Page 22 of Make It Last

“Do you like her?”

“Maybe.”

Maisie tilted her head to the side. “Well, you better be nice. She’s injured.”

“She kissed me.” I felt pressed to point that out again.

“Can you forget the kiss? You’re not a casual guy, Tanner.”

“I’m not.” I wasn’t, but then I was. It wasn’t like I was trying to live like a monk, but I might as well have been.

“I don’t know what to tell you. I’m assuming she’s only here until she heals, so you have to consider that. Unless you want to legit sweep her off her feet and make her fall in love with you and live happily ever after.”

“Slow your roll, Maisie.” My eyes widened.

“What? There’s nothing wrong with wanting something big. Shoot your shot, man, if that’s what you want.”

“I don’t know if that’s what I want. I barely know her.”

“Mmm. But you like her. The fact you even asked me about this is revealing.”

“Oh my God,” I muttered.

“You have two options. Tell her you understand, or tell her you want more. Those are your options. Or ignore her.”

“Well, that seems rude.”

“Yeah, and that’s totally not your style. That would go against the grain big time. You’re not an asshole, so don’t become one all of a sudden.”

At that moment, Maisie’s ever-present earbud in one ear chimed.

“Oops, I gotta take this. It’s the emergency line.” Without another word, she stood, squeezing my shoulder as she raced back to the front.

The thing was, I’d happily kiss Ava again and again and again. Best kiss of my life. Seriously. Yet Maisie was right. Ava was only here temporarily, so I had to figure out what to do about that. I didn’t judge people who had casual relationships. It was just a challenge for me.

I shook my head as I stood and pocketed my phone. For now, I wasn’t going to respond.

Later that afternoon, I stopped by Firehouse Café. I was in the midst of eyeing the donuts when my phone vibrated. I slipped it out of my pocket to see a text from Ava.

Ava: Seriously? You’re not even going to reply? I can’t believe this. That’s rude.

I chuckled aloud. Luna, who happened to be behind the counter, caught my gaze when I lifted it. “And who might that be, Tanner?” she asked.

I eyed her for a moment. “No one.”

Janet James came out from the back, hearing my reply. Her eyes narrowed, amusement flickering there. “Well, it’s obviously not no one, Tanner.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s Ava.”

Janet looked puzzled, just as Parker came walking in from the doorway. Luna and Janet asked in unison, “Who’s Ava?”

At which point, Parker replied, “The woman he carried off the mountain. He’s her hero.”

“Oh my God, what is with this hero stuff?”

“What do you mean? We’re all heroes,” Parker teased.

Janet chuckled. “Well, whoever Ava is, she makes you smile, and you don’t smile enough these days,” she pointed out with a wink.