After their meal, Hunt walked Ava out to her car.
“Thanks for taking time out of your day to eat with me,” he said.
Ava shook her head. “This was my dream date, remember? I didn’t ‘take’ time to do anything. I would have fought a bear before missing this.”
Hunt grinned. “Fought a bear, huh?” Then he leaned over and kissed the side of her cheek. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to call you later.”
Ava resisted the urge to touch the place where he’d kissed her.
“Of course it’s okay. Tonight is the family viewing, so—”
“I’m not going,” Hunt said. “If I show up, then it will be all about me and where did I go? Where have I been? Why didn’t I come back. Tonight is for Mom. And my brothers and sisters will be much happier without me, too, so there’s that.”
Ava frowned. “I’m so sorry. Whatever happened, it’s not fair to you, and that’s all I’m going to say, other than feel free to call me anytime. Thank you again for dinner.”
“You’re welcome,” Hunt said. “Maybe we can do it again sometime…like in the evening, after you get off work?”
Ava beamed. “I’d love that. Take care.”
Then she jumped in her car and drove away.
Hunt was getting in the truck and missed seeing the red Porsche that pulled out of a side street and followed Ava home, but once he left the parking lot, he decided to drive by Ava’s house on the way home, just to make sure the old boyfriend wasn’t in the area.
Chapter 6
Ava was still daydreaming about her lunch with Hunt and didn’t think to check the rearview mirror before heading home. It wasn’t until she was pulling up into her drive that she caught a glimpse of red and then a car pulling in behind her. When she realized it was Vince, her heart stopped.
She had a moment of sheer panic, and then anger washed through her. The fact that he was an utter jerk was no longer in question. He was stalking her and it made her mad. She reached beneath the seat, grabbed the old baton her dad had given her years ago when she began working nights at the hospital in Savannah, and got out with it in her hand.
Vince got out, holding up his hands in a joking I-give-up gesture when he saw what she was holding.
“There are laws against stalking,” Ava said.
Vince took a step toward her, grinning. “Aw, come on, Ava. I’m not stalking you. I just wanted to clear the air. I didn’t mean anything back at the grocery store. I was just surprised to see you and—”
“You weren’t surprised. You were looking for me or you wouldn’t be here. Why are you in Blessings?” she asked.
He didn’t care that she’d caught him out, and just shrugged.
“We were in Tallahassee for the holidays. I had to leave to get back to Atlanta and—”
“Who’s we?” Ava said.
“Uh…my wife and I, and—”
“Oh, for the love of God! You’re married, and you went out of your way to look up an old girlfriend?” Ava yelled, and then whacked the hood of his car with the baton.
The dent she put in it was immediate, and Vince reacted first in shock and then in anger. He doubled up his fists and started toward her.
“Dammit, Ava, I’ll make—”
They both heard tires screeching and turned to look just in time to see a black truck sliding to a stop in front of her house.
Ava sighed. It was Hunt. She’d never been so glad to see anyone in her life.
Hunt started toward Vince Lewis like a wolf stalking prey—his gaze fixed and unwavering, without saying a word.
“Who the hell is that?” Vince asked.
“Ava, is this him?” Hunt asked.
“Yes.”
“Is he still bothering you?” Hunt asked.
“Yes.”
“Whoever the hell you are, you need to mind your own business,” Vince said, but he was backing toward his car.
“Ava is my business,” Hunt said softly. “You need to apologize for scaring her, apologize for showing your sorry-ass face back in this town again, and apologize for being on her property. Then you need to get the hell out of Blessings and don’t come back.”
Vince shuddered. “Look, I didn’t mean anything. She’s an old friend and—”
“I know who you are. I know what you did. I am not impressed,” Hunt said. “Get the hell out of Blessings, and I won’t repeat myself again.”
Vince glanced at Ava, and then shrugged. “Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.”
Ava whacked the hood of his car again.
Vince shrieked. “What the hell? I apologized!”
“You did not sound sincere,” Ava said, and raised the baton again.
Vince held up his hands again, and this time the attitude was gone.
“Don’t! I’m sorry, Ava. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry I bothered you here in Blessings. I’m sorry I intruded onto your property. As soon as I check out of the B and B, I’m leaving town.”
“Then get,” Hunt said.
Vince jumped into his car, backed out of her drive, then left rubber on the street as he sped away.
Hunt stood in the street until the man was out of sight. When he turned around, Ava was walking into her house. He followed her inside, and the sight of tears on her face hurt his heart.
“Dammit, honey, I’m sorry,” he said and opened his arms.
She walked into them, hiding her face against his chest as he pulled her close.
“I have to say, you’re hell on wheels with that baton. I was debating with myself whether I should let you whack him with it, too, and was relieved when you put another dent in his car instead.”
Ava snorted softly, then pulled away from him, wiping her face with her hands.
“Thank you for following me home. I put the first dent in the hood when he admitted he was married and still had the gall to look up an old girlfriend for the hell of it. I thought he was going to hit me when I did it, but then you arrived, so I didn’t have to test the theory.”
Hunt cupped her face, then swiped at the tears on her cheeks.
“You are something of a warrior, aren’t you? You stood up to a bully, not knowing what he would do, and you didn’t let him back you down. I think I am in serious awe of you right now. Are you going to be okay?”
Ava nodded. “Sure. I’ve been challenged by worse in the ER and came out bleeding from it. Vince Lewis is just a jerk.”