Page 22 of Aussie
Bear chuckled and pulled out his phone, already typing. “I’ll text her right now, but trust me, she won’t care. She loves having a full house.”
The other guys went back to their targets, but Aussie stood there, waiting while Bear fired off a quick message. A few seconds later, Bear’s phone buzzed, and he looked up with a grin. “Told you. Jocelyn says it’s no problem. The more, the merrier.”
Aussie nodded, feeling the weight on his chest lift slightly. But then Bear shot him a curious look. “Tell me a little more about these two. You’ve been real tight-lipped.”
Aussie scratched his jaw, debating how much to say. He knew the guys would be supportive, but he wasn’t sure how to explain his feelings about Ava—mostly because he hadn’t quite figured them out himself. “Christian’s a good kid. He’s the one who volunteered during that college and career day demo we did a couple of weeks back. Remember him?”
Bear’s face lit up with recognition. “Yeah, I remember him. Good kid. He seemed really eager to learn. That’s Ava’s boy?”
“Well, sort of,” Aussie said, adjusting his stance. “Ava’s his social worker. She’s been looking out for him, and from what I’ve seen, she’s doing a damn good job. She’s the kind of person who cares, you know?”
Bear crossed his arms again, clearly interested now. “And what about her? Sounds like you’ve been thinking about her a lot.”
Aussie paused, unsure how to put his thoughts into words. “She’s different. Not like anyone I’ve met before. She’s a bit closed off, though. I think it’s because of her past. She doesn’t let people in easily.”
Bear nodded slowly, taking it all in. “You serious about her?”
Aussie hesitated, feeling the weight of that question. “I don’t know if it’s serious yet. I just know there’s something there. She’s strong and independent, and she’s been taking care of Christian like he’s her own. I like that about her. I like that a lot. But I’m taking it slow. I don’t want to push her too hard.”
Bear slapped him on the shoulder with a grin. “Sounds like you’ve got your head on straight. Just don’t rush it. If she’s worth it, and it sounds like she is, take your time. I’m looking forward to meeting them both next week.”
Aussie smiled, a strange sense of calm settling over him. “Yeah. I hope they come.”
Without wasting any more time, he pulled out his phone and typed out a text to Ava.
Aussie:Hey, Ava. You mentioned that you and Christian were going to cook Thanksgiving dinner. However, I wanted to see if the two of you would like to join me at Bear and Jocelyn’s place for dinner. My whole team, along with their families, will be there. Let me know.
He hit send and stared at the screen for a moment, hoping she’d say yes. The thought of spending Thanksgiving with Avaand Christian made him feel more excited than he wanted to admit.
Pocketing his phone, Aussie took a deep breath and returned his focus to the range. He picked up his rifle and got into position, his hands steady as he lined up his shot. The target downrange blurred slightly as his mind drifted back to Ava. He hadn’t felt this way about anyone in a long time. There was something about her—something real, something worth waiting for.
As he squeezed the trigger and fired off a round, the recoil kicked into his shoulder, but all he could think about was his phone buzzing with Ava’s reply.
???
Ava sat across from Sarah in the break room, her brown-bagged lunch of a simple ham and cheese sandwich in front of her. She unwrapped it methodically, her mind elsewhere.
Sarah, sipping her iced tea, noticed the distant look in Ava’s eyes. The hum of office chatter and the faint smell of coffee lingered in the air, but Ava was miles away, stuck in a conversation she knew she needed to have.
“Everything okay with Christian?” Sarah asked, leaning forward slightly, concern evident in her tone.
Ava sighed, glancing down at her sandwich before pushing it aside. “I don’t know. Things were going really good, but the last few days, he’s been off,” she said, her voice laced with worry. “I think he might be getting bullied at school, but every time I ask him about it, he just shrugs it off like it’s nothing. But I can tell. Something’s bothering him, and it’s starting to really get to me.”
Sarah frowned, stirring her tea absently. “That’s tough. You know, sometimes kids don’t open up to their parents, no matterhow much they want to. Maybe he needs to talk to someone else. Someone who’s, you know, more relatable to him.”
Ava tilted her head, curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe he needs a guy to talk to,” Sarah said gently, her eyes locking with Ava’s. “A strong male presence.”
Ava’s heart gave a little thud in her chest as Sarah’s next words came out casually, “What about Aussie?”
A sudden flush warmed Ava’s cheeks.Aussie.His name stirred up something she hadn’t wanted to confront, and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Aussie was a good guy—he had an easy smile, was great with Christian, and every time they talked, there was this unspoken connection that left her feeling both comforted and unsettled. Could he really be the answer for Christian? And did she want him to be?
“Do you really think Aussie could help?” Ava asked, trying to mask the flood of emotions that surfaced just at the mention of his name.
“Well, he’s someone that Christian knows. He’s good with Christian. From what you’ve told me, he’s a stand-up guy. Maybe Christian needs someone like that to talk to,” Sarah said, leaning back in her chair. “I mean, you’re doing an amazing job, Ava. But maybe a guy would help.”
Ava’s chest tightened.Was she enough?She had always prided herself on being everything Christian needed. She wanted to be his support, his rock, his advocate. But now, hearing Sarah say that, it tugged at a deep-rooted insecurity she tried to bury. What if she wasn’t enough? What if Christian really did need someone like Aussie in his life? Someone she could never be?
