by Julie Benson
The McAlister house had been the closest thing to a home he’d ever really had, and now he was unwelcome because of the person who’d once gained him entrance.
Avery. She made him laugh. She kept him on his toes and made him think about the world outside his office. And she lit a fire in him, a need so deep that it left him wanting to be the kind of man she respected.
But what could he offer her? Sure, he could offer her financial stability, but what else? Certainly not children. Dealing with Jess was one thing. Children of his own? He refused to tempt fate.
He turned to Jess. “I don’t want Avery knowing about the website.”
She jerked the truck door open and stomped up the walkway to the front door, carrying the pizza box to Nannette McAlister, who greeted her on the porch.
As the pair exchanged words, he waved. Mrs. McAlister didn’t wave back, but instead strode toward the truck, her brow furrowed. He rolled down the passenger window and braced himself for a lecture.
“It’s bad enough that I heard about you coming home from Mabel Withers. With as many meals as you had at this house I deserved better than that, and now I hear you’re not staying tonight.”
Instead of making him feel guilty, her concern pleased him. He knew the more she picked at him, the more she cared. “Mrs. McAlister, you’re looking as pretty as ever.”
While heavier than she’d been years ago, she still looked very much like the woman he remembered. Her short spiky hair, now flecked with silver, added to her saucy look.
“Flattery won’t get you out of hot water with me, Reed Montgomery, but you just keep on trying.”
“I’d have to be a fool to think a compliment would do that, Mrs. McAlister. I’d love to stay for dinner, but I have work to do.”
“What are you going to do? Go home and make dinner for yourself? Or skip eating?” Hands on her hips, she continued, “The work will still be there later, and don’t you think it’s about time you started calling me Nannette?”
Knowing the futility of arguing with her when she had her mind set, he turned off the ignition and climbed out of the truck.
When he joined her on the walkway, she enveloped him in a hug like the ones he’d once received from his mother. “It’s good to see you, son. You’ve been gone too long.”
“You may not say that after tonight. When we saw Avery today, she was still pretty mad at me.”
Jess stared at him as if he had the intelligence of a two-year-old when they joined her on the porch. “If you’d tell her about—”
“The longer we stand here, the colder the pizza gets.” He tossed his niece a keep-quiet glare.
Nannette glanced between him and Jess, her confused stare lingering on him, indicating she figured something was up, but instead of saying anything, she opened the front door and stepped aside for them to enter.
As Avery’s mother led them through the house to the kitchen, she said, “Avery told me all about the dance and your dress, Jess. I can’t wait to see it on you.”
The ease he’d felt when he walked into the McAlister house disappeared when he walked past the room that had been Ben McAlister’s study. Reed’s stomach twisted.
Nannette’s and Jess’s voices created a buzz around him. He forced himself to keep walking as the memories clawed at him, threatening to pull him under.
He still remembered sitting in that office, scared to death about going to jail and disgusted with how he’d lost control and beaten his father until the man begged for mercy. He still remembered what Avery’s father had said that night.
All you’ll do is drag my daughter down with you.
A hand touched his arm. Nannette was staring at him, worry etched on her face. “Are you all right, dear?”
Words refused to form in his head.
Nannette squeezed his arm. “Let it go. It’s time.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Reed, I’ll give you a bit of wisdom like I would my own children.” Nannette’s eyes filled with the same loving look he remembered from his own mother, and his heart ached over what he’d lost. “We can choose to remember the past, or we can put it in its place and look to the future.”
Jess glanced over her shoulder. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
Shoving his memories back into the dark cavern of his mind, he smiled at his niece and walked toward her. “Nothing’s wrong. Let’s eat.”
When they walked into the kitchen Avery frowned. “I didn’t expect you to come tonight.” Then she turned her back and opened the kitchen cupboard.
Message received. He should’ve dropped Jess and the pizza off.
“I should leave.”
Nannette glanced between him and her daughter. “Absolutely not. I invited you to dinner and you accepted. Whatever’s going on between the two of you is just that, between you two. Now, let’s all sit down at the table.”
Awkward silence enveloped the McAlister kitchen, periodically broken by the clunk of glasses on the wooden table.
“Has Jess told you what a great help she’s been at the shelter?” Nannette finally said.
“Baxter almost escaped today on his walk with Mrs. Hartman.” Jess opened the pizza box and grabbed another slice, having devoured her first one with unladylike speed. “I think he’s tired of being at the shelter.”
“So I’m not the only one who can’t control him?” Reed froze. The minute he’d spoken the words, he regretted them. Avery’s eyes darkened. Her lips pressed into a thin colorless line.
Why the hell hadn’t he kept his mouth shut? Why did he bait her?
Because even her irritation was better than indifference. Love and hate. Two sides of the same coin. As long as she got angry, she still cared.
“I bet Mrs. Hartman wasn’t distracted because she was on the phone.” Avery stared at him, challenging him to deny her statement.
“The nasty looks flying between the two of you are bad enough. Poor Jess and I feel like we’re in a combat zone. I won’t tolerate snide comments. If you don’t start being nice to each other, I may just lock you in a room together and refuse to let you out until you solve your problems.”
Reed laughed, but noticed Avery didn’t share his humor.
“She means it.” Avery shuddered. “She did that once to Rory and Griffin. They were in there for an hour.”
“That’s a great idea, Mrs. McAlister,” Jess said. “I say we do it.”
“Truce?” Reed asked.
Avery nodded.
“How’s the fund-raising going?” Reed asked, hoping to steer the conversation to a safer topic.
“I asked the exec Griffin put me in touch with to donate five thousand dollars, thinking I’d be happy if they donated half that, and he agreed.”
Reed smiled. “I see you took my advice.”
“For your information, I was already doing what you suggested.”
“Both of you know my rules about the dinner table.” Nannette’s calm, flat voice echoed through the room.
“Yes, ma’am,” she and Reed replied in unison.
Those who fought at the table went away hungry. “Either get along or leave.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Avery said as she stood. “Jess, if you’re done eating, we should get to work on your dress.” Then she scooted out of the kitchen before he could object.
* * *
THE NEXT NIGHT AVERY STOOD with her friend Rachel, the school’s counselor, in their old high-school gym, decorated with purple, white and silver streamers. “Remind me again what this chaperone gig entails,” she said, taking a sip of watery fruit punch from the plastic glass she clutched in her hand.
“It’s pretty simple. We make sure none of the kids sneak off, spike the punch or do anything else inappropriate,” Rachel said. “W
ith you here, I can keep my eye on the troublemakers.”
Since her statement opened the door, Avery figured she might as well walk through it and see what she could learn about Jess. “Is Jess Montgomery part of that group?”
“No. I couldn’t believe it when I heard about what happened with the shelter. She’s going through a tough time, but I suspect she got pulled into something. She’s so afraid of losing her friends. That’s her biggest problem.”
“That’s what I thought, too.”
She scanned the gym as a dutiful chaperone should, and spotted Reed and Jess as they entered. While Jess headed for a group of girls clustered under one of the basketball hoops, Reed stood inside the door, looking as sexy as ever in black jeans and T-shirt paired with a black blazer. A tan Stetson and boots completed his look.
“Is that Jess’s uncle? Mr. Tall, Dark and Dreamy who just walked in?”
Avery nodded.
“That man looks fine.” Rachel practically drooled as she watched Reed walk toward them. “I’ve heard you two were once an item. Have you picked back up where you left off, or is he fair game?”
What was it with her friends? Emma had asked if Avery minded if she made a play for Reed, and now Rachel. You’d think he was the only eligible bachelor in town.
“I don’t care who Reed dates.”
Better duck for cover before God sends a lightning bolt to strike you down for that monster lie.
When Reed joined them, Rachel morphed into someone else before Avery’s eyes. Her confident friend who possessed a master’s degree in counseling and had graduated magna cum laude from Duke twirled a strand of auburn hair around her finger, smiled and peered up at Reed.
“Thank you for agreeing to chaperone the dance. We don’t get many fathers volunteering, much less uncles.”
“No problem.” Reed turned to Avery, his gaze unreadable. “Thanks again for your help with Jess. She looks great and appropriate.”
“I was happy to help her.” Avery’s throat tightened. This stilted conversation was worse than arguing with him.
Rachel flirted with Reed, tossing her hair and giggling at his jokes. Her friend had been working with teenagers too long, Avery thought, because tonight she was acting like one. After five minutes, Avery excused herself, claiming she needed to go to the restroom.
It was going to be a long night.
Once in the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face. She needed to get a grip. She kept telling herself she wasn’t interested in Reed, and yet whenever another woman showed interest, her nose got out of joint.
Figure out what you want, and either fish or cut bait.
Resisting the urge to hide in the bathroom to avoid the issue altogether, she squared her shoulders and headed back to the gym.
Untwist your big-girl panties and deal with it.
When she returned, she spotted Jess at the punch bowl and joined her to say hello. “You look amazing, Jess.”
“Thanks.” The teenager fingered the crystal-and-rose-quartz necklace that Avery had loaned her. “I just saw a couple sneak off to the janitor’s closet.”
Avery searched for Rachel, but couldn’t locate her. The she noticed Reed was nowhere to be found, either. Surely they couldn’t have gone somewhere together. She almost laughed. Rachel was the school’s counselor. No way would she go off with one of the chaperones. But then where were they? “I’ll find Ms. Palmer. She’ll know how to deal with this.”
Jess shrugged. “Okay. It’s not my problem if Haley and Brad have half their clothes off by the time she gets there. You two can explain it to their parents, the principal and the—”
“Where’s the closet?”
Avery followed Jess through the halls. The last thing she needed was to be blamed for two teenagers going at it like rabbits while she was chaperoning the dance. Harper would rake her over the coals for that. She could hear her board president now. How can we trust you to manage the shelter and its funds properly when you can’t supervise a group of teenagers at a dance?
When they reached the closet, Avery knocked on the door. “You’re busted. Come out now.”
“I’d love to, but the door’s locked.”
“Reed?” Avery turned to Jess. “What’s going on?”
The teenager revealed a key ring, unlocked the door and shoved Avery inside with a surprising amount of force, sending her careening into Reed. Her momentum threw him off balance as he wrapped his strong arms around her.
Before they could regain their footing, the door slammed shut and the deafening sound of the lock clicking echoed in the small closet.
“Jess, unlock the damned door,” Reed yelled as he banged on the door.
“Let us out,” Avery pleaded.
“Not until you talk about why you’re mad at each other.”
“I promise we will. Just let us out.” Avery’s mind spun, trying to think of how to convince the teenager. “You can trust me, Jess, really. We’ll work this out.”
“I don’t know. Mrs. McAlister told you to work things out last night, but you didn’t.”
“We will now. Won’t we, Reed?” Avery turned toward the man fuming beside her. “Tell her!”
“What’s important here is you’re asking for trouble doing this.” Reed’s voice rippled with frustration.
Avery poked him in the ribs and whispered, “Don’t say that.”
“I don’t know where you got the keys to this closet, but that alone could get you into trouble,” Reed continued.
“Now’s not the time for a lecture.” Avery ground out the words, trying to fill her voice with force, while remaining quiet enough that Jess couldn’t hear. “Remember the dress-shop incident.”
“It doesn’t matter how I got the keys. What’s important is I have them and I didn’t steal them.”
“If you don’t let us out right now, you’re grounded. I’m taking away your phone, your computer, the TV and anything else I can think of.” Reed’s voice rattled with the force of his anger.
“Then I might as well get my money’s worth.” The tap, tap of high heels on industrial tile faded.
“Why couldn’t you keep your mouth shut? I almost had us out of here.” Avery banged on the door. “You just had to play the hard-ass in charge.”
Yup, he’d screwed up again. Despite the way he acted with Avery and Jess, he was a logical, rational, good guy. Why couldn’t he do something right when Avery was around? Because all his blood got diverted from his brain the moment he saw her and his testosterone overrode his common sense.
He upended a crate of rags, sat it in front of Avery and patted it. “We might as well get comfortable, since it looks like we’ll be here for a while.” He turned over a second one and settled his long frame awkwardly on the makeshift chair. “We can’t go on like this. We didn’t always see things the same way, but we respected each other. Didn’t we?”
“So what happened? What’s going on between us now?”
“Beats the hell out of me.” He stood, needing to pace, but realized that he couldn’t take more than a step or two.
“You asked me the other night if I wondered what things could be like between us now.”
He nodded and held his breath, not sure where she was headed with the conversation and not liking the tightness in his chest.
“Since you asked me that, I’ve been wondering about it. A lot.”
He’d sure as hell been thinking about the same thing, almost nonstop, but where had her thoughts led her? Probably not the same place as his—that they’d burn each other up from the heat they generated if they ever got together again.
How did a man respond to a comment like that? Certainly not with what he was thinking. Glancing at Avery, he tried to think of what to say, but decided his best bet was to keep his mouth shut.<
br />
In the dim light from the overhead bulb, he saw Avery swallow. Then she licked her lips. “What do you think of us becoming friends with benefits?”
Avery’s words stopped Reed in his tracks. He collapsed onto the crate. He was dreaming. He’d fallen, hit his head and was suffering from a brain injury. He was hearing things. Any of those were more likely than that he’d actually heard Avery say they should start having casual sex.
“Excuse me?”
“We’re both wondering about it. If we become—” She paused, shifting her weight. The plastic crate under her squeaked. “If we did get more involved, we’d know, and then we can both move on.”
He frowned. Obviously she wasn’t as excited by the thought as he was. Why would she think he’d settle for that? He wanted more from her. The revelation left him weak. “What do you mean ‘move on’?”
“It’s like when I tried to give up chocolate for Lent one time. Once I decided to do that, I saw chocolate everywhere I went. Someone brought brownies to work. Emma wanted a chocolate cake for her birthday. The more I tried to resist the cravings, the stronger they got.” She folded her hands on her lap in an uncharacteristically demure pose. “After Lent was over and I could have all the chocolate I wanted, I found it wasn’t a big deal.”
What the hell was going on? Casual sex didn’t fit with the Avery he knew. Then he really looked at her and noticed her picking at her nails. She did that only when she was nervous.
He stood, stumbled the two steps to close the distance between them and knelt in front of her. His hands covered hers. Then words he never thought he’d say if a gorgeous woman asked him to have no-strings-attached sex with her tumbled out of him. “Could we start with going on a date?”
Her crystal-blue eyes darkened like a stormy sea. She pulled her hands out from under his and crossed her arms over her chest. “You don’t want me? You’re telling me no?”
He’d have laughed at her ridiculous assumption, but he knew it would piss her off more. “That’s not what I meant.”
She scoffed. “Then explain it to me.”
