Read Online Chasing Ava: A Bachelor of Shell Cove Novel (The Bachelors of Shell Cove) by Siera London - Free Book Online Page A

way to describe my night,” Lina said flatly. Ava heard the other woman yawn, seconds later the sound of running water filled the receiver. Lina didn’t offer any details about her night. That was strange. Lina was a play-by-play storyteller.  
    “You told Logan where I lived?”
    “I did. I thought Randall Lester the Nurse Molester had gotten you. Logan was going all Incredible Hulk over the phone and I didn’t know what else to do. Please tell me you didn’t run out on Logan.” Ava confessed everything that happened up to Logan arriving at her door. Without the water distorting the sound. She could hear Lina shaking her head at her antics.
    “Logan is one of the good ones. I trust … I think he’s okay.” Lina’s voice sounded strange, teary.  
    “I don’t know anything about him.” Though she did have lots of questions. Putting the phone on speaker mode Ava started her morning routine. She pulled socks and running gear from the middle drawer, selected a pair of bright orange running shoes, before heading into the adjoining bathroom.  
    “Ava, answer me this question. You spent the better part of last night with the man. Did you ask him any questions?”
    “Yes,” Ava remarked with smug satisfaction. “I know he’s thirty-four years old.”
    “I’ll play along. What else did you ask him, Miss Twenty Questions?”
    “That was the only question I asked. I didn’t want to seem too interested.”
    “What are you afraid of?” Lina’s voice was gentle now, no longer teary, but she still didn’t sound right. “Everyone in the ballroom could see you two were digging each other.”  
    “I don’t know. Do you really think he’s into me?” She was terrified of choosing the wrong man. Of being consumed by another person, till she no longer mattered. Her heart rate increased at the possibility of it happening again.  
    “Of course I do. You know I do not joke about male attention.” That was true. Lina could be counted on for a laugh, but not when it came to relationships. When Lina started dating Jace, she was so full of hope that he would be the one.  
    “Why would Logan be interested in me? Why would anyone? He doesn’t know anything about me.” Which was probably for the best. She knew she had his professional respect. It was stupid to put her reputation on the line.  
    “You are a generous, beautiful, intelligent woman. Why not you? He should be kissing your tired nurse’s feet in my opinion.” Ava burst out laughing.  
    “Anyone that touched my feet after a twelve hour shift is a saint. What about the race thing?”
    “What about it? You aren’t ignorant enough to allow skin color to dictate your decisions,” Lina said, in a venomous tone. “The color of your wrapper doesn’t matter to Logan. I saw how he looks at you, how he held you in his arms. He sees how amazing you are, not your skin color.” Ava’s self-confidence soared at Lina’s words. But she didn’t miss that Jace had somehow screwed up last night. There was no ignoring Lina’s foul mood.  
    “Lina?” She proceeded with caution, not wanting to cause her friend any more pain. And talking about Jace was obviously painful. Usually, Lina was the first to tell Ava about her dates with him. “What happened with Jace last night?”
    “Jace is a human turd. He’s lucky the beachcombers didn’t find him doing the turd float this morning. I don’t want to talk about yesteryear. Something else happened with Logan or you would have called last night when he showed up at your door.” Lina knew her well.  
    “He asked me on a date,” Ava said, shyly.
    “And your answer was?”
    “I said no, but in my defense everything happened so fast last night. First Randall, then Logan materializing out of the dark.”
    “Ava! It’s been six years. Stop punishing yourself and Cricket.” Thank goodness the phone wasn’t at her ear. Cricket was Lina’s pet name for a clitoris. According to Lina, if a man knew what he was