Chasing Ava: A Bachelor of Shell Cove Novel (The Bachelors of Shell Cove) (30 page)

“This is my girlfriend, Ava Walters.” Logan’s voice was tight. Ava looked up from her half eaten meal and came eye to eye with Logan’s mother. This was worse than bad. Horrible. And the increasing waves of nausea in her stomach said it was about to get worse.
 

 
“We are finished with brunch,” Logan said. Ava darted a look, Logan’s face was unreadable. Half eaten meals were visible on the plate. Something wasn’t right.
 

“Leaving so soon? I’ve just arrived.” Disapproval registered in his mother’s tone. “What mother wouldn’t want to spend time with her sons? My husband failed to mention that both my boys would be at brunch.”
 

“Maribelle, it’s not what you’re making it out to be.” Robert Lee commented.
 

From the woman’s comment Ava knew this was going to be a challenging encounter for all.
 

“Girlfriend? Is this the reason you are single handedly ruining your chances of securing the board position?” The woman had the audacity to point a finger at Ava.
 

“My personal relationship with Ava has no bearing on the board selection process.”
 

Ava didn’t look up, but she heard Logan’s anger.

“Does Rebecca know of your connection to this woman?” She did look up at the mention of another woman. Who was Rebecca? Maribelle’s lips curled in distaste as she dissected Ava. “Tell me girlie, how is it that you met my son?” Another blow delivered.
 

Girlie! She just referred to me as a girl! I don’t like your mother
she wanted to scream
.
And she was sure her expression was as fierce as the one aimed at her. Logan’s mother wanted a scene, but Ava had been raised to respect her elders, so she mustered her inner chi and responded to the wicked witch of the south.
 

“Logan and I met at work.”

“Are you a surgeon?” Ava knew where this was going. The haves and the have-nots.
 

“No, I’m not.”
 

“A nurse then, or some sort of technician,” she said on a bitter laugh.
 

“I am a pediatric nurse.” She was proud of what she had accomplished.
 

“Mother, leave Ava alone. Whatever you have to say, say-it-to-me.” Logan’s voice was tight and brusque.
 

“Maribelle, that’s enough.” Robert Lee said. The words were short and choppy. His face drawn, deep furrows marred his brow as he looked on at his sons and Ava.
 

“I’m making small talk with the nurse.” Her tone dripped with venom. “You must be proud of yourself gaining the attention of a surgeon, but you have overextended your reach. The Masters family has a certain standard.”

And so did Ava as she detected a faint scent of alcohol on Maribelle. She wasn’t so perfect after all.
 

“Ah crap,” Darwin bellowed aloud. “Mom let me drive you home.”

A gamut of emotions assailed Ava as she sat at the table with the Masters family flanking her shock, disbelief, anger, hurt and betrayal. She was ready to leave. To be away from this place, this disdainful woman. This was his family. His world. In the natural order of life they weren’t meant to be together. As much as it hurt to admit, she couldn’t stay here.
 

“I won’t let you get your hooks in my son. The pediatric nurse that was too good to bring me a bottle of water. I almost didn’t recognize you out of your service clothes.” So she did remember their one encounter. Lucky Ava.
 

“What are you talking about, mother?” The men at the table were confused by Maribelle’s comment.
 

“I filed a complaint against her weeks ago.” Maribelle responded with a tone of superiority. “This is a dangerous game of retribution. Targeting my son was a mistake.”
 

“Why did you file a complaint against Ava?” Logan had leaned his body protectively in front of Ava. Too bad, all the bombs were verbal.
 

“I know the damage tainted women can cause. You lure them in for your own personal gain.” Another blow delivered.
 

“Darwin, get her out of here. Get her away from Ava. I don’t care if you have to drag her out.” Logan was visibly shaking, his finger clenching and unclenching. Ava could hear the “pop” each time he curled and straightened his fingers.
 

That’s when the full arsenal was unleashed. “No child of mine, will place a lesser before me. Don’t you dare touch me on account of her,” Maribelle hissed. “You will not send me away to keep company with another tramp, Logan Masters. This one is probably worse than Brooke. You are my son. I will never allow this to happen.”
 

Nearby club patrons tossed disapproving glares in their direction. This was the family he’d pressed her to meet. Thinking how she had summoned her mom to spare him Granny Lou’s interrogation, she felt foolish. She tried to protect him from Granny Lou. She could not protect herself from his family. What would Lina do in her situation? Maybe if she kept chanting to herself she would arrive at the right answer, because Ava Elaine Walters was a millisecond away from sucker punching a well-to-do hag in the side of her head. She laughed at the violent thought.
 

“He deserves better. You will never be enough for him.” Maribelle’s words cut with surgical precision. There you have it. What Ava already knew to be true, spoken for the universe to hear. Knockout blow, delivered.
 

Ava was numb. The words pierced her soul. She felt the blood seeping through the wound, stealing the warmth from her body, leaving icy darkness in its place. Her second emotional hemorrhage. The first time she felt this soul wrenching pain a man she thought loved her had inflicted it. This time was far worse, because Logan was the man she knew she could love. She refused to allow these people to see how they had injured her.
 

It was time to go home. She was stupid to believe the outcome would be better with Logan. Men were bad medicine. Logan was a different class of drug compared to Marcus, but the side effect was the same. Pain and humiliation. She needed her safe haven. The home she’d neglected since her relationship with Logan began. Home was where she felt safe and protected.
 

Get up. Home is waiting.
 

 
Ava reached for her clutch. It was Prada, a loaner from Lina because she wanted to look her best for Logan’s family. The joke was on her. These people would never accept her. Ava stood, stretching her spine tall with every ounce of grace she could muster. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head, stiffened her chin, and settled her eyes on the occupants at the table. The numbness was taking hold, but this had to be done first.
 

“Words cannot express how grateful I am to have met the entire Masters family.” She emphasized entire, because not inviting his mother was a purposeful act of deception. With a deliberate slow motion her focus shifted to Maribelle Masters. Ava narrowed her eyes focusing on the cold glare just for her.
 

“You have nothing to worry about regarding your son and I,” Ava stated flatly, the numbness in her eyes mirrored in her voice. She looked at Logan, there was only one thing left to say. “You broke your promise.” Without another glance at the Masters family, Ava walked away.
 

He had said no harm would come to her. He was wrong.

A thousand bee stings would hurt less. Oh God, he had hurt her. Ava walked away from him. Her glare could have splintered steel. His body didn’t want to work. The agony he felt looking into her eyes nearly crippled him. He forced his body to move.
 

“Ava wait!” Logan jumped to his feet, his chair nearly falling over.
 

“Son,” Robert Lee said in a strained voice.
 

“I am ashamed to be your son. How did you let that happen? You know what’s at stake. That’s my woman,” he said pointing in the direction Ava had gone. “Not Rebecca. I’m not a Masters family stock holding. I can’t give any more to this family, than I already have.”
 

Ava needed him. And he needed her. Logan away from his family unconcerned with the damage his words may have caused, his only thought was he had to get to Ava.
 

She was under the portico of the country club by the time Logan reached her. She was looking straight ahead. He came to stand in front of her, it was then he saw the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
 

“Sweetheart,” he said cautiously. “Come here.”
 

He opened his arms needing to feel her goodness and warmth around him.
 

“Don’t tell me what to do. I hate it when you try to control me.” He jerked as her words slammed into him.

“This is not about control. You are hurting. I am here for you.” She looked at him then. And what he saw in her eyes chilled his blood. Lower lip trapped between her teeth. That was never a good sign.
 

“I don’t want your hands on me. You think I want to see your face, hear your words after what happened back there.” His heart was hammering in his ears. She was rejecting his comfort. His everything.
Think, Logan.
But, the words were all wrong.
 

“Sweetheart please, I want to hold you.”
 

“Go
hold
Rebecca. Take me home. To my house,” Ava said, with a growl.
 

“I have no interest in Rebecca Holbrook. My mother wants me to be with her, but I only want you. We can talk about some of the things she said to you.” If he took her home, she may never open the door to him again. His only hope was to speak reason to her.
 

“There is nothing that was said that requires clarification. I’m a worthless tramp who will never be good enough for you or your family.” She was looking at him, but she held her purse like she wanted to hit him with it. He took a cautionary step toward her. This was getting out of hand. Ava was eyeing him with disgust.

 
“Get away. Do not put your hands on me.” She was snarling at him, but he would risk her bite.
Talk, don’t touch.
He could do that for her. Anything to be able to hold her. Comfort her.
 

“I didn’t know she would say those things to you.” She had to know he would never subject her to a known threat. He had no idea Ava had met his mother.

“You must think I’m a stupid girl too,” she said, with contempt.

“Why are you saying this to me? Of course you are not stupid.” His mind was a mass of confusion.
 

“You may not have known the exact words she would say, but you knew she would say something about ‘the nurse.’ What happened in there is your fault! She was right. You didn’t want us to meet. When you shoved this brunch down my throat I asked about your mother. She didn’t have plans like you led me to believe. You didn’t invite her. Where I grew up we have a saying,
the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
As your mother pointedly stated, you are her son. Her tree, her fruit. I trusted you. You lied to me. I don’t want you to hold me. I don’t want anything from you.”
 

“Wait a minute,” he said with rising panic. “How can you say that to me? I am not like my mother. You know me.”

“I don’t know you, but you are teaching me a valuable lesson about cavorting with strangers. You can’t be trusted.” Logan’s head felt like it would explode. Ava said she didn’t trust him. Everything was unraveling. Cold sweat covered his body, his chest ached, and his heart was beating too fast. His brain wasn’t processing fast enough.
 

“And this is a promise you can bet I’ll keep. I will never forget what happened today.” Mind reeling, Logan didn’t know what to do.
 

 
“Are you going to drive me home or should ’the help’ start walking back to town?”

“Don’t, sweetheart, this isn’t us,” his voice almost pleading. “I’m sorry baby, sorry for everything, more than you could ever know.”
 

She cut him off before he could say another word.
 

“I’ll walk.” Ava backed away from him, and started the walk down the brick laid circular drive.