The Perfect Liar (Last Stand 5)

"And you must be Luke," Carly said. "I saw the BMW. Nice car."

The admiration that oozed through her manner bothered Ava, but Luke didn't seem to notice it. "Thanks. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She offered him a bright smile. "I've heard a lot about you. Chuck thinks you're great. He says you're wonderful to Ava. But I had no idea...no idea that..."

Once again her stepmother had spoken without thinking. She'd started to say she'd had no idea he'd be so handsome. It was written all over her face. But she seemed to realize how rude that would sound and was searching for an alternative.

"No idea you'd be here," she finished lamely.

Carly had just said she'd seen his car, but Ava didn't point out the contradiction. She didn't care enough about Carly to embarrass her. Ava no longer felt quite so injured by her father's choices; she felt sorry for him. His actions had hurt others, but he was definitely getting the worst of it in the end.

"Thanks for stopping by," Ava said.

Carly's eyes darted to Luke as if she was interested in continuing the conversation, but Ava shut the door.

"What do you think?" Ava asked.

"She's not nearly as attractive as you are," he said. Then he motioned to the letter Carly had brought. "What's that?"

"Nothing important." Forcing a smile, Ava shoved it in the bookcase and moved toward the kitchen.

Luke seemed to know it wasn't "nothing," but he didn't push the issue.

He followed her into the kitchen and started the coffeemaker while she scrambled the eggs.

It wasn't until Ava got home after picking out her wedding ring and having dinner at Skye's that she retrieved the letter. Luke had gone to his apartment because he had to be at the base by seven in the morning, so she was alone. Now she could throw it away without seeming hard-hearted.

Or she could read it....

She thought of the events ahead of her--her wedding on December 5, the birth of her first child a year or two after that, the addition of other children. Was it a life she wanted to live without Zelinda? Could she forgive herself, and her mother, enough to rebuild as much of a relationship as they could have, considering the situation?

No. She couldn't deal with it, even now. Maybe later, she told herself.

But that letter beckoned as if her mother was standing in the room with her arms outstretched--and the longing to walk into them, to feel them close around her again, was suddenly too overpowering to refuse.

Her throat tight with unshed tears, Ava slowly opened the envelope.

The note was short. She guessed it was basically the same note her mother had been sending for years.

Dear Ava--

I miss you so much. I think about you all the time. I know you need answers. I can't explain what got into me. I was desperately angry and bitter. It ate at me like a cancer. But that's no excuse. There is no excuse. I deserve to be where I am, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you more than life.

I'm sorry.

Mom

Ava stared at those words until they began to blur with her tears.

Then she remembered better days--days when her mother would be waiting to pick her up from school or was throwing her a birthday party--and went to the dining room table. Taking out a piece of paper, she began to write a reply.