Page 89 of 15 Summers Later

Ava, a natural student and lover of all things to do with academia, likely would never be able to acknowledge that each day of college had been a struggle for Madi.

That she had managed the very difficult requirements to become a veterinary technician still filled her with a great sense of pride she doubted Ava would ever truly comprehend.

“No,” she said, her voice firm. “If I had become a vet, I would have to juggle the added pressure of running a clinic. I never would have had the freedom to start the sanctuary.”

Her words had become hard on the last few words. How did Ava always manage to leave Madi feeling inadequate at handling life?

“Now you’re annoyed with me again. I’m sorry I asked.”

“Not annoyed,” she corrected. “Frustrated, maybe. I thought we had settled this particular argument years ago.”

“I have always only wanted the best for you. I hope you know that. I want you to have everything you ever dreamed.”

“The core problem is that we have very different definitions about what that is. I am happy with my life. More than happy. I have everything I could ever want. My dream of running a no-kill animal rescue is coming to fruition, and soon I’ll be able to devote all my time to it. I am very happy.”

Or I was, anyway, until you decided to blab our entire life to the world and now neither of us can escape your book.

Ava looked doubtful and it was all Madi could do not to tell her sister to stay in her own lane, to worry about her own life, which seemed to be falling apart in front of her.

To her relief, her sister let the subject drop and they drove in silence until they were only about a mile from the farmhouse and animal rescue.

She should have known Ava wasn’t done making her uncomfortable.

“Luke really watches out for you, doesn’t he?” Ava said into the silence.

Madi would have preferred talking about her academic inadequacies. Luke was not a topic she wanted to discuss with her sister right now. Or ever.

Yes, Luke watched over her. And yes, she was grateful for his concern. But how could she tell Ava she wanted the man to stop looking out for her so that he could finallyseeher?

“He’s very protective of everyone,” she answered, fighting to keep her voice calm.

“But especially of you.”

“That seems to be going around,” Madi said dryly.

“Lucky you, to have so many people who love you and want the best for you,” Ava said.

“Yes. Aren’t I lucky?” Madi murmured. Why that left her feeling so bitter, she couldn’t exactly define.

24

The day I am forced to marry a man I despise, the ground beneath us crumbles. Desperation becomes the unspoken language between us as we plot our escape, determined to break free from the chains of this twisted reality.

—Ghost Lakeby Ava Howell Brooks

Ava

Ava wasn’t sure what she had said to put that bleak look in her sister’s expression, but Madi pulled her truck next to her SUV before she had the chance to ask.

As she and Madi seemed to have achieved a fragile sort of peace over the course of the afternoon and evening together, she didn’t want to ruin it by pushing, either.

She wanted to say so many things, but the words seemed to tangle. She settled on the relatively innocuous. “Thank you again for taking me up to Cullen’s camp,” she said across the width of the pickup truck cab. “I...I couldn’t have made the trip on my own.”

She had needed Madi there not only to provide transportation but also for moral support. It was no small admission.

Some of the tension in Madi’s stance seemed to seep away. “In all the excitement of finding and rescuing the dogs, I almost forgot why we drove up into the mountains in the first place.”

Ava hadn’t. She couldn’t stop thinking about Cullen’s stunned reaction to her news about the baby.

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