Dinner at Eight-epub Read Free Page A

have believed it too—if there hadn’t been an undercurrent of friction every time Theo sipped his beer. Come to think of it, Jared couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Theo drink anything other than wine.
    Greg and Jared had spent the whole day together, so Jared wasn’t surprised that Greg took a back seat while everyone else chatted. But he was surprised to find Ava subdued.
    The complete opposite of himself, Ava was a natural talker. Jared spoke when he had something to say. Ava spoke all the time. She was, unfailingly, the center of any conversation. No matter who was present, she had a knack for ensuring there was always something to discuss. Awkward silences were never a problem when Ava was around. She filled them with words and laughter and was possibly the most endearing person Jared had ever met.
    Everyone responded to her openness and friendliness. They were drawn to her infectious smile and bubbly laughter. Yet tonight, Ava said very little. After the initial burst of exuberance when she’d first seen him, she seemed to become reserved.
    Though she smiled often, her laughter wasn’t quite as bubbly as usual. And though she was clearly delighted he was home and sat so close their elbows bumped, she seemed to struggle to communicate with him.
    Perhaps that was okay. If Ava turned her big green eyes to him or smiled at him as she had earlier—as though he were the best thing she’d seen all year—he might be forced to haul her into his arms and kiss her until they both gasped for air.
    Jared watched his brother and friends interact with her with interest. Not only did they look at Ava with a gentleness that hadn’t been there before, they treated her just as tenderly. Yep, they still joked and teased and laughed with her, and sarcasm and irony still tinged their humor, but Ava was spared the really cutting remarks.
    The cutting remarks had never fazed her before. If anything, they’d made her laugh louder. That was obviously no longer the case.
    He noticed something else. Greg, James, Theo, Levi and Spence were on guard the whole night, constantly surveying their surroundings in a seemingly careless manner. Within fifteen minutes, Jared realized there was nothing careless in their behavior. If a male so much as looked Ava’s way, one or the other of them shifted subtly, blocking his view.
    Greg had told him things had changed. He’d said Ava hadn’t been the same since she’d separated from her husband. The split had been traumatic, and she’d been sad, quiet and withdrawn for months.
    As a consequence, the Dinner Club was more protective of her now.
    Jared wished Ava had spoken more openly about her marriage. What the hell had happened between her and Anthony? Reluctant to relive her pain, she hadn’t offered many details, either to Jared or to their other friends. She’d just stressed it was over, she’d been hurt, and she’d made a huge mistake marrying the jackass.
    The one thing everyone knew was that emotionally, Ava hadn’t been the same after. Jared had thought he was prepared for the change.
    He wasn’t.
    Ava was every bit as beautiful as ever. She still drew gazes and smiles without even realizing it. But she was different. It was more than the physical changes like her nose and clothes. The light that had once burned in her eyes was gone. At some point over the last eighteen months, her fire had been extinguished.
     
     

 

Chapter Two
     
    Both thrilled and terrified to spend time with Jared alone, Ava climbed into the front seat of Greg’s car and pulled on her seatbelt with shaky hands.
    James and Liv had gone with Greg to a wine bar after dinner, leaving Jared with strict instructions to see Ava home safely. Of course she was delighted with the arrangements. The more time she got to spend with Jared, the better. There’d been a decided dearth of quality visitation time with her bestie this last year or two.
    The only hitch? Riding in the car meant being alone with