Ava's Prize. Cari Webb Lynn

Ava's Prize - Cari Webb Lynn


Скачать книгу
you see Vanessa Ryan, the news anchor from Channel 15, and Brendan Payne from Channel 10? Brendan looks better without all that studio makeup. Do you think they might be an item?” Glenda glanced at Kyle. “Don’t you get nervous talking to reporters? Worried you might say the wrong thing.”

      Sam handed his wife the napkin with the shrimp and grimaced at Kyle. “Honey, try these. They’re quite delicious.”

      “I can’t eat now.” Glenda adjusted the cashmere scarf around her neck. “Nikki James—also from Channel 10—is headed right this way.”

      Kyle disliked the press even more than small talk.

      Nikki lifted her champagne glass in a toast to the threesome. “Kyle, are you going to show us where the finalists will be working on their inventions?”

      “Not tonight.” Or ever. Kyle motioned to Sam. “Mr. Bentley can answer any questions you have. We designed the lab together the last few days.”

      Glenda widened her smile and tugged her husband closer to Nikki James. Grateful, Kyle slipped around the buffet table and escaped. He checked his watch. Only twenty minutes until the finalists were announced.

      The finalists with the ideas that would save him.

      He’d spent another endless round of nights pretending to work inside his lab. Even the five-star meals prepared by Haley Waters, his personal chef, had failed to inspire him. He’d played Skee-Ball more than once in the early morning hours, searching for something with every toss of the ball. All he’d discovered was that the game was better with Ava challenging him and Ben and Dan’s laughter surrounding him. The ideas remained stuck inside him.

      He’d considered arranging another visit for Ben, Dan and Ava, but nixed that thought. He wasn’t that lonesome to have people around. Even his sister hadn’t popped in to disturb the silence. Iris had texted to tell him about several job interviews she’d scheduled for the week. She hadn’t texted with news that she’d secured a new job. How was he supposed to judge his sister while he failed at his own job?

      Iris circulated through the crowd, bringing her usual cheer to every guest. Not only did his sister excel at small talk, she made every person she met feel special and comfortable. She treated strangers like cherished old friends, claimed she’d never known a stranger. For one breath, he envied her. Wanted to be like her. Wanted to belong with such effortless ease.

      Fortunately, his survival instinct forced him to inhale the evening air, driving that senseless wish away and returning him to more secure ground. He might stand apart, but at least he was safe there.

      His gaze caught on an all-too-familiar redhead. The same redhead he’d imagined challenging him to a late-night game of Ping-Pong. The same redhead he’d want as a friend if friends were his goal.

      He’d stopped looking for friends in the sixth grade. He’d been wary and distant on his return to middle school after Troy Simmons had tested Kyle’s allergy claims. In high school, he’d accepted that inviting the guy who might need an EpiPen jammed into his thigh and an ambulance ride was too much of a party buzzkill. By college, that twinge of missing out had faded. He’d been too busy with his studies and sharing his inventions with his grandfather.

      Yet that almost-familiar clench to his insides, as if he’d missed being around Ava, surprised him. He’d moved on from his past and was more than satisfied with his life. After all, he had more important priorities than a misplaced wish to belong.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4RspRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAcAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAjodp AAQAAAABAAAApAAAANAALcbAAAAnEAAtxsAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTMyBXaW5kb3dz ADIwMTg6MTE6MTUgMDk6MTM6NDkAAAAAA6ABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAACFaADAAQAAAAB AAADUgAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAEeARsABQAAAAEAAAEmASgAAwAAAAEA AgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAEuAgIABAAAAAEAABnzAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/gABBKRklG AAECAABIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBEL CgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsN Dg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwM/8AAEQgAoABkAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYH CAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQh EjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXi ZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIE BAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKy gwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dX Z3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Ao/8AN2/T1LaqrnOAGO+yLST/AIEPLPs/2nb9DF9f1f8ArypW V3UWNbW9zgxpLNpgAHRu77/oLrMq1mRb0/EZUDTkWFvqlgLRbWyy631H2fzfp+j+k9P9Ms/qXS6/ 2oyyuXF8PuqPG5whrx+7u2KtDLI/N5unKEQdE/R3vqaDa7luknkxqtig2WO3Cdukwg+i1jGNaN20 AQ2JP5FUxX52ZlGvNrvw+ntcGGlpFZuG7a8Ouqccn0/6vof20z5jaSABoNXs2NffgCgAe+iHF08O DmMHt/eXmnU+idZtzsl7fT9VpaxxPuDiwBo+iPpsZtXqFQbU41tG2utrWtaOAGyAP81c8/FOLbkB z95tvtt3HwscbGN/sNO1PzxPpl2uLX5PLRmP3qkO/wBr5tmfV7q1B9XIqNjeTdJewH/hGe3Z/WVE UWCXAneD9E+5v3fSb/YXrjGeowtOs8hcf9ZvqycWq3OwwWOYS99ce0tP0v6n9lNGQigdm3GUSTY9 Xm5fSPrM7Ec2jKLq2TDdzi+v+xb/ADlf9tdZjWVZRbdS4DxA0c0n/CVP/wAI3/gXf9bXA492Lnj0 bobae54f/Jf/AML+49WMTL6h0C7cCbMKfcxwmB5Kvn5YSJ4PRk/cPyz/ALrLGZqyeKP743j/AHw+ wdNyHvqFdrpsrja48uYTtH9qt3tWguW6F1OjJY3JpeHtYGv2gz7H+3cw/nV7m7LGf4OxdGMqv87S eFY5LMZw4ZfPDTXfh/l6XL5zFwZCQNJfmmSQvtNHG5JW2q//0NK3qNWBUK7i2yHepuAG4OH+Eja7 9Jsds9XdW9ZgzjkXvyXH3E/o2jQtbu21z+d+aue6z1h4zXCRuZLHsIgxz3/z1Uo6zl4lj3EQ5w+n DZOu/wCmf32+1QRxGvN0pTFn8X0qnPw2Vtse5tTYncTqR8T9FqJTkWZbftDbMWlljgKWZD3V2Cgf ojkOr2u/nrNzsev9F+j9P9IsD6rMqzaqc7NeLWi0G4vG6toH6b0f0nsd+azf/pF1bs3o/UMp9TfT stMV2NeBuOx++xkOG72IRjEXxdNGLLOQrgFk6k7urvG4uDgRAhwXI9QwMx31wYcZt1eJkj1sywkf Z3Naza/0xvc5uQ670/8ABVf9trq20xuMAVAAMaO0crBy+vY2F1bKw8iu1+xnrsNTS8Gpg/S7dv51 Vn86nZJRIA0N2xcvGQlIi/l/g4nXa+qYNzLm5OT9ha+HjH3b2g/nuZWPfX/01o9Iy7sxjmV/aL6B o5+Q17RJ/wBH9oa17v5X+DVk9Tfk1Ny8Giy6gDc8Wt9MkeFO7+ce3/ttSf1rCOMH0HcyNQ0QW+O5 n5qhJAFU3Kka0fP/AK1dA+z9Uxz0mubsywVNxW/6Rx9vpukbWu/8DXZWdA6b076t2t6ltysttcOy yTpc72VUY3/B+q70vcz9Oz+c/wBGrnQulU25TOtZLt2Va0/Y6jxVW/2+r/4Yvr/7aps/lrkOuZvW frb153TuhsL8PCu2tcRFBIllubm2n27Pp/Z2fznpfzFfr2J4BlAA1oDqf0WOU+HJIxJEQQZVpxSj u7H1AxaDh5GOG+nf02yxrMkcvrtHr+lewfzlft+h+ZbXvpXYUPa6oFhD6x9BwMjaQHs939pYOU7E +qHQK6KHNszch3p1WP8Aab8p492Rd+7RT9P3fzdPpUf4RH+quWLcJuFrvpbDte45cxrt+3f/AISv 6H7iikY48sZHeVxkfP8A9CROJyY5mPyxI4Af3Q7O3yHKSh6WT6kSNs/SSVv3I/hbS9s+D//R5j61 4NAaepNvaW5G11TAZL9w9r2afne51m5YNDrcgikOaCJLA8kSedo0d73fmK1VW7LotaBubVW95add kHeLGfyHO9jlmNkQ4axrCUAQKJumfNL1CQ+WQ/xnpOk5vVD0rqOJS+sUvpc2xrplod/OuDI+m6tv 566T6s9dx8bp7uoZldmXZQGsFlkavZ+jqvq/4Z9FjKbnu+n6Ve9c30xwbi259hLKshj632EgjcAP 5138rez/AMFRvqpiZvVvTwKGhtTIJM6afTse0fmt3f8Abihy2eIDa47f85uRjjEMZlvKMjZsS4PR OH/Se1PWbci8

Скачать книгу