Page 11 of Aussie
“Best news of the day,” Aussie said, grinning ear to ear.
Wren gave him a teasing smile. “It’s kinda funny how we all thought that you’d be the first one to settle down.”
Aussie laughed, shaking his head. “Nah, you know me. Married to the job.” Though after watching Joker, Bear, Dukeand now Playboy settle down, it made him wonder if a stable relationship would work for him.
They shared a few more laughs, and the conversation shifted back to family updates, Navy stories, and plans for future visits, which included Christmas. Aussie was completely immersed in the moment until he noticed Wren’s eyes shifting past his shoulder, her expression shifting into something more curious, almost bothered.
“What’s wrong?” Aussie asked.
She tilted her head toward the far corner of the restaurant. “Dinner doesn’t seem to be going well for that couple over there.”
Aussie chuckled. His sister had a notorious habit of being nosey, always wanting to know what everyone around her was doing. “Wren, you’re terrible. Let people have their awkward dates in peace.”
Wren smirked, her eyes still on the couple. “I’m just saying, the woman, who is beautiful, by the way, looks like she’s about to lose her shit on the guy.”
Aussie rolled his eyes, shaking his head.Classic Wren, always inventing backstories for people she didn’t know. “Honestly, you’d make a great detective. Or better yet, a gossip columnist.”
He was about to make another joke when Wren’s eyes widened. “Oh wow. She’s definitely had enough.”
Aussie turned just in time to see a woman standing up, her expression furious as she pointed at the man across from her. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized her. Her raven-colored hair matched the black skirt she was wearing.
Ava.
He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met last weekend. And now, there she was, clearly upset, grabbingher purse and storming out of the restaurant. His gut twisted with concern.
“I know her,” Aussie muttered, standing up. He barely registered Wren’s shocked expression before she started grilling him.
“Oh really?” Wren said, her voice dripping with curiosity. “She’s pretty. And I meanreallypretty. What’s the story there?”
Aussie waved her off, chuckling as he grabbed his jacket. “Not now, Wren. I’ll explain later. Be right back.”
Ignoring her barrage of questions, he quickly excused himself and slipped out of the restaurant. He spotted Ava a few feet ahead, her shoulders hunched against the chill as she looked down at her phone. Without thinking, he called out to her.
“Ava!”
She turned, and her eyes widened in surprise. “Hi! What are you doing here?”
He took a few steps toward her. Concern was etched into his features. “I was having dinner inside. I saw you storm out, and I was concerned. Is Everything alright?”
Ava forced a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m fine,” she said, trying to wave off his concern.
But Aussie was a SEAL. He’d been trained to read people, and Ava’s body language was practically shouting that something was wrong. She was tense, her hands gripping her purse a little too tightly, and she was shivering—whether from the cold or from the situation, he wasn’t sure. Either way, he wasn’t about to let her brush it off.
Without a word, he slipped off his sports coat and draped it over her shoulders. She protested weakly, but he didn’t listen. “Better?” he asked.
Ava glanced up at him, and he couldn’t help but notice how pretty she looked under the streetlights. Her black hair shimmered, drawing out the blue hue mixed throughout hersilky locks, and her unique dark blue eyes that looked nearly black held a spark even when she was upset. The slim black pencil skirt and blue blouse she wore hugged her figure perfectly, and the high heels only added to how striking she looked.
“Much better,” she replied, giving him a shy, sheepish smile.
He caught himself staring and quickly shifted his thoughts.
“Wanna take a walk?” he asked, hoping to distract her from whatever had happened inside.
When she started to nibble on her bottom lip, he knew she was torn on what to do.
“Don’t you have someone waiting for you in the restaurant?” she asked, seeming a bit nervous.
A thought then crossed his mind. He wondered if she thought he was on a date. Was she jealous? Because he felt a little jealous knowing that she was having dinner with another man.
