Page 27 of Aussie
While Christian was occupied, Ava found herself drawn into the kitchen, where Jocelyn, Clover, Hannah, and Gabby were preparing some last-minute dishes. Jocelyn offered her a glass of wine, which she gladly accepted.
“So,” Jocelyn began, a knowing smile on her face, “what’s the story with you and Aussie?”
Ava laughed, feeling her cheeks warm again. She sighed. “We’re just…Well, I really don’t know,” she said, glancing down at her glass. “But, I won’t lie, I am attracted to him.”
“That’s how it started for Tanner and me,” Gabby said, chuckling.
Ava gave her a confused look. “I thought you were engaged to Playboy?” she asked, and Gabby laughed again.
“Oh, I am. And Tanner is Playboy. I just can’t find it in myself to call my future husband Playboy. So, I choose to call him by his birth name.
Ava grinned. “I think I would do the same.”
“Now, getting back to Aussie. He’s a sweet guy. And it’s obvious he thinks the world of you and Christian,” Clover piped in as she set out a tray of cookies.
The women shared their stories with Ava, drawing her into their tight-knit circle. Jocelyn explained that she and Bear had been high school sweethearts but had drifted apart over the years. “But then, earlier this year, I was working in Chad, and the team was sent to protect me. It was like fate, pulling us back together.” She smiled, her voice laced with nostalgia.
Clover, in her relaxed yet confident way, shared that she’d been a Marine helicopter pilot until a serious injury led her to join Rockwell Security, where she worked with Gabby. “Life takes you where you’re supposed to go, one way or another,” she said.
Then Hannah chimed in, her eyes lighting up as she talked about meeting Duke. “We met in Hawaii while I was visiting Pearl Harbor. I thought it’d be a vacation fling, but we both fell hard. Now here we are, with little Isadora.” She beamed, glancing at her baby girl with pride.
Finally, Gabby spoke up, her gaze steady as she talked about how she’d recently started dating Playboy.
“We’ve known each other a while, but it wasn’t until recently that things fell into place.” Her voice softened when she explained her injury, sharing that she’d lost part of her leg while working for the Coast Guard’s MSRT team. “But as Clover said, I work at Rockwell and life’s good.”
Ava listened, captivated by each story. She felt honored to be in the presence of such a close, supportive group of women. For the next hour or so, they all laughed and told stories.
When dinner was finally ready, everyone gathered around the table, filling seats with laughter and conversation. Ava took her place between Christian and Aussie. She was grateful to be surrounded by warmth, acceptance, and a sense of belonging that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
As everyone started to eat and continued with their conversations, Ava felt a warmth blossom in her chest as she watched Christian, relaxed and animated, laughing with Bear and Jocelyn’s kids even though they were a few years younger.
She glanced at Aussie next to her, and she felt a flutter of hope. Maybe she’d found a place for her and Christian here. And as her gaze met Aussie’s, he winked, and she knew that this Thanksgiving would be one to remember.
Just as she was reaching for a dish, Nails, who was sitting across from her, leaned back in his chair with a mischievous glint in his eye and directed a comment at Gabby. “Hey, Gabby, did you hear the news about Vice Admiral Alley?”
Gabby’s nose wrinkled in distaste at the name, and Ava’s curiosity piqued instantly. She turned to Gabby. “Who’s Vice Admiral Alley?”
Gabby rolled her eyes, leaning in conspiratorially. “He’s the guy who tried to get me kicked out of the Coast Guard after Iwas injured. He’s one of those egotistical men who think women don’t belong in high-profile positions.”
Ava frowned. “What happened?”
“Oh, his little plan backfired, big time,” Gabby said with a smirk. “The Homeland Secretary stepped in and made it clear it wasn’t his call to make. He called him out in front of everyone during my Medical Review Board hearing. He also ordered an investigation into Alley’s action. And I hear that they uncovered a little scheme Alley and his cronies who were in other positions within the Coast Guard were involved in getting people they had a beef with transferred to lower-level jobs or, like in my case, forced them into retiring. Rumor has it that he’ll be retiring at the end of the year. Well, either he retires, or he’s getting the boot. Oh! And they demoted him one rank.”
The whole table broke into laughter, each of Aussie’s teammates jumping in with their sarcastic remarks.
Bear leaned back, shaking his head. “Serves the shithead right. Good riddance.”
With a laugh, Gabby raised her glass. “Here’s to Alley taking an early retirement. The first real thing he’s contributed to the Coast Guard.”
Everyone cheered, raising their glasses in agreement.
While the conversation flowed, Ava noticed Aussie leaning in closer from where he sat beside her. His voice was low, just for her to hear. “I’m really glad you and Christian came tonight, Ava.”
The warmth in his tone gave her butterflies, and her pulse quickened. She looked at him, her face softening with a smile. “Thank you for inviting us. I’m glad we came, too.”
Their eyes met, and Ava felt herself get lost in his gaze, her surroundings fading into the background. She knew that if they hadn’t been at the dinner table, surrounded by Aussie's family and friends, she would’ve closed the distance between themright then. She could almost feel the pull as they gazed at each other.
But before she could do anything about it, she noticed Gabby and Clover across the table. They were watching her and sharing amused glances. Blushing, Ava cleared her throat and stood up. “I’ll start clearing the dishes,” she said, giving herself a reason to escape for a moment.
