Passionate Kisses

by Various

  The prodigal child returns, and Avery felt just a bit slighted.

  “You don’t mind if I tag along, do you?” Paula looked at Avery expectantly.

  Hell yes I mind!

  “No, you can come along.” There wasn’t much sense in arguing or trying to ditch Paula. She seemed hellbent on following Avery around anyway. Why try to cause more problems by lashing out?

  Thankfully, the next forty five minutes flew by, and Paula didn’t really get in the way.

  She did, however, like to make small talk.

  “I hear you’re in a band. Country music, I assume?”

  Avery detected a snotty tone in Paula’s voice. Sure sounded like it. Avery ignored the tone. “Yes, country music. It’s what we love best.”

  “I see.” Paula nodded. The look of disapproval on her face sent a fire igniting in Avery’s chest. Who was this woman to waltz in here and look down her nose at everyone and everything?

  Oh, that’s right. Her ... sister. Adopted or not, Paula was family.

  As much as Avery would have enjoyed siblings growing up, she had a feeling she and Paula had no common ground and would probably not have gotten along. How sad, because family was so important. Obviously not to Paula, if she ran off at seventeen without a backwards glance at her mom and dad. Yeah, so maybe she talked to them, what, once a year? What was that? And now, she chose this time to visit? Change of heart, maybe? Paula wanted to make amends before it got too late? Whatever it was, the problems weren’t Avery’s business.

  “Are you finished yet?” Paula yawned, fidgeting around the office.

  Avery’s head snapped up from the papers she was looking at. “You don’t need to stick around. I’ve got a few things to tend to for Mom and Dad, then I want to get back home.”

  Paula snorted.

  Fury built up and spilled over the top. “What is your problem with me?” Avery slammed the folder shut. She wasn’t going to get any work done now, anyway. Narrowing her eyes, she waited for a response. This ought to be good. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Paula had an attitude that needed a major adjustment.

  “What are you, the good girl? Doing every little thing Mommy and Daddy ask? Staying in their good graces because at anytime, their real daughter could come back and take your little dream away?” Paula spat, slamming her hand on the desk and meeting Avery’s stare.

  “Excuse me?” Avery jumped to her feet. It would be wrong to slap this woman right now, wouldn’t it? Instead, Avery balled her fists and kept them at her sides.

  “You heard me. What do you stay around for? You think there’s money invested here or something?”

  “You’re really something, aren’t you? Coming back around and throwing judgments at everyone, looking down your nose at everyone from your high and mighty pedestal. What’s your problem with me? What’s your problem in general?”

  Paula’s eyes grew narrow, her nostrils flared. “My problem is you.”

  “Why, because your parents had the heart to take in an abandoned child, especially while hurting by the abandonment of their own? So that’s my fault I was left in a strange town, no parents to be found? Yes, I totally planned that. I was the smartest baby ever, came with a talking mode and plotted my way into their lives. Yeah, that’s me.” If Avery didn’t get out of here now, Paula would end up getting slapped. Avery wasn’t a violent type at all, but Paula pushed all those buttons without hesitation. She grabbed her purse and made her way around the desk, passing right by Paula.

  “Don’t run out of here! I’m talking to you!” Paula screeched, making a grab for Avery.

  “Don’t you dare touch me! You’ll do right by leaving me alone, okay? I don’t need your drama. I’ve done absolutely nothing to you, and you are acting like a world class bitch!”

  Avery didn’t give Paula time to react. She yanked her arm from Paula’s grasp and stormed out of the office, eager to get as far away as possible.

  Wouldn’t you know it, when Avery reached the dining room, she pummeled full force into a body, a male body. To make matters worse, that male body belonged to Lucas, and he couldn’t stop her. They ended up falling on the ground, her landing on top of him. They both cried out an oomph!

  “You have this habit of running right into me,” Lucas joked, pushing her gently off him. “You okay? Avery, you’re almost in tears. What’s wrong?”

  Avery got to her feet as quick as possible. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I wasn’t paying attention.” Now, of all times, she did not need to face him, either. Why, fate, why? The universe surely had a sick sense of humor.

  Lucas stood to his full height, towering over her. He held something in his hand. The ice pack.

  Oh, shit, his ankle!

  “I hope I didn’t hurt your foot any more than it already is.”

  He shook his head. “It’s fine. Right now I’m more concerned about you.”

  Right. Sure he was.

  “I’m fine. I need to go.” Avery glanced behind her to the hallway where she’d just come from.

  “What are you running from? It’s more than just not wanting to talk to me.” Lucas grabbed Avery’s hand. “Hey.” Lucas lifted her chin so she had to look directly at him.

  “How do you keep doing this? Driving me crazy, lying, but yet you’re still right there in my face,” Avery whispered. She so didn’t want to give into Lucas right now. She was still so pissed at him, but an ally right now would be nice. Someone to talk to, someone to help her understand. Right now, Avery felt so out of place.

  “You’re as white as a ghost, honey. Why don’t we sit?”

  “No, I- I need to get out here-” Paula could walk through that hall at any second. Wait a minute. She should have already been out. What was she doing in that office anyway? It wasn’t the smartest idea to leave her in there. Who knows what she would do? Avery didn’t trust her. Even if she was Mom and Dad’s daughter.

  Then, there she was. Paula, strutting through the hall way, a cigarette dangling from her mouth.

  “You can’t smoke in here!” Avery protested.

  “It’s not even lit. It’s just in my mouth, so don’t get all high and mighty, okay?” Paula snapped, pulling the tube from her mouth. She shot a disgusted look at Avery. “When did you become the smoke police?”

  What an infuriating woman. Avery kept her frustration at bay. Of all the nerve!

  “Don’t worry, Princess, I’m going outside to smoke. Then I’m going back to the house to spend time with my parents.” Paula made sure to emphasize that.

  Avery scowled at Paula’s retreating back. “For a woman her age, she sure acts like a child.”

  “Is that what’s got you so upset? What did she say?” Lucas’s breath tickled Avery’s neck, he stood so close. Avery almost took comfort in his presence. Almost.

  “What didn’t she say?” Avery sighed, sinking into a chair. She needed to go home, but a large part of her didn’t want to. It wasn’t right, to avoid Mom when she needed her, but the thought of sharing a room with Paula ... well, that was less than appealing. Avery drew in a breath, attempting to calm her nerves. Her heart raced.

  “Take a deep breath,” Lucas instructed, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

  Avery didn’t have the strength to push him away. Part of her knew that she didn’t want to. She did as she was told, took in a breath, and exhaled slowly. The tension seemed to lessen as she took in and released a series of deep breaths.

  “Better?” Lucas prodded gently.

  Avery nodded. “I’m okay now. Thank you. I- I’d better get back to the house. I want to check on Mom, and let them know everything is running smooth here tonight.” At least one thing went right this evening. Everyone was where they should be. The intoxicating scent of dinner for the guests filled the room. Alice was handling the front desk.

  “Okay. Hey, can we please talk later? I don’t like this uncleared air between us.” Lucas caressed her shoulder. Damn him and his touch. “I want to make it right, Avery.”

&
nbsp; Avery didn’t want to have so much anger and irritation in her body. The stress of that took it’s toll. She’d never been one to be so angry for long, and now wasn’t the time to start. She nodded, meeting Lucas’s gaze. The affection in his eyes almost made her melt. He appeared so distressed and worried, it was kind of sweet, actually. He didn’t even have to stay around, or try to talk to her, but he did. What was it about stubborn men? In Lucas’s case, Avery was okay with it. “Yes, we’ll talk later.”

  “Thank you.” He brushed her bangs back. Avery shivered at the gesture.

  “I’m going to go home now. Take care of that ankle.” Avery got to her feet. She left him sitting in the chair, and she had to fight like hell to not look back.

  Paula wasn’t anywhere to be found outside, and on the way home, Avery still hadn’t run into her. She’d probably see her at home. When she walked into the front door, her parents were in the living room, Mom curled up with a book in her hands and Dad changing the channel on the television. They both looked up and smiled as she stepped into the house. “Everything is good. Everyone sends their get better wishes,” Avery informed, taking a seat next to her mom.

  “Good, that’s perfect. Thanks sweetheart,” Dad said, finally turning the TV off. “Did you see Paula over there?”

  Avery swallowed. “Yeah. She followed me around a bit, then later took off on her own. I thought she’d be back here already.”

  Mom shook her head, peeking from behind the book. “No, she hasn’t come back.” Mom put the bookmark in and shut the book. She placed it in her lap, looking through her bifocals at Avery. “Are you doing all right with her here?”

  Should she mention the attitude, or just leave it be?

  “It’s been interesting,” was the best answer Avery could muster.

  “I just don’t want you to feel any different now that she’s here. I always wondered how things would go between the two of you if she ever came home. She’s always been a difficult one, ever since she entered her teenage years.”

  Oh, Avery felt different, all right, and Paula’s comments didn’t help. But what could she do?

  “Oh, and, since it’s been so crazy, I never did get a chance to ask you about that letter.” Mom took off her glasses, wiped them off with the cloth and adjusted them back on her face.

  Avery sighed. “It was from a man that think he’s my biological father. And ... he’s here. At the inn.”

  Mom gasped, and Dad’s jaw dropped open.

  Here goes nothing.

  “We took a DNA test, but the results haven’t come in. I- I’m sorry I haven’t told you yet.” Tears formed in her eyes again. Avery waited for one of them to respond.

  Mom nodded wordlessly.

  Avery looked from one face to the other, hoping someone would say something soon.

  “It’s only fair you know where you came from. I have always been a little worried that if you met your birth parents, you might forget about us,” Mom admitted.

  Avery gasped. “No, never! How could I ever forget you, either of you? I love you so much! I don’t know where I would be without either of you.” They really feared this, didn’t they? Avery sensed it, but now with confirmation, Avery felt heartsick. She’d never want to isolate or make them feel like they didn’t matter. Ever!

  “Well, whatever happens, we’ll support you all the way,” Dad finally said. He smiled at Avery, but the gesture didn’t reach his eyes.

  “I appreciate that. I’m not looking to replace either of you, I’m really not. I just want to know where I come from. What if I have children some day? I’d want to know what kind of medical challenges they might face. I want to know so much. I’ve hated my birthday every year because I don’t know if it’s my real birthday. I hated to celebrate it. The only reason I went along with it was for you two. You were always so happy planning festivities.”

  “I never knew that, Avery.” Mom blinked. “If you had told me, we wouldn’t have made so much of a big deal about it. We just wanted to make sure you knew you were loved by us.”

  “And I do. I never lacked for love from you two. There were days that I felt like I didn’t belong, not truly anyway, and I hated myself for thinking like that.”

  Avery had never made that admission before. It felt good to get that weight lifted from her shoulders.

  “Don’t hate yourself for wanting an insight to your past. You need to know. You deserve to. We understand that. There’s so much to take in right now, with Paula being here, me being so tired, not catching up on life with you. Life is too short, and we need to make more time. Your father and I have been toying with the idea of selling the inn. We’re getting older, and it’s proving to be too much. But besides you and Paula, this inn has been our livelihood. I think we’ve both been afraid of retirement because of the uncertainty. What would we do with our time? We’ve always been so busy.”

  Not run the inn? Of course, Avery knew that time would come. As much as she loved this place, she wasn’t sure if she wanted them to pass it on to her.

  “We just haven’t found anyone yet we’d feel comfortable turning it over to.” Dad shifted on the couch.

  “We don’t want to burden you with it, because bigger dreams are waiting for you, Avery. You have a passion and a talent and if we gave you the inn, you couldn’t pursue that. That wouldn’t be fair to you.”

  “Anyone with a voice like yours needs to shine,” Dad agreed. This time his smile grew bigger.

  Avery was consumed by emotion. She had no idea what to say to that. “I- I don’t know what to say to all of this.” Of course, only recently, Avery recalled the conversation similar to this with Mom. With everything else going on, she hadn’t put much more thought into it.

  “We are settled for retirement, and selling the inn would give us a better cushion. I think for all of us, we should turn a new chapter in our lives. If we sell the inn, then you should seriously consider that music career of yours. It’s not a guarantee, but if you don’t try, then you’re not living.”

  Wow. Having this support meant so much. Avery wasn’t sure how many parents would be so eager to send their child off to make it in the music business.

  “I don’t know how to thank you,” Avery whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Please don’t cry again.

  “What a beautiful moment. Am I interrupting a family moment?” Paula sneered. Avery looked up. She stood in the doorway, watching the three of them with a look in her eyes that screamed anger.

  “Paula.” Dad’s voice changed from the kind tone to a more stern one. “There really is no reason for you to get so defensive and rude, is there?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Is there? You never supported me the way you do for her.” Paula cast a glance at Avery.

  “Supported you in what? Marrying a man that would ruin you, at seventeen years old? Follow him around in a drug-induced haze because you couldn’t see what that relationship did to you? So you ran off, shutting us out of your life for eight years before you contacted us again,” Mom said through her tears.

  “So you replaced me!” Paula huffed.

  “Replace you? Absolutely not.” Dad crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Then what do you call Avery? Not a replacement?”

  “There’s room in our hearts and home for Avery, and always for you. You don’t ever have to be jealous. There’s no replacing anyone, and that goes for both of you. No matter how you came to me, blood related or a mysterious miracle, your mother and I love both of you equally. We’ve had our share of problems, Paula, but we’d never replace you and we still love you unconditionally.”

  Avery watched wordlessly, her heart lodged in her throat, blood roaring in her ears. Paula was on edge. What would it take to send her over? What would she do? Avery had no doubt the woman had a mean streak a mile wide, and if she chose to unleash it, there’s no telling what would happen next. Avery swallowed hard.

  “Whatever,” Paula muttered. She bolted past them, and thundered upstairs. A
door slammed a moment later. Avery glanced over at Mom and Dad. Mom’s face was white, and Dad caught his lip between his teeth.

  “Some things don’t change,” Mom said softly. “This is just what it was like before she ran off. Very intense. I’m sorry for this, Avery.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” Avery reassured her. This was bound to happen. Avery worried about this day just as much as Mom worried about Avery reuniting with her birth parents. But things would be okay. Avery had to believe that. Life couldn’t just unravel in one swift tug of the yarn.

  Chapter Sixteen

  After weighing the options, tossing and turning, and fighting with a pounding headache, Lucas came to a few conclusions. First, he would do whatever it takes to make things right with Avery. Even if nothing ever happened between them and he moved on from this town, which would happen, he wouldn’t feel right if he knew someone he came to care about hated his guts.

  He needed to learn to be on his own. For too long, he’d stayed hidden under someone else’s wing, lurking in the shadow, following them from place to place. That could no longer continue. How did he go from taking care of himself for years in his teens, to all of his adult life never having a real job. Yeah, he had a decent amount of money, but what good did that do for him? Covering up problems for an unstable person? Lucas never imagined that while doing so, he’d meet someone that effortlessly and unknowingly made him want to change.

  He didn’t stand a chance with her. Not long term.

  But Lucas was not going to leave things the way they were.

  He could take Avery to meet her mother. Oh, there would be backlash. Tons of it. Lucas wouldn’t be able to move on from this part of his life if he didn’t make that bold move. Avery was worth it. She deserved that closure. Even if there were no relationships formed, Avery needed answers.