Page 4 of Make It Last
“It’s Ava.”
“Well, Ava, how are you?”
She let out a soft laugh. “Well, I mean, I’ve had better days.”
I tried not to notice the way her laugh vibrated against my back, or the fact that I could feel her curves shift slightly with the motion. There really wasn’t anything sexy about giving someone with a busted ankle a piggyback ride down a trail.
Ava, though, was just plain sexy. The second I’d locked eyes with her, heat had sizzled through me.
Her ponytail brushed the back of my neck with every step, like she was trying to tickle me into forgetting this was a rescue and not a date. “What brings you to Alaska?” I asked.
“Divorce trip.”
A bark of laughter slipped out of me before I could catch it. “A what?”
“Exactly.” She didn’t even hesitate. “Yes. Divorce trip.”
“For you?”
“Yep. And now I broke my ankle, I guess.”
“Well, you’ll be healed soon enough.”
“I know.” She let out a sigh right next to my ear, and the warmth of it gusted over my skin. I tried not to shiver. Goose bumps rose anyway.
“I’m sorry about your ankle break,” I said, “and I guess your divorce?”
“Oh, don’t be sorry about my divorce.”
“Okay. I’m not sorry about your divorce?” I offered.
She giggled, and I felt that sound all the way down my spine.
“Well, I’m carrying you on my back,” I added. “You might as well tell me what happened.”
“I was an idiot, and I fell in love with the wrong guy.”
“Okay?” I didn’t know where this was going.
“He cheated on me with my boss.”
“Oh, wow. What an asshole.”
“You’re telling me,” she said with gusto. “But I’m fine. I promise, I’m fine.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you’re fine.”
Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I was still trying to wrap my head around the idea that some idiot had cheated on Ava—a woman who was not only gorgeous, but funny, brave, and sparkling with attitude. With a broken ankle, she had to be hurting, but she wasn't letting it define her.
“Do you want to keep talking about your ex?” I asked finally, unsure where else to go with this.
She let out another sigh, and that one actually twisted something in my chest. I couldn’t see her face, but I felt her pain. I wanted to make it better for her.
“All this to say, not how I expected my day to go,” she replied. “We don’t need to keep talking about him. Tell me about your life.”
“My life?”
“Yeah. It’s got to be better than mine. I’ve had a shitty day.” Before I could respond, she continued, “You know what? I want to correct that. It’s shitty that I broke my ankle, but I’ve actually been enjoying this trip. Alaska has surprised me.”
