I slam my front door, to find Ava sitting on the couch.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, annoyance in my tone.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I still wrote part of that rent check every month.” Ava stands up, grabbing a bowl from the table and moves to the kitchen.

“Sorry. It's just you're never here these days.”

She nods, understanding. “Yeah, well it's boy bonding night. Dane and Toby went camping.”

I sit on the stool across from her as she washes the bowl.

“Then I say we should have girl's night out.” I stand up.

“Where?” Ava asks, staring down at her yoga pants and T-shirt.

“I don't know. There's nothing to do in this town.”

“I thought you'd be making Garrett dinner, you know your plan to show him what he's missing?” Her eyes light up with mischief like she's the one with the plan.

“Turns out I suck at that role.” I shrug. “I've wanted Garrett for years, and I thought I had the patience and drive to slowly pull him out of the coffin he's buried himself in after Melissa died, but I don't. Is it so bad that I want him to chase me for once?”

She smiles and leans over the counter, placing both her hands on top of mine. “Not at all. Sometimes you need to show ‘em what they're missing.”

“And if he doesn't come to that realization?” I ask, fear twisting my stomach.

“Then he's stupid. But I've seen the way he looks at you, Charlie. I think you made the right move. Make him come to you.”

I cross my fingers up in the air. “Here's hoping.”

“What about girl’s night in?” The back door opens at the exact moment Ava suggests that.

“Strike that,” we say in unison and Vance stands confused in the doorway.

“Hello to you two, too.” He heads to the fridge, grabbing a beer and cracking it open right away.

“Sorry, we were going to have girl’s night in,” I say and accept the beer he offers.

“I'm game. Are we gonna do face masks, eat chocolate, and talk about the boys we like?” He grabs another beer and sits down next to me, placing his chin in his palm, giving us his undivided attention.

I use my hand to push him off the chair and he loses his balance for a second but recovers quickly.

“I can bake something?” Ava offers and I laugh.

“You bake every day.”

She shrugs. “I like it and Toby made me promise not to read any Harry Potter until he got back. He's having fun with us reading at the same pace and talking about it.”

It's pretty cool how much Ava and Toby have bonded since she came into the Murray's life.

“Let's go play bingo.” Vance slaps the table. “After we can go to Double D's and eat fries and burgers and milkshakes.”

I crinkle my forehead trying to find my brother in there somewhere. “You really don't have much of a life in L.A., do you?”

“I'm definitely not playing bingo and eating greasy foods, so, humor me.”

He stands up and holds out his hand for me.

I look over to Ava and she shakes her head. “I'm out. You two have fun.”

What the hell?

I accept my brother's invitation and the two of us leave our beers on the counter and walk out the back door.

“See you two later,” Ava singsongs right as the door shuts behind us.

* * *

Vance and I walk into the Veteran's Hall to play bingo, but Vance never makes it to the table. He gets stopped and asked a million questions about Los Angeles and what it's like being a big time producer.

In the meantime, I grab my bingo card and Miss Betty, the librarian lets me borrow one of her markers.

“You haven't been at Happy Daze very much,” she says to me.

I nod. “I got a full-time job at the middle school, so, I don't need all the hours at the tavern anymore.”

Her lips turn down. “Poor Dane. He'll be lost without you.”

Miss Betty was in love with Marcus' dad. He died six years ago and I don't think she's moved on either. Not that there are a ton of prospects in Climax Cove. Especially for the over fifty crowd.

“He'll survive.” I press my marker down on B four. “So, Miss Betty, any boyfriends?”

A slow rising smile turns up her lips. “No, Charlie. I'm not sure I'll go down that road again.”

“Why not?”

She shrugs, pressing her marker on O seventy-two. She's one match away from bingo and I find myself hoping she wins. “I had the love of my life. I'll meet him in heaven when my time is up.”

Great, another widower who says they can't move on.

I glance over my shoulder finding Vance stuck in the middle of four women from the Mystery Book Club asking him questions. He pleads with me to save him with his eyes, but I laugh and turn around. Serves him right for never visiting home.

“What about you? Rumors put you and Garrett Shaw together.” Miss Betty waggles her eyebrows a few times.

“Rumors are wrong.”

“Oh, I always thought you two would be wonderful together.” She presses her marker on N thirty-four. “BINGO!” she screams and stands up, waving her card in her hand. She looks down at me. “You need to come every Saturday night. You're my good luck charm.”

Fat chance.

I pick up my card.

“Congratulations, Miss Betty.” I hug her and Mr. Lockheed walks over with the assistance of his cane to check her card.

With Miss Betty's winning cries fading, I stand outside the circle with Vance in the middle for a moment.

“Sorry, ladies, but Vance and I are heading to Double D's.”

Vance gives me a thankful smile. We say our goodbyes and then head out.

“You're the best,” he whispers when we're outside the doors.

“Okay, bingo is depressing. We're going straight to the French fries with chocolate ice cream,” I say.

He swings his arms around my shoulders. “I have no idea how you do that, but tonight, it's on me.”

It doesn’t take us long to walk the block to Double D's and Vance opens the door like the gentleman my mom taught him to be, but my feet freeze when I get inside because the back and broad shoulders at the counter are way too familiar.

He never turns around and from what I can see, he's eating a slice of pie, drinking a coffee. Alone, in a diner on a Saturday night. Is this really what this man wants for the rest of his life? To live his life like he’s already an eighty-year-old man?

“I was wondering when you were gonna come see me,” Debbie says from behind the counter. The one-half of the Double D, runs over, wrapping her arms around Vance. “The big L.A. hotshot in the flesh.” She steps back from their embrace and then slaps his shoulder. “Took you long enough to come home.”

Garrett's chair spins around and I think the smile on his face must’ve been from expecting to see Vance because the corners tip down a bit when he notices me.

Vance rubs his arm. “Hey, Deb. Sorry,” he mumbles.

“Come in, come in. Denis is out for the night, but we have a great night cook in that you'll love. What are you craving?” She ushers him to the booth.

My gaze follows them and I should be following, but a large body approaches me and I freeze. My voice catches in my throat.

“I need to talk to you,” he mumbles and I look around.

Nope. Still just me standing here.

I guess we’re doing this.