Showing up at his apartment early for their date had been the downfall. Finding him in bed with another woman had been shattering, but having him laugh in her face and invite her for a threesome had ended her feelings for him in a rush of disgust.

She’d thrown the key to his apartment into the bed where they were sprawled and walked out. The weird part was that she was so shocked by who he’d revealed himself to be that she wasn’t even hurt by the betrayal. She just considered herself fortunate to have found out the truth about him early in their relationship.

But his behavior today bothered her. She knew Vince well enough to know he hadn’t come to Blessings on an impulse. She’d find out soon enough what he was up to.

* * *

It was eleven fifteen when Ava left the house to meet Hunt, and again she kept a look out for the red sports car as she drove through Blessings, although it was nowhere in sight.

She saw Hunt’s black pickup the moment she pulled into the parking lot and tried not to make a big deal out of this. But to her, it was a big deal. She assumed Hunt was buying her lunch in return for the pie and the chili dogs she’d brought him, but she was secretly calling it a date. She’d always wanted to be Hunt Knox’s girl, and for a little while today, she could pretend it was true.

She parked and then hurried into Granny’s. Hunt was waiting, and stood up when she entered.

“Hi, Ava. That color of yellow is sure pretty on you,” Hunt said as he gave her a quick hug.

“Thanks,” she said. “Come say more nice things to me while we eat.”

Hunt laughed. He hadn’t felt this lighthearted since he was a kid. Ava Ridley all grown up was good for his bitter self.

“Where’s Lovey?” Ava asked, as Sully grabbed a couple of menus and seated them in a booth.

“Oh, Mom had a flat on the way to work. She’ll be here shortly,” he said, and then ran back to the register and the people waiting to pay.

Ava glanced around the dining area and then breathed a little easier knowing Vince wasn’t here. Hopefully, he’d already left Blessings.

But Hunt caught the look on her face and noticed she had just scanned the entire dining room.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

Ava jumped and then shifted focus back to Hunt. “Yes! Why?”

“You seemed to be looking for someone.”

Ava sighed. “I guess I was, but not like you think. I was confronted in the parking lot at the Crown this morning. Scared the heck out of me, and then it made me mad. I guess I was just making sure the creep wasn’t here.”