Page 97 of Destiny

“Wow. A triquetra split with a lightning bolt. There’s got to be a story there.”

“I just got it. That’s why it still has the bandage. And yes, there’s a story.”

“Did it hurt too badly?”

“It hurt like a mother, but it was good pain. Pain I needed.”

“I see.”

“Do you?” I sigh. “I’m not sure I did until this very moment. All this time I’ve been thinking I was being challenged for who I was, but I believe my grandmother was trying to manipulate me into thinking I’m something I’m not. This tattoo reminds me that there will always be challenges to my balance, but if I’m secure in who I am, they won’t matter. I know who I am, Brendan.”

“You’re Ava. Sweet, simple Ava.”

“Simple?” I chuckle.

He traces my lower lip with his finger. “I mean that in a good way. You know who you are. You always have, and nothing changes that. Not your newfound knowledge of your genetic makeup, and not the fact that your grandmother reached out to you.”

“I know, and now I have this tattoo to remind me that sometimes life will throw me curveballs, but that doesn’t have to change anything.”

“Ava…” His lips come down on mine in a gentle but passionate kiss.

We kiss for a while, his hard dick pushing against my belly, until he stops, looks down at me, pushes my pink hair out of my face.

“I love you so much. I can’t wait until you’re my wife.”

“I can’t wait either, Brendan. But you know, we’re going to have to figure something out about the bar and the bakery. If we ever want to see each other, that is.”

“I know. I think we’re both going to have to learn to delegate,” he says.

“I never thought I’d want to, Brendan. But if it means spending time with you, I will gladly learn to delegate.”

His lips come down on mine again, and he thrusts his cock inside me.

And we make slow sweet love, for a long, long time.

Chapter Thirty-One

Brendan

Later that evening, Ava and I head to the ranch to meet Ryan and Ruby at Jonah and Melanie Steel’s house. It’s after dinner because no one wants to mess with small talk.

“I don’t know much about our grandfather,” Jonah says. “But from what Idoknow, I wouldn’t put it past him to father a bastard child, so it never occurred to me to think it might not be true.”

“But this is all just a theory,” Ruby says. “What we need is for Ryan and Lauren Wingdam to get DNA tested. That will tell us if they’re full or half siblings. Tucker is the best at DNA analysis. He’s quick too, and he owes me many favors.”

“I need to talk to Wendy,” Ava says.

“Sweetie…” From Ruby.

“No, Mom, she feels some kind of connection with me. I let it get to me, partially because I feel it too, but now I see that she was trying to manipulate me.”

“She’s good at that,” Ryan says dryly.

“I think I can get her to level with me. If I play my cards right.”

“Ava, she’ll hold nothing back,” Ryan says. “She’ll pull out every trick in her book to manipulate you.”

“I know that, Daddy. But still, I’ve got to try. If anyone’s going to get information out of her, it’s got to be me. She feels like I’m her”—air quotes—“progeny, which I don’t understand. You’re her progeny, Gina’s her progeny. Lauren and Jack too. Even Pat Lamone. But for some reason she chose me.” Ava jingles the bracelets on her wrist. “Do you remember Grandma Didi having these when you were little?”

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