Chance Encounter - Jerry Cole Page 0,40

an usher.” He groaned and walked back to change his clothes.

“Mari cooked dinner. Well, we both did. Are you hungry?” The late-night diner trips slowed down after the girls adopted Ava, though I went with them sometimes if Ava was already sleeping.

“So hungry. What did you make?” Hayden appeared dressed in sweats and a loose t-shirt, making me take him in for a long moment.

“Steak, baked potatoes, salad, and apple pie.” His face broke into a smile. “I’ll heat up the hot stuff.”

I handed him a beer with the food, sitting with him to enjoy my own. “Mari said she got some kind of check from Ava’s dad. I didn’t see it, but she indicated that it might be some kind of life insurance.”

“Shit. Did it say his name?” Hayden asked, and I shook my head.

“She just assumed that Dad is dead. That makes her sad enough, so imagine the two of them knowing the truth.” He took a bite of meat, chewing slowly.

“That’s fucking good. You made it upstairs?”

“Thanks, and yes. Gram is with a friend tonight.” I smiled as relief crossed his face.

“Ryan's involvement is bad enough. The way that accident went down is disgusting.” He sipped his beer and looked me in the eyes. “They can’t ever know.”

“Not if I can help it. No.” I shook my head, and he finished the dinner before we tossed the plate into the sink to watch TV in bed. We made love slowly before falling asleep together.

Chapter Sixteen

Hayden

Spring turned into Summer, offering us all some nice weather. We took advantage of the moment, while the girls planned a birthday for a special little girl.

To me, it seemed like Ava had always been a part of their lives. She loved them, and they loved her unconditionally. They had the patience needed with a busy toddler and the teamwork to let one take a break when needed. We were always willing to help if the need arose, and often spent a lot of time with Gram and Ava together. She loved having a grandbaby around to play with and spoil.

We had a great lineup of plays at the theater for the summer. I picked one to try out for, surprised when I got the lead role. I knew it would mean a lot of time away from home, but Gray told me to go for it.

So, I did.

He brought Gram to see me on stage one night, which was something they did ever since that first night. The others came to see me on another night, cheering hard when the entire cast stood onstage at the end.

They offered me the position of manager at the theater, overseeing everything that happened within those walls. If I took it, it would mean less time on stage as I’d be too busy. It also meant more money, which might be good for us.

Gray seemed to be irritated a lot more as of late. When I asked, he explained that he had a picky client that was driving him crazy right now. It just so happened to be the one that he made the most income from at the moment, so he went to listen to the live podcasts and do the client’s bidding. Most of them were at night when I worked, but a few bled into the days we normally spent together.

I rested against the pillows, watching him change to go to yet another session. “Does he release these every two days or what?” I asked as Gray rolled his eyes.

“He’s new and being too much of a perfectionist. I’ve gone over the key points with him, but it never seems to stick.”

“We were supposed to go for a hike today. I have the entire day off.” I pouted, and he shot me a sad look.

“I know, Hay. I’m going to talk to him and lay down some boundaries.” He kissed me and left, leaving the apartment. I felt better when Becca asked if we wanted to do lunch and the park with her and Ava. I told her that we was just me, and sure.

We went to the diner, and she surveyed me in between feeding Ava small bites of food. “What’s up with you?”

I considered my answer. We were still holding onto the secret about Ryan, and since nothing about Ava’s father came up again, we thought we were in the clear. I couldn’t talk about that, so I shrugged while grabbing a fry. “He’s just working a lot for this one