Protecting You (A McCord Family Novel Book 1) (7 page)

Markus raised an eyebrow at him. "Eat up, man. No New Yorker worth his salt denies one of these babies."

"Didn't you live on a farm?" Ashley asked seriously.

Jimmy looked perplexed. "Yes, I did, but that doesn't have anything to do with having a hot dog, Ash." Jimmy sighed at Ava as he took it from her outstretched hand. "I was never a fan of hot dogs is all."

"This isn't just any hot dog. Eat up." Ava dared him to argue with her. "I'll shove it down your throat."

"Alright. Alright." Jimmy slowly brought it to his mouth and took a tentative bite. The delicious swirls of flavor enriched his taste buds. He took a few more bites and finally said, "Not bad."

Ava scoffed at him. "Not bad? You need your head examined. They're delicious. Melt in your mouth delicious." Ava saw Julie had arrived and threw up two of her fingers, hollering, "Order up."

Julie nodded in understanding.

Jimmy looked confused again as Ava smirked at him. "Oh, you're eating two, Jimmy. You're not getting out of it either."

He laughed as Julie made her way in the long line.

***

"Ava? Did you hear me?" Austin asked, concerned, as he saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Just like outside.

He could tell she hadn't eaten much yet, but he was happy she was sitting at the table and pretending. He preferred her feigning enjoyment rather than hiding out in her room. He had been worried when Eleanor told him about Zane and his visit with Ava. He had been even more worried when she refused to tell him what Zane said. He didn’t want to upset her anymore and let it go. Considering she hadn't left yet, he decided that was a step in the right direction.

"Hmm?" she asked as her eyes finally glossed back into reality.

"The meal—do you like it?" Austin asked again.

"Oh. Yes, it's good. Thank you for the meal, Eleanor," Ava said politely, glancing at Eleanor, but making sure not to make eye contact with Zane.

"You're welcome, dear. These boys work hard every day, so I try and make them good meals to sustain their bellies," Eleanor replied. She looked over at Zane, who remained quiet throughout the whole meal. "How is it for you, Zane? You've been so quiet next to me."

Zane looked up from his plate that he had just finished. "Delicious, Eleanor. There's no other word to describe your meals. I'm finished eating. I have some papers to go over in the study, if you'll excuse me." Zane grabbed his plate and walked into the kitchen without waiting for a response, or even looking at anyone.

"Are you done, Ava? You didn't eat much," Austin asked her, ignoring Zane's abrupt departure.

"Yes, I think I'm done," Ava said as she set her fork down.

"Well, let's help Eleanor clear the table and I'll go show you the pool table we have in the basement. You ever play pool?" Austin asked with a grin.

He still didn’t want her to hide in her room. While she was here, he planned to occupy her time as much as possible. She needed to breathe fresh air and get on with her life. He wasn't exactly sure how to go about doing that, but he figured getting her out of her room, not curled in bed, was a good start.

"A few times, but I'm not really up for that," Ava replied.

"Sure you are," Austin replied as he stood up and started to help take the dirty dishes into the kitchen.

Ava sighed in defeat and helped clear the table as well. Once they put everything on the counter in the kitchen, Eleanor shooed them out and told them to go play while she finished cleaning everything. Austin didn't argue with her and dragged Ava downstairs before she could go run and hide in her room.

He racked the balls on one end of the pool table and lined the cue ball up nicely on the other end. He offered Ava to make the first break, but she declined, so he went ahead and did it. He got three solids in before he missed. Ava took her turn and got two stripes in before she finally missed, making Austin slightly surprised the game may turn out good after all.

Austin eventually ended up winning and taught Ava a few moves to help her in the next round. She tried to retire to her room, but he wouldn't let her. They played one more game and Austin finally relented when her eyes started to look heavy. He walked her to her room and said goodnight to her at the bedroom door. He told her his room was on the other side of the house, and if she needed him, he was the first door on the left and Eleanor was the second door on the left.

He didn’t tell her where Zane's bedroom was and she never asked. Some things were better left unsaid.

***

Zane locked himself in the study for the rest of the evening. His curiosity took over when images kept gliding through his mind of what Austin and Ava may be doing, but not enough to go look. He eventually went to bed around eleven, figuring he couldn't delay it any longer.

Sleep came easily despite the nearness of Ava's presence. She was barely a door away from him, their only guest room centered next to his personal space. He hadn't been happy knowing how close she would be. It had been the only reason he delayed going to bed, knowing she was just a few steps away. The immediate feeling of suffocation overwhelmed him, clogging his throat when he realized where Austin had put her.

His senses were jolted into alarm when he heard a scream. The piercing sound was loud and frightening as it sent shivers throughout his body. Almost like someone was dying. He sat up in bed, glanced at the clock that read 2:35 and threw the covers off in a quick sweep. Rushing out of his room, he realized the screaming was coming from Ava's bedroom.

With nervous steps, he swiftly opened her door. She thrashed around in bed screaming. Her words froze him.

"Jimmy! Please, stay with me. I've stopped the bleeding. You're going to be fine. Jimmy, wake up."

Over and over, she repeated that. Just stood there like an idiot in her doorway. Until Zane couldn't take it anymore. Hurrying over to her bed, he sat down, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into his arms. He started to rub her back and whisper, "Shhh, Ava. It's okay. It's just a nightmare. You're safe. Everything's fine."

Ava instantly stopped screaming and started to weep softly into his chest. Her tears ran down him, making him tremor deep inside. They soaked into his skin as her words earlier had seared into his brain. He sat there holding her, rubbing her back, whispering to her that everything was okay. He wasn't completely sure if she was fully awake or actually crying in her sleep, and he was afraid to pull her away from his chest to find out.

Gradually, her body stopped shaking and the tears stopped flowing. He stayed there a few more minutes rubbing her back just in case. When her breathing returned to normal and she was definitely asleep, he gently laid her back down and pulled the covers up around her, almost like tucking a child into bed.

He gently moved a piece of hair off her cheek and slightly caressed her as he did. She looked so peaceful now as she slept, as if it all never happened. How could he hate a woman who held so much pain inside? She had cried out Jimmy's name as if she thought she could have saved him. Didn’t anyone tell her that he couldn't have been saved? That he died instantly.

It broke his heart a little inside as he remembered seeing her scream like that. In that moment, he regretted every nasty word he said to her. He wished he could take it all back. He wished he could take her pain away, but he couldn't. He couldn't even manage to take his own pain away.

This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to feel anything for her. He wanted to hate her so much, and yet, he couldn't anymore.

He caressed her cheek one more time, the urge to touch her again too much to resist. Then, standing up, he went back to bed. Around five o'clock, his alarm went off.

Ten minutes later, he walked into Ava's room and turned on the light. He decided after he left her room last night that Austin had been right. She needed help to heal and she needed to do it here. He was going to help her in the only way he knew how. Perhaps it would help him a little, too.

"Ava, wake up," Zane growled.

Ava blinked at the intruding light. She moaned slightly and rolled over to her side. She opened one eye as Zane glared down at her next to the bed.

"It's time to get up. Let's go," Zane said, throwing the covers off her.

"What are you doing? Are you making me leave already?" Ava cried as she grabbed for the covers.

Zane was faster than her, grabbing for the covers and threw them all the way on the floor. "No, I'm not making you leave. I'm telling you to get up. We got work to do. Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen. Wear good shoes. Nothing crappy like sandals or heels. You got five minutes."

"What are you talking about? What work?" she asked confused, as she was still trying to adjust her eyes to the light.

"The farm—animals to feed, pens to clean—that kind of work. Get up," Zane snapped at her again. He started for the door and turned around. "Five minutes. If you're not out in the kitchen in that time frame, I'll come back and dress you myself. Underwear and all."

Zane turned back around and walked out with a smile at her surprised expression from his last comment. As he made his way to the kitchen it aroused him, thinking he wouldn’t mind seeing her naked.

Wait, what? Hell, no. He didn't want that. He may be helping her, but he wasn't entirely sure he liked her. No, he definitely didn't want to see her naked.

He poured himself a cup of coffee as he watched Eleanor bustle around the kitchen. He watched the clock, too.

Exactly five minutes later, Ava walked into the kitchen. The sudden entrance surprised Eleanor. "Dear me, child. What are you doing awake so early?"

Ava glared at Zane. "He said I had to get up and help on the farm. So, here I am."

Eleanor turned to Zane and frowned. "Zane, let the poor girl sleep. She doesn't need to be out there in the barns."

"She's staying here, so she's helping. Simple as that," Zane replied, taking a sip of coffee.

"She's a guest here. It's not right," Eleanor said, trying to make him see reason. When something entered his mind, it was difficult to change it.

"She's no guest here," Zane snapped. The force of those words made Ava jump, Eleanor a little, too. Ava looked ready to flee the kitchen when he started speaking again. "Jimmy thought of her as family. As a sister. Austin seems to have taken that same feeling. Family always helps in the barn when they visit. I guess that makes her family and not a guest. She'll be helping whether she likes it or not. End of discussion."

Zane took another sip of coffee as he watched Ava's face go from surprise to something he couldn't quite describe.

Eleanor pierced her lips in a quizzical manner and then smiled at him without Ava seeing. She dropped the smile and turned to Ava. "Forgive me, Ava, but Zane does have a point. Family does help in the barn when they visit. It's only right you do, too, considering you're family and all."

A few tears formed in the corner of her eyes. He never meant to make her cry. That was the last thing he ever wanted. Her tears broke his heart.

Without a word to either of them, she took a small breath and started toward the door. He stopped her by placing a warm hand to her shoulder. "You need to eat first. Grab a pastry Eleanor made."

"I'm not hungry." She moved away from his contact.

"I don't care if you're hungry or not. We have a lot of work to do and you need food in your belly to hold you over. You ate all of five bites last night, which was nothing. Trust me, I counted each one. You didn't fool me with the way you moved your food around as you did. You'll eat because I say you'll eat," Zane said, jerking his head to the plate of pastries that sat on the kitchen counter.

"Are you always this bossy?" Ava asked, surprising him. Every time she spoke out against him, it shocked him. But he saw hope in it each time as well. This Ava he knew very well. This was what he wanted from her.

"Yes. Nobody defies me either. Eat. I don't have all day," Zane said, taking another sip of coffee, glaring at her to try to defy him.

She slowly took a pastry from the top and took a bite as Zane watched her every move. The minute the sweet raspberry jelly hit her taste buds she actually moaned out loud. He couldn't help but shift against the counter slightly. That moan made his mind turn to things he shouldn't think about. Ever.

She turned away from him and looked at Eleanor. "These are absolutely delicious. You didn't make these, did you?"

"Of course I did. There's no other way to do it. Store bought is just atrocious. They melt in your mouth, don't they?" Eleanor asked with pride.

Ava took another bite, shaking her head with enthusiasm as she chewed the delicious pastry. "They do. I love them, Eleanor."

Zane set his coffee down and pushed away from the counter. "Grab another one and let's go. We have a lot of work and I'm already behind." He looked over at Eleanor. "Austin obviously didn't hear his alarm. Can you wake him up, please?"

"Sure, Zane," Eleanor said as she walked out of the kitchen.

Zane looked back at Ava. "Go on. Grab another. You moaned so loud, I know you enjoyed it."

***

Ava's cheeks got warm as Zane headed for the back door. She shoved the last bite of her first pastry in her mouth and grabbed another as she rushed out after him. It was hard to keep up with him as he took big long strides. Strange how he wanted her out here working on the farm, yet refusing to be pleasant, or slow down so she could keep up.