Page 53 of Savage Ends

“Do you think she has a problem with who I was with last night?”Ava asked.

Violet shrugged.“I have no idea, but this delivery is a big one, and I’ve got to get going.I’ve fed and walked Bernice.Are you joining us when you’re ready?”Violet asked.

“Yeah.I’ll have a quick shower, some breakfast, and I’ll be right over.”

Her sister nodded, but then put a hand on her shoulder.“Don’t be feeling guilty, Ava.There is no reason to be.”

She smiled at her sister, and then Violet was gone, leaving Ava to look at Bernice.“You want to come with me to the bathroom?”

Bernice looked at the stairs, and Ava chuckled as her dog walked into the sitting room, jumped on the sofa, and got herself nice and comfortable.

She didn’t dawdle.Rushing upstairs, she got showered in less than ten minutes.Dried her hair with a blow-dryer, changed into jeans, and an oversized sweater.Then she was downstairs, complete with thick fluffy socks, as she poured herself a large bowl of cereal, along with a giant mug of coffee.

She ate quickly, poured her coffee into a thermos mug to take with her, turned off all the coffee machines, and then got Bernice to follow her back out to the car.

Ava waited for her dog to climb in, she secured her in place, and then drove out to her mother’s fabric store.It was still too early to open.There were no customers in the main parking lot, and she parked the car and made her way inside, along with Bernice.

She gave her dog a few treats as she wandered into the back to the staff room, where they had made a bed for her.

“Hey, sweetie,” Hazel said.

Violet was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was in the back taking stock of the delivery.Her mother was going through some paperwork.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Did you have a good time last night?”Hazel asked.

Ava nodded.“Yeah, I did.Are you upset with me?”

She watched as her mother frowned and then lowered the paperwork she was reading.Ava held her breath as she waited for her mother to say or do something.

Finally, Hazel looked toward her.“Why would I be upset with you?”

“Because ...I don’t know.The party, and being with Pat, and the fact he’s in an MC club, and you know more about that club than I do.”

Hazel sighed.“How does Pat make you feel?”

She opened her mouth and then closed it.

“Don’t play dumb with me.Tell me.”

“Like I’m the only person that matters to him.The world, to me, seems to fade away, and I want to know he’s okay and that he is happy.”

Hazel smiled.“Look, your choice of a man might be dubious.I’m not even going to pretend about that.Pat has a history, but I am not going to get in the way when my daughter is falling for a guy.He is older than you, and that does concern me.I don’t want you doing anything you don’t want to do.”

“He’s a gentleman, Mom,” Ava said.

Her mother looked doubtful.

“With me, he is.Trust me, I wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want to do.”

Hazel nodded.“I know as long as he treated you right and was a good man, your father wouldn’t have a problem.Your father would of course have threatened him.”

Ava laughed.“You think so?”

“I know so.When Violet’s prom date, Ryan, came to the house, your father was conveniently cleaning his shotgun.”Hazel laughed and then Ava saw the sadness return.“I miss your father.”

“I know,” Ava said.She was not going to say she did as well.