Ever After (The Christmas Cottage - Book 2) (14 page)

Ean turned and looked at her.  “Big interview today, huh?”

“Could be, who knows?” she replied lightly.

“Where are you guys staying?  There’s that great new resort up there that looks amazing.  What’s it called?”

“We’re staying at the cottage,” she
said a bit too defensively.

Ean couldn’t mask his disappointment in that statement.  “Really, Ava?”

“Really Ava what, Ean?  What is so wrong with me going to the cottage for the weekend?”  Her tone raised a little and she quieted instantly when Olivia let out a cry.  “Why is it okay for everyone else to stay at the cottage but not me?”

“Because everyone else isn’t crazy, that’s why,” he said, handing his daughter back to Lacey.

“Oh, now I’m crazy?  Gee, thanks for the update, Ean.  I appreciate that.”

“Ava,” he said with exasperation.  “You’re not crazy
, but something about that place makes you crazy.  All I’m saying is please don’t turn this weekend into some kind of crazy production and put all kinds of pressure on yourself or Brian or the house for that matter.  If you’re just looking for a nice getaway then go and enjoy it.  But don’t let yourself believe that the cottage is the be all, end all for your happiness.”

“Thanks for the advice,” she said flippantly as she headed for the door.  “Olivia’s had her breakfast and she’s clean and changed and ready for the day.”  She looked over at Lacey.  “I’ll call you when I get back.”

And then she was gone.

“That was your idea of brotherly advice?” Lacey asked him after the door shut. 

“You and I both know from personal experience what she was like at this time last year over that cottage.  She may not admit to it, but this thing that she has for that place it unrealistic.  She thinks it’s the key to all of her happiness, but it’s not.  You know it and I know it.”

Lacey had to agree.  “Nothing that anyone has said to her has changed her mind, though.”

“Maybe the wrong person is talking to her,” Ean said and kissed his wife on the cheek and then his daughter and then headed out of the room and into his home office where he thought out what needed to be done.

****

Brian arrived back at the Callahan’s thirty minutes later and was a little disappointed to see that Ava’s car was already gone.  He knew he’d be seeing her shortly and then they’d have the whole weekend together, but he found that he missed her already. 

Lacey let him in and led him into Ean’s office and then went back to
putting Olivia down for her nap.  He sat down in the chair Ean gestured to.  “The plans look good, Ean,” he began.  “I think that the whole project is going to be textbook easy and that the timeframe will be something that both you and Lacey will be comfortable with.”

“That’s great.  Really.  I knew after our meeting the other day that we were on the same page and that you understood our situation.”

“Are you really going to stay someplace else while the construction’s going on?”

“I’m keeping my options open at this point.  My folks have offered to let us stay with them if we need to.  This time of year they tend to head up to
Asheville and spend some time at the house up there.”  He hesitated a moment as if this was all just coming to him.  “Oh, hey, isn’t that where you and Ava are heading this weekend?”

Brian nodded.  “Personally I was hoping for a five star resort with room service but she really was adamant about going to your folk’s place.”

“Well, Ava has a little bit of an obsession with that place.  But you’re a firmly grounded guy and I know you’re not buying into all of that nonsense.”  Ean shifted some papers around as if looking for something to show Brian.  “I was thinking of adding…”

“Wait,” Brian interrupted, “what nonsense?”

Ean halted his search for the non-existent piece of paper and looked at Brian awkwardly.  “Oh, um…it’s nothing.  Don’t worry about it.  You’re going to have a great time.  The place is beautiful.  As I was saying…”

“No, come on, Ean, you were about to say something and I’m curious.  What kind of nonsense?  What am I getting myself in to?”

Ean sighed.  “Look, it’s just a silly myth or some would call it a ‘legend’ about the cottage but Ava’s really the only one who takes it seriously.  Really, it’s nothing to worry about.  I’m sure that she’s going to be fine with the whole thing.”

Brian ran a hand through his hair in frustration.  “Dammit, Ean!” he said and then stood.  “I knew something was weird about this whole thing.  I had a bad feeling about it.  What kind of legend are we talking about here?”

“Brian, I really didn’t mean to get you all worked up.  It’s silly really; our family cottage has a reputation of being a bit magical and any couple who stays there is supposed to be promised a love everlasting.”  God he hated saying that out loud!  “Personally, it’s not the cottage.  Our family has had our share of long lasting marriages, but we’ve also had our share of miserable ones.  Ava chooses to only pay attention to the long lasting ones and claims it’s because of the cottage.”

The wheels were turning in Brian’s head as Ean continued to talk.

“She was majorly pissed at me and Lacey last year when we got snowed in at the cottage because she felt we had stolen her magic and for a while she blamed us for her problems with Mason.  Of course at that point she was still in major denial about how wrong they were for each other but it was a tense couple of weeks.”

“So you and Lacey,” Brian began as he cleared his throat, “what you guys have…”

“Has nothing to do with the cottage.  Lacey had a crush on me before I left for college and I’d always thought she was pretty, but back then she was way too young for me.  I saw her in the grocery store, only I didn’t know it was her, and I was drawn to her like a magnet.  What happened between us would have happened whether there was a cottage or not.”

Ean watched as a war was being waged inside of Brian and felt a little guilty that he was throwing all of this at him.  The truth was that he liked Brian and he could tell that Brian really loved Ava; the only way their relationship was going to work was for Ava to deal with reality and stop living in a fantasy world based on a legend.

Looking at his watch absently Brian said, “I need to get going.  We need to be on the road before noon if Ava’s going to make her interview.”  He stretched out his hand to shake Ean’s and said goodbye but his mind was elsewhere.

After he left
, Lacey walked into Ean’s office.  “Well?”

“Just like I thought.  It was all new information to him.”

“What do you think he’ll do?” Lacey asked, concern filling her voice.

“I’m hoping that he’ll do whatever needs to be done to bring Ava back down to Earth so that she can finally be happy.”

“What if she can’t be happy until she goes to the cottage?”

Ean looked up at his wife’s sad tone.  “Somehow I think that Brian is the man to show her that she doesn’t need that to be happy.”

“I hope that you’re right, Ean,” she said as he pulled her into his embrace.  “I really hope that you’re right.”

Ava was dressed and waiting when Brian finally knocked at eleven-thirty.  She opened the door with a big smile.  “I’m packed and ready to go!”

He walked in and barely looked at her.  When he was in the middle of her living room he finally turned to face her.  “I’m not going,” he said simply.

More than a little confused, Ava shut the door and walked over to him.  “What do you mean you’re not going?  Has something come up with work?”

Brian shook his head.  “No.”

Eyebrows drawn, Ava stared at him.  “Brian, what’s going on?  Less than three hours ago we were all set.  What happened?”

How could he possibly explain to her what was going on in his head?  Ean had dropped a bombshell on him and Brian wasn’t sure if he should curse him or thank him.  “Let me ask you something, Ava,” he began calmly.  “What if I said to you that I would go only if we stayed at a hotel?”

“I’d have to ask why.  What changed your mind?”

“Fair enough question,” he said and then began to circle around her, his eyes never leaving hers.  “I’m not sure just quite yet.  Let me ask you something else, how do you feel about me?”  He wanted to come right out and ask if she loved him
, but he wanted to draw this out a little and see if she would admit to her real reason for wanting to go to the cottage.

“How do I feel about you?  What kind of question is that?” she asked nervously, not liking his accusatory tone or the look on his face.  “Brian, you’re scaring me.  What’s going on?”

“It’s a simple question, Ava.  I’ve told you that I love you and you never seem to tell me how you feel about me.  Why is that?”

“I…I’m not good with talking about my feelings,” she stammered.  “I thought that you could tell easily enough how I feel.”

“I don’t particularly enjoy having to be a mind reader.  Sometimes a man likes to hear how the woman he loves feels about him.”  His eyes narrowed a bit and he could see how nervous he was making her.

“This is ridiculous, Brian, and I’m going to be late for my interview!” she cried.

“Then answer my question,” he said flatly.

“I care about you, Brian.  Deeply.  There…are you happy now?  Can we leave?”

He stopped circling and simply stood and looked at her.  “You care about me,” he repeated.  “Certainly not words to make my heart race.”

“Brian, please,” she pleaded.  “We don’t have time for this!  Let’s just get going and we’ll talk about this later when we get settled at the cottage.”

“We’ve got an almost four hour drive ahead of us, sweetheart.  Why can’t we talk about it on the drive?”  He smirked at his own creative inquisition.

“I am trying to mentally prepare for an interview.  Certainly you can understand and respect that.  We have the whole weekend ahead of us to talk.”

“Frankly, Ava, I don’t want to wait for the weekend.  I don’t want to wait to get to the cottage; I think I’ve waited long enough.  I want to know where you see this relationship going.”

Tears welled in her eyes.  “Why are you doing this now?  I don’t understand what’s going on and why you’re pressuring me like this!”

Her tears were always his undoing.  His shoulders sank and he cursed himself for being so hard on her, but it was now or never.  There was no way that he was going to live his life doubting what she felt for him and if it was real or based on some fairytale she created in her mind based on a family legend. 

Reaching out he cupped her face.  “Ava,” he said, leaning his forehead against hers, “I’ve waited a long time for this.  Do you love me?”  His words were a softly spoken plea.  He was certain that now, finally, she’d sense the importance of her answer and how it would effect their future together. 

“Brian, I…I…” Ava began and closed her eyes.  The words were there on the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t seem to force them out.  “You know how I feel about you.  Don’t make me say it.  Don’t force me to say it right now while we’re fighting.”  Her heart beat frantically in her chest and breathing was a chore.  First and foremost was confusion in her mind as her world was spinning out of control.

Lifting his head Brian placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.  “Sweetheart, if I have to force you to say it, then you don’t really feel it.”  His voice cracked on the last word and he took a deep breath before he could continue.  “Almost a year ago I told you that I loved you; I had to step back and wait to see if you’d marry anther man or if you’d seek me out.  I’ve had to constantly be the one pursuing you.  I can’t do it anymore.  If you can’t stand here and confid
ently tell me how you feel then I have to step away.”  And he did just that; he released her face and took a step away from her and then another.  “A man can only wait so long to know where he stands, Ava.”

“Brian, please!” she cried, watching as he backed toward the door.

“When you figure out how you feel, you know where to find me.”

“Please don’t do this!” she said as she walked toward him, but he held his hand out to stop her.  “Forget about the interview, we’ll talk on the drive and we’ll have the weekend to work this all out.”  Desperation laced her every word and unfortunately Brian understood that.

“Geography isn’t going to change anything, Ava,” he said sadly.  “There is nothing that you can say to me in the mountains that you can’t say to me right here, right now.”

He was right, Ava knew he was right
, but she was beyond rational thinking right now.  It was the word ‘geography’ that had done it for her.  Lacey had said it to her and Ean had said it to her and she had no doubt that they were behind this.  Somehow and for some reason, when Brian had returned to their house the two of them must have talked to him about this situation.  Ava did not like being forced into anything and this whole argument had her back up in defense. 

If Brian couldn’t accept her for who she was and what she believed then clearly he wasn’t the man that she thought he was; wasn’t the man for her.  It saddened her more than she thought it could; she couldn’t imagine pain any worse than what she felt in the region of her heart at this very moment.