Dinner at Eight-epub Read Free Page B

him. And though Ava trusted and adored him with every fiber of her being, the thought made her jittery.
    Damn it. He was the last person on earth she should be wary of.
    Ava pursed her lips and silently cursed her ex-husband. If not for him, she’d be perfectly comfortable with Jared.
    Jared wasn’t Anthony. They were as different as two men could be. Just the thought of seeing Anthony made her cold. And shaky. And incredibly angry. Being with Jared again instilled a happiness in Ava she hadn’t experienced since her wedding day. At the same time, however, it brought out a sense of anxiety she didn’t understand. Her initial exuberance had dimmed in an onslaught of confusion and uncertainty—and Ava hated herself for that.
    How could she feel the slightest bit of uncertainty where Jared was concerned?
    “Quite a surprise you sprung on me,” Jared said as he strapped himself in, oblivious to her internal conflict.
    “I sprung a surprise?” Ava asked with a laugh. “Your sudden appearance takes the cake.”
    His aftershave filled the car, immediately conjuring up images of the great outdoors, wild grass and racing rapids shooting over rocks. The tantalizing scent was so familiar and so unique to Jared, had Ava not known he was home, she would have instinctively turned to look for him.
    “Ah, my being here might be a surprise, but my appearance hasn’t changed like yours has.”
    Ava forced a smile she did not feel. “You noticed?”
    He tapped his nose. “That you’re dressing differently and your nose has changed? Hard not to. Plus Greg told me you’d had it done.”
    “Do you hate it?” She did. Looking in the mirror still threw her.
    His jaw dropped. “Of course not. You’re as pretty as ever. I’m just not sure why you changed it.”
    “I had to. Deviated septum,” she said with practiced ease. “It made me snore so loud, even the neighbors complained. And once I was having that sorted out, I figured, why not go the distance?”
    Jared looked at her for a long time.
    “Oi. Stop staring. It’s just a nose.”
    “It’s not just a nose. It’s your nose. Your new one. And it’s cute. May take me a while to get used to it, but I like it.”
    “Thank you. Now, how about you drive me home?” Hopefully the driving would distract him from her new, cute nose, and he wouldn’t say anything more about it.
    He turned on the ignition and pulled out of the parking. “You’re living with Liv?”
    “Yep. I moved in with her about eight or nine months ago.”
    “You didn’t go back to your place after…”
    “After Anthony cleared out of the flat?” The apartment had been hers. A fantastic unit she’d picked up at a steal thanks to her estate agency connections.
    Jared cleared his throat, but his nod was his only answer.
    So, he still had trouble talking to her about her husband? The two of them had never seen eye to eye. Obviously nothing had changed there. But that was okay. She also had trouble talking about him now. “The idea of living there no longer appealed.” She’d tried, even stayed there alone for a week or two after returning from Melbourne, but the collapse of her marriage had been too traumatic, and sleeping in the same room and bed she’d shared with Anthony had left a nasty taste in her mouth. The first decent night’s sleep she’d had was her first night in Liv’s spare room.
    “And you’re happy sharing with Liv?”
    Ava laughed. “I am. But since she and Jimmy got together, I feel like I’m living alone all over again.” Which might have bothered her, if Liv and James weren’t so happy.
    “They seem tight.”
    “They are. Totally gone for each other. And ecstatic to be together.”
    “Took them long enough,” Jared murmured.
    “I know, right? You wouldn’t believe how stunned Liv was when I told her we all thought they should have gotten together years ago. It never crossed her mind.” And with that, Ava launched into a detailed description of Liv and James’s