Page 64 of Little Fury

“How are you?”

“I’m well, Miss, thank you.”

“Caden, please call me Ava.”

“Ava,”he says, trying it out.

“You were a ranger? Do you miss it?”

“I was, and I do, but only because I miss the order; I miss the regiment of it all,”he says evenly.

“I’m sorry about your guys and your mom.”

“All good, Ava. It’s just life.”

“Favorite colour?”

His lip twitches the tiniest bit,“Purple,”he says, and I hear it.

“Gonna need that explained, Caden. Not many grownmen have the color purple as their favorite unless you’re a Vikings fan?”

He looks at me, narrowing his eyes.“Not a Vikings fan. My mom loved purple. Obsessively loved it. It’s ingrained in my DNA, seeing as how I grew up surrounded by it.”

“And now, when you think of purple, you get warm fuzzies remembering your mama,”I say, not looking for confirmation. But he does, nodding his head at me.

“Favorite food?”

“Fresh baked bread.”

I let him see that I was surprised by that answer.

“What do you know about me?”

“You’re smart, really well trained, lost your parents young and now you do bad things.”

“Ha,”I bark out.“Yes, that's all correct. How do you feel about doing bad things?”

It’s his turn to laugh.“Parker filled me in, Ava. I wouldn’t have called if I couldn’t give 100% to you and our team. I follow orders well. I’m better than good with explosives. I’m trained to be calm in all situations. I know your history, and I would be happy to work for you.”

“Perfect! Parker will contact you with your plane tickets and hotel information. I need you in New York on the 17th. Does that work?”

“It does. See you then, Ava.”

“See you soon, Caden.”He disconnects the call.

I get a text from Parker; Matt will video call in a couple of hours as he is at a U-9 jiu-jitsu tournament. Looking at the time, I still have about four hours before Marcus will be ready to meet for dinner. The ocean is calling me; I head to my bedroom and change into one of my bathing suits. It’s a pink string bikini. I love the color against my tanned skin, and my ass looks great in it. I spray myself with sunscreen, grab a wide-brim hat and a towel, and head to the water.

The beach is quiet for such a lovely day, but I don’t mind. I drop my towel and hat and continue to the water, walking in and enjoying the warmth of it. The crystal-clear water always makes me feel so relaxed. I wade out before I float, my eyes closed, clearing my mind. I let the water cradle me. The water is soft, and the tiny waves caress my skin. I feel some fish swim by, so I turn to tread water to watch them. I have no idea what kind they are, but they’re pretty and have lovely colours. I haven't swum out to it, but there is a reef is nearby. It makes for some beautiful aquatic life.

I float and swim a while longer before I leave the ocean. The sun is about to set, so I head back to the house. I see the outside shower and decide it is calling my name. I start it and step under the spray of water. I untie my bathing suit, hanging it over the side of the shower.

No one is on the beach, so I don’t bother closing the shower door. I leave it open and enjoy the stunning sunset as I wash the ocean's salt from my skin and hair. The sun is barely a sliver when I turn off the shower. I grab a towel from the outdoor stash and wrap it around myself. I ring my hair out, twist it, and pile it on top of my head. I enter the house, realizing I have left the music on.“House Of The Rising Sun”by the Animals is playing. I heard this song a lot growing up. It was one of my dad’s favorites.

I walk into my bedroom and grab a towel for my hair. I head back out to the dining room, cleaning up my snack from earlier. I throw out the garbage and put the compost in the bin. I grab a beer and pop off the top when I hear my computer ring. I look down at my towel.“Fuck.”I walk over to the screen and answer the call, sitting down as his face fills the screen.

“Hey,”he says.“Want to call me back when you have some clothes on?”he grumbles at me.

“I’m fine, Matt, but if it bothers you, I can throw some clothes on.”

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