by Emma Nichols
* * *
DeSean: Calm down and get your ass over here.
* * *
I didn’t need to be told twice. Wasn’t this what I wanted, anyway? Didn’t I need a friend I could talk to who might help me strategize my next move? While I had no way to reclaim Molly at the moment, I wasn’t going to ruin the possibility I could reconnect with Avery, if I could only understand why she left.
* * *
Me: See you in a few.
* * *
I hadn’t even showered. Instead, I’d dressed, brushed my teeth, and rushed out the door. The entire drive, I tortured myself with how I could’ve done things differently. Hell, I was still running the various possibilities through my mind when I parked in front of DeSean’s house. After taking a few deep breaths, I stumbled to the front door. It opened before I could even knock or ring the bell.
“You doing okay today?” DeSean asked as he ushered me into the kitchen. “I just made my famous hot chocolate. Have a mug.” He pushed one across the island to me.
But I had little interest in the drink he offered. Instead, I blurted out everything on my mind “Harlow showed up and Molly might not be mine. DSS took her. Then Avery disappeared.” I laid a hand on my chest. It hurt so much, I thought I was having a heart attack and I collapsed onto the nearest stool.
“Breathe, buddy. Take a sip. Nothing is as bad as you think,” DeSean murmured.
I paused. He was being so nice, I had to be dying. “It’s worse. Losing Molly would be hard enough, but Avery…she has my heart. I’m lost without her.” I struggled to inhale deeply enough to fill my lungs. Behind me, I heard footsteps and struggled to pull myself together.
Then arms wrapped around my waist and a head rested on my back. I stiffened until I heard the voice. “It’s okay,” she whispered.
I whipped around and hauled her into my arms. “What are you doing here?” I asked as I crushed her to my chest. “Hey! Where’s your car?”
“I had to park at the community club house,” Avery explained quietly. “DeSean and Tegyn had a gathering last night and there was no room to park on the street or in the driveway.”
“I see.” I nodded even as more questions filled my head. So, I decided to start with the most pressing one. “Why would you leave me like that?”
Her face darkened and she pulled back. “You left me first. You weren’t the only one hurting, but my pain was magnified because I thought you didn’t want me anymore. After all, I had only moved in to begin with because of Molly.” Avery’s chin jutted out angrily.
“How could I not want you? I need you. I’m going to marry you,” I assured her. I thought that might calm her. Wasn’t that what every woman wanted? Marriage. Security. Love.
“Right. Just in case you’re not the father. You need a wife to have a shot at Molly.” She swallowed hard and crossed her arms over her body.
I shook my head before reaching out to her. “It’s not that. Even if we didn’t have Molly, I’d still want you.” I frowned as I studied her face and tried to figure out what was going on in her mind. “Stop overthinking things. Just…let me love you. I can’t survive the loss of you too.”
I watched her glance at DeSean and groaned.
“What?” she grumbled. “Why wouldn’t I look to DeSean?” she asked as he tiptoed out of the room. “I have been attracted to you almost since the first time I saw you. And it had nothing to do with the money or your fame. It really wasn’t even about your amazing body.” Avery inhaled deeply. “But I’ll never forget the day I fell completely, madly, deeply in love with you.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and I reached out ready to wipe them away. She blocked my hand. “Listen. This is important.”
I nodded sadly. “I’ll listen. I promise.” Then I tucked my hands under my thighs on the stool because if I didn’t, I was only going to keep trying to touch her when she clearly wasn’t ready for it.
Convinced I was focused, Avery continued. “Our hands brushed, you turned and looked at me then and that one time, you really saw me, just one time. And in that moment, I discovered something in you. You were helping Royal and the two of you were planning a benefit for his charity.” She took a tentative step toward me. “I saw your heart. Your big, tough, loving heart. I thought maybe things would be different then.” She swallowed hard. “Only the next morning when I arrived, Marley was asleep in your bed and you were wearing a guilty, goofy look on your face.”
My head hung. I knew exactly what she was talking about. I even remembered that moment when I’d felt a tiny spark between us, but I’d allowed Marley to seduce me. And it was easy to let her keep having her way because I liked peace. “I remember,” I whispered sadly.
“I almost quit that day.” Avery blinked back tears. “I thought my heart would absolutely break. Then I remembered that I was the help and you were out of my league. So, I set my feelings aside and focused on doing my job, which worked out fine as long as I stayed detached.”
“I don’t want you detached,” I grumbled under my breath.
“Well, I don’t want you shutting me out. It’s the worst thing you can do to a person in a time of crisis.” She frowned. “She was mine almost as much as she was yours,” Avery grumbled.
“I know she was.” I slid off the stool. “And I know on Monday, I may get my heart ripped right out of my chest, but with you by my side, I can survive this. I mean it.” Then I reached out and held her hand, pulling it up against my heart. “Together. No matter what.”
Tilting her head, she nodded slightly and I sensed her doubt. I’d change her mind. I’d make her believe. I had to.
“Okay, but one thing,” Avery murmured.
“Anything.” I nodded seriously.
She took a deep breath. “Can we cancel tonight? I’m not in the mood to go out. I just…want to stay in and sulk. Is that okay?”
I pulled her into my arms. “We’re quite the pair. I canceled last weekend. You canceled tonight. We may never end up on a date.” I chuckled. “Think anyone has ever married without dating before?”
Avery pulled back and narrowed her eyes at me. “Not by choice.”
“Good point. Then we need to start dating. Soon. But not tonight.” I grinned and exhaled. Somehow, I had to believe everything was going to be all right.
14
Avery
* * *
“What would you think about building a house out here?” Paxton asked as we walked out to his SUV.
I looked around. “It’s beautiful. This is a nice quiet neighborhood, with great schools, and huge lots.” I sighed happily. “I’d love to live someplace like this.”
“We should pick a lot and design a house,” he commented, turn toward the door as he spoke. DeSean and Tegyn were on the porch. “You want some new neighbors?”
“Depends. We were hoping for a nice newlywed couple,” DeSean joked, even as Tegyn swatted at him. “What?” He stepped away from her. “So far, all we met was Leo, the angry divorcing guy. Paxton saw him at the hospital.”
Beside me, Paxton nodded. “Yeah, I did. I had no idea he lived out here. And I never picked up on the angry.” He shrugged and turned his attention back to me. “Avery, let’s go back to the condo and plan our dream home. Hop in and I’ll drive you to your car.”
I nodded and joined him inside his vehicle. As I sat beside him, I realized he was smiling for the first time since we’d lost Molly. “What are you thinking?” I asked quietly.
“I needed a sense of purpose. I mean, I could spend the next almost forty-eight hours holding you, but we’re doers, you know?” He frowned.
“I do know.” I nodded a few times, but already an idea was forming in my mind. “So, I know you suggested designing our dream home.” I watched him as I spoke. The man was struggling. I had to keep him active. “What if we call a realtor? What if we look at homes in the area? There might even be some spec homes that would meet your expectations.”
“Our expectations,” he corrected. “Thi
s is for us. Us and Molly.” Paxton grinned. Then he suddenly leaned over and kissed me.
“Hey, what’s that for?” I asked with a giggle.
“I need a reason to kiss you?” He chuckled. “Fine. It’s for being so incredibly amazing. It’s for always knowing how to make everything better.” He shook his head a moment. “I listened to you last night as you packed up Molly. You were trying so hard to hold it together, do the right thing, and keep her calm. I swear, I fell even harder for you in that moment.” Paxton swallowed hard. “I’m supposed to be the strong one and I felt weak in comparison. You? You were a champ.”
I shook my head. “It’s not a competition. We support each other. That’s all.”
He reached out and smoothed back my hair, tucked some behind my ear and leaned into my face. “I love you, Avery. I love you for a million reasons.”
My eyes widened and I gulped in some air. “You never say that. I know because I’ve heard Marley complain about it.”
“Well, that makes perfect sense, because I didn’t love Marley.” Paxton sighed. “I never wanted to say it because I never felt it, but with you, I do.” He pressed his lips to mine and when the kiss ended, our foreheads touched. “I think this has been growing for a long time and I never acknowledged it. I never wanted to upset the balance in my life, but now, I understand that this is where I’m supposed to be, and you’re who I’m supposed to be with. And no matter what happens with Molly, I want you. I want us. Got it?” Paxton opened his eyes to look into mine.
I nodded numbly. “Got it.” I wanted to tell him. I wanted to let him know how deeply I felt for him as well, but I never wanted to be that girl. I never wanted to be all...oh, yeah, I love you too! I had told him a million ways how I felt for a long time. And when I finally said it out loud, I wanted to speak those words in that moment first. Instead, I murmured, “So make that call, Pax.”
He inhaled deeply and pulled out his phone. Soon he was scrolling through his contacts. “I’m going to call the lady who helped me buy the condo. She was so good at negotiating.”
Inside, I could feel my stomach churning. “Did you date her?” I asked quietly.
He made a face. “No. She’s probably fifty. She’s just the best realtor I know. Okay?”
With a smile, I nodded. “Yeah. That’s more than okay.”
An hour later, we were waiting in front of a house in DeSean and Tegyn’s subdivision, but directly on the lake. Carly was supposed to arrive any minute. The wait was killing us.
“What do you think of the outside?” Paxton asked.
We’d already wandered around the entire perimeter. Being a spec home, it was on one of the prime lots in the neighborhood. There were rights for a dock on the lake along the five hundred feet of shoreline. The lot was roughly six acres. And the home was three stories if we included the walk-out basement.
“There’s plenty of room for a pool,” I commented. “I’m sorry, I love the lake, but if refusing to swim with the fish and other wildlife makes me a princess then I’ll gladly wear that tiara.” I shivered.
“We could have a boat. Something sensible for Molly, like a pontoon boat, built for family fun instead of speed.” He stood leaning against his SUV staring out over the property. “We’ll add a pool and hot tub. There’s already an outdoor fireplace.” He turned toward me suddenly. “If you like the inside, we’ll buy it. Today. I mean it.”
I could see how serious he was and nodded. “I think this place has so much potential. I’m just afraid of getting too excited yet.”
He walked around to the back of the vehicle where I was standing and pulled me into his arms. “Has your life been so filled with disappointment that you’re afraid to dream, Avery?” he asked sadly. “I promise, from now on, nothing but happily-ever-afters and dreams come true for you.”
My heart raced and I was ashamed of how badly I wanted to believe him. “Okay. We’ll see.”
Carly pulled up in her Mercedes before we’d barely had time to hug. “So, I hear you two crazy kids are in the market for a new house?” She grinned and flipped her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder. “I take it you’ve had a chance to look around outside.” She watched us for a response and we both nodded. “Good. Then let’s see what you think of the inside.”
Holding hands, we followed her up the steps and I had to admit, I had goosebumps. She unlocked the realtor box and pulled out the key to the double doors.
“I love double doors,” I whispered.
Paxton laughed. “Me too.”
Inside, we found dark hardwoods throughout the main floor. And this was exactly like every home I’d ever drooled over. There was a big sink in the kitchen’s island, a huge walk-in pantry. There were wood burning fireplaces in the study, family room, and master bedroom. There were exposed beams and high ceilings. The finishes were perfect and my heart raced with excitement the more we looked around.
“What do you think?” Paxton asked me quietly when Carly left us alone in the master bedroom.
I blew out a breath. “Is it possible for the first place we look to be perfect?”
He grinned. “I think so. It feels right to me. Inside, I’m seeing minor changes…like paint colors, whatever we select. Outside, we’ll do the hardscaping, pool, and hot tub, but otherwise, I’m ready to make an offer today. You?”
I nodded. “Yes. I think we could be really happy here.”
He wrapped an arm around me. “Let’s go tell Carly.”
We found her in the kitchen with paperwork spread out on the island. “I saw the way you looked at the place. I thought I might get ready, just in case.”
Paxton nodded. “Let’s make an offer. What’s the asking price?”
“It’s one point four million,” she responded smoothly.
“Let’s start at one point two five cash.” He hugged me tighter. “And let’s list my condo, but the sale isn’t contingent.”
I knew she’d been trained not to blink at the size of the numbers, but this had to be a dream for her. No chance of this falling through on financing. No worries about whether he’d still buy if he couldn’t sell his place. I inhaled deeply, knowing this was going to change our lives.
Half an hour later, the offer was written and she’d even called the builder to start negotiations. When Carly ended the call, she smiled. “The builder accepted your offer. What if I come to the condo tomorrow to take pictures and get your place listed?”
“Absolutely,” Paxton murmured. “And how soon before we can move in?”
By the time we left, my head was spinning. I’d left them alone to go over numbers and sign paperwork. Instead, I wandered around the house taking pictures and making notes about paint colors and furniture styles.
“Do you want to do this, or do you think we need a decorator?” Paxton asked as he snuck up behind me when I was on the back patio.
“I think we can handle it, but I wouldn’t object to hiring painters. And…we probably need to schedule movers and pack.” I groaned. “I can’t believe I’m doing this again.”
He scooped me up into his arms. “I can’t believe I didn’t think to do this sooner.” He scanned the beautifully manicured lawn. “I think Molly will be so happy here. Don’t you?”
I swallowed hard. “I really do.”
And while we were incredibly eager to focus on the positive, we’d be lying if we didn’t admit we were struggling to ignore the elephant in the room. There was a chance Harlow had been telling the truth and Molly might not be Paxton’s baby. For this reason alone, we pushed on, all through Saturday night, on into Sunday. And only when we completely ran out of energy minutes before it was officially Monday did we climb into Paxton’s bed.
“You happy, Avery?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around me.
“I am,” I murmured, “but not quite as happy as I’ll be when we replace the bed.” Then I giggled as he started tickling me.
15
Paxton
* * *
“Wake
up!” Avery bounced on the bed beside me. “How can you be sleeping at a time like this?”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, squinting at her in the dark. “What time is it?”
“It’s after five!” She bounced some more.
“That’s how I’m sleeping. It’s fucking five in the morning,” I grumbled as I rolled away from her. “If you were going to be this perky in the morning, I feel like you should’ve revealed this before moving in together.” I smirked, knowing she’d never let it go.
“Come on. The lab opens at eight.” Avery held my hand in both of hers. “Please.”
I rolled toward her and blinked a few times. “You know this isn’t instantaneous, right? This isn’t like a pregnancy test. There’s no lines or plus symbols. This takes time. When I called, I was warned it could be five to seven business days. We’ll probably close on the house before we even know.” Telling her so was hard. I could actually see her hope crumbling. Her bottom lip trembled.
“I knew that,” she lied. “I just forgot. In all the excitement…”
I opened my arms to her and waited for Avery to collapse against my chest. In less than three seconds, she was shaking in my arms and I knew how hard she was working to hold it together. “You can cry, babe. It’s okay. I’m sad too.” I pressed my lips to her forehead. “I’ll get up in an hour or so. We’ll get ready and grab breakfast. What do you think? Le Peep? Original Pancake House? Terrace Café?” I was prepared to list off every breakfast place in Charlotte to satisfy her. “The Toastery.”
“Awful Waffle is fine,” Avery whispered.
I groaned. “Awful Waffle is where you go when you’ve lost all hope. That’s it. We’re going to Terrace Café. Then straight to the lab.”