I shake my head, huffing out a laugh. “Trust me, there’s a lot more where that came from, but I’m not getting into that right now, especially when I can’t show you.”
We’re miles from Coldwater, and as hot as fucking Avery in my truck was, I much prefer the intimacy we have when there’s all the time in the world and a soft mattress beneath us.
She wets her lips slowly, her eyes never leaving mine, as if her mind had gone to the exact same place. “Fine. Have it your way.”
I scrub a hand over my jaw, sitting back in my seat. “If you’re sure you wanna be bored to death, I’ll tell you about my expansion plans.”
Avery leans forward, earnestness in her gaze. “Oh, please. I can’t wait.”
I huff out a laugh. “You asked for it. We’re in talks with Mr. Evergreen about buying some of his land. You remember him?” Avery nods, and I continue, “He’s getting up there and can’t manage the land anymore. I think he’ll end up selling the whole place in a year or so. For now, we bide our time, bidding on the parcels he’s selling off.”
“Would he not do a deal with you? Given his feelings for the Harts and his relationship with your dad?”
I shake my head, picking up my water glass and taking a sip before responding. “No, I tried. He wants to break the land up. He’s got it in his head that if he sold it to one person, they’d be too powerful.”
Avery scoffs. “Right, because you wanna take over the world from the comfort of your ranch.”
We fall into an easy conversation where I tell her about the rest of the plans I have for the ranch over the next six months. She listens, asking questions when she’s unsure of anything and encouraging me when she senses my excitement.
The rest of dinner passes in a blur of laughter, lingering glances, and easy conversation. It’s like we were never apart, like the old days when we were young and so consumed by each other. Every time our hands graze, it’s like the pain of her departure over a decade ago is being wiped away bit by bit.
She’s the woman for me, and there isn’t a single ounce of doubt in my heart about it.
By the time we’re on the road, heading back to Coldwater, the night has settled around us. We leave behind the city lights, changing them out for moonlight and a star-studded sky. With our fingers intertwined and country love songs on the radio, the miles that stretch ahead of us feel like they’re too few to talk about everything we want to.
Avery is snuggled into my side, a hand on my chest and her head on my shoulder as we turn onto Main Street. This is the exact reason I drove this truck tonight and not the Ford with its center console.
There’s a figure standing under the awning, hidden in the shadows of Autumn’s coffee shop, and it sends a wave of tension through my body. It’s the same feeling I get right before an inexperienced colt is about to do something unexpected. I squeeze Avery’s hand, worried that the paparazzi have found her, but I’m not sure if it’s more to steady her or myself. Something about this feels far bigger than the two of us.
“What’s wrong?” Avery asks, sitting up and scanning the street.
I pull over, my eyes locked on the unfamiliar silhouette. “Wait here,” I reply distractedly.
Climbing from the truck, I leave the keys in the ignition as I jog across the nearly empty street.
“Are you sure this is the right address? It’s a coffee shop, Elaine,” the woman shrieks into the phone, her dark pantsuit a direct contrast to the panicked tone in her voice.
I come to a stop on the sidewalk, uncertainty making me hesitate, before I ask, “Can I help you?”
She whirls around, a hand covering her chest as she lets out a yelp of surprise. “You scared me.” She fans her face before talking into the phone still pressed to her ear. “I’ll call you back, Elaine.” The woman looks me up and down before flicking her hair over her shoulder, an almost predatory look in her eyes. “You certainly can help me. I’m looking for Avery Blake. I’m her manager, Penelope Vaughn.”
My chest tightens, like a heavy weight is pressing onto it and forcing the air out. Penelope holds her hand out, but I’m frozen; the rush of my own blood in my ears is all I can hear.
30
AVERY
Grayson stumbles back, like the ground is shifting beneath him. When I see it, I don’t think before throwing the truck door open and racing across the street toward him. His body blocks whoever it was he came to speak to from view, and when I step around him, my stomach drops. Penelope stares up at him, a mixture of confusion and mild concern on her face.
It’s only when I touch his arm that Grayson moves, as if I’ve dragged him to the surface of reality. He looks down at my hand before meeting my gaze; hurt and something that looks a lot like grief clouds the blue of his eyes.
“Wait for me upstairs, Gray.” I rummage through my clutch, pulling out the keys to my apartment. The cold metal digs into my palm before I hold them out to him, praying he’ll take them. He doesn’t reach for them right away; his eyes remain locked on mine like he’s searching for something or worried that if he leaves, I’ll disappear. “Please,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “Wait for me.”
He hesitates, his fingers brushing mine as he takes the keys and heads for his truck. The sound of his door slamming shut echoes on the otherwise empty street. Within seconds, the engine roars to life, and I watch his taillights disappear around the corner as he drives around the back of the coffee shop.
For a moment, it feels like the whole world has gone still, like it’s holding its breath, waiting to see how this will all play out. I can only imagine what must be going through his mind. Sure, he knows that I’m leaving, but we haven’t talked about the future or what that might mean for us. Hell, I can only imagine how triggering Penelope turning up to drag me back to Nashville must be for him. Yes, it’s different from last time, but it still ends the same, with me gone.
It’s only when the sound of his engine is no longer in the air that I turn to Penelope. “Why are you here, Pen? We agreed that I’d let you know when I’m coming back.”
