Ava thought she could. She felt like she’d had to fight as hard to be allowed to plant her feet in one place and stay there.

  “Do you remember that year when you refused to make friends? You spent all your time lying in the dirt, drawing. And then all the local children started copying you instead of playing the games they normally did. You were changing the dynamics of the very group I was trying to study!”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You shouldn’t be. That’s not why I brought it up. You were being you. For all my concern about my research, that wasn’t what was upsetting me. It was guilt.”

  “Guilt?” Ava couldn’t imagine that. Her mother was so driven. So focused on achieving her goals.

  “You always wanted something different from what I was providing for you, and I never changed to accommodate you. Mothers are supposed to put their children first.” Her mother hugged her arms across her chest and kept her chin high, but her eyes were moist with unshed tears.

  “I didn’t want you to change,” Ava rushed to tell her. “I just wanted you to love me.”

  Her mother blinked. “I loved you. I’ve always loved you. Ava, that’s why I brought you along on all my research trips to begin with. I wanted to share my whole world with you.”

  Ava had never looked at it that way. Remorse sent prickles over her skin. “And I rejected the world you shared,” she said softly. “I’m sorry.”

  Her mother waved that away. “It hurt when you weren’t interested and it confused me, too. It felt so good when Oliver took to that life like a fish to water. I thought I was the one who’d made him curious and resilient. Then you came along and proved me to be the bad mother my parents always said I’d be if I didn’t quit my job and settle down.”

  “Mom.” It killed Ava to think of how unhappy they’d made each other. “I wish I’d known all of that. I wish I could have read your mind.”

  “I wish I could have read yours. I’m sorry, honey. I really am.” Her mother rubbed a hand across her cheek, wiping away the tears that had escaped. She gave a little laugh. “You know what’s the damnedest thing?”

  “What?”

  “I got a book delivered to me last month—from West Sumatra.”

  “Really?”

  “It was a field guide of insects. Written and illustrated by one of the boys you had lying around the place on his stomach that year, drawing pictures of what he saw in the dirt. Turns out he grew up to be an entomologist.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “When I find another copy, I’ll send you one. I’m keeping mine,” she said with a smile.

  “So I’m not useless?” Ava joked, but her voice wobbled.

  “You’re wonderful.” Her mother opened her arms, and Ava flung herself into them.

  “No more guilt for either of us. We want what we want, and that’s perfectly fine. Right?”

  Her mother hugged her tighter. “You don’t hate me deep down for not being the mother you wanted? The one who stayed home baking cookies?”

  Ava had wanted a mother like that, but she’d gotten someone else. A mom who’d fought for the life she wanted. A mom who was true to herself, which allowed Ava to be the same. “I don’t hate you,” she said truthfully. “And from now on you’re going to hear a lot from me. I will celebrate your adventures while I settle in right here.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  There was so much food left over from the party, they invited their lunch guests to reconvene for dinner that night on the deck. Sam had enjoyed the afternoon and was happy to have met Ava’s family. He’d been watching all day as Marie maneuvered her husband and in-laws into getting to know Ava better. At the start of the day, Ava’s parents were a little stiff with her. So was her brother. From things she’d said during the short time he’d known her, he had the feeling she thought her family disapproved of her, but now he was beginning to think her parents and brother had been laboring under the mistaken impression she didn’t like them.

  All of them relaxed as the day progressed, and by dinner Ava was joking around with her brother and filling her parents in on details of her life.

  “Someone’s knocking,” Penelope announced when the meal was winding down. “Want me to get the door?”

  “I’ll get it,” Ava assured her. Sam got up and walked with her to see who it was, wanting a moment alone with her. He detained her in the entryway, stealing a long, slow kiss until the knocking came again.

  “Guess we’d better answer that,” he said.

  “Guess so.” Ava was smiling as she opened the door, but her smile disappeared at once. Sam nearly groaned when he saw Ben and Chloe standing outside.

  “Where have you been?” Ben asked. “We haven’t seen you since yesterday. We still need to sort things out.”

  “I’ve been right here.” Suddenly Sam was tired of these confrontations, but before he could tell the two of them he’d see them later, Chloe stormed right inside.

  “Are you having a party? In the house we’re still renting from you?” She pushed past Ava.

  “You left,” Ava reminded her, following her to the great room. “You said you weren’t coming back even after I offered you a huge discount. It’s my birthday, and my family surprised me by coming to visit.”

  “Chloe, settle down,” Ben said, coming after them. “We just need to talk to Sam for a minute. We can do that outside.”

  “We can do it right here.” Chloe turned on her heel. “While you get these people out of here,” she added to Ava.

  “Are you coming back to stay?” Ava said.

  “Of course not.”

  “Then I’m going to enjoy my birthday party.” She crossed her arms, defying Chloe to do something about it.

  Chloe looked from her to Ben. “Are you going to stand there and let her talk to me like that?”

  “We’re here to talk to Sam,” Ben said again.

  Sam waved Ava toward the deck. “Enjoy your party. I’ll deal with this and be there in a couple of minutes.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive.” He nodded to let her know he had it under control. He could tell she was reluctant to leave him, but in the end she did.

  “We can talk at the hotel later,” Sam told the others, herding them back toward the door.

  “You need to get your ass over there right now,” Chloe said. Sam could tell she wasn’t only furious that he had so far refused to give in to her demands but also that he was enjoying himself so much with Ava after she’d tried to destroy their relationship.

  “Why?” Sam challenged her.

  “Because… because you came on this trip to celebrate our upcoming marriage, and that’s what you should be doing.”

  “Is that why you came to talk to me?” he asked Ben. “Because I’m not properly celebrating your upcoming marriage?”

  “No. We came to talk about Scholar Central. About the shares you’re being so stubborn about.”

  “Good,” Sam said. “Because I’ve made a decision about those shares. If you want them, you can buy me out.”

  Ben gaped at him. Chloe lifted her chin. “Buy you out? Why? I don’t want to buy anything—you’re supposed to give me those shares. Ben, tell him. It’s supposed to be your wedding present to us,” she added to Sam. “And Ben will give me some of his shares, too. We’ll each end up with about a third of the company.”

  About a third? Sam was more determined than ever to get out of Scholar Central. He just bet somehow Chloe would end up with a share or two more than either Ben or him.

  “I don’t like your vision for the company,” he told her. “You two will do better without me.”

  Frustration contorted Chloe’s face. “You can’t do that.”

  “Why not? I thought you’d be thrilled to see the back side of me.”

  “Because you’re the reason the buyer—” She snapped her mouth shut, but Sam had already heard enough to guess at the rest of it.

  “The buyer wants me, huh? I’m part of the deal?”

  “Of course you are,” she hissed. “You designed the program.”

  “Some of it,” he corrected her, but she was right; he’d been the main driver of the company in the early days.

  “You’re staying,” Chloe said, “and that’s that.”

  “No.” Sam held his ground. “I’m going one way or the other. I can’t work with you for another day. I was trying to build something special, but you don’t share that vision, and I won’t stick around to see you trash it.” He turned to Ben. As usual Ben looked miserable, and again Sam thought of the day he’d met his friend. “Remember that bug?” he asked. “The one on the sidewalk. The one we rescued?”

  Ben’s brows pushed together in confusion, then he must have understood. His forehead smoothed, and for the first time, he met Sam’s gaze. Nodded.

  “Remember how hard we worked to get it to safety and make sure it had a chance for a better life?”

  “Yeah,” Ben said huskily.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Chloe asked.

  Sam ignored her. “Remember what happened after that? Coming to my house? Eating dinner? Moving in?”

  Ben watched him as if he suspected a trap. Sam’s chest was tight with the knowledge of how they’d lost each other.

  “Nothing’s changed on my side.” He fought to keep his voice even. “You don’t need me anymore. You’ve got this, Ben. I know you do. But no matter what’s going on, or how many years pass by, remember I’m always down to rescue more bugs.” He hoped his meaning was clear. Chloe might not be beating on Ben with her fists, but she’d managed to destroy Ben’s self-esteem almost as thoroughly as his dad had done in grade school. It hurt like hell to turn his back on Ben now, but Ben was a grown-up. He had to make his own choices.

  He saw a flicker of understanding in Ben’s eyes. His friend nodded.

  “What are you talking about?” Chloe half shrieked in her fury at being left out of the conversation.

  Sam turned to her. “We’re talking about the fact that I’m done. With you. With Scholar Central. With all of it. Get the hell out of this house, Chloe, and don’t come back.”

  When Ava’s family left that night, she could honestly say she hoped to see them again soon. Somehow the good food, the presence of her friends and the magic of a sunny afternoon spent at the beach among other places combined to bring out the best in her family. She so rarely saw her parents relax, but today they’d let go of their ever-present need to accomplish something and seemed to simply enjoy themselves. Oliver had even apologized for taking Todd’s side before.

  “It pissed me off for years that you stole my friend,” he’d told her, “and then you tossed him away.”

  “It wasn’t quite like that,” she’d pointed out.

  “We didn’t talk for a while after you broke up. Now he keeps sending me videos about cheesemaking,” Oliver had said with a shudder. “It’s like, dude… No.”

  Ava couldn’t imagine Todd making cheese, but maybe something about her had hampered him from getting in touch with his more domestic side when they were together. Before she met Sam, that idea would have sent her into a tailspin of self-reproach, but she couldn’t be bothered anymore. Todd had his life. She had hers, and she liked it just fine.

  “Are you okay?” Sam asked her when they’d shut the door on the last of their guests. He followed her out to the back deck and helped carry in dishes.

  “I’m fine. A little sad, maybe. I’m going to miss my folks.” She scraped the dishes into a compost container and loaded the dishwasher. It was nice to work in this larger kitchen, and she took a moment to enjoy the view. “I’ve spent a long time being angry with my parents and brother for not being who I wanted them to be.”

  “Who did you want them to be?”

  “The kind of people who paid attention to me, I guess. I wanted my mom to make a fuss over me when I got hurt or was feeling sad. I wanted more hugs and fewer how-tos. Mom always pushed me to be independent, which is a good thing, but I wanted more hand-holding.”

  “What was it like, going on research trips with them?”

  She told him about the endless flights halfway across the world. Arriving in the middle of the night in a strange country that smelled different, sounded different, tasted different on her tongue, fighting to stay awake as a cab or cart or whatever conveyance they could find got them to their destination. The long negotiations it sometimes took before they were allowed to settle in at the site of her parents’ field work. The curious stares—or hostile ones—from the people they’d arrived to study.

  Sometimes Ava had wondered if her parents realized those people were studying them right back and wondered how they categorized the Ingersons. Bossy mother. Scholarly father. Older brother who tries too hard. Younger sister who barely tries at all. Did they recognize the dysfunction? Did they applaud her family’s efforts to understand their culture?

  Or did they think her family was nosy as hell?

  “My childhood was beautiful and strange and uncomfortable and transcendent and very, very lonely,” she summed it up. “If I made a friend one year, I rarely ever saw them again. Because both my parents had research projects, we didn’t go to the same place every year. I was gone for so much of the summers, my school friends at home were always better friends with each other than they were with me. I grew up on the edge of everything both in Bryn Mawr and abroad. Now I want to be in the center. I want connections that last.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “What about you?” she asked. “How are you doing?” He’d told her about the confrontation with Chloe and Ben. She could understand him turning his back on his ex-fiancée, but leaving Scholar Central and his best friend behind had to hurt. She wondered if he’d soon regret it.

  “I’m all right.”

  She could tell he really wasn’t. “What do you think Ben will do when he gets back to Chicago?” she asked cautiously. “Will he and Chloe really buy you out?”

  “I guess so.”

  “But if they’re selling the company, shouldn’t you hold out for your share?”

  “Will it make a difference to you if I don’t cash out big?”

  “No,” she said honestly. She’d had years of experience living on a shoestring, and now she had both a business and a full-time job starting in September. She didn’t need financial assistance; she just wanted Sam’s companionship.

  She ached to smooth the worry out of his forehead, but it was clear to her Sam was struggling. He might not want her to make a fuss about it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t real.

  “It’s hard to leave a friend behind,” she pointed out. She didn’t understand why Ben would choose Chloe over someone as loyal as Sam, but love made people do strange things.

  “I’m worried about Ben,” Sam said, as if he’d read her mind. “Chloe could take him for everything he’s got and leave him broken-hearted. I feel guilty that I’m not forcing him to see that. I’ve tried, but he won’t listen.”

  “Ben gets to make his own decisions, even if they’re bad ones.”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself, but he’s got a rough past,” Sam said. “Maybe he’s not capable of making this kind of call.”

  “You can’t live his life. Only he can do that. You can’t get in his head and see things from his perspective, so you have to trust he can make up his own mind. I know it had to be hard to walk away, but I think you did the right thing. If you’d stayed and let Chloe manipulate both of you, it would be twice as bad.”

  “It’s galling to think of her reaping the benefits of all my hard work.”

  “I know. I’m sorry it worked out this way.” When he remained lost in thought, she moved closer to him and touched his arm. “You know, I don’t expect you to stay, Sam.”

  “What?” Sam’s bewilderment hardened into something else. “Ava—I’m staying. I already told you that.”

  “Your back was up against a wall. Hear me out,” she went on when he tried to interrupt. “I’m glad you want to stay. I want you here—very much. I also know how close you are with your family and how much you care for Ben and your work. I think you should give it a test run before you commit to anything. Stay with me a while, or get your own place—whichever suits you best. See if you like Seahaven. See if you like me. There’s plenty of time for commitments later, don’t you think?”

  “I know what I want,” he assured her, drawing her into his arms and bending to brush a kiss over her mouth. “I’m here to stay, Ava.”

  “Good.” But she told herself she’d believe it when she saw it.

  “You made the right choice,” Chitra said later that night. “You couldn’t stay at Scholar Central and let Chloe run roughshod over you.”

  “But she’s ending up with the profits either way,” Priya protested. “He needs to come home and buy out Ben. That would teach her.”

  “He doesn’t want to come home,” Chitra said. “He wants to stay in Seahaven with the woman he loves. I think it’s romantic.”

  “I think he’s got his priorities all wrong,” Priya said.

  “I think he finally followed his heart,” Leena put in. “Sam, I’m proud of you.”

  He waited, keeping one eye on Ava, who was out on the deck, toasting the sunset with Emma and Penelope. He made sure he was actually going to manage to get a word in edgewise before saying, “Thanks. This feels right. I think Ava is the one.”

  Silence greeted this pronunciation before all three of his sisters began to speak at once.

  “When will we meet her?” Chitra asked.

  “Do Mom and Dad know?” Priya asked.

  “We’re going to miss you,” Leena said.

  “Miss him? Why would we miss him?” Priya demanded.

  “Because I’m staying here in Seahaven,” Sam said, grateful for the lead-in Leena had given to this thorny topic.