“Dammit, Ava, I’ll make—”

They both heard tires screeching and turned to look just in time to see a black truck sliding to a stop in front of her house.

Ava sighed. It was Hunt. She’d never been so glad to see anyone in her life.

Hunt started toward Vince Lewis like a wolf stalking prey—his gaze fixed and unwavering, without saying a word.

“Who the hell is that?” Vince asked.

“Ava, is this him?” Hunt asked.

“Yes.”

“Is he still bothering you?” Hunt asked.

“Yes.”

“Whoever the hell you are, you need to mind your own business,” Vince said, but he was backing toward his car.

“Ava is my business,” Hunt said softly. “You need to apologize for scaring her, apologize for showing your sorry-ass face back in this town again, and apologize for being on her property. Then you need to get the hell out of Blessings and don’t come back.”

Vince shuddered. “Look, I didn’t mean anything. She’s an old friend and—”

“I know who you are. I know what you did. I am not impressed,” Hunt said. “Get the hell out of Blessings, and I won’t repeat myself again.”

Vince glanced at Ava, and then shrugged. “Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.”

Ava whacked the hood of his car again.

Vince shrieked. “What the hell? I apologized!”

“You did not sound sincere,” Ava said, and raised the baton again.

Vince held up his hands again, and this time the attitude was gone.

“Don’t! I’m sorry, Ava. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry I bothered you here in Blessings. I’m sorry I intruded onto your property. As soon as I check out of the B and B, I’m leaving town.”

“Then get,” Hunt said.

Vince jumped into his car, backed out of her drive, then left rubber on the street as he sped away.

Hunt stood in the street until the man was out of sight. When he turned around, Ava was walking into her house. He followed her inside, and the sight of tears on her face hurt his heart.

“Dammit, honey, I’m sorry,” he said and opened his arms.

She walked into them, hiding her face against his chest as he pulled her close.

“I have to say, you’re hell on wheels with that baton. I was debating with myself whether I should let you whack him with it, too, and was relieved when you put another dent in his car instead.”

Ava snorted softly, then pulled away from him, wiping her face with her hands.

“Thank you for following me home. I put the first dent in the hood when he admitted he was married and still had the gall to look up an old girlfriend for the hell of it. I thought he was going to hit me when I did it, but then you arrived, so I didn’t have to test the theory.”