by Nomi Summers
“We’ll be leaving shortly,” he reassured her. “Hey, I saw you and Shane walk off holding hands last night. What’s going on there?”
“Absolutely nothing. Just a bit too much wine, and a moment of weakness,” she said, detecting the concern in his voice. As much as Dax loved both her and Shane, Avery knew he didn’t want to see them back together. It was clear that everyone knew it could never work.
“He’s leaving, Avery. Just remember that,” he warned.
“I know that. I just said nothing was going on,” she spat, more aggressively than she intended.
“Okay, okay. I’m just looking out for my kid sis.”
“I’m only a year younger than you. I don’t know why you still call me that.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “You’ll always be my kid sis. And I’m always going to look out for you.”
“Well, thank you, but I can look out for myself.”
“Hey, speaking of which, I’d like to start helping out more around the resort.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I know I haven’t done much lately. I’ve been in a funk since Dad died, and I’ve thrown myself into golf the past few summers. I want you to know, I’m sorry for putting so much on you and Mom. I have big plans for how we can bring some new life back to the resort this summer. Maybe when Leila and I return from our honeymoon, you and I could have lunch and discuss some ideas?”
“I would really like that.” It was a nice thought, but two weeks from now might be too late. Still, she couldn’t tell Dax that. Not until after his honeymoon, anyway.
Chapter 9
After the afternoon wedding rehearsal, Shane headed back to his cabin, ready for some alone time before dinner. He unlocked the door and was met by a wall of musty air. But that didn’t bother him. He loved the rustic feel of the cabins. It sure was a nice change from the hotel rooms he’d slept in most nights while on tour. He went straight to the fridge and cracked open a beer, taking a long pull off the bottle.
He couldn’t shake the way he’d upset Avery. He loved this resort; he’d made some of his best memories here. He wasn’t thrilled about his family taking it over either, but Avery didn’t seem to get that. She’d lumped him in as a typical Knox, and that hurt. He’d worked for the past nine years to forget that he was even tied to that family, and now he’d only been in town a couple of days and he was already associated with his brother and father’s business antics. He didn’t know if he should be hurt or mad, but the more he thought about it, the more he was teetering on the edge of angry.
He opened the sliding door and walked out onto the private deck that overlooked the lake. The cabin was just hidden enough in the woods that he got all the privacy he needed, yet the patch of trees in front of him was cleared to offer a full view of the water. He sank into a patio chair and put his feet up on the deck railing, taking in the towering pines that surrounded him as two hawks circled overhead.
He hadn’t realized how much he missed his hometown until he returned. He couldn’t get enough of the warm June air and the scent of evergreens that constantly surrounded him. He appreciated the simplicity of a small town and all the innocent fun that was to be had here. Why had he waited so long to come home? He was beginning to think he wasn’t ready to leave on Monday as planned. He could use a little downtime to think about his next move. Plus, he needed to write some new songs, and this seemed like the perfect place to do just that. Sitting there on the deck, the blue sky overhead, was the closest he’d been to inspired since before his divorce.
Shane felt his pocket vibrate. He pulled out his cell phone and looked at the screen. It was James. He’d only been gone camping twenty-four hours, and his manager had called four times. Shane figured he’d better answer, or he’d just keep calling.
“Knox,” he answered, putting the phone to his ear.
“Where have you been, Shane? I’ve been trying to call you.”
“You know where I am, James. I’m at my buddy’s wedding, remember?”
“You don’t answer the phone when you travel?”
“I was on a camping trip. No reception.”
“A camping trip? Where are you again?”
“Michigan. What’s up?”
“Just reminding you about The Aftershow next weekend. How’s the new music coming?”
“Yeah, about that. It’s not going to happen, James.”
“You're a songwriter, Shane, remember? God knows you haven’t written anything in ages but you’d better come up with something. I’m afraid the future of Distant Union depends on it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’ve only had three hit albums. The songs are getting stale, and people want new material. When I first signed you, you were on fire with your songwriting. You wrote hit after hit. What happened?”
It was true. When James had first signed Shane, he’d still been heartbroken over Avery—the kind of heartbroken that inspired great lyrics. But you couldn’t force art. He’d rather write no music than bad music. Shane pushed off the chair and rose to his feet. He couldn’t deal with James right now. The pressure of writing new material was too much.
“Listen, James, I really do have to go.”
“Since you’ll be in New York, I’m having your publicist set you up with a promotional tour,” he continued. “You’ll be there for the week so we’re changing your flight. You’ll fly from wherever it is that you are straight to New York on Monday instead of coming back to LA. You’ll do appearances all week, then the band will meet you there on Saturday for The Aftershow.”
“No. I don’t want to do any appearances next week.” Shane wasn’t ready to think about leaving Arbor Shores to go straight to the city.
“I’ll have Lori send you the flight info once the arrangements have been made.” Click. The line went dead. Why wouldn’t James listen? It was like Shane didn’t even have an identity anymore.
Shane paced the deck to work off some steam, kicking at a stick that had fallen from one of the trees above. The last thing he wanted to think about was a new song. Not with the rehearsal dinner happening in less than an hour, and everything that had been happening with Avery. He tugged at the back of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, tossing it on the patio table before moving toward the door. Shower. Rehearsal dinner. That much he could manage.
He paused at the door. The cool breeze felt good on his skin, and slowly he began to calm down.
“Hey stranger, long time no see.” A voice floated up his deck stairs, but it wasn’t the voice he was hoping for. It was Chelsea, in nothing but her bikini top and a pair of jean shorts that couldn’t possibly get any shorter.
“Hey, Chelsea. What are you doing here?” He wasn’t in the mood for company.
“I’m in the next cabin over. I could hear you talking to someone, and you didn’t sound happy. I thought I’d come see if I could cheer you up.” She gave him a grin that spelled trouble. One that he was used to receiving from hungry women. He needed to stay far away from this girl.
“I’m good. I was actually getting ready to get in the shower so …” How could he get rid of her?
A look of desperation flashed across her face. “The other reason I’m here is because my little sister is a huge fan. I was wondering if you would sign something for her. She’s thirteen, and she has your posters plastered all over her walls.”
Shane had a feeling she was lying. “Yeah, sure. I’ll get you something before the weekend is over.”
“It’ll just take a minute. Did they leave a resort pad of paper and a pen on your nightstand? That will work.” She looked up at him through long lashes. “Please?”
He hesitated and let out a sigh. “Okay. I’ll be right back.” He went inside to fetch the pad of paper and pen, and just as he did, the screen door slammed behind him. He turned around, and Chelsea was standing inside his cabin.
He picked up the pad of paper. “What’s your sister’s name?” Annoyance bubbled insi
de him. Why was she in his cabin? He’d been happy to leave his security detail behind when he came to Arbor Shores, but now he wished he had someone to help him block the door.
“Kayla,” Chelsea said, as she sauntered closer to him. He scribbled something quickly and tore the paper from the pad.
“Here you go.” He handed her the autograph. “I really have to get in the shower now. I’ll see you tonight.” He could see that look in her eyes, and he’d met enough groupies to know what was coming next. He put his hand on her back to guide her toward the door. When he finally got her on the other side of the door, she turned to face him, putting her hands on his shoulders.
“If you get lonely in here all by yourself, you know where I am.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before he could shield himself from her advance.
Avery blinked hard. Did she really just see what she thought she had?
She had just snuck a bottle of champagne into Dax and Leila’s cabin, so they’d have it waiting when they returned from their couple’s massage at the spa, and she thought she’d head over to Shane’s cabin to apologize for how she’d acted the night before. She knew she had said some hurtful things, and guilt was eating at her. Shane didn’t deserve her ire just because he was a Knox. He was nothing like Hunter or his father, and she couldn’t bear that she had said they were all the same. She owed him an apology.
What she hadn’t anticipated was that he wouldn’t be alone, and that Chelsea would be coming out of his cabin, him shirtless, her in a one-size-too-small bikini top. What’s worse, she was certain she’d seen Shane and Chelsea kiss. Avery had ducked behind a thick oak tree as they emerged from the cabin, but she saw the lean in, and she was sure it was a kiss. She also had an idea about what they had been doing inside the cabin in the middle of the afternoon.
She put a hand over her torso, feeling like she’d been punched in the gut. It was a similar feeling to seeing pictures of Shane and Naomi when they were dating, although this stung worse. Why was he trying to rekindle with her if he was going to turn around and hook up with Chelsea? Feelings of betrayal engulfed her heart.
She should’ve known better. As a rock star, this was probably how his life was on a daily basis. Different girls every night or day, anytime he wanted one. A relationship with him could never work. What was she thinking to actually consider giving it a shot? As upset as she was about the resort, she’d be lying if she said the main thing keeping her up the night before hadn’t been her attempts to piece together what a relationship with Shane might look like if they gave it another chance. Now she felt foolish. For a brief moment, she had wanted nothing more than to have him back in her life. Now, she wanted nothing more than to have him out of Arbor Shores once and for all.
Avery ducked into the employee bathroom to change out of her khakis and polo shirt, her standard work uniform, and into a navy cocktail dress and nude slingback heels for the rehearsal dinner. She had fifteen minutes before it was set to begin, and she’d just finished with the table settings, checking on the waitstaff, and making sure the harpist she’d hired was settled on the veranda where the sunset dinner was scheduled to take place.
She pulled her hair out of her ponytail and gave it a shake, her long wavy mane looking effortless. She touched up her face with powder and applied a coat of lip gloss and a dab of blush to each cheek.
She emerged from the bathroom and saw the light was still on in her mother’s office. She checked her watch. Not nearly enough time to have the conversation they needed to have, but Avery couldn’t help herself.
She strode over and knocked on the open door. “Knock, knock,” she said, announcing herself.
“Avery, you look beautiful. Did you have fun on the camping trip, dear? I haven’t had a chance to talk to you all day. It’s been quite crazy around here.”
“It was great,” Avery said shortly, taking a seat across from her mother’s desk. It looked like she was crunching numbers. “What are you doing?”
“Ah, just some end of the month balancing, but it can wait.” Meredith quickly closed the books and flipped over the calculator, shoving it all in the desk drawer.
“When were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what, dear?”
“About Hunter Knox acquiring the resort?” Avery asked pointedly.
Meredith took a long sigh as if she were buying time to select her words. “With all that’s going on this weekend, that’s the last thing you need to worry about. We’ll discuss it on Monday, how’s that?” She got up from the desk and turned to grab her shawl from the coat rack.
Avery studied her mother. She had already changed for the evening as well. She had a timeless beauty with her hair piled up in a loose bun. But age lines cut deep in the corners of her eyes, likely from the long hours she’d been keeping at the resort, and she looked thinner than ever. “So, it’s true?”
“No. Well, yes and no. He made an offer, a generous one at that, but I’m not interested in selling if there is any way to keep the resort. Your father would turn over in his grave if this resort was turned into condos.”
She walked over and cupped Avery’s face with both hands and looked into her eyes. “Don’t worry yourself with this. I’ll think of something.”
Avery stood. She knew there was no reason to keep the conversation going when they had to get to the rehearsal dinner. But she also knew there was no way her mother could save this resort on her own.
She would have to come up with something herself. And quickly.
Chapter 10
Upon entering the veranda, Avery could see everyone was already seated at the tables she had set for the evening. Luckily for her, she’d been in charge of the seating chart so she put the bride and groom at a round with their families. Leila’s parents shared a table with Meredith and Avery, along with Leila’s grandparents who had flown in from New York. The Cookes had a small family and both sets of grandparents were deceased, so that only left Meredith and Avery for Dax’s immediate family.
Avery took her seat, feeling Shane’s eyes on her from the next table over. Her plan was to avoid him until the wedding was over and keep herself busy with the festivities. Tomorrow was the wedding, and as the maid of honor, she had lots planned to help the bride on her big day.
The gentle chords of the harp filled the evening air. High above, small white lights were strung over the veranda. The tables were covered with white linens, and the centerpieces were simple—fresh-cut lilacs that filled the air with the sweetest scent. There was a light chatter among the guests as everyone got to know one another or caught up with the family they hadn’t seen in a while.
Leila and Dax handed out gifts to their wedding party. The guys received golf balls and tees that had the wedding logo stamped on the side, and the bridesmaids received embroidered beach towels in the wedding colors—the perfect gifts for a resort-themed, summertime wedding.
Toward the end of the meal, Dax and Leila stood up and made a toast, taking turns to thank everyone for traveling to their wedding and spending their special weekend with them. When it was Dax’s turn for the mic, he added, “I’d especially like to thank Shane Knox for flying all the way from California to be here with us.”
The crowd clapped, and Shane nodded his head in Dax’s direction. “I know we don’t get to see each other much, you being famous and all,” Dax added with a playful tone, which then turned serious, “but you’ll always be like a brother to me, and Leila and I would like you to know how much it means to us that you’re here.” Dax was starting to choke up, and it was apparent to Avery that Shane being here meant more to her brother than she had realized. “Now, get ready for tomorrow morning when I kick your butt on the golf course!”
The guests laughed, and Dax and Leila took their seats as the staff brought around coffee and dessert. The evening was winding down, and it occurred to Avery that this was the perfect time to give them the bride and groom gift she’d had custom made for them—personalized champagne fl
utes for tomorrow’s reception. She stood up and snuck inside to retrieve them from behind the front desk. With all the chatter, hopefully nobody noticed that she’d slipped out.
Shane watched as Avery stood from her seat and excused herself from the table. Where was she going? He couldn’t take his eyes off of her in that dress and the way it accentuated her curves in all the right places. He watched as she headed back inside the resort. Without skipping a beat, he got up to follow her. He trailed behind her as she walked through the lobby, stopping to adjust a floral arrangement that had fallen flat. That gave him the opportunity to catch up to her.
“Avery, wait,” he called out. She turned at the sound of her name, but quickly went back to toying with the arrangement.
“Shane,” she finally said, her tone icy. If she was still upset about the news regarding the resort, he could understand that. Standing in the grand lobby of this lodge, with cathedral ceilings towering over them and floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the veranda, it was hard to imagine Arbor Shores without it. The place was iconic. The thought of his family tearing it down tugged at his heart. He felt like he’d grown up here with the Cookes.
“You look beautiful tonight.” Shane flashed her a smile, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m busy, Shane.” She headed toward the front desk, but he fell in stride behind her. He wasn’t going to let her blow him off.
She went behind the desk and fetched a box with a ribbon wrapped around it. Just as she did, two young twin girls, who looked to be around eleven, came running up to him in the lobby. “Oh em gee! Are you Shane Knox?” one asked, and they both erupted in giggles.
“Yes, girls, I am.” Bad timing. He noticed the girls’ parents watching from afar with smiles on their faces, and he knew he was stuck.
“See, I told you!” one said to the other. “Can we, uh, can we please get your autograph?”
