On Friday, Avery worked feverishly in her office. She wanted to wrap things up before her busy weekend. With Lauren and Jack’s fish fry the following day, she intended to have everything in order so she wouldn’t have to handle any frantic last-minute calls or disappointed customers. She was typing her last memo when Jason appeared at her office door.
“Avery.” His brown eyes fixed on hers and she wanted to scream.
“Yes?” She looked back to her computer and continued typing.
“Are you going to Lauren and Jack’s tomorrow?”
“Of course. Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“It’s Friday.” Jason shrugged. His lack of work ethic was one more example of their incompatibility. “Want a date?”
“I seem to recall breaking up with you.” She stopped typing and sat back in her chair.
“That hasn’t stopped us from … dabbling.” His suggestive tone made Avery feel slimy, though mildly aroused.
“Find someone else. I’m not interested.” She went back to typing, but misspelled half of the words she typed.
“Maybe Nicole needs a date…” The comment was delivered with an air of innocence. She stopped typing.
“I’m her date.”
Jason flushed and with a frustrated glance he exited her office, slamming the door on his way out. Avery suppressed the urge to throw her nameplate at it.
As if on cue, her phone rang. It was Lauren.
“Thrill me.”
“Hey, woman. You better be hungry. Ten pounds of potato salad isn’t going to eat itself. I just saw an O’Connell’s flyer for karaoke night the weekend before Halloween,” Lauren bellowed into the phone.
“Okay.” Avery sighed. She was still disturbed by Jason’s appearance and felt like she was stripping gears trying to make plans with Lauren.
“There’s a costume contest, too. We’ve got to go. We’ll take Nicole and Jules. There’ll be lots of guys there … we can be your wing women.”
“Sorry, Lauren. It’s been a rough day. Can we talk about it tomorrow?’
“Whatever. Just start planning a costume ‘cause you’re going. I already have an overnight sitter set up for the girls and Ike,” Lauren continued. Avery wanted to tell her no. She hadn’t been out in eons and was overcome with self-doubt.
“I don’t know, Lauren...” Avery began.
“I need a girls’ night, sistah! It will be fun!” Lauren urged. “Jules is in for sure. I still need to ask Nicole about it when she comes out to help me decorate tonight.”
“All right. I’m in.” She had to admit she needed some fun. It would be harmless practice to get out there and mix it up with the local guys.
“Yay!” Lauren yelled. “See you tomorrow. I have the camper ready if you need to stay the night.”
After she hung up, Avery zipped through the last of her work and practically ran for the door. The Indian summer continued and the sun reinvigorated her for the weekend. The moment she was off the course, she blasted her stereo and sped away with the sunroof open and the windows down.
It was 1:30 P.M. and the fried fish was ready for consumption. Lauren couldn’t have been more thrilled at the turnout. Vehicles were parked haphazardly all over the farm. People had started arriving at 12:30, and now the swelling crowd milled about all over the property. Some guests were playing poker, and some were playing darts at the shop or horseshoes in the yard. Others had begun to help themselves to booze and the buffet. The three high school girls she’d employed for childcare were earning their money on the screened porch and back lawn, painting faces, blowing bubbles and playing kickball with the kids.
Thanks to Nicole’s keen eye and some unexpected ingenuity, her barn looked like a rustic reception hall. It currently housed a buffet line where Jules and two other friends were serving food. The picnic tables lining the barn were filling up, community style. Her husband, Jack, was behind his makeshift bar in the far corner, playing bartender. His job was to make sure there was plenty of beer on tap and he was a workaholic.
Lauren loved hosting the fry. Jack was an avid fisherman. He and his “boys” caught so many catfish, their families could never dream of consuming it all. It had become a tradition and it was now in its fourth year. She had a “staff” of ten friends wearing matching shirts busy removing garbage, preparing food, directing people to the restrooms, etc. Since the previous fry, Jack had built a stage for live music and the band would start at 5:30. Many businesses in town donated food and supplies. Everyone donated their time and guests were encouraged to make a donation to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a charity to which Lauren felt particularly drawn. They’d serve barbeque for dinner, and then it would turn into more of a bar scene. This is usually when most of the families took off and the fry became more of an adult barn party. Jack referred to the night portion of the fish fry as a “high school kegger with a budget.”
Lauren spotted Nicole and Avery as they entered the barn. She made a beeline for them.
“Where the hell have you two been? I was about to send out the National Guard.”
“We had to take Ike to Ma and Pa’s.” Avery rolled her brown eyes. She looked fantastic in her clingy white top that complemented her dark hair and accentuated her tanned skin. Years before, Lauren had been jealous of Avery. Thankfully, their rivalry was far behind them. Lauren knew she looked hot; navy always made her strawberry blonde hair pop, and this year’s crew shirts were her color. She saw more than a few heads turned in their direction.
“He had a meltdown.” Nicole wore a sheepish expression, but looked stunning in a red off-the-shoulder top and a flashy silver necklace. Her long blonde hair was down and wildly wavy.
“Sounds like you two could use a drink. Let’s go see about that.”
“This place looks great!” Avery called over the roar of the crowd.
“That’s all because of this one.” Lauren nudged Nicole, who grinned.
“Well, take a look at what the cat dragged in,” Jack drawled as he spotted them. All the men at the bar turned to watch appreciatively as the three women approached. Lauren wished she’d been holding a video camera to record the expressions. For a split second, you would have thought they were Charlie’s Angels.
“Jackster.” Avery joined him behind the bar for a hug. “I see you’ve been hard at work behind the pole again.”
“That’s what she said,” Jack replied and everyone within earshot laughed heartily. “This must be Nicole.”
“Oh yeah … you two haven’t met,” Lauren chimed in. “Nic, this is my husband, Jack Smith.”
“Ma’am.”
She watched as Nicole shook hands with him and smiled at her husband proudly. Her Jack was a man’s man. Strikingly handsome and tanned from daily work in the elements, Jack made a living as a carpenter and contractor. Some of his Air Force tattoos were exposed by his crew shirt, which could barely contain his bulging biceps. His black hair and bedroom eyes got him plenty of female attention. Lauren was sure she’d have to tell someone off for hanging on her husband by the end of the night.
“This is Shilah. He’s new to Jefferson Point, too.” Lauren gestured to Shilah, who was with Jack behind the bar. He’d been leaning on the bar with his bottle of beer, but when they’d approached, he’d suddenly stood upright. She saw the racy way he’d been observing Avery and suppressed a squeal of delight. Her amusement was doubled since Jason Gates was seated at the bar to witness the entire exchange.
“Shilah. Pleasure to meet you. I’m Nicole Harper.” She offered her hand. “I believe you may have met my sister-in-law, Avery.”
Lauren raised an eyebrow. Something in Nicole’s tone and in Shilah’s expression as his eyes shifted to Avery, seemed juicy and warranted explanation. Shilah shook Nic’s hand politely as his eyes continued to peruse Avery.
“Briefly, but memorably. Nice to see you again, Ms. Harper.” Avery blushed a deep shade of purple. “Would you like a drink?”
“Call me Avery.” Her voice had a
spicy quality and she made her way to the vacant seat across from Shilah. The various emotions that flashed across Jason’s face sealed the deal that Lauren was out of the loop on something, and she wanted to sit them all down and torture them for information. Jason seemed to recover and a playful expression won out.
“Nicole, Avery won’t dance with me tonight. I hope you’re saving a dance for an old high school flame.”
“Why not.” Nic shrugged as Jack handed her a beer.
Lauren saw Jack do a double take and gawk over her shoulder. She turned to see what had caused his panicked expression.
“Ah, shit. Here we go.” She heard Jack murmur behind her. Aaron Foster had just walked in with his girlfriend, Joy. Lauren rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. She’d just spent the week telling Jack she was sure they’d broken up, considering the way Aaron had acted around Nicole. She’d obviously been mistaken. Joy was a loud bimbo who wore too much perfume. She annoyed the crap out of Lauren. As they approached the group, Lauren painted on a fake smile and greeted Joy.
“Lauren! Aren’t you cute as a button? I love your short hair. I wish I was that courageous!” Even her compliments were backhanded insults, Lauren thought to herself.
“Welcome.” Lauren managed as Aaron bumped fists with Jack across the bar. Lauren saw Nicole look Joy up and down curiously as she sipped her beer. Seeing the two women standing side-by-side nearly made her cackle out loud. With her bleached hair and blue contact lenses, Joy was like a blow-up doll clone of Nicole. They were the same height and both had curvy figures that could stop traffic. Though Joy was a couple years younger than Nic, she was definitely a watered down, porn star imitation of the real deal.
Lauren continued to observe Aaron, who openly stared at Nicole. Nic studiously ignored his presence and continued her conversation with Jason. By Jason’s sly grin and cocky swagger, Lauren could see he reveled in the attention. Joy continued to attempt polite conversation with her for a few minutes, and when Lauren was sure she couldn’t stand it one moment longer, Jack saved the day.
“We’d better get some food before it’s all gone, y’all,” her hero professed in his Texan accent. As Jack offered his arm to her and led her off to the buffet, she noticed Avery and Shilah stayed behind at the bar.
“So you work for Gates Corp. What do you do?” Avery was barely aware that the rest of the group had abandoned them. The moment she’d sat across from him, Shilah had taken her hand, inspecting it to be sure she was caring for the wound she’d gotten when she changed her tire. Avery suppressed an erotic shudder at his touch.
“I am an environmental engineer. Companies bring me in when they want to make their company more ‘green’… or at least to look as if they do.”
“Is that what’s happening at Gates Corp? Image work?”
Shilah shrugged, his expression hinting that she could be on to something.
“Where are you from originally?” She took in his stunning features and tried to appear nonchalant.
“I was born in Navajoland. My parents are divorced, and my mother raised me in Flagstaff.”
“So you’re Navajo. I will admit I am going to have to look up Navajoland on the internet.” Shilah’s friendly laugh and white smile dazzled her. Avery took another large sip of her drink, needing the burn of hard liquor for courage. She couldn’t recall ever feeling so intimidated by a man. He was striking and competent—a deadly combination.
“Half Navajo. My mother is Welsh, French, and German. I’m a mutt. I don’t fit in anywhere.” He laughed. If he truly believed what he’d said about not fitting in, he didn’t seem too concerned about it.
“How the hell did you end up living in Jefferson Point, Shilah?”
“Work. Mr. Gates brought me in for a couple of consultations and I just couldn’t shake this place. I love the land, the seasons. When he offered me a permanent position, I jumped on it. As a matter of fact, I have considered buying some land a few miles up the river from you. I’m still living out of a hotel until I decide on my house plans. It’s getting a little old.”
Avery pictured him in a hotel bed and blushed.
“Should we go get something to eat?” His eyes shifted to the buffet. “Unless you think Jason would object to us dining together.”
“Jason and I aren’t an item.” Her response was quick and firm. He raised an eyebrow and studied her face.
“Good.” He gestured to the buffet line and she joined him.
“So you work at Stone Valley?” He perused the bounty. Lauren had outdone herself. Avery had no appetite; she was overcome with nerves, being so close to Shilah. She had to force herself to take some food, knowing whatever she took would taste fantastic.
“I’m the Operations Manager. Between the banquet rooms and the restaurant, it’s a year-round job. My father is the owner of the property and manages the homeowner’s association.”
“A family business. Seems like a challenge...”
“It doesn’t work for everyone, but my father and I can pull it off.”
“And your mother?” Shilah looked at her from across the buffet.
“She spends whatever my Dad makes.” Avery regretted the harsh comment as soon as it passed her lips. Shilah wore a surprised expression and stopped in his tracks. “Actually, she chairs several committees in the area and does a lot of volunteering. She’s running for mayor, God help Jefferson Point.”
“You don’t approve?” Shilah continued down the line, but he seemed to watch her reaction carefully. Avery hated to sound negative, but she was a frank person by nature.
“My mother with power is a frightening proposition.”
“No, I mean you don’t seem to approve of her, in general.”
“She went to college and found a husband. Being someone’s missus isn’t my style. I love to earn money. We’re really different and it causes drama.”
“I can see that.” He was unreadable and it was driving her to distraction. As Avery looked for a place to sit, she saw Jason hovering around Nicole and wanted no part of that action, so she led Shilah to the other end of the barn and found an empty table.
“What about your family?” She couldn’t wait to turn the tables and find out more about this enigmatic man.
“I haven’t seen my father in a year. That relationship isn’t the best. My mother’s a teacher. She’s still in Arizona. I’m an only child and it’s rather boring. I’ve always wished I had a large family. I’m jealous of people with tons of siblings and cousins.”
“It can get pretty messy, but I do love my big family. It’s never dull,” she admitted.
“How many siblings do you have?’
“I have a brother and a sister. I had two brothers. Ryan, Nicole’s husband, died a couple of years ago.”
“I’m sorry, Avery. I had no idea.” He winced, obviously embarrassed.
“Of course you didn’t.” She waved it off. When Shilah reluctantly began to pick at his food again, she continued.
“He didn’t just … die. He was taken from us. Gunned down at work.” Saying it out loud, Avery felt uncharacteristically calm. The memory of her father breaking down when the officer told them the details usually made her sob. The detective had revealed that the shooter was in the middle of a custody battle with his wife, a pharmacy tech on the third floor. He’d been carrying enough ammunition to reload at least four times. When Ryan tackled him, the shooter hit his head on a gurney and was knocked out cold. Ryan had been heralded as a hero in the news, having selflessly taken him down before he could harm anyone else.
“I’m not sure my family will ever recover.” She managed to say, after giving Shilah the Reader’s Digest version of the events. Avery stopped and looked up at him. Shocked by what she’d shared with a virtual stranger, it was unthinkable that she’d allowed herself to be so vulnerable. Shilah wore an empathetic expression as he silently locked eyes with her, unflinching. His reaction was a huge weight off of her shoulders. Avery wasn’t sure what she had expect
ed, but she found him bold and likable. As if he’d read her mind, he reached out and placed his hand on hers.
“You seem pretty fearless, Avery. If the rest of your family is half as tough as you are, you all will find your way through this.”
Avery sat speechless for a moment, as clashing emotions overcame her. The subject of Ryan was still an exposed nerve, but Shilah hadn’t run from it like so many other people did. As ferocious as her physical attraction to him was, the combination of that attraction and their compatibility seemed dangerous. She was afraid to say anything; sure it would taint the moment. Fortunately for her, Joy and Aaron appeared with their plates. Aaron was gulping down a second beer.
“Hey, you two!” Joy’s sugary sweet voice instantly got on Avery’s nerves. She was friendly enough and Aaron seemed into her, so she’d suffered her presence along with everyone else. “Can we join you? Aaron wanted a change of scenery.”
Avery looked down at the far side of the barn at the table they’d come from, where Jack and Lauren sat with Nic and Jason. Jason was sitting sideways on the picnic bench, giving Nicole his full court press. Lauren made eye contact with Avery and crossed her eyes. With a curious glance at Aaron, Avery gestured for them to sit.
“So, Jack says you haven’t gone hunting yet. What gives?” Aaron took the seat next to Shilah.
“He’s been too busy getting ready for this. We’re going next weekend. Wanna come?” Shilah replied, and Avery could tell the two men were familiar with each other by their casual demeanor. It seemed everyone else in town already knew Shilah.
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