Worth the Wait

by Rhonda Laurel

  CHAPTER TEN

  Wyatt adjusted the collar on his dress shirt, hoping blue was a good choice with the gray slacks he’d chosen. To his shock, Avery’s party was still going on tonight and he wanted to look his best. The family was still abuzz with the news that she’d gotten into a brawl at the family watering hole and had been arrested. Parker had called him last night, and he gave her the lowdown on the events of the prior evening. She was especially distressed because she felt if she hadn’t worked so late, she could have prevented it. He told her not to beat herself up, he was there and he wasn’t able to stop it. They both agreed that Avery would need all the moral support she could get at the party.

  He hadn’t seen her on the ranch all morning, but he knew she was probably sleeping off the tequila. He’d have made her nurse that Riesling for the rest of the night. Still, he blamed himself for it all escalating so quickly. If he hadn’t gone over to that table and run into Kelly, maybe things wouldn’t have gotten out of hand. Could she have been jealous? He’d explained Kelly’s flirting before, but Avery hadn’t known about the regulars who liked to do a little harmless flirting too.

  He picked up the box off the dresser and put it in his pocket. He didn’t want to forget. The box was an integral part of Jared’s surprise, and he didn’t want to ruin it. He’d done what he asked him to do and was sure Autumn would like it.

  He wasn’t sure if a tie would be too much, so he thought he’d ask Corbett. Big brother had gotten in this morning for the party, and Wyatt had already filled him in on the excitement. The funny thing was that he would’ve sworn he’d seen his brother’s bag in the living room last night when he’d arrived home.

  “Cor, do you think I should wear a tie?” he called out as he walked into the kitchen.

  Corbett was sitting at the kitchen table. “Since when are you worried about looking decent?” His brother took a bite out of his sandwich.

  “I thought it would be nice to look presentable for a change.”

  He had to wait until Corbett stopped chewing for a reply. “The tie isn’t necessary. You actually look halfway presentable.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I remember the time when you would run from formal wear.” He shook his head. “Now look at you.”

  “I guess it’s a part of being a grownup. Don’t get me wrong, Cargo shorts and a tank top is still my go-to ensemble.”

  “Unfortunately.” Corbett rolled his eyes. “I dropped by dad’s house the other day and met Glynis.”

  “Really? Why didn’t I get an invite to this introduction?”

  “Because I popped in unannounced. I thought dad would be working on one of his vintage cars. Little did I know he was entertaining his lady friend.”

  “What’s she like?”

  “She’s really nice.” Corbett pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and brought up the Web site for Glynis’s store.

  “Cool.” He perused the Web site. “Are you doing OK?”

  “I’m fine. I haven’t felt this great in weeks.”

  Wyatt gave his brother a close once-over. He wasn’t sporting the “I just broke up with my fiancée” look he’d been sporting after his breakup with Courtney. He was clean-shaven and had gotten a haircut. “I thought you were supposed to get here last night. I thought for sure I saw your duffel bag next to the armchair.”

  “You’re imagining things.” Corbett tossed a chip into his mouth.

  Wyatt kept staring and waited for it. Corbett’s eye twitched. Ever since he was a kid, that had been his tell when he was lying. It was subtle. But it twitched.

  “Liar!” Wyatt said. “You were here.”

  “OK.” Corbett put down his sandwich. “I came a day early to visit a friend.”

  Wyatt squinted at him. “You don’t have many friends and definitely none in Texas.”

  “Ouch. Wow. You don’t know how much that hurts.”

  “Skip the indignation. What were you doing last night?”

  Corbett stood and paced the kitchen floor for a few minutes. “You have to keep this a secret. Especially from mom.”

  “Spill it.”

  “I went out with Anna Beth last night.”

  Wyatt pointed at himself. “My Anna Beth?”

  “She’s only your Anna Beth because you play that cute card with her.”

  “It works. She thinks I’m adorable and incorrigible.”

  “Well, dial it back,” Corbett huffed.

  He went into the fridge and got a bottle of cranberry juice. “I knew something was up when you showed up to take me and Bo to lunch. Brotherly bonding, my ass!”

  “I did come there to take you guys to lunch. She happened to be there too.”

  “Uh.” Wyatt scratched behind his ear. “She works there.”

  “It was just my good luck that day.” Corbett grinned.

  “So, is this a rebound thing?” Wyatt hesitantly asked.

  “I don’t know what it is just yet. I’ve always liked Anna Beth. She’s beautiful, smart, and funny. Since the breakup, I found myself thinking about her, a lot.”

  “Just tread lightly. I’d hate to see either of you hurt. And Bo will kick your ass if you upset her.”

  “I feel like I’m having déjà vu. That’s the exact same advice I gave you about Avery.”

  Wyatt laughed. “So you did. Isn’t it amazing how despite the time we spent apart and we’re all grownups, Bo’s still able to step in and be the big brother and threaten to kick our asses?”

  There was a brief knock at the door, then it opened. It was Bo.

  “Gentlemen. Are you decent?” Bo called out.

  “Never.” Wyatt shot back. “We’re in the kitchen talking about you.”

  Corbett threw an apple from the fruit bowl at Wyatt, who caught it and bit into it.

  “I like it when you talk about me behind my back. It means you miss me.” Bo grinned. “And we’re wearing the same shirt.”

  “Blue seems to be the color of the day.” Wyatt searched Bo’s face as he took another bite of the projectile apple. “Please don’t tell me the party is cancelled?”

  “No, it’s still on. The birthday girl is awake. Seth had the kids doing a pots-and-pans marching band through her bedroom to ensure her hangover included a sensitivity to noises.”

  “How much did Avery have to drink?” Corbett asked.

  “She started out with wine but ended up doing tequila shots,” Wyatt said with a wince.

  Bo looked at him, eyes narrowed. “I’m glad that’s all she drank. Where were you? She could’ve gotten hurt or worse.”

  “I went over to say hi to some friends from school,” he replied, hearing the edge in his tone and not caring. “They drop in the nights they know I’m bartending.”

  “Bo, Wyatt has been a great friend to Avery,” Corbett said. “I don’t think this should be a mark against him. He’s proven himself to be a pretty reliable guy the last few years. Before he met her, he couldn’t keep his goldfish alive. So he deserves a break.”

  Wyatt and Bo both looked at Corbett.

  “You’re right. It’s ridiculous to blame him somehow for this. I’m just grateful nothing worse happened and that you alerted the family.”

  “Thanks.” Wyatt smiled. “I hope Cal is as forgiving.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  Wyatt ran a hand over his face. “I’ll talk to him.”

  “Plead your case to Cal. He told Bo Sr. that he enjoys your company around there. So I don’t think he’ll be too mad after the minor repairs are done on the bar, which is part of Avery’s punishment.”

  “I can help her with that.” He shrugged.

  Bo and Corbett smiled at him. There was another door knock and then it opened. It was Summer.

  “Everybody decent?” She said as she made her way into the kitchen.

  “Ever since you two got married, I’m required to say yes,” Wyatt grumbled.

  “Babe, I need you to sign Avery’s birthday card.” She plunked
it down on the counter and handed Bo the pen.

  “You’re not signing his name to these things?” Wyatt asked with a wry grin.

  “You think I hold your brother hostage? He graduated Kindergarten. He can sign his own name.” Summer pinched his cheek and gave him a hug. “You look so handsome. I like when you’re clean-shaven. We get to see that handsome face of yours. You smell good too.”

  “I do clean up well. Don’t I?”

  “Give me a break.” Corbett rolled his eyes.

  “Corbett, you look great too.” Summer hugged him and looked him over. “Relaxed, even. Like someone breathed new life into you.”

  Wyatt waggled his eyebrows at his brother. “Yeah, Cor. What’s your secret?”

  Corbett only glared at him and didn’t bother to answer.

  Summer didn’t seem to mind. She turned back to Wyatt with a wry smile of her own. “Glad to see you made it through last night’s drama unscathed.”

  “I did get a wicked scratch when I broke Avery and Kelly apart.” He held up his shirtsleeve to show his sister-in-law his boo boo. “And I narrowly missed getting socked in the eye. Avery has a mean right hook.”

  “I hope she’s doing OK,” Summer said.

  Bo finished up signing the card, put it in the envelope, and handed it back to his wife. “Here you go dear.” His face broke into a wide smile. “She’s going to go nuts over her present. What did you get her Wyatt?”

  “A stethoscope with a personal inscription on it,” he blurted out.

  Summer beamed. “That was so nice and thoughtful. She’ll have that for years and will think of you every time she has to examine a patient.”

  “My little bro has come a long way.” Corbett smiled.

  Summer turned back to the door. “I have to go. Autumn needs help with her outfit.”

  “I have to go back too. I think I want to change my shirt.” Bo gave Wyatt a knowing look.

  “Did Jared arrive yet?”

  “He went to pick up something from the store, but he’ll be back soon. So we’ll all go over to the house in fifteen?”

  “We’ll be ready.” Corbett replied and waited until he heard the door close before continuing. “Did you get a chance to talk to Avery before the melee?”

  “No. I didn’t.”

  “Well, now’s your chance to tell her how you feel.”

  He shook his head, clenching his teeth for a second before he forced himself to relax. “I told you I think she’s getting closer to Riley. I…I want her to be happy.”

  “You don’t know what’s going on between her and Riley. Besides, Riley Sloane isn’t going to show his face here today unless he wants to be unemployed on Monday.”

  “Nothing has changed. She told me no more kissing or anything else until I knew what it meant.”

  “Anything else?”

  He groaned. “Let’s just say I go to sleep every night with an ice pack on my junk.”

  Corbett let out a hearty laugh.

  “That’s not funny.”

  “No, it’s not. Matters of the heart rarely are.” He tempered his wide smile. “What does Avery mean to you?”

  “Everything.”

  “Then you know what to do.”

  The sound of the horn blowing meant Bo and Summer were ready to head over to John Jacob and Teri-Lyn’s house. Wyatt turned back and looked at his brother.

  “I graduate in a few months and have no future. What can I offer a woman who’s going to be a doctor?”

  “Having a career is nice. Being well-paid is even nicer. But what’s most important in life is sharing your life with the right person. That one person in the world who makes your heart beat out of your chest every time you see her. It makes a difference, trust me. You don’t want your life to implode when you’re in your late twenties because you followed some societal guidelines. Chase happiness and don’t give up Avery without a fight.”

  “Thanks, bro,” he said, wondering when Corbett had grown so wise. That wisdom certainly hadn’t been there before Courtney had left him.

  The party was in full swing when they arrived. Wyatt worked the room and mingled while everyone waited for Avery to come downstairs.

  “Wyatt!”

  He looked down to see Mackenzie holding her arms out. She wanted him to pick her up. He bent down to lift her into his arms when the small box he’d been holding for Jared fell out of his pocket. He scrambled to retrieve it but it was too late. J.J. had already picked up the box.

  “What is this?” J.J. asked.

  “U-uh,” Wyatt stammered.

  “Boy, that bad better be an MP3 player in that box,” John Jacob said.

  J.J. opened the ring box and everyone went silent. Everyone in the place looked like they wanted to choke the life out of him.

  * * *

  Avery hung up with her parents after promising they’d have a long talk when they returned from vacation. She assured them there was a house full of people waiting to wag their fingers at her, so they could take comfort in knowing her party would be very somber. Still it warmed her heart that they said they loved her and were happy she was OK. With that under her belt, she opened her bedroom door and ventured downstairs. The loud voices she heard in the living room should have sent Avery scurrying back to her room to save her thudding head, but she was tired of hiding. The voices were muffled at first, but as she got closer, it was clear they were talking about her. And Wyatt. Something had everyone all riled up, but the last thing she expected to hear was Wyatt talking back to the grownups.

  “All due respect, John Jacob, but what if it was?” Wyatt said.

  A silence fell over the house. This would have been the part in the horror movie where the creepy music cued up just before something crazy happened.

  “You’re too young to get married,” J.J. said.

  “You’re both barely out of college and you still haven’t decided on a career. How are you going to support her?” Bo Sr. chimed in.

  “Babies cost money,” Tyler added.

  “Baby?”

  Seth’s voice was so careful it sounded positively cold. “Is Avery pregnant?”

  Morgan put her hand on Seth’s arm. “No one said Avery was pregnant. Why don’t we all just take a breath?”

  “If she were, I’d do right by her and marry her,” Wyatt said, sounding defiant.

  A lump rose in her throat. They both knew they hadn’t been intimate, but here he was in the protective lion’s den saying he’d take care of her if she were. It must have driven him crazy thinking that she’d preferred someone like Riley, a guy she barely knew, over the person she’d loved since the day she’d met him. That smile he’d given her the day they met, it was a spark, a hope that had been embedded in her heart. It was the smile that made her happy when she’d had a tough day or made her feel brave when she’d wanted to run from something. All she’d ever wanted was to turn a new page on their relationship and see if those feelings that had been brewing over the years were ready to blossom into something deeper. Something a future could be built upon. She wanted to give him a big kiss, but first she had to deal with the angry mob.

  “Hey! Leave Wyatt alone.” Avery stalked the rest of the way down the stairs and interrupted. “I’m not pregnant.”

  “Thank goodness.” Bonnie let out a sigh of relief. “You were drunk off your butt last night. Drinking would be bad for my grandbaby.”

  “I wouldn’t say drunk off her butt, Bonnie.” Teri-Lyn put down the ladle to the punchbowl.

  The adults began to bicker again and it was hard to determine what was being said. Avery walked toward Wyatt, but suddenly there were a dozen people in the way. So she sought out who she hoped was an ally. She tugged on her Aunt Morgan’s arm and pulled her aside. “A little help. This is getting way out of control.”

  “OK. I’ll do what I can,” Morgan assured her as she waved Michelle and Isabelle over. “But Seth told me about Riley calling you. Please tell me that was a big misunderstanding.”

>   “Yes. No. It wasn’t a misunderstanding exactly, but I can explain.” She bit her lip. “Can we talk later?”

  “Oh, boy.” Morgan’s eyes widened. “Ladies, we need to defuse this situation. You get as many figurative pitch forks and torches out of the villagers’ hands as possible.”

  “What’s going on?” Jared said with a bright smile as he entered the house.

  “Uncle Jared.” Avery walked toward him. “Please do me a favor and don’t get involved in this insanity. We’re straightening some things out right now.”

  “Yes,” Tyler said. “Like your behavior lately, young lady.”

  “Sounds like I’m just in time for all the fun…” Jared said as he scanned the room, then his gaze locked on the box in J.J.’s hand. “J.J., what are you doing with that box?”

  “Stopping a catastrophe,” J.J. quipped.

  Jared’s voice was tight. “The ring belongs to me.”

  The room went silent.

  “What did you say?”

  “This isn’t how I wanted to do this, but there’s no time like the present.” Jared took the ring box out of J.J.’s hand and walked over to Autumn.

  “Jared Reed, what are you doing?” Autumn put her hands on her cheeks.

  “Something I’ve dreaming about for months.” He got down on one knee and took the ring out of the box.

  The ladies all awwwwed at the same time. Michelle whipped out her cell phone and started recording.

  “Autumn Jillian Waverly. I know we both resisted the matchmaking efforts of this wacky family for the longest time. We were both at a point in our lives when we thought a career would fill the empty void in our hearts. Luckily we both wised up and took a vacation that changed our lives. It set us on a new journey to each other and here we are. I’ve been in love with you since the day we met at that resort. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”