“Much appreciated.” Avery uttered a sigh of relief. Jason’s parents owned the largest and most expensive home on the course. Avery had worked hard to maneuver around the social pitfalls of breaking off the engagement to their son. Still, her mother was continuously inventing ways to try to get them back together and Avery’s patience was worn thin.
“Anytime…” Her father turned back to his paperwork.
Avery went about her day, catching up on all the tasks that had piled up while she was off. She met with the pro shop manager, the restaurant manager of Onyx, and Louise in the bar. She spoke with two brides who’d booked receptions for October. She fielded calls about wedding and baby showers in November and a bachelor party in a week; men always waited until the last minute to plan things. Luckily, no one had booked the smaller banquet room for that night and she was able to accommodate the bachelor party. It was a relief when Nicole appeared at her office door at 3:45 P.M.
“Better late than never…” Nicole seemed embarrassed, but she looked fantastic. Avery realized that she had not seen Nicole dressed in anything but sweats or jeans in months. She wore her wavy hair down and the few extra pounds that she’d gained with Ike seemed to be in all the right places. Her aqua top matched her striking eyes, which looked well rested and sparkled with excitement.
“Are you kidding? I just dropped this on you. Glad you could come. Looks like Shaina had a spot for Ike.”
“She offered him fruit snacks and he didn’t even look back at me when I left.” Nicole laughed.
Relieved to be getting out of her office and away from the phone, Avery proceeded to give Nic a tour of the clubhouse. They discussed what had been done in the past to decorate for the seasons and concluded that Nicole should decorate for Christmas as well. Extra time was spent in each area, while Nicole took measurements, photographs, and asked questions. Soon Avery handed her off to Louise, who was familiar with their banquet supplies so that Nicole could see what they had on hand to use and what would need to be purchased. Feeling quite pleased with her productive day, Avery went back to her office to grab her purse and head home. She picked up her cell phone and saw a missed text from Jason. Rolling her eyes to the heavens, she deleted it without reading it.
Nicole drove her Jeep back into town about an hour later, her mind humming with ideas. She thrived when she had a project and it had been a temporary distraction from the pending dinner with her mother-in-law, who had never liked her. No one would have ever been good enough for her baby boy, but certainly not a “piece of ass from the wrong side of the tracks.”
Also, on her mind was the prospect of seeing Aaron again. She hadn’t realized he would be back in Jefferson Point. The thought of seeing him both frightened and excited her.
Looking back, it seemed odd that she’d ended up with Ryan, not Aaron. Moving to J.P. had been a huge culture shock for her. Nicole had come from a much larger city and she felt like she was under a microscope at J.P. High. For a reason that still eluded her, Avery had decided to befriend her in her second week at the school. Avery Harper was already a legend as a sophomore; a gorgeous all-American girl with bronzed skin, long dark hair, and a rock star figure. Captain of the dance team, the golf team, and a track star, she’d been wildly popular. Having her as an ally was an unintentional social coup for Nic, who had never given a rat’s ass about high school politics.
Nicole first met the guys when Avery invited her to sleep over. Ryan and Aaron were their ride. She recognized them immediately; they were the most popular seniors in town. Nicole remembered her first impression of the guys—they were both loud egomaniacs.
Ryan had been charismatic and intense from their first encounter. He had a way of making a girl feel like she was the only woman in the world. Nicole hated to admit it, but his attention was intoxicating.
“Climb on in the front, Beautiful. You’re our guest, after all.” He’d flashed a pearly smile, popping his purple bubble gum. He patted the front seat of his sporty little black car. It was obvious he thought he was hot shit. Nic shot Avery a sideways glance as Aaron tossed her bag in the trunk. Avery pantomimed sticking a finger down her throat.
“Now, hold on. I’m a guest too. Maybe I should drive and she should ride shotgun,” Aaron shamelessly argued.
“Or maybe you should drive and she can sit on my lap,” Ryan retorted.
Ryan and Aaron’s theatrics went on for about five minutes, and Nicole yawned and climbed in the backseat with Avery. Ryan pulled over to get gas, and when Aaron and Avery went inside for drinks, Ryan insisted she ride in front. Nicole felt nervous under his blue-eyed gaze and relented in hopes he’d stop looking at her in that teasing, frustrating manner.
Avery said nothing when she returned to the car—she just handed Nicole a drink. As Aaron approached the car, he made a scolding motion with his fingers when he saw her in the front seat. Ryan chuckled next to her.
Aaron climbed in the back and handed Ryan a bottle of pop. “One for me … and one for my homie.”
“Thanks, dude.” Ryan put his arm on the back of her headrest as he backed out, and then left it there. Though she acted bored, Nicole found his passes charming.
Avery’s dry sarcasm and Aaron’s wicked sense of humor entertained them all the way to what Aaron sardonically called Harper Manor.
As they approached the Harper homestead, Nicole could see Aaron wasn’t joking. The estate was ostentatious and impressive. Nicole was overwhelmed with insecurity as she glanced down at her faded Ramones t-shirt and knock-off shoes. Aaron seemed to pick up on this and whispered in her ear as she let him out of the backseat.
“Don’t let all this freak you out.” His green eyes were welcoming and sincere as he nodded in the direction of the two Harper siblings. “They’re not snobs, but their mom … you have to watch out for her.”
He’d been dead on about Sandra Harper and a great many other things. Nicole and Aaron quickly formed a friendship. Both of them were into the arts; Aaron was a talented performer and Nicole took every art class the school offered. They had a certain chemistry of their own and had shared many private jokes, secret even from Ryan and Avery. Plus, they both understood financial instability, coming from normal, working-class homes. Aaron got her on a level that Ryan never had. Through the years, Ryan often seemed annoyed by Aaron and Nicole’s connection. He despised it when Aaron called her Nicki, which seemed to inspire Aaron to do so every chance he got. Still, Ryan and Aaron were tight and remained best friends, even rooming together as undergrads.
Ryan’s college years were a rocky time, and his relationship with Nicole was on-again, off-again. Even then, Aaron had her back. On more than one occasion, he was her shoulder to cry on and there had been moments when the boundaries of their friendship got a bit fuzzy.
She quickly forced thoughts of Aaron’s lips from her mind as she approached the daycare. All that had been a lifetime ago and Aaron would probably agree.
Friday night came much sooner than Nicole was prepared for. Her week had been a hectic flurry with the clubhouse project but she was having a blast planning the transformation. It helped that she had such a lovely backdrop. Stone fireplaces, spectacular views, and an entryway water wall, Stone Valley made a wonderful canvas. She had spent hours stringing white lights, and handcrafting beautiful centerpieces. Purchasing gorgeous material in shades of mocha and gold, she had worked feverishly at her sewing machine creating table runners. She intended to use a similar design style in pale blue and silver for the transition to a winter wonderland. With a satisfied sigh, she inventoried her purchases. She needed to focus on autumn before she spent one more minute or dime on Christmas. She intended to make more purchases for autumn at the pumpkin farm so she could finish the project while it was still timely.
As she finished primping for the dinner party, Ike ran around playing with his toy train. Nicole hoped she could get him to “Harper Manor” without either one of their outfits being destroyed. She smirked again at the term that Aaron had du
bbed many moons ago. It was startling how often he’d crossed her mind since Avery had mentioned him. It was stranger still that he hadn’t crossed her mind more often before. Her shrink said she was an expert at compartmentalizing her life. Aaron was probably just another casualty of her substandard mental health.
As she drove to her in-laws’, she prepared herself for the awkward reception she was sure to get from her mother-in-law. They’d never had a loving relationship, but since Ryan’s death, things had only become more stilted and uncomfortable between them.
As the house came into view, Ike popped his thumb out of his mouth and began to yell enthusiastically.
“Grandpa! I love my Grandpa!”
Nicole beamed at his reflection in the rearview mirror. He smiled knowingly as they drove up the long stately driveway and parked in front the palatial home.
“Hello there!” John Harper’s booming voice called as he descended the stone steps toward them. Ike could barely contain himself as Nicole pulled him from his seat in the Jeep. The moment his feet hit the ground he tore off in Grandpa’s direction.
“Grandpa! I want candy.” Ike grasped John’s legs. John laughed and picked him up.
“He knows which side his bread is buttered on,” John said to Nicole, who nodded in agreement. John was a good man and pleasure overwhelmed her at the thought of Ike having his grandpa as an influence in his life.
“Did I hear a handsome man in my driveway?” Sandra Harper approached them in her typical queenly manner. She looked like a million bucks in her black dress that accentuated her tiny waist. Her dark hair was cropped in a sassy bob. It was easy to see where Avery had inherited her looks.
“Grandma … I love candy,” Ike replied batting his hazel eyes as he and John ascended the stairs.
“I’m sure you do, Isaac,” she replied with a genuine laugh. She greeted Nicole with an air kiss and an awkward side-hug. “Nicole, you look lovely.”
“Thank you. So do you.” Nicole had her doubts of Sandra’s sincerity in that compliment. She had gained 25 pounds when she was pregnant with Ike and since delivery had only lost about ten of them. Her hourglass figure was even shapelier now than it had been when she had married Ryan, and she was painfully aware that Ryan’s mom disapproved. She fidgeted with her necklace and looked quickly down at her rose-colored dress, hoping she had pulled off the look she was going for—casual elegance.
Avery came out of the house wearing dressy dark jeans, brown boots, and a chocolate-colored top. Seeing what Avery chose, Nicole felt more at ease with her attire. Ike led her in-laws inside on a hunt for the candy he felt entitled to.
“Drink?” Avery fell in line next to Nicole.
“Absolutely,” Nicole muttered. They entered the sprawling home and headed through the foyer into the great room. There was a wet bar on the far side of the room where the eldest son of the Harper family, Mitchel, was in the process of shaking a martini. A blue-eyed teddy bear in his late thirties, he was an exceptionally dashing man. He graced her with a broad smile and waved the martini shaker.
“Hiya, Nic.” He turned to pour an appletini for his wife, Jolene, a trim and athletic redhead. She glanced over her freckled shoulder at Nicole and grinned.
“Hi, Mitch. Jo, nice to see you. How’s business?” Nicole asked as Avery joined her oldest brother behind the bar.
“Growing all the time.” Jolene’s hazel eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. The couple owned a microbrewery in town. Jo was a CPA and Avery had told Nicole she was “the brains” of the operation and Mitch was the “face man.” Like Ryan, Mitchel had a gift with people. Mitch had no head for business, and would have been the first to agree with her. Most of their success and rapid growth was due to Jo’s careful planning and skill.
“Fantastic. Is this one of yours?” Nicole pointed to the beer bottle in front of Mitch.
“It sure is. It’s called ‘Red Headed Woman.’” He chuckled, popped it open, and pushed it toward her. “I named it after a sassy sex goddess I know.”
“Mitchel…” Jolene murmured, glancing around and clearly embarrassed. She looked so prudish at that moment that Nicole mused that he’d married his mom’s clone.
“I think it’s sweet,” Avery chirped uncharacteristically, and Nicole tried not to choke on the beer.
“This is fantastic. You should be honored to have this named after you, Jo,” Nicole commented and took another drink.
“Careful, Nic. I have a glass of wine with your name on it and you have to drive home sometime,” Avery joked. Suddenly, the sound of laughter and sneakers squeaking on the floor alerted them that a gaggle of children were headed their way.
“Aunt Nic!” A pre-teen girl who was the spitting image of Jo ran up and hugged Nicole, followed by three teenagers.
“Hi, Anna.” Nicole hugged Mitch and Jo’s youngest daughter. The teenage girl behind her was their older daughter, Faith. She was a sullen seventeen-year-old that inherited Mitch’s good looks.
“Look at you, Faith. You’re so grown up. Mitch, you had better clean your shotgun,” Nicole joked.
“Yep. The boys are sniffing around already.” He did his best redneck impersonation.
“Dad…” Faith turned red.
“She’s had two boyfriends already this year,” her little sister chimed in, her freckled face contorted in disgust.
“Shut up, Anna.” Faith stared venomous daggers at her sister.
“Enough.” Jo’s tone immediately silenced both girls and sent them off in opposite directions. Nearby, the two high-school-aged boys who had been watching the argument with verve chuckled in appreciation.
“How are you two?” Nicole moved in to steal hugs from both of them.
“Livin’ the dream,” said Jake, the eldest brother, with a deadpan look on his face. He and his brother, Andy, were the sons of Avery’s oldest sister, Angela, and her husband, Dean.
“You’ve got to be the tallest man in this family.” Avery gave him a hug.
“That’s not saying much,” Jake retorted, pointedly looking Mitch in the eye. At sixteen, he already towered over Avery’s father and brother.
“Ha ha,” Mitch replied good-naturedly, “I can still paddle your ass.”
“Bring it,” Jake joked back.
“I’m going to be taller than he is,” Andy interjected, clearly not wanting to be left out. He was fourteen and Nicole silently agreed with him. He was well on his way to being taller than the previous generation and probably would tower over his older brother.
“And just as sassy,” Jo added with a sip of her martini. Nicole thought she looked very relieved that she’d had daughters.
“Where are your parents, boys?” Nicole asked.
“They’re in the kitchen snooping around.” Andy’s brown eyes filled with annoyance at the mention of his parents. “Where’s Ike?”
“With Grandma and Grandpa,” Avery said for Nicole, who was drinking more of Mitchel’s beer.
“Let’s go find him.” Jake said to Andy and they retreated as quickly as they had appeared.
“What are they feeding those two? They’re giants!” Nicole laughed.
“Probably a wheatgrass shake or some other such nonsense. You know Angela.” Jolene’s eye roll implied her sister-in-law was a nut case.
“No doubt,” Avery agreed. “She would probably say they’re growing through the power of prayer.” It was a well-established fact that Avery thought Dean and Angela were religious zealots. “Speak of the devil … no pun intended.”
Nicole turned to see the last Harper sibling, Angela, and her husband, Dean, enter the room carrying trays of hors d’oeuvres. At 38 years old, Angela was a handsome woman. She had a bigger build than Avery and her mother, but she was fit. She had a full head of gray short-cropped hair, which was almost laughable when she stood next to her mother, Sandra, whose hair mysteriously stayed dark brown. Sandra truly looked younger than her own daughter, thanks to a close, personal relationship with Botox. Angela’s husband, Dean, wa
s a sandy-haired lanky fellow. His sons had obviously inherited their height from him.
Angela had taken her Irish Catholic background much more seriously than the rest of the Harper children, becoming a teacher at a parochial school. She’d met Dean working in the school system. Except for Avery and Ryan, The Harpers attended church regularly. Avery’s excuse was that she thought most of the local Catholics were hypocrites and proudly called herself an “Easter and Christmas Catholic” and Ryan’s argument had been his scientific background. He’d often referred to himself as a “Recovering Catholic.”
Angela shot Nic a genuine smile and Nicole returned a grin. Many things could be said about Angela, but Nicole knew she meant well.
As the family was finishing dessert later that evening, Sandra stood and clinked her glass with her knife. Avery fought a valiant battle to keep from rolling her eyes.
“The new poster and signs for my campaign are ready, so I want you all to take a sign home and put it in your yard. We don’t want that bar owner to be our mayor again, do we?” She looked at them all severely, daring anyone to argue with her. Everyone except Avery murmured in agreement.
Avery was ready to dig into her dessert when Dean stood and clinked his silverware against his glass. Avery saw her mother shudder a bit in her peripheral vision and beat back the smirk threatening to overtake her face. God forbid someone else be the center of attention at one of Sandra Harper’s flawlessly executed events. The family looked at him expectantly.
“Oh, wow,” Ike commented. All the kids at the table snickered.
“Angela and I have an announcement.” He smiled at his wife. She smiled back brightly. “We’re expecting.”
The Perpetual Quest for the Perfect Life Page 4
