Page 28 of Falling in Fate (Hope Falls: Brewed Awakenings 1)

“Did anyone get...hurt?” she asked.

Viv shook her head. “No, at least not that Levi, Shelby or the police know of. No one has reported anything. But they are going through footage for the past two weeks to make sure that he hasn’t been in the bar before.”

Ava noticed the time and pushed off the counter. “I better go. I’m going to stop by Read Between the Lines before heading back to Mountain Ridge.”

“Oh, you should pick up Emma’s latest release. It is good.” Viv wagged her brows in an exaggerated fashion.

EmmaDorsey had moved to town a few years ago. She was a romance author who wrote under the pen name Chelsea Page. And speaking of cops, Ava was pretty sure that her husband Logan worked for the police department.

“And now that you’re not getting that D on a regular basis, you’re going to need a little inspiration.”

“Ha,” Ava let out a forced laugh at her sister’s statement and under her breath said, “I don’t remember the last time I got that D on a regular basis.”

She started to reach under the counter to grab her bag, but Viv gripped her arm. “You can’t just make a statement like that and leave. What do you mean? What’s not a regular basis?”

Ava immediately regretted saying anything. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Ummm, yes it does.” Viv continued holding her arm.

Ava looked around the coffee shop. There was only about a half dozen people in there. A couple seated at a bistro table in the corner who were clearly in their own world. A twenty-something with earbuds in working at his computer on one of the oversized sofas. And a family of three that were at the large farm table against the far wall playing checkers.

She lowered her voice and whispered, “We hadn’t had sex in like a year.”

“A year!” Viv shouted.

“Shhh.”

Viv covered her mouth with her hand, indicating she’d be quiet as she mumbled behind her fingers, “When before that?”

“Um… it had been like eight months.” The truth was Ava could count on one hand the number of times they’d had sex in the past five years.

Viv’s face twisted in horror and her hand dropped. “Why?!”

“He was busy. He was on call all the time. He lived at the hospital.”

Viv shook her head back and forth. “Please tell me you had a side piece.”

“A side piece?”

“Yes, a boy toy, a zaddy—”

“A zaddy?” Ava interrupted her. “What’s a zaddy?”

“A sexy older man,” Viv responded as if that phrase was common knowledge.

“Why would I have a side piece, a boy toy, or a zaddy?”

“Because the ball-less wonder was obviously getting his rocks off with Little Miss Lab Partner and I’m going to be pissed if you were waiting at home like some chaste June Cleaver fifties housewife keeping the house clean and dinner warm in a Sunday dress and high heels.”

Minus the dress and heels her sister wasn’t far off.

Ava’s silence must have revealed the truth, because her sister’s expression dissolved into a look of disappointment. “Seriously?”

“I have to go.” Ava gave her sister a quick hug and then stepped out from behind the counter.

“This conversation is not over,” Viv called out as Ava pushed the front door open and the bell chimed above her head.

Ava knew that at some point she’d need to take a fearless inventory of why she’d stayed with Ian, but today was not the day. Today she was going to deal with the fact that she’d been drugged. That was enough for one day.

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