Chapter Twenty-Six
Ava
The meeting with Anna didn’t have any consequences, but I know I’m playing with fire. For the next few weeks, I am careful. Dirk calls more often to check in, but that’s normal because we’re approaching the final phase of the project. Whenever I talk to him, I make sure to speak of Sebastian in the most impersonal way possible, and I asked Sebastian and Logan to follow suit in case Dirk contacts them. As the show approaches, the hard work pays off big time. We score a myriad of high-class and exclusive editorials, and there are more requests than ever from overseas giant luxury retailers to partner up for distribution. Martha and I are very pleased. Sadly, I don’t think she’ll remain at Bennett Enterprises too long after the show. She keeps talking about wanting to move to Seattle. The two of us come up with more publicity ideas to keep building on the momentum. I take it upon myself to sway Logan, the most rigid CFO I’ve met, to pour more budget into the campaign. Who would’ve thought that Logan, with his angelic eyes and I’m the nice brother line, would be so impossibly stubborn? I spend an entire Saturday at the office going over the new budget proposal with him and Sebastian. Thankfully, Sebastian sides with me—sleeping with the CEO totally has its perks—but it still takes hours to convince Logan.
“You know what’s unacceptable?” Logan asks, tossing the report on the desk and leaning back in his chair.
“That you’ve changed your mind about the budget? Again?” I give him a murderous look. I swear to God, I will forge his signature and call it a day if he goes back on his decision one more time. “Sebastian, you’re a very democratic CEO. Tell him it’s a done deal.”
Logan narrows his eyes, while Sebastian bursts out laughing and says from behind me, “We do things differently here. It’s unhealthy for a company if one person has too much decision-making power. Logan isn’t changing his mind again.” Stepping to my side, he gives Logan a pointed look. “Are you?”
Logan flinches. Almost imperceptibly, but he does, which brings me immense pleasure. “No, I was about to say that it’s unacceptable that it’s five o’clock on a Saturday, and we’re the only three morons in the office.”
“You want to call in more people?” Sebastian asks skeptically.
“I want to get out.” Logan leaps to his feet, pacing the room. “I need to stretch my legs.”
Sebastian grins. “Well, Alice did ask us—”
“And we stupidly said no. Can’t believe I turned her down so I could have you two crawling up my ass the entire day.” As is always the case when they tease each other, Logan sports a flashy smile.
“But we can still play a bit if we leave right now.”
“What are you guys talking about?”
“She’s officially part of the family, isn’t she?” Logan asks Sebastian, his thumb pointing at me.
Sebastian nods, which fills me with all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings.
“You’re coming to a soccer game,” Logan announces.
“Oh. I thought it was off-season now, but what do I know? Who’s playing?”
Both brothers burst out laughing.
“We’re playing,” Logan offers.
“Define ‘we.’”
“Our family,” Sebastian explains.
I snort, convinced they’re humoring me. “No, you’re not.”
“You’ll see.” Logan rubs his hands together in excitement. “Let’s go.”
“But now that you’ve approved the budget, I want to make some calls and set up—”
“It’s Saturday.” Logan emphasizes the last word as if I somehow missed the point. “You’ll find that most people don’t look forward to hearing from you today. Sebastian, convince your woman to move her sweet ass off that chair and join us.”
“Oh, I can convince her in no time. One question, is sex at the office suddenly acceptable?” Sebastian inquires. I catch his gaze and we both refrain from laughing.
Logan’s face falls. “No.”
“I’ll go, I’ll go. Lucky we’re all wearing outdoor clothes.” I don’t know if they planned it this way, but they both showed up in jeans and t-shirts. My dress is appropriate for a beach, but it’s not like I will play anyway.
***
“Whose idea was the soccer thing?” I ask as we get into Sebastian’s car. There’s a beautiful sunset today, the color of juniper, with some orange thrown in for good measure.
“Alice’s,” Sebastian and Logan say in unison.
“I didn’t know she liked soccer so much,” I say.
“Sebastian and I used to play all the time when we were kids. Eventually she learned it too,” Logan says.
“That’s not how I remember it, Logan,” Sebastian says, looking at Logan in the rearview mirror.
“Well, no,” Logan admits. “Alice was a few years older than the little ones, but still closer in age to them than to Pippa, Sebastian, and me, so she wasn’t part of the older group. We told her that if she wanted in with us, she had to learn to play ball. She actually did it. She practiced in secret and surprised us all.”
“Surprised is an understatement.” Sebastian turns the wheel with a nostalgic frown. “She kicks ass. She’s even better than Logan.”
“No, she’s not,” Logan says indignantly.
“Did she or did she not kick your ass when you played against her last year?”
“That was one time,” Logan says.
“And there was the—”
“Okay, okay, she’s great at it,” Logan admits, clearly wanting to avoid more proof of Alice’s superior skills. “You’ll see, Ava.”
“Actually, I’ll have no idea. I’ve never played or watched a game. Except in high school, when I had a crush on a jock. At his games, I was more preoccupied with eyeing him than paying attention to what was happening on the field.”
“A jock?” Sebastian gives me an incredulous look, but Logan perks up.
“Don’t look so surprised. He was hot, but he didn’t know I existed. In senior year, he asked me to tutor him in chemistry. He managed to crush all my hopes in one sentence.” I shake my head at the memory. “His IQ was insultingly low. He was as dumb as jocks come.”
I was expecting this to garner me appreciative nods, but both brothers are suspiciously silent. And the silence stretches. . .
Uh-oh.
“I was a jock,” Logan says seriously.
Cringing, I glance at Sebastian for a sign that Logan is pulling my leg, but nope. “Seeing as how you are a CFO, my dumb comment doesn’t apply to you.” I smile brightly as I say this, but Logan raises both eyebrows. I spend the rest of the drive trying to get back in his good graces. When we arrive at the Bennett house and get out of the car, I completely put my foot in my mouth.
“Wait a minute, if you were a jock, how come Alice’s better than you?”
In response, Logan narrows his eyes and walks away, just as Pippa comes to greet us. She looks after Logan with raised eyebrows, then shrugs and walks to us.
“I’m not sure Logan will forgive me anytime soon,” I tell Sebastian.
“That’s okay. He needs to have his ego taken down somewhat,” he replies.
“I agree,” Pippa says. “Haven’t met the woman yet who can do it.”
“I should introduce him to Nadine. She has a degree in it.” Also in falling in love with jerks. Except, Logan is not a jerk. On second thought, I should really tell Nadine to come down here.
“Oh, you should totally introduce her to him.” Pippa’s eyes widen.
“What’s this, Pippa?” Sebastian inquires, putting one arm around his sister’s waist and the other around mine. “I thought I was your current matchmaking project.”
“Oh, you two are a done deal.” She gestures between the two of us. I lower my eyes to my feet. Yeah, for one more month, we’re a done deal. Then we’ll have to deal with the aftermath, which will be too much heartbreak. That’s a done deal too. Sebastian’s voice is uneven as he tells me I’ll have to play at least one round with them before I dismiss soccer for good. His grip on my waist tightens as he leads me to the immense garden turned soccer pitch—otherwise also known as the place where Ava Lindt will make a complete ass of herself. There are even two nets.
I try to get out of it, using my dress and sandals as an excuse. Pippa makes the case that she’s played in a dress before, and Alice gives me the extra pair of sneakers she brought just in case.
“I won’t be good at it,” I mutter for Sebastian’s ears only. “I’ve never played ball without hitting myself or other people. . .you have no idea how much I suck.”
Sebastian lifts my jaw, planting a quick kiss on my lips. He moves his mouth to my ear. “You just used ball and suck in one sentence. Do you have any idea what that does to me?”
“Pervert,” I hiss as Alice tells us all to take our positions.
Soccer is a family event for the Bennetts. Save for the twins who are overseas, everyone is here. Thankfully, only one couple and their adorable baby, Adrian, from the cohort of adopted Bennetts are here, so all in all, only a dozen people will experience my humiliation firsthand.
Badly. That’s how much I can suck. In the span of fifteen minutes, I manage to get hit with a ball three times, the last time in the head. I’ve also managed to injure three players. I’ve muttered more apologies in these fifteen minutes than I have in the past year. My right side hurts like a bitch from falling on it, and so does my knee.
“Okay, this is clearly not working,” Sebastian says.
“Really? I thought I was doing an exceptional job,” I snap.
“I have an idea. Why don’t you babysit Adrian, and Jenna can come play?”
I look over to where he’s pointing and nod. Jenna is beyond happy when I tell her she can play in my stead, and I’ll take care of her son. She practically flies to the field, and plays well.
She, like everyone else, has embraced this sport. I turn my attention to the little bundle in my arms. Apparently, he and I are the only ones around unable to competently kick a ball.
“Well, hello, little baby.”
Baby Adrian turns out to be the cutest baby in the world. He doesn’t cry once, and smiles at me the entire time. I hug him to my chest. So this is all the fuss about babies. They smell like sugar and heaven, and they radiate happiness. He plays with my hair for a while, and then falls asleep. I redirect my attention to the field, and discover Alice is a bona fide tomboy. The few times I’ve seen her, she was wearing feminine dresses—and wearing them well, but it’s obvious she’s as comfortable in sneakers, shorts, and a tank top. Even with my limited understanding of the game, I can tell she and Logan are the best on the field. I cannot properly assess Sebastian’s performance, because I’m too preoccupied inspecting how beautifully his muscles contort with effort, but I’m sure he’s great. Not that I’m biased or anything.
After what seems like an eternity, the game is over.
Sebastian walks straight to me, smiling as he gazes down at Adrian. “The two of you seem to be getting along well.”
“There’s not much I have to do. He’s laughed at me the entire time. Look. Oh, he’s adorable.”
“You’re going to be a great mom one day.”
His words stir something inside me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m holding a baby in my lap, but my desire to have a family hits me hard. I’ve always wanted a large family, but over the past couple of years and unfortunate experiences, I put those dreams on hold. Truth is I didn’t see myself starting a family with my past boyfriends. I guess deep down I knew none of them was the one.
Yet as I look at Sebastian explaining the rules of soccer to Adrian as if he expects the toddler will play the next round with them, my heart constricts. This feels too real, beautiful, and perfect. How will I go back to empty afternoons and weekends?
“Can’t imagine how your mom managed with all of you,” I comment as Mrs. Bennett announces the grill is ready.
“I’ll go shower real quick,” he informs me. I hug baby Adrian tighter and stare after Sebastian as he enters the house, lost in thought.
“Ava.”
I snap my head up, startled to discover Alice standing right in front of me. “Sorry, I wasn’t listening.”
“What were you thinking about? You looked sad.”
Okay, so apparently Alice is the no-bullshit sibling. Something in her attitude demands honesty.
“That I’ll have to leave in a few weeks. I don’t feel ready to leave all this behind.”
“Then don’t.” Alice shrugs, as if the matter’s settled.
“I wish it were that simple.”
“Oh puh-lease. Where’s the fun in simple?”
I smile, remembering she practiced soccer in secret just to be allowed to be part of the older group. Alice is determined and competitive.
Unexpectedly, she takes baby Adrian from my arms, returns him to his mother, and tells me, “I challenge you to kick balls until you score a goal.”
“Alice, we’ll be here until the end of time.”
“I am patient.” She says this so nonchalantly I can’t help but laugh. I join her on the field. She defends the post, while I kick the hell out of the ball. Obviously, I manage to kick my own feet twice, falling to my knees. But after a lot of tries, I finally score a goal.
“I scored. I can’t believe this.” I jump up and down despite my aching knees.
“How does that feel?” Alice asks.
“Like I’m the baddest badass and invincible.”
“Good. Was getting here simple?”
I narrow my eyes. “No.”
“Point made.” She saunters to the grill area without another look back.
Yep. My assessment was spot on. She is the no-bullshit sister. I like her. I join the grill party, only to discover there’s no food left. Groaning, I slump in a chair. With the adrenaline leaving me, I’m more aware of the pain in my knees.
“Here, I saved some steak for you before everything was gone,” Sebastian says, handing me a plate and kissing my forehead. “Alice did the impossible. She deserves a medal.”
“You watched the entire time?” I eat with quick bites.
“Yes. Thought of coming to rescue you, then decided to just watch.”
“Very funny. My knees hurt.” Pulling up my dress, I wince. Both knees are bloody. I raise my legs, inspecting the damage. “Holy crap.”
To my astonishment, Sebastian laughs. “City girl. You never went hiking or stuff, did you?”
“I did too,” I reply indignantly. “But I walk on my feet, not my knees.”
“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Sebastian is still sporting a mischievous smile when Mrs. Bennett joins us.
“Oh, dear, you need to tend to those immediately.” She points at my knees, looking as worried as I feel.
“That’s where we’re going,” Sebastian informs her.
“Oh, no. You stay here, and I’ll take care of her. You gave me nightmares when you were little, always insisting on cleaning your own scratches, doing a half-assed job and getting infected.”
I feel my eyes widen, unsure what surprises me more: that she used the word half-assed or that Sebastian actually cowers a tad. Ah, nothing like a mother’s wrath.
“By all means, Mother, take care of Ava. She’ll appreciate it more than I did. Ava, be a good girl and let me know if Mom tries to give you antibiotics for a simple scratch.”
Mrs. Bennett tsks, and Sebastian takes off with a smile.
“I was a mother hen when they were little,” Mrs. Bennett confesses, “but I worried about them all the time. There were so many of them, and at least three of them were up to no good half the time, and the others were covering for them. It was madness.” Her smile tells me she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“Isn’t that what mothers do? Worry?” I remember my mom always worried about putting food on the table, about my education, about not spending enough time with me. Mostly, she worried about my future. She wanted me to have a better life than she had. I look up at the sky, believing, as I always have, that my mother can hear me, and I smile. Oh, Mother, if you could see me now. I am happy. Very happy indeed.
Mrs. Bennett puts a protective arm around me and leads me inside the house.
***
Sebastian
“What happened to Ava?” Dad asks.
“She scraped her knees. Mom’s nursing her.”
He pats my shoulder, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “I’m happy for you, son.”
Ah, the dreaded talk with Dad. I knew it was coming. Strangely, now that it’s upon me, I even find myself looking forward to it. We both sit on a bench further away from the group.
“Ava’s a great girl.”
“She is, but don’t get your hopes up. When her assignment ends, she’ll leave.”
Dad nods, as if considering my words. “I told you this before, son, but it bears repeating: nothing is more important than having someone strong to share your life with.”
“Dad—”
“Whenever there are ups and downs, we’ll be here for you. However, we’ll never replace the woman you love. You know how hard those years were before you built your business.”
“I do.”
“I wouldn’t have gotten through them without your mother. Now, I’ll go get a beer. Think about what I told you.”
***
Ava
The smell of cinnamon and raisins inside the house welcomes me, rich and warm.
“Sit here, dear.” She points to the couch in the living room. I sit and wait patiently until she returns with rubbing alcohol and cotton pads. Raising my hands, I intend to relieve her of the items and nurse my knees by myself.
“I’ll do it. You can let someone else take care of you once in a while, dear.”
“I’m not used to it.” It feels wonderful though. I remember when I was sick and Sebastian took care of me, and when Pippa did my hair. “Your son takes good care of me.”
“He’d better. That’s how I raised him.”
I offer her a smile.
“So, let me see your knees. Humor an old lady.”
I laugh. “You’re not old, Mrs. Bennett.” I point to my knees, and she immediately pours alcohol on a pad.
Holy hell, that stings.
“Motherf—” I clamp a hand over my mouth, squeezing my lips together as she tends to my wounds. The burning sensation lasts even after she’s done, though it lessens in intensity.
“I want to thank you.”
“For what?” I ask, confused.
Mrs. Bennett smiles and sits on the couch next to me. “For making my son so happy. I haven’t seen him like this in years. I don’t know if others notice the difference, but I do. He’s opened up to you and welcomed you into his life in a way I feared he’d never do.”
I remain silent, unsure what to say, my emotions rolling to form a lump in my throat.
“I was so happy when I found out he asked you to move in with him. He saw how special you are. If you aren’t next to him, he searches for you. I’ve watched him. He’s not even aware. He simply needs you.” She pulls me into a hug that I return wholeheartedly. She smells of warmth and love, and it’s wonderful and motherly. Oh no. My eyes sting. God damn it, I have to control the sprinklers. Taking a deep breath, I calm myself, and my eyes are surprisingly dry after she lets me go.
“What’s taking you two so long?” Sebastian’s voice booms from the hallway.
“Like I said, he can’t stay away from you.” Mrs. Bennett winks at me, pushing herself up from the couch and leaving the room. She and Sebastian exchange a few words in the hallway, and then the front door shuts.
Sebastian enters the living room.
“How is my girl? Ready to go back out?”
Sinking deeper in the couch, I confess, “I want to stay here a little longer. It smells like heaven.”
Sebastian furrows his brow, as if he’s considering something. “Let’s go to the kitchen and steal some pie.”
“It can’t be ready.”
“I know Mom. The pie’s been ready for at least an hour.” His eyes light up with a look of mischief. Suddenly, he appears younger by at least ten years. Taking my hand, Sebastian helps me stand, leading me to the kitchen. He’s right, the pie is ready. I cut two slices, putting them on the plates Sebastian hands me. I’m about to dive right into it, but he stops me.
“Wait, it’s better with whipped cream.”
Armed with whipped cream and the plates, Sebastian shoulders open a door that leads directly into the garden on the other side of the house. There’s no one here, and the moon is the only source of light. We settle on the small, wooden bench next to the door. I add whipped cream, and we dig in.
“This is delicious,” I mumble through mouthfuls. Sebastian grunts in agreement. Neither of us speaks until we’ve finished eating and put the plates on the floor.