Love You Anyways Read Online Free Page B

great time. She kept my pile of ball caps, all the white ones, and football jersey’s.
    She opened another bin and grabbed the photo album, one of all my senior year highlights, another thing Tessa had given me.
    She smiled when she saw Tommy and me shirtless in front of my pool.
    “Damn Dad, you were hot stuff.”
    “Yeah, some things don’t change huh?” I laughed.
    “Oh my God! Is that Luke’s Dad?”
    “Sure is. Tommy, my best bud from as far back as I could remember.”
    “So Jade was doing him then?”
    “Ava,” I warned.
    “Okay are you gonna keep trying to convince me the stork is real too?”
    “Hell yes I am.” We both laughed.
    “Luke looks just like him.”
    “Luke is a spitting image of his father.”
    She turned the pages until she came to the obituary. Tommy had died in a car accident our senior year in high school not knowing that his girlfriend, Jade, was pregnant.
    “Does it still hurt Daddy?” I nodded. “How did you get through all of that?”
    “Leaned on friends.”
    “Tessa?”
    Holy shit. This was awkward, almost as bad as the sex talk with Logan, that I’m pretty sure was a little late.
    “I also found out J ade was pregnant then. Hell she didn’t even know.”
    “How did you feel when she and Ryan hooked up?”
    “Well they didn’t just hook up Ava, they got married. He stepped up to the plate and took care of both her and Luke. Loved them so much. Ryan is a damn good man, father, husband, and friend.”
    “Jade says you did too.”
    “I did what Tommy would have done for me.”
    “Do you miss him Daddy?”
    “Every single day.” It was true. You don’t just forget about someone who meant so much to you, regardless of time or change.
    “What did you do right after you lost him? What do you remember the most that got you through it?”
    Shit, got to love this question. I looked at her and I’m sure she saw the wheels turning.
    “I want to know what to do for Harper.”
    “Gotcha. Be there when she needs you Ava. That’s it, that’s all anyone can do.”
    “Okay.”
    I lugged up three totes full of papers and was about to go into the garage when I looked out the window and decided if I let that stuff sit I’d probably be dragging it back in the house.
    Hard to let go of the Glory Days.
    “Hey Ava?”
    “Yeah Daddy?” She walked up the stairs with a bin.
    “How about we order pizza and have a bonfire tonight?”
    “In the snow?”
    “Yeah. In the snow.”
    “Sounds good Dad. Can we invite the neighbors?”
    “Sure, if they feel up to it.”

Chapter Three
     
    Snow fire
     
     
    Ava and I had gone to the store and grabbed some trays of food and drinks to add to the pizza party we had planned.
    When she invited Jade, she decided she should extend the invitation to more of the Ross family. As much as I knew Ashley was going to have a problem with it , I knew it was the right thing to do.
    Alex and Phoebe Ross and their boys showed up. Their son Liam was in the same grade as Ava and Harper. They were thick as thieves as kids. Good kid. I liked him.
    “I can’t believe you’re burning all this stuff,” Jade laughed.
    “We took pictures huh Dad?” Ava nudged me.
    “Sure did. Besides it’s all up in here.” I tapped my head.
    “To the glory days,” Ryan lifted his beer and we all toasted the good old days.
    “Oh, the glory days! I have an idea,” Ava clapped and ran into the house.
    When Ava was safely in the house I walked up to Alex and handed him a beer. “How’s Tessa doing?”
    “Well, she’s Tessa. Anytime things are bad she pulls strength from some hidden place and tries to make it easier for everyone else.”
    “Her heart.” I took a drink and looked at Alex who was staring at me. “That’s the hidden place.”
    Jade and Phoebe looked at me the same damn way. “I think anyway.”
    “Yeah I think so too,” Phoebe looked at Alex who was still staring at me, stone faced.
    “You okay Alex?”
    “No. Not one bit. She can’t go