Chasing Shadows (First Wives Book 3)

by Catherine Bybee

  “Soon, honey. Can you do me a big favor and give me and your uncle a few minutes?”

  Liam scooted his niece off his lap. “Play with the dog before it gets dark.”

  Avery heard Cassie’s squeals and the dog barking as she ran out of view.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked.

  She nodded like a fool for a good five seconds and then sucked up her nerve. “Yup. I just called to tell you I love you.”

  Liam’s smile started at his eyes, and when it reached his lips, he held it in. “Did that hurt?”

  “God, yes,” she exhaled.

  He was chuckling.

  “I promised that I wouldn’t lie to you, and not saying it has been a lie by omission, so there. I love you, Liam Holt.”

  He peered into the camera. “Are you in a bathroom?”

  “Are you going to give me crap about where I chose to say it?”

  “Maybe.”

  She was laughing with him. “It was private.”

  “I think I’m going to love these club meetings of yours.”

  She glanced at the bathroom door, heard the ladies on the other side. “Okay, so that’s it. That’s all I called to say.”

  “Say it again.”

  “Is that a demand?”

  “Yes.” His eyes were alive with happiness.

  “I love you, Liam. I’ll show you how much when I see you on Monday.”

  “I love you, too. Thanks for being impulsive.”

  “A trait you’re going to hate.”

  “So far it’s working for me.”

  He blew her a kiss and hung up.

  She closed her eyes and hugged her phone to her chest.

  It was all over now.

  Epilogue

  Avery walked around the condo, placing flowers in the perfect locations and then deciding they didn’t look right and moving them.

  The caterers were busy setting up in the kitchen, and music already played on her sound system.

  Introducing Liam to her parents at a cocktail party had been his idea.

  Making sure everyone was at the party before her parents could arrive was hers.

  Liam brushed up behind her and ran his hands up her bare arms. “You look edible.”

  The sleek cocktail dress didn’t leave room for a bra. It came up to her neck almost like a collar and crisscrossed all over the back, which dipped low. The First Wives approved and also suggested that she double up on her birth control pills if she wore it for Liam. By the heat breathing down on her neck from the man in question, they were right.

  “So we should tell everyone the party is off and go to bed early.”

  He chuckled in her ear. “You’re not wiggling out of this.”

  She moaned.

  The doorbell rang and her palms broke out in a sweat.

  “Relax.”

  Not standing on ceremony, Trina and Wade arrived and immediately made themselves at home. Lori and Reed, Shannon. The Wives were there. Michelle brought a friend from class. Leslie arrived with a mutual friend from krav.

  “Samantha! I didn’t think you guys were going to make it.” Avery kissed the side of Samantha Harrison’s cheek and did the same for Blake.

  “And miss meeting this guy?” Sam extended a hand. “I’m Samantha, almost everyone calls me Sam.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “This is Blake Harrison. We’ve been friends with Avery for quite a few years.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Liam said.

  “Are the parents here yet?” Sam asked.

  “No.”

  Sam leaned closer to Liam. “Keep Avery away from the tequila when Adeline shows up.”

  “Stop. I’m not that . . .” She paused. “Okay, I was that bad.”

  Blake turned to Liam. “I’m told you’re in construction.”

  “I am.”

  “Commercial or residential?”

  “A little of both, actually.”

  The two of them started a conversation about work, and the doorbell rang again. Each time was like a tiny nail in Avery’s side.

  “Brenda?” Avery’s jaw dropped. She’d invited her krav instructor, but she seriously hadn’t thought she’d show.

  Holy shit did Brenda clean up. Wow, she took little black dress to a whole new meaning, and the man holding her arm was African American and towered over her. Not hard, because she was kinda on the short side, but wow.

  Avery excused herself from Sam’s side and crossed to the door. “Look at this sexy mama!”

  Brenda gave her a stern look. “Zip it, Grant, or you’ll be doing burpees until Christmas.”

  Yeah, those words didn’t scare her. “You must be Brenda’s main squeeze.”

  “I am.” Oh, and his voice was bayou deep.

  “Phil. His name is Phil, not main squeeze,” Brenda corrected.

  Avery pulled them into the room. “Let me introduce you to some of our friends. Shannon, Lori, this is Brenda, the krav queen of LA, and her boyfriend, Phil. Brenda, you need to talk Shannon into coming to class. I think a strong wind could knock her down.”

  “Kinda like you when you first came to me?” Brenda was all snark.

  “Delicate flowers hold the most poison,” Phil said, smiling down at Brenda.

  Avery barely registered the doorbell ringing, because she was laughing. Brenda and delicate . . . that was rich.

  “Oh, dear Lord.”

  Avery felt the nails of her mother’s voice on her childhood chalkboard.

  Her parents stood side by side in stunned silence when Avery turned around.

  What, is there a problem already?

  A waiter walked by, and her mother snagged a glass of wine off the tray so fast the guy almost lost the whole thing.

  That’s when Avery looked around to see if anyone else was watching her reaction.

  Phil started to laugh.

  Avery looked up, then back at her mother, and shook her head.

  Adeline Grant was about to have a coronary.

  Because Avery couldn’t help herself, she waited just a couple of beats before excusing herself to greet her parents. “Hello, Mother. Daddy.”

  Her father kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you. Been too long.”

  “Well, I have been busy.”

  Adeline kept eyeing the man standing behind her daughter.

  “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

  Avery took a few steps, noticed her mother wasn’t moving, and motioned with her hand.

  Turning on her heel, Avery walked past Phil and winked. He smiled back, and she moved past him and up to Liam.

  She slid her arm around Liam’s waist and turned to her parents. “Mom, Dad, this is Liam. My boyfr—”

  “Oh, thank God!” Adeline almost melted right there in the middle of the condo.

  Liam was all smiles. He looked down at Avery as if saying, see, I told you all mothers love me.

  “A pleasure to meet you, young man. I’m Howard, and this is my wife, Adeline.”

  Liam shook her father’s hand, met his eyes, and turned to Adeline.

  To Avery’s surprise, her mother leaned in for a kiss to Liam’s cheek. “You cannot understand my joy right now.”

  Avery started to laugh.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Liam told them.

  “I can’t say the same. I suppose that means we’ll have plenty to talk about,” Adeline said.

  “I see where Avery gets her beautiful smile.”

  Avery had a strong urge to roll her eyes.

  She did a double take—was that her mother blushing? “Such a handsome man, Avery. Where ever did you meet?”

  “In a bar,” she said, deadpan.

  “At the gym,” Liam said at the same time.

  Lori leaned in. “Jury is still out on which one of those answers is the truth.”

  An hour later, when the party was in full swing, Avery had left her parents to fend for themselves and checked on the state of the caterers and suppl
y of wine and cocktails.

  She heard someone clinking a glass and the room grow silent. Turning, she saw Liam grabbing everyone’s attention. Someone turned the music down.

  He motioned for her to join him.

  What are you doing?

  “I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for coming tonight. I like to think this is the first of many celebrations with this beautiful woman at my side. I especially want to thank Brenda, for giving Avery the skills to walk with confidence, not to mention kick ass.”

  Avery saw her mother’s eyes. “Mom’s not going to like hearing that, babe.”

  “It’s okay, Mrs. G. I’ll tell you how I first saw your daughter later.”

  Mrs. G?

  Holy shit, her mother was blushing again.

  “Reed and your crew. The weight off Avery’s shoulders is like night and day.” Liam lifted his glass and Reed lifted his.

  “I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Bernie, who isn’t here . . . so glad he divorced you so I could have a chance,” Liam said directly to Avery.

  “To Bernie,” someone in the crowd said, and a chorus went up.

  Liam turned to her. “To this beautiful, strong, independent, snarky—”

  Avery heard her mother laugh.

  “Courageous woman who opened up her heart so I could park myself in.”

  She melted in his public appraisal.

  “I love you, Princess. I’ve had a little chat with your father. So I need you to take some time and to get used to the idea of changing your name. Because the next time this group of people gets together, it’s going to be with me on one side of the church and you walking my way.”

  Her nerves were wrecked. “Are you asking me . . . ?”

  “Are you ready for me to ask you to marry me?”

  Everything in her tightened. Fear? Excitement?

  “I, um . . .”

  He winked. “I’ll ask that question in private, but with your track record, I thought it best to let everyone in the room know my intention, so if you suddenly disappear and end up in Finland, your friends here will know why. I’m going to marry you. I’m just telling you now so you can get used to the idea.”

  She was going to cry.

  “To Avery.” Liam put his glass in the air.

  “To Avery,” a chorus went up in the room.

  Slowly the music was turned up, and their guests struck up their conversations.

  “I love you,” she said to him when no one was listening.

  “Your mom loves me, and your dad approves . . .”

  “My mother thought I was with Phil when she walked in the room.”

  Liam glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll take whatever I can get. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life,” he said before kissing her.

  Damn, she loved this man. White picket fence, two point five kids kind of love.

  She broke off their kiss and started toward the First Wives, who were all smiles. Avery took several steps and stopped. “Excuse me,” she called out. “Can someone turn the . . . thank you.” The music dropped again.

  “Liam?” She turned toward him, hands at her sides.

  He grinned like a fool.

  “I’ve had enough time. The answer is yes.”

  Liam opened his arms and swooped her up. “Took you long enough.”

  He kissed her long and soft before slowly setting her down. From his pocket he removed a box, took the ring from inside, and slid it on her finger. “Marry me.”

  “I already said yes.”

  They kissed again, ignoring whistles and clapping from their family and friends.

  “That’s enough of that, son. Time for that later.”

  Avery grinned at her father’s words.

  “I should say so” was her mother’s reply.

  Liam opened his eyes a little wider as he stared down at Avery chuckling.

  “I knew my parents would show up sometime.”

  He leaned in closer. “They’re going to have to get used to me kissing their daughter.” He placed his lips on hers. “Whenever, however, and wherever I want.”

  Acknowledgments

  It takes a village to publish a book. This is the part where I thank my townspeople.

  Jane Dystel, my brilliant agent, who I lovingly refer to as my pit bull. For all you do . . . thank you.

  Kelli Martin, my developmental editor and dear friend. Good call on the Sheldon arc. Love ya, sista.

  Maria Gomez and everyone at Montlake Romance who took my manuscript and made it a novel. Big hugs, big kisses . . . and even bigger glasses of bubbles to celebrate another one under the professional belt.

  Krav queen of Santa Clarita, Bonnie Formia. Okay, you’re not German, and you never made me do fifty burpees at the same time. But you did roll your eyes at me when I punched with the strength of a gnat, and you did nag me to join your group class. You’ve opened my eyes to krav and everything it can do to help me out of a crappy situation. Thank you, my friend.

  Now on to Tanya.

  As I said in my dedication, strong women fuel me. Anyone who reads my work can easily deduce that the relationships with the women in my life are vital. Men may come and go, but strong friendships between us ladies last a lifetime. You’re one of the strongest, most beautiful, smart, funny, supportive friends I have the pleasure to call one of mine. Thank you, my friend.

  I love you.

  Catherine

  About the Author

  Photo © 2015 Julianne Gentry

  New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written twenty-eight books that have collectively sold more than five million copies and have been translated into more than eighteen languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series.