Page 37 of Unexpected Love

I spin in my seat to face her. “I thought you figured it out that night. My dad loves to exaggerate. You have to look for context clues to determine which parts are true and which are inflated for dramatic effect.”

“So you and your friends didn’t toilet paper the principal’s house when you were in high school? And your senior class prank didn’t include moving the principal’s office furniture to the roof?”

Walt laughs as he sets a pint of Guinness in front of Ava without her asking for it. She smiles in thanks before looking back at me.

“Well, if you knew anything about Dr. Killroy, you would understand why we did it. That man was a killjoy.”

“What an unfortunate name,” Walt mumbles. “But Gage is right. That man was principal when I was in school and was a complete grumpy ass back then. So that tells you how unpleasant he was by the time Gage graduated. Should have retired well before then.”

“Hey, Walt!” Red Weaver, the town mayor, calls from the other end of the bar.

“Excuse me,” Walt says before he walks away.

Ava and I are quiet—both of us nursing our beers.

“So…” she starts, taking another sip. I’m sure she wants me to say something, but I’m letting her take the lead on where this conversation goes. “I’ve been avoiding you.”

I’m shocked she comes right out and says it. But I’m glad she does. “Yeah, I know.”

Her brows pinch in, asking without words.

“It’s a small town. Considering we’ve run into each other a few times outside of Thursday nights here, it was strange not running into you anywhere for the last two weeks,” I answer the unspoken question, turning to face her.

“Okay.” Ava turns in her seat, her legs sandwiching between mine. “I’m working on going after the things I want and not letting what I think other people will say or think dictate my actions.”

“That’s a good way to live life,” I interject.

“Yeah, well, it’s new for me…” Her voice trails off, and her eyes bounce between mine as she studies me.

I give her a minute, but when she doesn’t say anything, I press. “What does that have to do with avoiding me?”

“Look, I’ve done the one-night stand thing before—though, I’ve never done it with someone I knew I would see again.”

“Okay…” I hedge when she doesn’t continue.

“So, it’s not new to me. I know how it works, and I’m okay with it.” She stops again.

“But?” I ask.

“But you and I didn’t feel like a one-night stand.”

“Agreed.”

“I’m not looking for anything serious. As a matter of fact, I think I’m probably in the worst place I could possibly be to even consider a serious relationship.”

I lean closer to her, whispering as if what I’m about to say is a secret, even though everyone in this town already knows it. “I’m not known for serious relationships.”

She continues as if I didn’t say anything. “I don’t do casual with people I expect to see often outside the bedroom.” She looks me straight in the eye, unafraid to speak her mind, and I find itextremely attractive. “But I think I want to make an exception. With the understanding that nobody knows.”

“I like your honesty,” I tell her.

“Look, it’s no one’s business. And I know asking to keep it a secret implies that I care what other people think—which I’m trying not to do anymore—but that’s not why I want it to be a secret.”

“All right.”

Again, she plows right on through with her speech. “I don’t care what other people think, but I already have enough noise in my head, and I just don’t want anymore. I want to do something for myself, and I don’t need to hear anyone else’s opinions.” The color in her cheeks rises, and so does her voice the longer she talks. It’s clear this is something she’s thought about for a while and feels passionate about.

“Ava.” I reach for her arm, trying to calm her down. “As long as I can talk to you in public and we can have the occasional beer together like we are right now, I’m good with keeping it a secret.”

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