“Oh, for his rental properties! I never thought of that,” Ava said. “So, what’s the plan? Do you want to bring your Harley and the pickup to my house, or what?”

“Since you offered, I’ll follow you home on the Harley, then when you bring me back, I’ll get the truck and stop by the bank to deposit the money from the yard sale before I come back to your house.”

“Sure thing,” Ava said. “I’ll go home and open the garage. I never park in it because I use it for storage, but there’s plenty of room to park the bike.”

“Great,” Hunt said. “I’ll just lock up the house and be right there.”

Ava got in her car and headed home. A couple of minutes after her arrival, Hunt pulled up and rode the bike into the garage, then they went back to get the truck.

As soon as Ava stopped in the drive, Hunt leaned over and kissed her.

“See you in a few.”

“I can’t wait,” Ava said. “Finally, we’ll be living under the same roof.”

“Practicing for the real thing,” he said, and then he was out and striding toward the truck.

Ava began her usual ritual once she was home, stripping off the work scrubs at the washer and going to shower.

By the time Hunt arrived, she was in old jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt and barefoot. Her long hair was clipped up on the top of her head, and she was at the kitchen table having pop and cookies and going through her mail.

He came in the back door, pausing in the doorway to admire the view. When she looked up and caught him watching her, she waved toward the refrigerator.

“Beer and pop in the fridge, and I saved you some cookies.”

Hunt was still in awe that this beautiful woman not only loved him but was going to marry him. He wanted to pick her up in his arms and take her to bed. Instead, he got a Coke and grabbed a couple of cookies as he sat down.

“What was your take at the yard sale?” Ava asked.

Hunt unscrewed the lid from his pop and took a drink. “About fifteen hundred dollars, which was surprising considering how old and worn out the stuff was, but you know what they say… ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’ What about your day?” he asked.

She shrugged. “The normal ER stuff: stitches, staples, and broken bones. Oh… But there was one positive development. Vince Lewis and family checked out today. They airlifted the mother and new baby back to an Atlanta hospital, while he had to finish the trip home alone.”

“He didn’t cause any more trouble for you?” Hunt asked.

She shook her head and brushed the cookie crumbs from her hands.