She moved away before he could complete the kiss. “I have to go.”
“Don’t go,” he said quickly. “I want you to stay. I’d really like to see you more often. We can figure out what to tell your uncle tomorrow.”
“Tell my uncle?” She gave him an incredulous look. “We haven’t even been on a date. I think it’s premature to go telling him something like that. What if we’re not compatible?”
“You’re over-thinking this attraction. Some things just happen naturally.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I know I wanted you the second I saw you on the ranch.”
“I think it’s better if I leave.” She scooped up her purse from the couch and exited the apartment without saying good-bye.
* * *
When Avery’s Uncle Jared called him, at first Wyatt thought he’d wanted to set a date for his career counseling session with him. He was pretty sure he didn’t want to be an architect, but it would be nice to see how Jared worked his magic designing buildings. He called back and learned her uncle needed a favor instead. And it was a really big favor. Once Jared explained what he needed him to do, Wyatt felt honored that he’d entrust him with such a mission.
Wyatt parked the car and headed into the apartment building, hoping he’d see Avery. He hadn’t seen Avery in a few weeks and he missed her something terrible. She’d gone out of her way not to run into him, and he couldn’t blame her. He entered the lobby, waved at the bellman, then went over and punched the button for the elevator. The elevator pinged and the doors opened. It was Avery. She was dressed pretty fancy to walk a dog…and there was no dog in sight. Besides, Autumn and Jared were at their place this week. No one needed to walk Bingo.
“Avery.” He moved to the side to give her room to exit. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach.
“Is everything OK?”
“Yes. I’m fine.” She said with a forced smile.
He knew that look. Something was wrong. “Are you sure everything is all right?”
“Yeah. I’ve just been a little distracted about all the life changes coming up.”
“Well, you have a lot to be pensive about. Your birthday party is coming up. Graduation will be here before we know it. Life is going to change soon.”
“I think it already has.” She gave him a smile.
“Can I walk you to your car?”
“Sure.”
They walked out of the lobby.
“I saw you on Michelle’s cooking show,” Avery said. “It looked like you were having a blast.”
He laughed. “Michelle’s a sweetheart. It’s hard not to be relaxed around her.”
“Did your segment yield any clues about a possible career? Do we have a chef in the making?”
“You remember that time I tried to make you toast?”
“I forgot about that.” She laughed. “Is that why the fire extinguisher was on the counter for most of the segment?”
“Yeah.” He laughed too.
“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying your time shadowing the family.”
“It’s been fun and informative, but I’m still no closer to making any important decisions.”
She threw him a tentative glance. “You ever think you try too hard?”
“Sometimes I think not enough.”
“You’ll find your way. I know you will.”
“And you be careful. I wouldn’t want you rushing into anything you might regret.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Wyatt.” She gave him hug.
He wasn’t expecting such a hearty hug from her, but he was damn glad she did it. He squeezed her back. She had the faint smell of cologne on her and he knew it wasn’t a scent Bo or Jared used. He tightened his grip, not wanting to let her go. He felt like it if he did, his heart would break. “Goodnight, Princess.”
Wyatt watched her drive off yet again. It seemed he’d been doing that a lot lately. Watching her leave. Each time felt even worse than the previous one, because it always felt like the last time he’d see her. He longed for the simple days of being together without the angst of complicated feelings lurking around every corner. She didn’t dress that fancy to come visit family, so she must have been visiting that idiot quarterback Riley. The idea that she could have shared a meal or something else with that slick jerk sent him marching over to the elevators. Instead of inserting his key card, he pushed the button for Riley’s floor. He got out and went over to the quarterback’s door and knocked, hard. A few minutes later, Riley opened the door. He looked like he was dressed for a date too. Riley opened his mouth to speak, but Wyatt beat him to the punch.
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing with Avery but knock it off. She’s special. She’s beautiful and intelligent, so don’t bother with slick, empty, flattering words because she’s above all that. If you hurt her, it won’t be the Blake men coming after you, pretty boy. I’ll knock you on your ass myself.”
He pivoted away from Riley and stalked down the corridor. He didn’t bother waiting for an elevator. He took the stairs until he’d reached the eighth floor and slid his access card to gain entry. Wyatt stopped outside her uncle’s apartment and looked at his image in the mirror above the hall table. He had to get himself together so Jared wouldn’t see how upset he was. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
“Wyatt.” Jared ushered him inside. “Thanks again for doing me this huge favor.”
“No problem. Although, I’m not sure I’m the man for the job. Isn’t this kind of important?”
Jared smiled. “It’s very important, and I want it to be a surprise.”
“And you’re sure you want my help?”
“Wyatt. You’re a responsible guy. I trust you implicitly.”
He wasn’t sure if he were imagining things. Wyatt gave him a strange look. “Since when did you trust me?”
“Anyone who takes such good care of my niece can handle this errand. I’ll be right back.” Jared left the room but returned a moment later with the bag. “I need to have this done by Avery’s party.”
Wyatt nodded but remained silent.
Jared looked him over. “What’s wrong?”
“The thing you just said. I thought you hated my guts.”
“Have a seat.” Jared sat on the couch. “I know I’ve been a little hard on you over the years.”
“A little?”
“OK. I’ve been terrible to you. I saw you as this punk kid that was lusting after my niece, and as her uncle, it’s my job to look out for her. But I know you’re a fine young man. I can see why she cares so deeply for you. You make her happy. I can’t ask for anything more than that.”
“Thanks, Jared.” Wyatt stood. “I won’t let you down.”
“I know.”
Wyatt left the apartment with a renewed determination to win back Avery.
CHAPTER NINE
At the stroke of midnight, Avery got the ever-faithful birthday call from her parents. They were having a great time on their cruise, which made her feel both happy and guilty at the same time. Next was the expected call from Uncle Seth and Aunt Morgan. Parker sent her a text and reminded her about their planned wild girls’ night out. By morning the electronic well wishes continued, and she spoke to her grandparents, Great-Grandma Reed, and a few cousins. Morgan had the kids call before they left for soccer practice. It was delightful to hear them singing happy birthday into the phone, and they’d promised a repeat performance for her party with the family on Sunday.
By mid-morning, she’d all but given up on Wyatt. He hadn’t attempted to call or text. But Riley did. He’d wished her a happy birthday and mentioned that he’d enjoyed their time together that night at his apartment. Her cheeks still flushed when she’d thought about going to his place. It had been thrilling to do something exciting and out of character, too bad she felt like a fool for doing it.
Avery put on some music and bounced around the house getting dressed for h
er yoga class. Today was going to be a great day. She wouldn’t let anything spoil it. She’d been looking forward to this day since forever. She brushed her teeth and put her hair into a ponytail, ready to take on the world. She got an apple and a water and grabbed her gym bag. Then she opened the door to find a huge, wrapped box with her name on it.
At first she thought it was from Riley, but the card read “To Princess” on it. It could have only come from Wyatt. She stepped back inside, put her stuff down on the coffee table, and sat on the couch, her heart racing. She loved getting presents from him. They were usually whimsical and fun. Once he sent her on a treasure hunt, and for the entire day she collected clues which culminated in a very romantic candlelight dinner at her favorite spot on the ranch down by the creek. Now that she’d thought about it, they’d been dating since they’d met.
But now she didn’t know what to expect from him.
She played with the bow for a few minutes, then realized how ridiculous she was being. She opened the box to find an engraved stethoscope. It said Princess, M.D. She draped it around her neck and took a look at herself in the mirror. She was sure she’d get a lot of these for gifts, but she’d treasure this one. Grinning to herself, she put it back in the box and placed it on the table. It was time to get on with the day so she could party with Parker tonight. Before, she’d hoped Wyatt wasn’t bartending at the Bright Star tonight. But now she’d changed her mind. They needed to talk.
Her cell phone rang. It was Parker. She hit the speaker button. “Hey, Parker.”
“Happy birthday!”
“Thanks. Don’t tell me you’re canceling tonight?” Avery said, suddenly worried.
“No. We’re still on. I may be a little late.”
“Oh. I can live with that!”
“How about we meet at the Bright Star? Grab a cab or get someone from Regency to drop you off. I’ll be the designated driver tonight.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Good. I’ll see you there around eight.”
“OK. See you then.”
* * *
Wyatt couldn’t help grinning at his reflection in the bar back mirror as he polished beer mugs. He hoped Avery liked her present, but he was confident she would. He was sure it would go a long way toward fixing what had been broken between them recently. He had to thank the ladies in his life for that idea. Mom and Teri-Lyn had told him to get her a keepsake that would have special meaning to her. What better gift for the budding doctor than an instrument to inspect the heart?
Aside from finding the perfect birthday gift for her, shadowing the family was going well. He’d had a blast at NuWave like he’d expected, but he’d also gained a new appreciation for what Summer and Autumn did, placating tech-whiz egos and hitting high profile release dates. The next thing on his list was to visit Seth at the Tomcats Stadium, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. He’d probably run into Riley, and that wasn’t a good thing. He’d regretted not punching him out as soon as he’d opened the door that night, but he knew what he’d had to say was too important. And he needed Riley to listen. Avery was special, and Riley was too experienced for her. He knew she had a good head on her shoulders; he’d hoped she wouldn’t do anything stupid like sleep with the guy. He’d wanted her to have a sweet, passionate, memorable first time, which was why he’d stopped that night.
He set the perfectly polished glass down and grabbed another, glancing over the small crowd at the Bright Star. Cal had the night off, so that meant he’d be in charge. Cal was kind of crusty around the edges, but he too was giving him an internship of sorts. More responsibility meant he’d had to treat the job seriously. He’d have to be even more stringent about his performance and make sure everything went smoothly on the floor and in the kitchen. Luckily the staff had all been there for years, except for Rusty, the new guy he was still training. Things were going great. The tip jar was filling up fast. There were plenty of beautiful country girls and some citified women looking to taste the simpler, classic honky-tonk lifestyle coming through the place. But there was only one woman who gave him that special feeling and her birthday was today.
He’d been thinking about her so hard at first he’d thought he’d imagined she’d just walked into the place. As the Doppelganger got closer to the bar, dressed in a pretty red peasant top, a jean skirt, straw cowboy hat, and red cowboy boots, he knew that could only be her.
“Hi, Wyatt.” She took a seat on the bar stool. “Before you and Cal start on some tirade, as you know I am legally allowed to be in here now.” She stuck out her tongue.
He grinned. “Cal has the night off, and you’re right. You do have the right to drink on your twenty-first birthday. Happy birthday, Princess.”
“Thanks for the stethoscope. I love it.” She nervously played with the brim of her hat.
“You’re welcome,” he replied, relieved that she’d loved her gift. “So. What’s the plan, Princess?”
“Nothing set in stone yet,” Avery said, still both happy and nervous to see that Wyatt was working tonight. It was the perfect time to chat before Parker arrived. Now all she had to do was think of what to say. She’d expected to fight with him for a half hour just to get him to serve her, but he’d conceded rather quickly. Which probably meant the family had some big meeting on the protocol in case she showed up here to celebrate her birthday. It wasn’t that she’d really wanted to drink. She’d had a sip of wine and champagne at family functions before. One time her Uncle Seth let her sip his scotch. It wasn’t the liquor that was appealing. It was being able to have more freedom in the things she did.
Wyatt leaned on the edge of the bar and held her gaze. “What are you doing here alone? Do you have a date?” He looked over her shoulder at the door.
“Yes. As a matter of fact I do.” She grinned. “Parker and I are having a girl’s night out. She should be here in a little bit. She’s running late from work.”
“In that case, let me school on the libations. Beer is a good, slow starter. You’d probably like a light beer.”
“Do you have any wine?”
“White or red?”
“Um.” She bit her lip. She knew there was a difference and wished she’d paid attention to the times her aunts had talked about it. Cassidy loved California and she and Channing went to Napa Valley often.
“Lurline,” Wyatt called to the waitress. “Avery is celebrating her twenty-first birthday. Can you suggest a wine for her?”
“Let’s see.” Lurline tapped her chin with her finger. “We have a Riesling in stock that’s divine. It’s even a good pairing with the pretzels.”
Avery beamed. “That sounds great.”
“Two is your limit.” Lurline loaded bottles onto her tray to deliver to seated customers.
“Come on,” Avery replied.
“Is Wyatt taking you home? Because I don’t want you driving after your first drink.”
“Parker is meeting me.”
“Then have a seat and enjoy.”
Avery sipped on her wine while Wyatt tended to customers. She balked at the sign on the bar, tip the bartender if you think he’s cute. But then she noticed the female patrons coming over to tip him, even though he didn’t serve them. A half hour later, a few people she recognized from their college came in, waved at him, and took a seat at a table. Wyatt excused himself to go over and chat with them.
He’d stopped a few times to smile and chat with some woman who just had to talk to him. The ladies certainly liked him. Perhaps that’s why he always had so much cash on him. She wanted another drink. Hopefully it wouldn’t be her last. She was reaching Lurline’s two-limit cutoff. Wyatt was still making his rounds, so she asked the newbie Rusty for help.
“Rusty? Can I have another?” She held up her glass.
“Sure thing.” He turned to get the wine bottle.
“You know what? I’ve changed my mind. I’m twenty-one today. How about a shot of tequila?”
“Happy birthday.” Rusty rocked to th
e music as he pulled down the tequila bottle and poured.
“Thanks.” Avery took a swig of the tequila and winced. It was hard to get down.
“You’re doing it wrong,” Rusty said. “It goes like this.”
She watched as Rusty licked the back of his hand and poured some salt on the wet spot. He licked the salt, slammed back the shot, then bit into a lemon wedge. He then screamed as she watched him, wide-eyed.
“Now you try,” he said.
“Is howling optional?”
He laughed. “Yes.”
She drank the second shot, and the liquid seared through her body again but faster. She looked up and saw Kelly Burton and her bitchy friends strolling over to the same table where Wyatt was. Kelly immediately put her arm around Wyatt’s waist and kissed him on the cheek so quickly he didn’t have time to move back. What the hell? She didn’t want to see Wyatt get pawed by every woman in the room, especially that thot Kelly.
“Rusty. Another one please.”
Avery checked her phone for the incoming text message. Parker was running late, but she’d said she’d be there and not to party too hard without her. This wild night was getting off to another tame start. She motioned for Rusty to hit her with a third shot. The room felt as if it was spinning a little. Wyatt was still over there blabbing with his friends. She was getting pissed now. The nerve of him not inviting her over! Come to think of it, he never hung out with her with his group of friends. It was just as well. She’d probably square-up the cool kids table. She was on her fourth shot of tequila by the time Wyatt made it back to the bar.
“Now I see why you like working here,” she said, struggling to get the words precisely right. “I think every woman in here has touched your ass.” She spoke loudly to be heard over the music. She got a few curious looks, but she didn’t care.
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