older woman she’d never seen before entered, laughing, and her arms were loaded with several bags. Right behind her were all the men, their arms and hands were also loaded. Justin was the last one to enter, but they left the door open, and she suspected they were going to go back out for more. She was right. As a matter of fact, a truck was backing up the drive, and Chuck went out to direct it.
Ava sat on the bottom stair and watched all the activity, the laughing, and camaraderie with everyone. She felt a pang in the region of her heart, as she had never had that, not since her mother died when she was ten. After that, she’d gone into the foster-care system, and it’d been one nightmare of a home after another. She left when she was eighteen when she’d joined the Marines. When the men left, but didn’t return, she stood and walked toward the kitchen, where the woman was unloading the bags they’d brought in.
“Hello,” Ava said, and held out her hand to the woman as she screamed, and put her hand up to her chest. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, I should have been paying attention. Are you Ava? You’re just like Justin described.”
“You talked to Justin about me?” Ava asked in horror, then wondered what Justin had said.
“A little,” the woman said as she held out her hand. “I’m Aunt Peggy, Chip’s wife.”
“Ah, hello. Can I ask what you’re doing?”
“I don’t know how well you know my husband, but he’s a take charge person. When we arrived hours ago, Justin gave us the tour, and Chip had me make a list of things to be bought, then he had Justin take me.”
“What sort of things?” Ava frowned as she began taking the items from the counter, and putting them away. She didn’t realize Peggy let her, as she continued to unload the bags.
“Groceries for one, then the rugs. Justin didn’t have to say anything, that was Chip. Then he had us pick up the desks for the offices. Unfortunately they’re still in boxes and have to be put together.”
“Where are the men now? Is this everything?”
“Oh no.” Peggy laughed. “The truck bringing their beds arrived, and they’re unloading it. They’ll bring the rest of the stuff in when they’re done. I hope you don’t mind, but I remembered the pattern of the dishes you bought and bought more.”
“Why?”
“Because, you had four of everything, and I believe once all the women arrive, and with the boys here, that will be thirteen people. Are you going to eat off their plates?” She laughed when Ava wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t buy a lot of food, but I did buy the staples. You know, flour, sugar, coffee, milk, bread, eggs, a few veggies. Justin had me stock up on your soda, and then I bought the necessities for baking, and spices for cooking.”
Ava watched as everything was unloaded, then nodded. “I forgot all about this stuff.”
“Yeah, luckily Chip has a good heart.”
“Why are the beds arriving now? I thought they were going to wait until after the BBQ.”
“Chip wanted to warn the A’s and Chuck, you know, in case there’s anything at the BBQ that they should be looking out for.”
“Ah, I never thought of that.” Ava continued to put the items away, and kept shaking her head when she saw something else she should have remembered to purchase the day before. The two women worked in silence, and it was several minutes before the men rejoined them. Two had hands full of grocery bags, four of them carried in two boxes of the desks. She figured they knew what they were doing, so she kept doing what she was.
The next person in the door yelled, causing Ava to start, and almost dropped the six cans of soup she was carrying to the pantry. It was Alan and he’d come in with his arms full of other bags, but he dropped them and hurried forward.
“Aunt Peggy!” He engulfed her in a hug, and laughed right along with Peggy. He gripped her shoulders, and asked excitedly, “Are Mom and Dad here?”
“Not yet, your dad couldn’t get away, something about a deadline. He and your mother will be leaving early tomorrow morning, but he’s trailering the bike.”
“Why?”
“One, to be here for the BBQ, and two, they’re bringing some more clothes for you boys.”
“Ah.” Alan nodded, then kissed her cheek. He went back to the bags he’d dropped and held them up, like he was lifting weights. “Where do you want these?”
