Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
Joseph leaves and Ava goes back to looking between her friend and brother. She’s not telling me something. “You’ve noticed it too?” I ask, subtly hinting that I’m aware of the atmosphere.
“Yes, but I’ve been warned to mind my own business.”
About Kate and Sam, yes, but we’re not talking about Kate and Sam, and we all know what will happen if I step in and make sure Dan knows how I feel about any interference. “You have, but I didn’t say you couldn’t tell your brother to back off.”
Ava looks at me in horror as Elizabeth excuses herself. I stand, polite, feeling my wife’s eyes lift with me, and nod when Elizabeth declares she’ll be back.
“You want me to warn my brother off?” Ava asks the moment her mother is out of earshot.
I need to be honest. As does Ava. She won’t let me talk to Dan, because she knows damn well I won’t hold back. She also knows her brother won’t take too kindly to being told what to do by the family’s new golden boy. But . . . “I think he needs to be told. I don’t want to upset you by doing it myself, so perhaps you should have a word with him.” Appeal to his reasonable side, if he has one.
“I’ll speak to him.” She looks at her toast, grimaces, and places it back down. The thought of talking to her brother has obviously put her off her breakfast. “And before you start”—a halting hand comes up—“I’m not hungry.”
“You need to eat, baby,” I say softly.
Her hand stops mine reaching forward. “I’m not hungry,” she says again. “Can we go home now?”
What am I going to do? Make a scene over toast when I’ve just spent the best part of breakfast ensuring Ava doesn’t make a scene herself? “We can go home now.” I stand and pull her up. “Come on.” I take her shoulders and push her toward the door. “I need to find John.”
“I haven’t seen him this morning.”
No, so where is he? “You say your goodbyes, I’ll meet you out front.”
“Okay.”
I leave Ava at Sam and Kate’s table, heading through the summer room, calling John on my way. “Where are you?” I ask when he answers. I push my way into my office.
“Here.” He’s at my desk, and he looks like he’s had no sleep whatsoever. His shades are hanging under his chin. His tie loose. His suit crumpled.
“Have you been to bed?”
He lifts his eyes but not his head.
“What’s going on?” I ask, closing the door, my heart climbing into my throat. “Is it Sarah?”
He stands, going to the fridge and getting a bottle of water. “She turned up here.”
My jaw loses all control, dropping. “What?” Coral and Sarah? Jesus Christ, I’d be divorced if Ava knew.
“You were in bed. Everyone was in bed.”
In a bit of a daze, I walk to the chair and drop into it. “Drunk?”
“Smashed.”
“More than drink?”
He shrugs, unscrewing the cap of his water and glugging it back.
“Fuck,” I hiss, rubbing at my forehead. I take no pleasure from the state Sarah’s clearly in. None at all. “What did you do? Shit, John, you should have called me.”
He turns, his eyebrows slowly creeping up his forehead. Okay, yes, stupid suggestion. “I put her in my car and drove her home.”
“She let you?”
“She was hardly in any fit state to fight me off.”
“Wait, how did she get here?”
Another slow rise of his brows.
“She drove?” I balk at him. “Fucking hell.” Is she out of her mind? I pause that thought and rewind. Stupid fucking question. “She could be dead.”
“Hmmm.” John’s thoughtful as he finishes his drink and tosses the bottle in the bin. “I’m going to check up on her.”
What can I say or do? Offer to help? We both know that can’t happen, and not only because my new wife will undoubtedly tip the edge if she found out I was dealing with another woman from my past on our wedding weekend. My intervention would also mislead Sarah into thinking I care. Fuck, I do care, we all know it. But I can’t be involved anymore. I can’t.
I drop my head in my hands. “Shit.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
“You shouldn’t have to deal with this, John. She needs to pull herself together.” I wince. Harsh.
A knock at the door sounds and Sam pokes his head round. “Ava’s looking for you.”
I sigh, standing. “I’m coming.”
“Meet me round the back,” Sam says to John, before he disappears. I look at John in question.
“He’s following me to Sarah’s in my car. I need to drive hers.”
“Her car’s out front?” I ask, alarmed. If Ava sees that, I’m toast. I let out a stupid bark of laughter.
“No, it’s around the back.”
“Right, yes, good.” Of course he’d have it covered. Protect me. I frown at the carpet. “What do you think of Ava’s brother?”