Page 111 of Reckless Love

“You’ve had a lot on your plate with taking over at the security company and then Ava and Landon’s injuries. Besides, Vanessa isn’t working right now.”

“She’s not?”

“Got let go from The Nile after the negotiation. Guess they found out what she’d been up to. I thought it was illegal to fire someone for forming a union. Then that parking garage she’d been working on while they were on strike wouldn’t take her back. When I questioned Vanessa, she told me not to worry, that she’d find something.” My mother examines our hands again. “Forgive an old lady,” she says to Ava, “but I thought you were married?”

“We’re getting a divorce,” Ava says with surprising firmness. “Once Raul is recovered, it’ll be public knowledge.”

“I’d just be careful about making this too public before that,” she says, waggling her finger between the two of us. “Bellerive society can be thorny with its disapproval. With you trying to get a lot of them as clients, Stephen, you’d best be careful.” Then she looks at me, scanning my face. “But I can see how happy you are, and I haven’t seen you this… sure of yourself in a long time. Maybe that’s all that matters.”

Ava squeezes my hand, and then she reaches over to sandwich my hand with both of her own. “I really love your son, Mrs. Foster. Truly. You and Walter raised an incredibly good man who loves with his whole heart. And we’re finally in a place where we can give that love and receive it in a healthier way than we could before.”

Ava’s declaration causes a light, bubbly feeling to overtake my body. Her certainty is so solid and steady, which is something I’ve never experienced with her before. We were always falling apart and coming back together, an endless loop.

This time, our relationship is different. We’re different. It was one thing for her to admit her feelings in private, but for her to state them with such confidence to my mother is something I never knew I needed. But I did need her to acknowledge that what we’re doing isn’t just for now, that there’s a future here. That maybe this time, we won’t fall apart at the first obstacle.

“Is Ava Tucker the reason no one else ever worked out?” my mother asks.

“She is,” I confirm. “For me, she’s been the one right from the start.”

“Oh,” she says, and that single word trembles with emotion. “I love that for you both. Even if the road isn’t smooth. Now, we just need Vanessa to find her person. Or any person, really.” She lets out a little laugh. “That girl hasn’t had much of a life since she dropped out of university to look after your dad and me.”

I frown, even though I know it’s true, have often felt guilty about everything Vanessa gave up when I was too far away to be much use.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I drag it out to see it’s Owen. “I need to take this.” I rise and wander a little ways from them in the room before answering. Ava and my mother’s soft voices are in the background when I say, “Hello?”

“I need you at my house as soon as you can.”

“New client?”

“No,” he says. “It’s personal. Get here when you can.”

I hang up and stare at my phone for a beat, wondering if it’s his personal favor or something to do with me.

“I’ll need to take you and Landon home,” I say. “Owen needs me at the office.”

Ava hugs my mom, and we collect Landon from where my father’s pile of money has been substantially diminished. I’m not convinced Landon was much help, but he can’t stop talking about how great my dad is all the way back to my house. My heart swells at the realization that someday soon, I’ll be able to tell him and my parents that they’re related. That this really great old man who lets him sit on his lap and play games is actually his grandfather.

God. My parents are going to be thrilled.

In the driveway, Landon rushes toward the house, which gives me a chance to give Ava a quick kiss. Holding her hand is one thing, but we keep the other PDA to when it’s just us.

Nothing is for sure yet, even if it feels sure in my heart.

“Will you be late?” Ava asks.

“I don’t know,” I say. “Owen didn’t tell me what this is about.”

When Owen answers his door, his expression is grim.

“Your personal emergency or mine?” I ask, stepping past him into the front foyer. His best friend, Ren, is a train wreck. Owen spends as much time bailing out his friend as he does running his company. I’ve started to question—not out loud, I wouldn’t dare—whether he gets Ren out of trouble for Ren, or if he does it for Ren’s wife, Rebecca. Whenever I’ve been around them, I’ve seen the way he looks at her when he thinks no one will notice.

“This is your life, I’m afraid,” he says, leading me back to his home office. “More specifically, your family.”

Shit. Vanessa. That’s the only thing that makes sense.

Owen slides into his leather chair and gestures for me to take a seat across from him. “Vanessa?” I guess.

“Indeed. I’m not quite sure how to break this to you.”