Michael stands, tucking his chair in before bracing himself over it. He says nothing as he levels me with his pensive stare.
“Be the smart girl your father was so proud of. Focus on what matters. The only important thing right now is handling Carl.”
“You’re right.” I blow out on a long exhale, trying to ignore the fresh twist of nausea as I stand up to round the table. When I’m in front of him, I give him a hug, kissing his cheek like I used to do when I was younger. “That is the most important thing, especially now he’s back here.”
“You saw him?” Mike asks.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Garrett growls, standing too.
“Iris saw him today. He was at her school during recess.”
“Did you call the cops?”
“Garrett, I wasn’t there. Clara told me when I went to pick the kids up and then…” Everything got sidetracked.
“He is dangerous, Avery. He has nothing left to lose now that his career is done, and if you see him again, you need to call the cops and stay away.” Michael pats my back. “I’ll talk to the feds myself. I take it they haven’t been back here?”
When I shake my head, he nods with a soured smile. “Good. You know I always get business handled. You just focus on…” Looking around, he shrugs. “This.”
Neither Jo nor Garrett see him out with me, although I can feel Garrett watching from afar.
“See you soon, Mike.” Iris hugs him goodbye before he walks out of the door.
Turning back to look at me, he says, “Don’t look for answers you don’t need, doll. It will never end well for you or anyone else. Be happy that you’re still here. Alive.”
After making his way down the porch steps and to his Escalade, he looks up at where I’m standing, hugging Iris to me on the stoop. “If he shows his face, call me.”
The minute he’s heading down the drive, Iris runs back inside, leaving me to watch the SUV disappear in the distance.
“I liked him better when he didn’t have a face,” Garrett says from behind me.
“You don’t like him at all,” I retort, facing him as I lean back on one of the long porch beams.
Even with all the worries weighing my mind, my heart leaps at the sight of him, galloping back to life when he gives me that soft, lopsided grin I adore. It’s as though he brought it back to me, and even though it’s bruised, it’s still beating on.
“Do you really believe there’s more to it?” There’s no need to elaborate because he knows what I mean.
“Yes, I do, and my gut tells me that Michael knows more. I don’t trust him, Avery. The way he was looking at you…those things he said back there…”
“How are we going to find out what happened?”
“Details. If I can get his medical history, we’ll know more.”
Pulling my shoulders back, I take a deep breath. “I’ll get you what you need, but you won’t hide anything from me. Even if you want to protect me,” I tell him as he comes closer. “I’ve been here before, Doc, and I won’t be blindsided again. I want to know what’s coming at me so I can be prepared. You understand?”
“I do.” He nods.
“Don’t give me reason to doubt you because it hurts. It physically aches to be this close to you and to have to force myself not to touch you. It kills me to push you away when I need you here.”
“Sweetheart, I never want to hurt you.” The feel of his fingertips lightly brushing mine has my heart squeezing tight before picking up its pace with a few skipped beats.
“If you really must protect me, do it from this pain.” Cupping his jaw with one hand, I grasp his with my other, lacing our fingers together as I bring it up to my lips and press a kiss to it before holding it to my chest.
Tugging me flush to him by our joined hands, he wraps his arm around me, cocooning me with his warmth and his scent. He is all the home I need. The only home I want.
“I love you,” I whisper into his chest as he peppers the top of my head with kisses.
Releasing my hand, Garrett cups my face to him as he lifts my gaze to his. With a soft, barely there smile, he leans down to press the tip of his nose to mine, murmuring back, “I love you too, sunshine.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
GARRETT
The weekend is a blur of emails and phone calls. The little time that Avery and I get together is nothing short of blissful even with her constantly looking over her shoulder. But it’s Sunday evening, and I’ve spent most of the day going over the medical records I managed to get from Robert’s doctor.
I have gone over the six months prior to his death with a fine-tooth comb, and there’s nothing. Not a single thing that would indicate he had health issues. It’s not all that surprising given he was fifty-nine years old and there is almost nothing to his file. All routine checks are normal. There isn’t a single blood test that stands out. There is quite literally jack shit to go on with the exception of the needle bruising recorded on his upper arm in the postmortem.
There’s no record of any vaccination in his medical file. He had no allergies, so an EpiPen is out. There was nothing out of the ordinary in his system. Toxicology is clean. I’m at a loss for possibilities. None of it makes sense.
Which is why I need to step away, because the words are all melding to one long strand of what the fuck were you thinking? And my gut just keeps on twisting tighter because the only thing that doesn’t add up is the fact that he’s dead.
“Doc.”
I look up from my MacBook, tipping my head back on the couch to find Avery standing behind me. Her hair has grown and lightened since that first time I met her. Coming closer, she removes my glasses before framing my face with her hands. Everything brightens up as she leans over me, her hair tickling my chest while she peppers kisses to my jaw. There’s so much affection inside her that I find it impossible to understand how anyone could ever let her go or treat her badly. It’s impossible not to love her.
“You are too damn pretty, you know that?”
“I do now,” she replies with her smile pressing to mine. Her hands rove down my shoulders to my chest, meandering all the way down until she’s braced on my thighs, and I imagine she’s all the way on pointe, on her tiptoes, while I nip at her jaw.
“I’ve helped Jo to bed, tucked Iris in, and had a bath while you’re still working. No wonder you need glasses,” she chuckles into the top of my chest with a chaste kiss. “Time for a break, Dr. Dixon.”
Setting my laptop beside me, she stands and proceeds to saunter all the way to the kitchen, looking back at me with a come-hither smirk that has my dick calling to attention with the rest of me as I start toward her. Tan legs hold my attention as she opens the freezer, making a point of bending over and sticking her ass in the air to tease me. Glancing back at me, she takes out the tub of Chunky Monkey Iris bought me as a gift for taking her surfing on Saturday mornings.
It’s become our thing. We catch some waves while Avery gets a little time to herself, and then we grab chocolate chip pancakes to go, along with Avery’s red velvet cupcake. Looking over at the back porch when Avery goes out of sight, I smile at the small surfboard by the back door with her new wet suit hanging over it.
“You better not be eati—” I stop cold when I find her leaning over the kitchen side, her eyes screwed shut as she sways slightly. Rushing to her side, I ask, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m fine. Just a head rush…” She blinks her eyes open as I turn her toward me and sit her on the edge of the counter. Touching her forehead to mine, she chuckles, “It’s what I get for teasing you.”
“Instant karma,” I snicker in return while I grasp her wrist to check her pulse discreetly.
Her heart rate is crazy fast, I’d say about fifteen beats more than what I would consider normal. Instantly, my mind starts going back to her father’s postmortem report.
“Does this happen often?” I’ve never noticed it, but if this is something that she’s grown used
to, she would know how to push through it without fuss.
“Garrett.” She looks me in the eyes as she says my name in that serious tone of hers that tells me not to press further. “I’m fine.”
I almost let it go, but then I just keep thinking how these sudden turns can be a symptom of SADS, and it terrifies me to the point that my own heart feels like it might give out at any point. There’s no way I can let this go without watching her like a hawk or driving myself insane with worry.
“I need you to answer my question.”
“No, it doesn’t happen often at all. My blood went to my head, and I got up too fast, that’s all.” With a sigh, she nuzzles into the crook of my neck, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “I was trying to be all sexy and seductive, and instead I killed the moment.”
Avery’s giggle makes me chuckle, and it seems to lighten some of the worry. Before things get serious again, she grabs the ice cream that’s to the side and pulls the drawer beside her legs open to pull out a spoon.
“Time for dessert!” she sings, offering me a spoon.
After I have the first mouthful, Avery helps herself to some. We’re a few spoons in when she asks, “Does that taste right to you?”
“Sure…banana ice cream,” I say, spooning another helping into my mouth. “Mmmm, fudge and walnuts…tastes like Chunky Monkey to me!”
“I think I’ve overindulged because it’s getting a little yucky to me.”
“I’m pretty certain that’s also karma for eating a whole tub of it to yourself in one sitting.”
“It was not the whole thing. I totally left you some.”
“Barely,” I tease her as I cover the tub and put it back in the freezer. She’ll probably come back for more later when we’re watching our next monsters of the deep movie. “What are we putting on tonight?”
“Deep Blue Sea or The Meg.” The excitement in her voice is all I need to make my world right.
When Avery is happy, it doesn’t matter what is going on around us or outside this place because our bubble is perfect.
I let her down and follow her to the couch, grabbing waters from the fridge in case she’s still feeling sickie from all the sugar. “Did you want some Pepto-Bismol?”
“Umm…” Taking a pause from arranging the cushions to one side of the couch, she glimpses at me over her shoulder, face screwed up in deliberation before she replies, “No, I think I might need to cut back on the sugar… I feel bloated anyway, so…”
With a shrug she goes back to arranging what Iris likes to call the love boat—basically the couch and the long footstool pushed together to make a sort of daybed.
“I’ve never heard of The Meg,” I say as she grabs her favorite blanket and waits for me to lie down on the couch before she lies down on top of me.
It’s what we do on a Sunday evening after Jo and Iris have gone to sleep. Our version of casual date night. I’ve discovered that Avery isn’t really a fan of going out on fancy dates. She likes simple and casual, and I like it too. I love having her all to myself, being able to hold her like this as we watch a movie and relax. It’s true what people say: it is the smallest things in life that can make you the happiest. And this is the happiest I’ve ever been even with all the anxiety surrounding us.
The credits for the film start, and she pauses them to give me her lowdown on the trailer she’s no doubt watched a couple times or more already.
“Okay, this is basically a purposeful funny take on the Deep Blue Sea. Or at least that’s what the trailer made me think, but it doesn’t matter because Jason Statham’s in it and I love his accent. Besides, his films are always corny, so it’s a winner whatever happens.”
“Jason Statham, huh?” I peer down at her, and she looks up at me from under long lashes.
“Don’t be jealous, Doc, he might be pretty to look at, but he’s no you.”
With a wink, she plays the movie and pulls the blanket over us before stretching an arm up so she can play with my hair while I rub her back, and we steal another evening alone. Exactly what the doctor ordered.
“Please hold, Dr. Dixon,” the receptionist tells me again, sounding almost as fed up as I am.
I’m getting pissed with the way Robert’s doctor keeps avoiding my calls. It’s only making me suspect that there really is something amiss. Why else would he refuse to talk to me? Especially after Avery had him send me the records as a matter of urgency.
“Let me guess,” Mark scoffs, flipping his keys around his finger, “he’s busy?”
The phone line crackles back to life as the hold music halts, and the receptionist says, “I’m really sorry, but Dr. Haas is unavailable. I would be happy to take a message and pass it on so that he can get back to you.”
Broken records. I hate them, and a laugh escapes me at her awkward tone as she delivers the repeated message.
“I’ll call back.”
“Dr. Dixon—”
“Goodbye.” Without another word, I put the phone down and look over at Mark. “I think it’s time I pay him a visit.”
“Oh yeah?” he chuckles, getting to his feet as he checks the time. “What makes you think he’ll see you?”
“I’d say I’m pretty hard to miss.” Standing from my chair, I close my MacBook and slip it into my satchel before grabbing my jacket. “I can’t lay this to rest until I’ve figured out what went wrong.”
Pulling the keys for the truck from my pocket, I follow him out the door. With Carl being around, I can’t risk him confronting Avery when she’s on her own. He’s hurt her enough, and although there’s been no sign of him other than that one instance at the school…I don’t trust him not be lurking in the shadows somewhere.
“Did you talk to Frank?”
“Yeah, and he confirmed that Carl’s car is still on his drive in Washington. On Thursday morning he saw him go into the house, followed by his girlfriend, and he didn’t see him leave.”
“Well, maybe he’s losing his touch.”
“Garrett, Frank’s the best of the best. I would trust him with my life and my kids’—fuck, I’ve trusted him with Charlie’s. Frank isn’t losing his touch. We think that Carl has someone helping him.”
“His girlfriend?” I ask as we take the stairs down and head for the car lot.
“Maybe, but she’s still in Washington.” Mark stops when we reach the muddied Ford. With the wet weather, the dirt has become mud, and it is everywhere.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this, and the stress it’s putting on Avery…I’m worried it’s making her sick.”
It’s been a few days since the incident on Sunday. Although she insists she’s okay, Avery’s not been eating much, and the couple of times she’s forced herself to eat, she’s not been able to keep it down.
“Look, Doc.” He blows out a deep breath as he straightens to his full height. I already know he’s going to deliver something I won’t like, but I hold on to my head. “There’s more to this than we can see, and I think you need to take a step back. Let me handle it. Charlie’s talking to some of her contacts, but with the investigation being led by the feds, it’s hard to get anything.”
“I can’t jus—”
“I know you want to help, but you’re going to get yourself hurt…or worse. The break-in at the bungalow was a warning. Take it and focus on making sure that Avery is o—”
“No, Mark.” Opening the truck door, I throw my shit in. “She’s not going to be okay until this is over, and I’m not going to sit back and watch—”
“You have no choice. You’re a doctor. Stick to what you’re good at, and leave me to do what I do best.”
“That’s not how this shit works, and you know that. It doesn’t matter what I do or what she does, Carl isn’t going to leave her alone. He was the last person to see Robert, and whatever happened there doesn’t add up. More than that, he hurt her, and I’m not going to rest until he gets what he deserves.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game.”
> “Then help me win.”
With a scoff and shake of his head, Mark looks up at the darkening sky. “Fuck! Why do you always have to be…so damn difficult? Why can’t you just stay out of trouble?”
“Avery’s worth fighting for. She’s worth risking everything for.”
“Great,” he chuckles. “You pick now to become a romantic.”
A grin cuts his face, and I can’t help but return it. It’s been a while since we’ve understood each other like this, if ever… We’ve always been so different, but I know he understands exactly when I tell him, “No, I pick them over everything. I pick Avery and Iris over all of this.”
Mark nods as I gesture around us. He gets that my girls are worth more than this whole life I’ve rebuilt, and with a deep breath he says, “Looks like we’re paying the asshole doctor a visit.”
“I thought I was the asshole doctor?” I tease, starting the truck as he rounds the front of his and gets in, calling back when he’s wound the window down, “You still are, but Haas is an even bigger one, so he takes the title for now.”
When he starts his truck, the music blares out as usual, still the same country pop that Makenna loves. Although he curses loudly, a broad smile fills his face as he turns the radio down. “Let me make a few calls and we’ll get a plan together.”
While he starts making his calls, I make my way to the ranch. It’s getting a little tight on time, but if I hit the gas, it’ll be fine. Avery likes to be at the school early, and the last few days, she’s been getting to the school way before the bell tolls the end of the day.
When I get to the ranch, she’s already in the Jag, waiting for me. Same as yesterday, except today it was Mark and Haas keeping me rather than an overran meeting with the practice’s next potential partner. So much is happening that time seems to simply evaporate. There aren’t enough hours in any one day in order to get everything done.
“Make sure you call the attorney, Avery. You need to resolve the situation with the will.”
Endurance: A Salvation Society Novel Page 25
