Chasing Ava: A Bachelor of Shell Cove Novel (The Bachelors of Shell Cove) (20 page)

“Logan you didn’t answer me.” Ava’s appealing voice was music to his ears. “Have you seen my noise-canceling earphones, they were here the last time.”

Ava rounded the corner, seeing Graham she stopped mid-sentence. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had a visitor. I’ll be in the den.”
 

“Come over, Ava. Meet Graham Hamilton III, my friend since undergraduate.”
 

“The Johns Hopkins class mate. Logan told me about you, it’s nice to meet you Graham. I’m Ava Walters.” Graham closed his grip over Ava’s slender fingers in a familiar hold. Logan waited two beats. Graham had not released her hand.
 

“Wow. You are gorgeous and the pleasure is all mine.” Graham raised Ava’s hand to plant a kiss on her wrist. Logan had warned him.
 

At his snarl, Ava jumped and Graham stilled. Logan stood, snatching Ava’s hand from his friend’s grasp.
 

“If you put your lips on my woman, a ring of spinning stars will be the last thing you see before the EMTs wheel you to the ambulance.”

“You did mention she was yours,” Graham smiled. “My apologies, Ava.” Logan pulled her into his side.

Logan saw Ava’s jaw drop at his blatant threat. Not a threat. A promise.
 

Graham’s laughter filled the room. “Hey, I was trying to understand the nature of your relationship with Ava.”
 

“You’re a pain in the...” At her glare Logan stopped short of his full comment. Graham doubled over with laughter.
 

“Nice move Ava, it’s about time a woman curbed his proclivity for profanity. A terrible habit he picked up during residency.”
 

“I can leave if we aren’t running this morning,” Graham said. Logan was glad his friend had arrived at the correct answer without his input. He wouldn’t leave Ava.
 

“Good idea to reschedule.” If they didn’t leave the house in the next ten minutes the sidewalks would be overrun with early morning java drinkers en route to any number of the Avondale coffee houses. Though he lived in a historic district, there was ample vehicular traffic, even this early on a Saturday morning. Running in the street was not safe. “No surgeries scheduled for Tuesday morning? I’ll meet you at the river walk, say six thirty,” he replied to Graham.
 

“Please don’t change your plans for me, Logan.” Ava released his hand to exit the kitchen. “I’ll go.”

He grabbed her around the waist, hauling her back to his side. “You are not leaving.”

She cut her eyes at him. “I was saying before the interruption, I will go with you. A morning run would be nice.”

Both men glanced at the other, unsure how to decline her request without offense.
 

“Sweetheart, we run ten miles on Saturday.” His comment earned him a tight face and a hard smile. Arms crossed over her chest she looked at him with narrowed eyes.
 

“A ten mile run is no big deal.” Logan looked at her with incredulity. “If I slow you down I know how to find my way back home.” Was that a hint of sarcasm in her voice? He looked at her again. She rolled her eyes upward. He smiled to himself. She was getting more comfortable with their relationship.
 

Logan was still skeptical, as was Graham judging by his grim expression. Neither man wanted to deal with the fallout of telling any woman no.
 

“Alright,” Logan said on a slow release. “You can go, but the side door will be unlocked.” She gave him a pointed look, moving toward the door.

“Oh ye of little faith,” came the snarky reply. Definitely sarcasm. This was new. He loved it. “I remember where I left my ear buds. Let me grab them and I will meet you at the door.”

They exited the house turning in the direction of Bastian Point Park. The park was nestled at the far end of the neighborhood on the banks of the Saint Dasius River.
 

Ava ran alongside him in comfortable silence. He hadn’t expected her to keep in step with their longer strides. She had established a steady pace. Looking at her form and even breathing he realized she was a trained runner. Why hadn’t she told him?
 

He and Graham were used to running without uttering one word in sixty minutes. Logan was about to break that unspoken rule.
 

“Why didn’t you tell me you are a runner?”
 

She didn’t answer.
 

At his touch, she glanced up.

“Sorry, I’m not used to sharing my run time with anyone. What did you say?”
 

So, she was a runner.
 

“You
are
a long distance runner.”
 

Why was he irritated by the discovery? Because it was something about her he didn’t know. A secret.
 

“Yes, I’ve been running since junior high. I ran track in high school. Running helps me decompress. It’s my brand of escapism.”

“You should have told me. We can run together after work.”
 

“It’s not a big deal. I run by myself. You know I like outdoor activities.”
 

She was minimizing this breach of trust.
 

“When women say that it usually means shopping in open air malls or sitting on the beach.”

“No thanks, I’d rather run.” Lengthening her stride she moved ahead, in line with Graham now. She could move fast. Logan sped up.
 

 
No woman would have the power to destroy him again. He would set the terms for their relationship. No secrets and no half-truths. “What else don’t I know about you?”

Ava’s steps faltered at the accusation in Logan’s tone. His obvious upset at what he perceived as her withholding an insignificant detail, was irrational. She said the first thing that came to mind.
 

“Is it normal for you to talk this much on your runs?”
 

Her tongue brushed the scar to her lip. She controlled the fear. This was Logan. He wouldn’t hurt her for speaking her mind.
 

Graham slowed his pace to observe the drama unfolding between her and Logan. Great.
 

A wave of laughter disrupted Ava’s thoughts and caused Logan to glare.
 

“She’s got you there.” Mirth danced in Graham’s eyes. Logan didn’t look pleased with his friend’s comment.
 

“Stay out of this Hamilton the Third,” Logan ribbed back. Graham frowned. She guessed being called that was a point of contention between the men.
 

Ava trapped her lower left lip to stop the burn.
 

“Let’s talk at home Logan. It’s a beautiful day and I
want
to finish my run.”
 

Her concentration was shot to pieces. Finish the run, get keys, and go home. That was the plan.
 

“Yeah, Logan. Your nagging is blowing my runners’ high.” Graham, similar to Lina, tried to lighten the mood.
 

She could feel Logan’s eyes at her back. His anger was palpable, even in an open space. She knew better than to get too close. The habit of staying the night with Logan was officially a step in the wrong direction.
 

The unpleasant conversation was the evidence of her poor decision making ability. She would grab her overnight bag the second they returned. Goodbye, nice to meet you song and dance for Graham’s benefit, then she would be on her way home.
 

Logan’s deep timber interrupted her escape planning. “I know how your mind works Ava. Do not try to leave when we return home.” She sighed, put on a placating smile and lied.
 

“I was thinking about my plans for tomorrow.”
 

She did need to see Lina. Her friend had dropped off the radar and Ava was worried. She knew it had something to do with Jace. Whatever he’d done it extended beyond the break-up. Jace couldn’t meet her eyes during the general staff meeting last week.
 

“You mean our plans, sweetheart.”
 

Not this time, buddy. His smooth talking was a wasted effort.
 

“Are you
planning
to attend church with me in the morning?” She tossed the invitation, knowing he had a seven thirty-five tee time with his father and Darwin. Good. They needed some time apart.
 

“Logan, when did you start going to church?” Graham asked. Logan narrowed his eyes, flattened his lip and glared at his friend.
 

“Stop interrupting Graham, or I’ll clip you in the knee.” He turned back to Ava. “I was there for two and a half hours last Sunday that should count as a double shift.”

“So you’re not coming,” she offered in a singsong voice. “I’ll see you at work on Monday.”

Logan looked at her. She shrugged.
 

“Granny Lou is cooking since my parents are on vacation. She has one rule for Sunday dinners. Commune with Jehovah or no brunch when it’s over. If you don’t go to church, you don’t eat anything she’s prepared. There’s leftover salmon in the fridge.”

“Ava, you can cook and you make sure he’s fed before you leave. You are an angel. Are you sure you want this guy? I’m a domesticated house cat compared to Logan.” She peered around Logan’s sweat glistened body to look at Graham.
 

“I’ve noticed.” Of course, she had to be infatuated with, probably falling head over stupid heels for the most controlling man in the southeastern corridor.
 

“Stop flirting with her and what do you mean you’ve noticed?”
 

Ava shifted her eyes to look at Logan. “It’s not anything bad. Graham seems to be more temperate, that’s all I meant.”

“Don’t compare me to another man.” Slowing her pace, Ava shook her head in disbelief. He had morphed into a madman.
 

She glanced in Logan’s direction, felt the flames of his anger directed at her. This was a disaster. Whatever he was truly mad about, she couldn’t fix. Time stopped, she backed away from both men.
 

“I’m going home.” Her lips began to quiver. She stumbled back on her heel, turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. Fighting back a tear, the haze of emotion obscuring her vision.

He had messed up.
 

“Masters, you are dipped in stupid.”

“I know.” His chest felt tight with anguish.
 

“Take some advice for once in your life. When handling a butterfly, take care not to crush it.” He stared at Graham for a moment.

“I have no idea why I did that to her. The thought of not knowing everything about her is grating. She amazes me, but I keep screwing up.” He ran his fingers threw his hair, mentally kicking himself again, because he fully understood the ramifications of his actions. Ava would pull away.
 

“I want her, Graham. My need for Ava borders on fanaticism. I don’t understand the intensity of what I feel. But, I will not tolerate secrets between us.”

“The fact that she likes to run and you didn’t know, doesn’t strike me as a major stumbling block to a healthy relationship,” Graham said. “Your response, on the other hand, is a game stopper.”