The Perfect Liar (Last Stand #5)(84)
Author: Brenda Novak

Instead of continuing with more lighthearted banter, he sobered. "I knew it was too early, but I wanted you so badly I couldn’t stop."

"We have absolutely nothing in common," she said.

"You’re the kind of person I’d like to be with. That has to count for something."

She realized he’d made himself vulnerable with that statement and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

"Can you tolerate the fact that I might be having a baby with someone else?" he asked.

She preferred not to consider it. "Might is the key word there."

He retrieved a sheet of paper from the kitchen and handed it to her.

"Looks pretty legit."

Ava felt her muscles tense as she studied the results. She didn’t want to see what she saw. "Just because she’s pregnant doesn’t mean the baby’s yours."

"What if it is?"

She had no answer. She hoped it wouldn’t bother her, but she was afraid it would. Did she really want Kalyna in her life? "We’l cross that bridge when we come to it, okay?"

His cell phone rang. He glanced at it, then frowned. "It’s The Last Stand."

"What? Who’d be calling you from there–besides me?"

"We’l find out." He hit the Talk button. "Hello?…This is Luke…Yes, I’ve seen her. She’s right here…Just a minute." He passed her the phone.

"It’s someone named Skye Wil is, for you."

Blinking in surprise, Ava brought the phone to her ear. "Skye?"

"Why aren’t you answering your cell?" she demanded.

Ava felt a twinge of guilt. She’d turned it off because she was afraid she’d hear from Geoffrey, or hear from them about Geoffrey. So far, she’d been successful in dodging everyone. "I was having lunch with my father and didn’t want to be interrupted."

"Oh." That brought her up short. Skye knew Ava’s relationship with Chuck was a difficult one. "How’d it go?"

"We got into an argument about Carly, so he stormed off and stranded me at the restaurant."

"You’re kidding."

"Your father walked out on you?" Luke asked. "He left you without a ride?"

Clearly, he wasn’t pleased. Ava covered the phone to respond. "He walked out a long time ago. What happened at the restaurant just made it official." She went back to her conversation with Skye but was really speaking to both of them. "In his defense, he was already upset. He and Carly had a major argument."

Skye made a noise of disbelief. "And in your defense, that woman’s a grade-A bitch. I don’t know how you’ve put up with her this long."

Leave it to Skye to tell it like it was. "True."

"I hope you told him that."

"Pretty much. Same sentiment, if not the same words. That’s when he left."

Luke had gone to look out the window at the parking lot. "How’d you get here?"

Ava glanced at him sheepishly. "The waiter felt sorry for me."

"You should’ve called," he said. "I would’ve come."

The protectiveness in his voice made her smile, but there was no time to respond, since Skye was talking. "Good," her friend was saying.

"Maybe it’l give him something to think about."

"I doubt it," Ava said. "He’s so focused on saving his marriage, he doesn’t really even notice me."

"I’m sorry about that, Ava. And I don’t want to come down too hard on you, but we’ve been really worried. Geoffrey’s stopped by the office twice, looking for you. He told us you’re not at home, that he has no idea where you are, and that you broke up with him for someone named Luke. No last name, nothing. If Jonathan hadn’t heard you mention a Luke recently, we wouldn’t have been able to track you down."

Jonathan was probably laughing his head off. "Tell him he was right about Luke."

"You can tell him yourself in a minute," Skye said. "He’s standing here, hovering over my desk, mad as hell that you haven’t let any of us know what’s going on. You didn’t come in to work this morning."

"I don’t have set hours. And I always put in more than my forty. So…"

"But you didn’t call. You can’t just disappear like that, Ava, not even for a few hours, or we assume the worst."

Of course. They weren’t used to anything disrupting her usual pattern. Neither was she, or she would’ve called out of habit. "I get it. I’m sorry," Ava said. "Is that what you wanted, to make sure I’m okay?"

"No, that’s not all. There are some people who’ve been trying to get hold of you, and it sounds serious."

"What people?"

"A Detective Morgan from the Mesa Police Department in Arizona.

And a man named Dewayne Harter."

Ava glanced over at Luke, who was watching her closely. "What is it?" he murmured.

She held up a hand. "Did they say what they wanted?"

"The detective said it was important to reach you. Mr. Harter said it was an emergency."

Chapter 32

Ava tried to call the detective first. But she was told he was in a meeting and would have to get back to her. So she called Dewayne Harter at the mortuary, who answered as if he’d been waiting by the phone.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Harter, this is Ava Bixby at The Last Stand in Sacramento." She allowed Luke to pull her onto the couch with him so he could listen, too.

"You’ve been trying to reach me?"

"Yes, I…1 didn’t know who else to call. I don’t know anyone in California."

"How’d you get my number?"

"Tati, my daughter, gave it to me before she left town. She said you’d help us."

"I wil ," she said. "What’s going on?"

"I’m not sure. Tati went to California this morning. She didn’t tell me she was going to do it. She called from the airport when it was too late for me to talk her out of it."

"Out of what?"

"She wants to reach her sister. Bring her back, if possible, or at least get her to communicate. She’s afraid Kalyna’s taking the rap for what happened to my wife, and that it’s unfair."

Luke shifted and angled the phone closer to him.

"What do you think?" Ava asked.

"It’s hard for Tati to be objective. She sees only the best in people, especially her sister. But Kalyna’s always been a little…off." Ava caught a look from Luke that said he completely agreed. "I’ve seen her throw her fits, and I’ve seen how long she can hold a grudge," Mr. Harter went on. "I think she’s capable of anything–even what Mark Cannaby says about her with that…that hitchhiker. God rest the poor child’s soul," he added. "But Tati refuses to believe it."