Melting The Ice

Chapter One:
 

“Ms. Talbot, there’s an urgent call for you at the front desk.” A liveried hotel employee spoke softly for Ava Talbot’s ears only.  Few people knew Ava was in Hawaii; even fewer knew where she was staying.  This call didn’t bode well for the continuation of her pleasant, if uneventful final night on Maui.  Gathering up her small evening bag, she allowed the hotel employee to assist her to her feet and quickly excused herself from her fellow dinner party guests to follow the concierge to the nearest courtesy phone.

“Did they mention who was calling?” She asked quietly, worry creeping into her voice.  She had left her iPhone in her bungalow, wanting to relax and enjoy a peaceful evening before heading to Cancun to join up with her friends, Macy and Lena.  There would be no danger of many peaceful evenings with the three friends together in Mexico.

“No, ma’am, just that it was urgent they speak with you immediately.” The man gestured to the white phone, discreetly mounted in an alcove close to the front desk. 

“This is Ava Talbot.” Her tone was all business.

“I’m going to kill that sonofabitch!” Her best friend and former sister-in-law, Macy Talbot’s hysterically angry voice came across the line so loudly, Ava winced.

“What’s wrong?” Immediate concern for her niece and nephew had her feeling like her heart had moved to her throat. “Is it Nate? Maddie?”

“No, the kids are fine.” Macy quickly reassured her, and then in a voice that sounded like she was trying to puke up Satan, “But they’re going to be fatherless when I get done with your stupid ass brother.” Ava let out a snort of amusement.

“Let me go to my room and call you from the iPhone so I can at least be comfortable for what I’m sure is a fascinating story.” Ava’s voice dripped sarcasm, knowing she was not going to like any of it.  She returned the phone to its cradle and headed for her bungalow, the four-inch heels of her sandals making the progress slower than she would have liked.  She didn’t know why she kept wearing these horribly uncomfortable shoes that nearly crippled her…well, she did know why; they made her legs look good and made her feel like a girly-girl. 

Her brother, Joey Talbot, was Macy’s ex-husband and the father of Ava’s nephew and niece, Nathan and Madelyn.  Unfortunately, Joey hadn’t been much of a husband or father in the first place, having really lucked out in getting a woman like Macy to even give him the time of day.  But she had loved him and took care of him until she caught him cheating with a so-called friend of hers.  To everyone’s surprise, even Ava’s and especially Joey’s, that was Macy’s point of no return and she’d promptly served him with divorce papers.  Joey hadn’t wanted the divorce but with the same token, didn’t want to put any great effort into repairing what he’d broken.  Soon after the divorce was final, he had quickly married his psychotic mistress and conveniently forgotten he had children.  Months at a time would go by between phone calls and he only lived ten miles away.  To make matters worse, Meadowbrook was a small, rural town of less than 3,000 and everybody knew everybody else’s business.  The close knit population had reeled from the shock and scandal. 

Ava had a sneaking suspicion not too many were actually surprised by Joey’s actions; she’d overheard more than one person suggesting the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.   Joey had obviously learned the importance of honoring his marriage vows from their father.  Ten years previously, Ben Talbot had left their mother in an eerily similar situation, though she and Joey had been grown and had children of their own.   The woman her dad was married to was a nice woman and nothing like the drama-loving nut Joey had brought into the family; she made you want to engage in a full-blown Jerry Springer, hair-pulling catfight.  Only Ava’s vow to not lower herself to acting like white trash had kept her from it.  Instead, she no longer acknowledged their presence and refused to even discuss any of it with her parents.  She didn’t want to hear that “But he’s your brother” crap.  Macy and Joey were grown and if they didn’t want to be together, so be it, but the way Joey had done his own children,
her
niece and nephew was more than she could stomach.  She had no tolerance for a man that couldn’t be bothered to take care of his own kids.

The iPhone was chiming at her as she entered the $5,000 a night bungalow loudly making her aware of missed calls.  She flipped through the call log and moved into the bedroom noting Macy had called multiple times before calling the hotel.  Slipping out of the evening clothes and into soft cotton lounging pajamas, she twisted her long, dark curls up on top of her head and settled onto the bed to return Macy’s call. “So what’s he done now?” Ava lay back amongst the pillows while Macy launched into the story of her ex-husband’s latest transgression.  Ava was barely listening, figuring that Joey had unsuccessfully tried to get back with Macy again, until she heard the word ‘money’ and ‘lawsuit’.  Those words always got her attention. “What did you say about money?”

“Are you even listening to me?”  Macy demanded irritation ripe in her voice.  Ava said nothing, knowing she’d been caught not listening.  “Damn it, Ava, listen to me.  Remember the last time Joey tried to come back home?”

“You mean right before we became indecently rich?”  Ava snickered and sighed with great satisfaction.  “Yep, I remember.  Why?”

“He’s filed a lawsuit in circuit court claiming that he was one of the parties that purchased that winning lottery ticket and furthermore claims we robbed him of his share!”  Macy practically yelled in her ear.  “Can you hear me now?”

“That sonofabitch! 
I’ll
kill him.”  A wave of fury washed over Ava at the audacity of her brother.  She and her two best friends, Macy and Lena had all been struggling along in their lives, trying to make ends meet and raising their kids with very little assistance from the fathers; paycheck to paycheck had been their reality.  The Powerball had grown to over $500 million and they had gone in together and purchased 30 tickets.  The rest of the story was literally history.  They had been in possession of the lone winning ticket and after taxes, had ended up with around $100 million each, give or take a few dollars.  Their lives had changed overnight.  Suddenly, they weren’t struggling for anything and the greedy and needy had started coming out of the woodwork.  Three years later and the effect on theirs and their children’s lives had been profound in good ways and bad.  “Have you called Lena?”

“Yeah, I let her know so she wouldn’t be expecting me since I will have to meet with the attorneys. Why can’t he just go away?” Macy asked plaintively.

“I’ll get my flight changed and head straight home.” Ava stated without hesitation.

“You don’t have to do that.” Macy protested. “There’s no reason for both of us to miss Cancun.”

“Nonsense.” Ava ignored Macy’s protests. “Cancun will be there when we get this settled and what kind of best friend would I be letting you go through this by yourself when there’s no need?” Ava chuckled. “Besides, I’ve been a little homesick lately.  It will be good to see my parents and be in my own home.”

“You’re a good friend.” Macy laughed, her voice already sounding lighter. “Need me to get you at the airport?”

“Just have someone drop my car off at short-term parking and I’ll drive myself home.  God only knows what time I’ll be getting in.” Ava said, her mind already racing with the things she needed to take care of before leaving Hawaii. “I’ll hit you on your iPhone as soon as I know my flight information.” A soft knock on the door of her bungalow interrupted her. “There’s someone at the door. Gotta go.” Ava disconnected the call after promising Macy she would be careful.  Ava looked through the peephole to see the handsome young surfer she’d spent a few nights with over the last couple of weeks;
what was his name? Chad? Brad?
She opened the door and there he stood in all his blonde glory, smiling at her invitingly.

“Hey, Beautiful.” He greeted her as she backed up to let him in.

“Hey, yourself.” She responded with a smile of her own. Was it Thad?  She allowed him to drop a light kiss on her lips. “Go ahead and fix yourself a drink and I’ll be right with you.” She hit the speed dial number of her travel agency to let the professionals handle the details for her change of plans.  She impatiently waited on hold while they checked times, watching Chad/Brad/Thad as he opened himself a beer from the fully stocked bar.  Damn, he was pretty.  His sun-streaked, shaggy blonde hair was nearly to his shoulders, and his long, lean body was a work of art in its own right.  There was nothing but rippling, tanned muscle everywhere.  Top that off with a pretty boy face and a fun-loving personality and he had been the perfect vacation fling.  At thirty-nine years of age, she was fourteen years older than his twenty-five and she had enjoyed every bit of that youthful enthusiasm in her bed. 

The voice of the travel agent came back on the line. “That leaves in three hours! When is the next flight?” She listened as the harried agent explained Ava would land in West Virginia within thirty-six hours if she took this flight but would be at least seventy-two if she waited for the next one. “Fine, I’ll take it. I’ll get my ticket at the counter.  Thanks.” She disconnected the call and turned to see her fling’s disappointed face.  She briefly wondered if it would be in poor taste to ask him his name....nah, why bother?  She was leaving anyway.

“You’re leaving tonight?” he asked, moving towards her with a hang dog expression on his handsome face. “I had big plans for us.” She smiled ruefully and shook her head.

“Sorry, but I have no choice.” She sighed as he pulled her into his arms, but not with regret for leaving him so unceremoniously.  She didn’t do relationships and hadn’t since the breakup with the father of her son, Patrick, seven years previously.  It was safe to say she wouldn’t miss him at all; well… she probably would end up missing the sex.  She and her friends were considered local celebrities in their tiny hometown since they had become overnight multi-millionaires.  After the way the press had hounded them, reporting on every aspect of their lives for a while, they had all learned to keep low profiles when in town so there would be no hooking up with any locals.  She figured she was looking at a long self-imposed dry spell.  “I need to get packed and get out of here, Baby.” Using the endearment to hide the fact she couldn’t remember his name was a stroke of genius, she thought, placing a quick kiss on his lips.  “Baby” looked crestfallen.

“Will you look me up when you come back to Maui?” he asked, running his hands over her hips and back.  She dropped another quick kiss on his lips before pulling out of his arms.

“Yes I will.” She stated knowing she wouldn’t.  This wasn’t ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’ and she wasn’t interested in a repeat.  Besides, how would she look him up?  She didn’t even know his name for sure.

“I will miss you, Ava.” He said softly, pulling her to him for a long, passionate kiss and reluctantly releasing her, headed for the door.

“Goodbye.” She waved at him.  As soon as the door closed behind him, she dashed for the bedroom and began throwing clothes and shoes in her suitcases, not giving the hot young stud another thought.