Chapter Twelve – Avery
Chapter Twelve
AVERY
I stepped into the greenhouse, shook off the snow, and stomped my boots.
“It’s really coming down, isn’t it?” Lou Decker called out. Lou was the manager of the you-pick farm and had worked for my mother and Uncle Michael for as long as I could remember.
“It sure is!” I said with a chuckle. “I’ve missed the Montana winters.”
Lou rolled her eyes. “Wait another month, and I don’t think you’ll be saying that.”
Smiling, I took off my scarf, gloves, and coat and started toward Lou’s office to hang them up. “Is Mackenzie here?”
“She has the morning off and is spending it with Bradly.”
That warmed my heart, and at the same time, I felt a strange pain in my chest. No, it wasn’t strange; it was jealousy—plain and simple.
“That’s nice,” I said as I made my way out of her office and down one of the many aisles in the greenhouse.
“Do you want to wait for Emily to FaceTime before we get started?”
Glancing at my watch, I nodded. “Yes, that would be great.”
Emily was Mackenzie’s younger sister, and I’d met her a couple months back when she came to visit for New Year’s. We started talking and realized we had so much in common, and one of those things was flowers. At the time, Emily was the manager of a flower shop back in New York City. I shared with her about my dream of one day owning my own flower shop, and one thing led to another. With the help of her sister Mackenzie, we decided to offer fresh-cut flowers to people by way of a subscription service. We’d grow the flowers here on the farm, as well as on the ranch side, then harvest them and make bouquets in Mason jars to deliver to people once a week, or month, or whatever they chose.
“Do you want me to do anything while we wait?”
“You can prune that row where you’re at, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” I replied as I walked over to Lou and Mackenzie’s workbench. I grabbed the pruning shears and got to work.
“Have you and Emily talked much about your joint venture?” Lou asked as she moved about the greenhouse and watered. Uncle Michael had installed a rainwater catch system for watering, and it also collected snow and melted it.
“We did talk back and forth some when I was in France. I was so busy finishing up there and packing up to move home, and she’s been busy packing up for their move to Montana, so we really haven’t had the chance to sit and plan anything out.”
Lou smiled. “It will all come to you.”
I nodded and got to work. It had always been so peaceful to work on the farm side of my parents’ ranch. I loved having my hands in the dirt and working with the plants. There was something so relaxing about it.
Lou and I worked in comfortable silence. After a while, I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket and hated that a little spark of excitement bubbled up inside of me at the thought that it might be Beck, despite the fact he’d certainly made it known last night how he felt about me.
Friends. That was all he was interested in being.
Reaching into my pocket, I expected to see a text from Emily saying she was running late, but my heart tripped over itself when I saw his name.
Beck: Good morning, Avery. I hope you have a good chat with Emily today.
Frowning, I stared at the text. How did he know I was meeting with her? I hadn’t said anything about it last night.
Me: Good morning. How did you know I had a meeting with Emily?
I saw the three dots jumping on the screen and hated to admit that it caused my heartbeat to pick up. The fact that Beck was thinking about me this morning did something strange to my insides.
Beck: You mentioned you had a meeting with her when we were on the plane the other day.
My mouth fell open. How had he remembered that when I didn’t?
Me: Oh, that’s right. Thank you. I hope you have a good day as well.
Chewing on my lip, I let my fingers and thumbs hover over the phone as I thought about what else I wanted to say. In the end, I decided that was good enough. It would be what any friend would say. I hit send and slid my cell back into my pocket. Ignoring the need to hope he texted back, I got back to work.
Three minutes later, my phone went off. I nearly broke my hand trying to pull it back out.
Beck: Thank you. Will you be free for lunch today? I want to make it up to you about last night.
A cold, icy feeling washed over my body, and I felt my jaw tightening.
Me: Sorry. I have plans. Maybe another time.
I hit send a little harder than I should have and regretted it instantly.
Beck replied almost instantly, as if he’d been waiting for my response to his stupid question.
Beck: No problem at all. Have a good one.
“Have a good one. I’ll show you have a good one.”
“I’m sorry?” Lou asked.
Jerking my head up, I smiled. “Just talking to myself. It’s nothing important.”
Right at that moment, Emily burst into the greenhouse. “Shit, I thought it was cold in New York! It is freezing outside!”
I stared at her in shock for a moment before I put the shears down and made my way over to her. “Emily! What in the world are you doing here?”
A wide smile erupted on her face as she unwrapped what looked to be two scarves from around her neck. When I reached her, I held out my hand for the scarves.
She gave them to me, followed by her gloves. “I’d hug you, but I’m covered in snow.”
Laughing, I motioned for her to take off the coat. “Let me have your coat, and I’ll get this all hung up in Lou’s office. When did you get here? You didn’t tell me you were coming!”
“I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull it off. Doug insisted I come so we could do all of this together, and I agreed!”
“I’m so glad you’re here!” I said, hugging her again. “Do you want any coffee or tea?”
“Coffee sounds amazing,” Emily replied as she followed me. “Hi, Lou!”
Lou waved. “Hi, Emily. Welcome back to Montana!”
“Thanks,” Emily called back.
Once we were inside Lou’s office, I hung up Emily’s things and poured her and myself a cup of coffee.
“Want anything in it?” I asked.
“Just black, thanks.”
Handing her the coffee, I added a bit of milk to mine, then looked up to see Emily holding the coffee in her hands as if it were her own personal space heater.
“Is it just me, or is it really colder here than in New York?”
I shook my head. “I think it’s just you. How long can you stay?”
She smiled. “Well, Doug thought it would be best if I came ahead so I could start looking for a house.”
My mouth fell open. “What?”
She giggled. “I know. So much is happening and so quickly, I feel like my head is spinning. But he trusts me with that, and I love him for it.”
Emily sat down in a chair, and I followed suit. “Where do we even start?” she asked.
I blew out a breath. “I suggest we work on a business plan first. We need to come up with a name and decide if we want to do an LLC or an S-corp.”
“I’m glad one of us knows what to do.” Emily grinned and took a sip of coffee. “I did do some market research for the area to analyze our competition. As of right now, no one is doing anything like this in the Hamilton area, or fifty miles from downtown Hamilton. So that’s a positive. I found a local flower farm up near Whitefish. They have a summer subscription plan starting in July that will run for seven weeks. They only deliver within a five-mile radius.”
I lifted my brows. “That’s it?”
Emily nodded. “I thought that was a rather small radius myself. If we can get enough people interested, I think we can offer to cover a much larger area. We might have to hire one or two people to help deliver.”
“Agreed. What about a pick-up subscription as well?”
“That’s a great idea,” Emily stated.
I pulled out the notebook I’d left in Lou’s office and wrote it down.
“Oh,” Emily said with an excited grin. “I also found a lady on Facebook Marketplace who’s trying to downsize and move into a retirement building. She used to be big into canning, and she needs to get rid of a lot of her supplies. She has boxes and boxes of Mason jars she wants to get rid of—for free !”
“What?” I asked, setting my coffee down. “Are you sure she wants to just give them away?”
“Positive. I messaged her, and she said we can pick them up anytime, but that we’ll need a truck or an SUV.”
“That’s wonderful! That will help a lot, budget wise.”
Emily nodded. “I thought so as well.”
“Okay, so let’s make a list of things we need to do first. Mom is giving us space to plant in this greenhouse, so we can get started now. And my father will have our own greenhouse built on a designated space on the ranch side. With the money I’ve saved up and your contribution, we should have a decent-size greenhouse to be able to grow flowers year-round. If we can do that, we can offer subscriptions all year if we wanted to. Well, maybe we take the winter months off? What do you think?”
“I think if we can sell enough spring, summer, and fall subscriptions, we could easily take the winter months off. Get things geared up for spring. Or, we could offer a few pick-up subscriptions like you suggested.”
“Great idea!”
As Emily and I worked on our business plan, I struggled to contain my excitement. I had such a wonderful feeling about this business.
Lou knocked on the door, and we both looked up. “Ready for me to join in?”
“Yes,” I said, as I stood and grabbed my notebook. We followed Lou into the greenhouse and over to the area that Mackenzie and my mother had set aside for Emily and me to start growing.
“This is the space we cleared for your new business. Do you have a name yet?” Lou asked.
Emily and I shook our heads. “Not yet.”
“The first thing I think you need to do is start getting some seeds in. Spring will be here before you know it,” Lou advised.
Glancing at Emily, I said, “I think we should start with a summer subscription. We’re too late for spring, but if we start now, we should see a great yield for summer.”
Emily nodded in agreement.
“What flowers are you thinking of planting?” Lou asked.
“Everything we can think of. The new greenhouse my father’s having built will be heated, like this one, so I don’t see why we can’t grow whatever we want,” I stated. “Zinnias, cosmos, feverfew, strawflower, salvias…the possibilities are endless.”
Lou smiled. “Vegetables are my thing, so when it comes to the flowers, I’ll let you girls take the lead. Let me show you the setup we have.”
Lou took us around the greenhouse, showing us everything it takes to manage plants indoors. A good portion of our growing would be in the greenhouse, since time outside was limited, thanks to the colder weather. But that just meant we could offer flowers year-round, and not just during the summer months. It was a huge advantage, and one I wouldn’t take for granted.
After Lou went over everything, I felt like my head was spinning.
“My dad was going to show us the area of the ranch he’s set aside for the new greenhouse. You feel like getting cold?” I asked Emily.
“Let’s do it! I want to visualize it.”
We were soon dressed in our winter gear and driving to the ranch side. I knew the only reason I was able to do this business at all was because of my father and mother. The fact that they were giving us a huge chunk of land to utilize was making this dream a reality.
Tears built in my eyes as I thought about how they had let Bradly and me both follow our dreams and never once held us back. Even when I wanted to go to another country and live. I blinked back the tears and slowly drew in a breath so Emily wouldn’t notice my change in emotion.
I pulled up in the ranch truck and put it in Park. There were dozens of sticks with orange flags sticking out of the ground, cordoning off a huge area, and Emily and I simply stared, both lost in our visions.
“That’s all ours?” Emily asked in a stunned voice.
“I think it’s the garden and the area for the greenhouse, yes.”
She turned and looked at me. “We’re going to be able to grow so many flowers!”
“We are. Did I mention my dad also contacted a local bee farmer and asked if they’d be interested in having a few hives placed by the garden? They said absolutely yes.”
Emily slowly shook her head. Then she wiped a tear away. “This feels like a dream. We couldn’t do this without your mother and father, and the fact that they’re doing this…” Her voice trailed off.
I reached for her hand and squeezed it. Emily and Mackenzie didn’t grow up in a loving household after their father died, so I knew it was foreign for her to experience what it was like to have a parent want to help her so much.
“We’re blessed, no doubt about it. So it’s up to us to show them that their belief in us is warranted. Shall we get out?”
Emily wrapped a scarf around her neck and slipped her gloves on. “Let’s go!”
My father pulled up as we were getting out of the truck. He walked over and hugged me, then Emily.
“I wasn’t expecting you in person!” he said as Emily laughed. “Welcome back to Montana, Emily.”
“Thank you.”
Turing to look at the surveyed area, I asked, “Where’s the greenhouse going in all of this?”
He looked out over the snow-covered pasture, waving his hand to indicate the markers. “That’s just your garden area.” Turning, he pointed to another area that was cordoned off that we hadn’t even noticed. “ That’s your greenhouse.”
Emily and I both gasped. “ What ? Dad, it’s going to take nearly all of our starting capital to build a greenhouse that big!”
He smiled. “It won’t. I spoke with someone, who’d like to remain anonymous, who’s willing to donate a rather large amount of money to help you two kickstart your business. The only thing they want in return is for fresh flowers to be delivered to the veterans’ graves at the local cemeteries each Memorial and Veterans Day.”
“How much money are they donating?” I asked.
My father pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me.
I took a few steps back. “Dad? Is this for real?”
“Oh my stars,” Emily whispered when she saw the amount.
“The donation itself will cover the cost of building your greenhouse. The money you two have set aside to get started, you can use to buy your supplies and seeds. I’m assuming you’ve started a list of things you’ll need?”
All I could do was nod. Who was this mystery donor?
“Have you decided if you want to do an LLC?” Dad asked.
Emily must have realized I was still in shock, so she spoke. “We do want to start an LLC, so that’ll need to be the first step. Well, after we come up with a name for the business.”
Dad put his arm around me and gave me a soft squeeze. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “This is just…so generous. I don’t know what to say. And you won’t tell us who it is?”
“They want to remain anonymous.”
Nodding, I turned to Emily, unsure of what to say. She, on the other hand, was a ball of excitement. “When can we start building the greenhouse?”
“Once we get your business set up and all the legal things out of the way, we can get started. Of course, the weather is a factor as well.”
Emily jumped and clapped her hands. Then she grabbed my hands. “Why aren’t you more excited, Avery? This is everything we wished for and more!”
Smiling, I replied, “I am excited. I guess I’m just in shock.”
Dad smiled. “It’s the beginning of a new journey.”
Nodding, I replied, “It is. What’s the next step?”
“Let’s make an appointment with the lawyers and get the business set up. So start thinking about those names, ladies.”
Emily spent the rest of the day bouncing off the walls, thanks to our meeting earlier this morning with my father and the news of the donation.
Now, sitting at my dressing table in my bedroom, I stared at my reflection as I got ready to go out. My brown hair was down and curly, with one side pulled back. My makeup on the lighter side again, something I decided would be the norm after my days in Paris.
Lacey, my best friend from high school, had texted me a reminder that afternoon about going to The Blue Moose. It was a local bar in Hamilton, and every now and then they’d do eighteen-and-older nights. I had invited Emily, but she was spending the evening with Mackenzie and Bradly.
I stood and took one more look at myself. Jeans, cowboy boots, and a blue sweater that made my sapphire eyes pop even more. I glanced at the book on my nightstand, and longed to read just one more chapter. But after sitting in my bed and debating if I should stay home or go out—with too many thoughts of Beck—I’d finally made the decision.
“Okay, let’s do this,” I said as I grabbed my small purse. I’d texted Lacey earlier to tell her I’d meet everyone there. I wanted to be able to leave when I wanted to. It had been a while since I’d hung out with any friends from Hamilton. Most of them didn’t really know me anymore, and vice versa. They were Lacey’s friends more than they were mine.
Heading downstairs, I found my mother and father in the kitchen. They both looked up from the island where they were making pizzas.
“You look cute. Is Lacey picking you up?” Mom asked.
“No,” I said, grabbing a pepperoni and putting it into my mouth. After chewing, I swallowed and added, “I’m meeting them there. I didn’t want to be stuck there all night.”
Dad laughed. “You sound like you’re thirty-eight, not eighteen.”
I shrugged. “I had to go to so many parties in France, and it got old quick.”
They both looked at me, my father’s brows nearly up to his hairline. “What kind of parties?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Just parties. Some were after fashion shows, some thrown by designers hoping to get the best models possible. Some were just parties that Juliette invited me to. Those were fun. Those were the ones that made me feel normal, because I was around people more my own age who weren’t interested in the industry.”
Mom faced me, leaning her hip against the counter. “Avery, you talk about Paris as if you didn’t like it there.”
Another one-shoulder shrug. “It was okay, but I think the glamour wore off when I realized fashion wasn’t for me.”
Folding her arms over her chest, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell us that? You could have come home anytime, you know.”
“I know,” I said, taking another pepperoni. “But I made a commitment, and I wasn’t about to back out of it.”
“Spoken like a true Littlewood,” my father said with a smile. Then it faded. “Although, I would have gladly had you come back home earlier if I’d known you were unhappy.”
“I wasn’t exactly unhappy. And it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m home, and thanks to you and Mom—and an anonymous donor—the next phase of my life is about to start.”
“And what an exciting phase it will be!” Mom said with a huge smile.
I nodded. “Yes, it will be.” I glanced at my Apple watch. “I’d better get going. I won’t be out too late. I’ll text when I get there and when I leave.”
Dad rolled his eyes. “Avery, you don’t have to text us. You lived on your own in France without us there. I think we can trust you.”
“Well…do text us when you leave,” Mom added.
Smiling, I walked over and kissed them both. “I love you. Have a fun evening!”
“You as well,” Mom called out.
Thank goodness the snow had stopped falling, so the drive into town wasn’t bad. I pulled into The Blue Moose and parked my mother’s Subaru Outback. I loved driving her car and had already decided I wanted one as well.
There was a small line at the door, and I waited patiently. Lacey and everyone were already there. Once I got up to the bouncer, I showed him my driver’s license. Those who were over 21, got their hands stamped.
“Enjoy yourself and be safe,” he said, motioning for me to walk in.
Once inside, I glanced around. There was a mixture of people there—some older, some my age, and some in between. It wasn’t the first time I’d been in the bar. I’d gone once with my father to pick something up, but the bar was closed at the time. My father had smiled fondly and told me he and my uncles had had some good times in this place.
I scanned the bar for Lacey, and finally found her on the dance floor, dancing with some guy I didn’t recognize.
Her gaze caught mine, and she let out a little scream that I, of course, couldn’t hear over the music. She left the guy on the dance floor and made her way over to me. I looked over her shoulder to see him frowning before he headed toward a table with a bunch of other guys.
“You’re here! You’re here!” Lacey said, pulling me in for a hug. She stepped back—and her smile faded. “ That’s what you’re wearing?”
Glancing down, I looked at my outfit and then back at her. “What’s wrong with this?”
She curled her lip. “I thought you’d be in some amazing outfit from France. Like the ones you wore on the runway.”
I laughed. “Nothing I wore on the runway would be appropriate for a bar in Montana, Lacey.”
“ I’d wear it,” she argued.
I rolled my eyes. “Do you have a table?”
“Yes! And guess what? Your cousins are here!”
Frowning, I asked, “My cousins?”
She wrapped her arm with mine. “Yep. Don’t ask me how they got in—probably because they’re with your uncles—but Josh and Nathan are here!”
“They’re not eighteen,” I stated.
Lacey giggled. “No, but they certainly look older, and oh my God, are they both so good-looking. And so is the new guy! They’ve been fighting off the women since they got here!”
“New guy?” I asked.
She nodded and stopped, lifting onto her toes and pointing. “They’re all at the back table. And the hot guy—he has to be a Shaw with those blue eyes—is sitting next to Josh.”
Stretching to see where she was looking, I froze. “Beck…”
“Is that his name? Lord, he is hot! Like I said, so many women have asked him to dance already, and he’s turned them all down. Every single one of them. Even Brooke asked him to dance, and he politely said no, thank you! And you know no one ever turns Brooke down.”
Brooke was Lacey’s older sister by five years. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and eyes that were so green, they looked fake.
I glanced at Lacey. “Brooke asked him to dance?”
She nodded. “You have to introduce us to him!”
When I looked back at the table, I noticed a woman standing next to Beck’s seat. He was smiling up at her, and instant jealousy hit me so hard that I actually took a step back.
I spun on my heel, not wanting to see who Beck might decide to dance with. “I’d rather dance. Who all is here?”
Lacey seemed confused at first, then she grabbed my hand. “Do you remember Dexter Larson? He’s here…and he keeps asking when you’re showing up.”
I did remember Dexter. He had greasy brown hair and braces and was a total bully. He was forever teasing me. At least, all that was true when he was sixteen.
“I think I’ll pass on Dexter Larson. He was a jerk to me before I left. Plus, he was a geek.”
Lacey laughed but didn’t say anything.
We walked up to a table, and I recognized most of the people. There were a few I had no idea who they were. One of whom was an insanely good-looking guy. He was built, with broad shoulders that were on display, thanks to the tight T-shirt he wore. His dark brown hair was cut short, almost in a buzz cut, and his hazel eyes seemed to sparkle when he looked at me.
Then he smiled, and the dimple in his right cheek caused me to smile back. What was it with men and dimples?
“Look who I found!” Lacey called out. A few people jumped up to greet me, Lily being one.
“How is it you are even more beautiful, Avery? Look at this hair! And your skin is perfection!” Brooke stated as she looked me over. “Not a single wrinkle.”
I stared at her. What I wanted to say was that I didn’t have any wrinkles because I was only eighteen, but I let it go.
Lacey made her way around the table, reintroducing me to people and introducing me to those I didn’t know. She saved the good-looking guy for last.
“And last, but certainly not least, Avery, you remember Dexter Larson, don’t you?”
I nearly choked on my own tongue. Luckily for me, I kept my face neutral, or at least prayed it was neutral.
“Dexter, you’ve changed. For the better.” It was a bitch thing to say, but he really was a complete jerk to me in school. Forever teasing me because I’d had bigger breasts than the other girls my age.
He let out a laugh that caused me to smile. Glad to see he had a sense of humor.
“You look beautiful, as always, Avery.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
“Back for good, I hear.”
Nodding, I took the only empty seat, which happened to be right beside him. “I am.”
The way his eyes looked at me made my body feel too hot for the sweater. Glancing away from his intense stare, I forced myself not to look at the table where my family was sitting, because I did not want to see Beck. When I looked back to the chair beside me, Dexter was gone.
Suddenly, warm breath hit my neck, and I jumped.
“Dance with me, Avery.”
Turning, I was face-to-face with Dexter. “What?” I asked with a nervous laugh.
He held out his hand. “Dance with me, please.”
When my eyes caught Lacey’s, she was smiling and giving me a thumbs-up. Focusing back on Dexter, I placed my hand in his and stood.
He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed it gently.
I couldn’t help but laugh and roll my eyes. “Overkill there, buddy.”
He winked, and I had to admit, it made me smile. I had gotten plenty of attention from men in France, but every one of them had wanted something from me. Something other than sex. A chance at making it in the modeling world, and since my mentor and guardian at the time was one of the most famous models in the world, they figured I was their shot at getting to her.
We walked out to the dance floor, and at that moment, the song changed. “Sweat” by Zayne started. Dexter put his hands on my hips and pulled me close. I raised a brow as he rolled his hips and brought my body flush with his.
“Pretty confident in yourself with these moves, Dex.”
He smiled, and our bodies moved together in a way that I would’ve never risked dancing in public, but knowing that Beck was here, and could possibly see me dancing with Dexter, I was willing to go for it, his rejection still weighing heavy in my mind.
“It’s really good to see you, Avery.”
I suddenly felt someone’s gaze on me, and I just knew it was Beck’s. Taking a furtive look around, I saw him watching Dexter and me dancing. I quickly returned my attention to my partner and wrapped my arms around his neck. The feel of his short buzz cut felt good against my fingertips.
“Are you glad to be home?” he asked, moving his body so close to mine that I was pretty sure we could give Dirty Dancing a run for its money.
“I am glad, yes.”
He smiled, and I was struck again by how much he’d changed.
“Are you still bullying women?”
His brows shot up. “What?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t remember being mean to me.”
“When was I ever mean to you?”
I gave him a look that said I didn’t believe he didn’t remember “When you teased me endlessly for having bigger breasts than other girls.”
His eyes moved down to my chest and quickly returned to my face. “I was a jerk, and I didn’t know how to tell you that I liked you. Besides, I was also a geek. Would you have given me a second look?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. We’ll never know, though, because you acted like a dick.”
“Will you let me make it up to you?” he asked, bending me back and moving me in a half circle before bringing me back up to him, our bodies so close to one another, as well as our mouths. My breath started to pick up slightly, but not because I was attracted to Dexter. It was because I knew Beck was watching us.
“Are you asking me out, Dexter?” I asked playfully.
“I am.”
Our eyes met, and my brain was screaming for me to say yes. Dexter was handsome…but he wasn’t Beck. His looks were nowhere near Beck’s. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Beck doesn’t want you, Avery.
When I opened them, he was waiting patiently. “Okay, I’ll go out with you.”
That brilliant, dimpled smile appeared once again. The song changed to a faster one, and it took Dexter a few extra seconds to let me go. Once the second dance was over, I leaned in and said, “I’m thirsty and need a drink.”
“I’ll get you one,” Dexter said as he placed his hand on my lower back and guided me to the table.
“Thank you,” I said, twisting away from him. “But I’ll get my own. I’ll be right back.” The last thing I would ever do was allow a man to get me a drink in a bar.
Dexter held up his hands and headed to his seat at the table, but not before giving me a kiss on the cheek and saying, “Hurry back.”
I playfully pushed his chest. “Again, way too much, Dexter.”
He winked, and I wanted it to do something more to me. Warm my body, make me fantasize about him kissing me everywhere. Something . Instead, it had zero effect.
Turning on my heel, I made my way to the bar. There were four bartenders, each busy, so I waited patiently for my turn. A shiver ran down my back, and I felt Beck before I even knew he was there.
Warm breath tickled my neck as he leaned in and asked, “Who was the guy you were dancing with?”
A feeling I couldn’t pinpoint rushed through my entire body at his question. Just then, the bartender approached and smiled at me. “What can I get you?”
“Do you have a bottled water?”
He nodded and looked at Beck.
“I’ll take a shot of whatever’s your best whiskey.”
I glanced at him. “Enjoying yourself with everyone?”
He didn’t say anything as he took money out of his wallet and tossed it onto the bar. Turning toward me, he narrowed those blue eyes and once more asked, “Who was that you were dancing with?”
The bartender returned with both drinks.
Beck said, “Keep the change,” without looking at him.
“Thanks! Appreciate it,” he said as he scooped up the money and walked away.
“He’s an old friend. Why are you asking?”
“You looked more than friendly out on the dance floor.”
I tilted my head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why that should bother you. Are you concerned as a friend ?”
Something darkened Beck’s eyes, and I fought the urge to drop my gaze to his mouth. The memory of him kissing me came back quickly, and I had to look away before he saw it in my eyes.
I exhaled as if impatient. “Did you want something, Beck?”
He dropped his gaze to my mouth and stared at it for the longest time before he lifted his eyes. “Do you really know the guy, Avery?”
I laughed. “Yes, Beck, I really know him. His name is Dexter, and we went to school together before I left for France. I’m back now; Dexter is all grown up and looking rather yummy, if I do say so myself.”
Beck’s nostrils flared.
“And because a guy like Dexter isn’t afraid to go after something he wants, he promptly asked me out on a date, to which I said yes. You can head on back to your evening with my uncles and cousins, and don’t worry about me. My other friends have my back, so you’re off the hook tonight.”
I started to leave, and Beck grabbed my arm. “Don’t play games, Avery.”
Narrowing my eyes, I glared at him. “I don’t play games, Beck. You may not want me because you think I’m too young, but there are plenty of other guys who do. I’m not a child, and I won’t hide in my room because you think I’m not old enough to enjoy myself. So, if you don’t mind,” I jerked my arm free, “I’d like to get back to my friends.”
As I was heading to the table, Josh approached with Nathan. “Hey, Avery.”
They both hugged me, and I tried to relax as I smiled at them. “So, which one of your uncles got you into this place, since you’re not even eighteen?”
Nathan grinned. “Uncle Brock.”
I nodded as I glanced at Beck, who’d finished off the whiskey he ordered and was getting another placed in front of him. He downed it and then headed off toward his table.
Chewing on my lip, I turned back to my cousins. “Is he okay? I mean, was today okay for him?”
Nathan’s gaze followed Beck back to the table, where his father and two uncles all sat. “I think he’s fine. I mean, he’s been beating women off with a stick, but he hasn’t danced with anyone,” he said. “Uncle Brock mentioned leaving soon.”
“Oh,” I said, glancing back to the table. “Well, I guess I’ll see you two at family game night if not before.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “I’m really working on Grams to skip this month.”
Laughing, I said, “Good luck with that.”
“Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Nathan said. “Come around and visit, now that you’re home. I know everyone wants to see you.”
“I’ll try to swing by and visit with everyone tomorrow.”
Nathan and Josh exchanged looks before they both said, “Cool.”
We said our goodbyes, and I made my way to the table. I sat there listening to the conversations, or at least trying to over the loud music. I really didn’t want to be there, and I could tell Lacey was picking up on it. Dexter had turned down a few requests from other women to dance, and he’d just asked me for another. So far, we’d already danced three times.
I looked over at the table where Beck and the family were sitting. They were gone.
“I think I’m going to run to the restroom, then probably take off for home. I’m still trying to get used to the time change.”
Dexter leaned in and put his mouth against my ear. “Can I see you soon?”
I held out my hand. “Give me your phone.”
He reached into his pocket and handed it to me. I typed my name and number into his contacts. “Give me a call, and we’ll see if we can work something out.”
He smiled and leaned in to kiss me, but I drew back.
“Why, Dexter, you don’t really think I’m going to kiss you? This isn’t even a date!”
He laughed. “I must have lost my mind for a moment.”
It was my turn to laugh. Okay, so he might not be Beck, but I could probably have a good time with him.
“Excuse me,” I said as I grabbed my purse and turned to Lacey. “I’m going to head to the restroom, then head on out.”
“Don’t walk out to your car alone, okay? And text me to let me know you’re home safely,” she said as she kissed my cheek.
My gaze went to Dexter, who smiled like he’d just won a secret lottery or something. Looking back at Lacey, I said, “I’ll have one of the bouncers walk me out.”
Dexter dropped his head back and laughed, then said, “I’m so glad you’re home, Avery.”
I gave him a wink, then hugged Lacey. “Talk to you later. Thanks for including me tonight. I had fun.”
She shook her head. “I’m not so sure you did, but thanks for coming. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
After the ladies’ room, I made my way through the bar, glancing around one more time to see if I might have missed Beck. When I didn’t spot him, I started to the exit. The bouncer was busy talking to someone, so I made the decision to just head out to my car. There were plenty of people around.
The moment I walked away from the entrance, I heard my name. Turning, I slowly shook my head. “Why, Mr. Dahlstrom, fancy seeing you here.”
He pushed off the side of the building. “I saw you were getting ready to leave, and I had a feeling you’d be walking out on your own.”
I raised a brow. “What if I hadn’t been alone?”
With a devil-may-care grin, he approached me. “I would’ve had to tell your friend to take a hike,” he said.
“Is that so? And if I didn’t want him to take a hike?”
He put his hand on my hip and drew me closer. “Would you rather I leave and go get him?”
“No,” I softly said, “I would not.”
Beck laced his fingers in mine. “You look beautiful tonight, Avery.”
Smiling, I replied, “According to my friend Lacey, I look boring.”
“Ha. Far from it.”
I tugged on his hand. “Are you going to walk me to my car or what?”
We walked across the parking lot, hand in hand. I wanted to be mad at him. Push him away and tell him he’d had his chance, but everything in me screamed to just hold his hand and enjoy the moment.
“Why did you park so far from the door?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.
“It was the closest spot when I got here. Speaking of, did you drive yourself?”
He was still frowning as he looked down at me. “I met everyone here after running an errand in town.”
That piqued my curiosity. “What kind of errand?” I leaned against my car and looked up at him. Damn, if he wasn’t so good-looking.
“According to Brock and Ty Junior, I don’t have the proper riding gear for winter. So I did some shopping.”
I smiled. “Well, when you’re out riding, you’ll thank them.”
“Do you ride?”
My head pulled back in faux shock. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Horses. Do you ride?”
“Of course I ride. I grew up on a cattle ranch. Two, if you count the Shaw Ranch. I was on a horse as soon as I was old enough to sit up on my own.”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry I questioned you.”
I chewed on my lower lip. “Well, thank you for making sure I got safely to my car, but you really didn’t need to stay to babysit me, Beck.”
It was dark out, but I could see his eyes turning even darker. “I wasn’t babysitting you.”
Tilting my head, I asked, “Then what were you doing?”
“Making sure that man child kept his hands off of you.”
I choked out, “Man child? You do know he’s my age.”
“Men take longer to mature.”
“Aw, that’s right. So you’ll hit it in…what, another ten or fifteen years?”
He laughed and put both hands on either side of my body, pinning me against the car. His eyes searched my face, and I could feel my breathing getting heavier the longer he stared at me.
“Beck, what are you doing?”
Slowly shaking his head, he answered, “I don’t know. You make me so fucking crazy, Avery. Watching you dance with that little prick drove me insane.”
Lying, I said, “I…I didn’t do it on purpose. You said…”
My words trailed off as he lowered his mouth and stopped an inch from mine. “Fuck what I said.”
I should have pushed him away, but every part of my body craved him.
When our lips met, I dropped my purse and pushed my fingers through his hair, causing us both to moan. Beck lifted my leg and wrapped it around his body, pressing his hard dick against my core. I gasped and drew him closer. He rubbed against me in just the right way, and I was positive if he kept it up, I would come right there in the damn parking lot of The Blue Moose.
He jerked his mouth away and started to kiss down my neck while his hand went under my sweater, shoving my bra up and exposing my breasts to his touch. He pinched my nipple, and I bucked against him. Before I knew it, he was lifting me, and I wrapped both legs around his body. He pinned me against the car. My mother’s car, for fuck’s sake.
“Do you like that?” he asked, pinching my nipple again and causing me to cry out softly.
“Yes!” I said, tugging on his hair and pulling his head back so that I could kiss him.
He rocked faster and harder into me as he played with my breast. Could I really come this way? Fully clothed, both of us. With the way my body was building up…yes, I could.
“Beck, don’t stop!” I begged in a whispered cry, trying to increase the friction. “God, yes !”
“That’s it, baby. I want to hear you say my name when you come.”
And that was my undoing. Knowing I was in the parking lot and anyone could see us, at any time, I forced myself to be quiet as I gasped Beck’s name. He covered my mouth with his, swallowing my moans of pleasure. I dug my nails into his shoulders and rode out wave after wave of ecstasy.
When I finally stopped shaking, I opened my eyes to see Beck staring at me. I swore if he even looked the tiniest bit regretful, I was going to kick him in the balls.
But he smiled, and my stomach flipped. God, how I wanted him to smile at me like that every single day.
“What the hell do you do to me, Avery?”
I swallowed and played with his hair at the back of his neck as he kept me pressed against the car door.
“I keep telling myself I need to stay away from you, to leave you alone, but I can’t. Last night, I dreamed about you. I think about you all day, and I want to sink myself into your body when I think about you at night.”
“Beck,” I whispered as I lowered my mouth to his. The kiss was sweet and gentle, nothing like it had been moments ago.
He slowly stepped away and let my body slide down his. He rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. “Avery, I don’t know if this is right or wrong.”
I placed my hands on his chest and felt his heart pounding under my touch. “What does it feel like here?” I asked, as I tapped over his heart.
Drawing his head back, he met my gaze. “Right. It feels so fucking right.”
“It does for me too.”
“But I’m so much older than you and—”
Putting my finger to his lips, I asked, “The first time you saw me, what did you think?”
He looked confused for a moment before he answered me. “I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I might have even thought about what it would be like to hook up with you for a night.”
I jerked back and grinned at him. “You man whore!”
Laughing, he cupped my face in his hands. “I’ve never been so confused about someone like this in my entire life.”
“Is it just the age difference?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t want to let anyone down.”
“And by anyone, you mean my father and your family.”
He sighed. “What will they all think?”
“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t care.”
Turning, he pushed his hands through his hair. “Avery, I’m not staying here. I’ll be leaving to go back to Texas. Then what? Do you really want to date a guy who lives thousands of miles away from you?”
I laughed. “Beck, you’re making all of these plans for the future. Why can’t you just live in the now? Let’s just see where this goes. If you don’t want to tell anyone, we don’t have to.”
“Sneak around?” he said. “You want to lie to everyone?”
I shrugged. “Who says we have to lie? We simply don’t have to tell anyone.”
He shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
“But you can push me up against my mother’s car in a public parking lot and play with my breasts while you make me come? Fully clothed, I might add.”
“Fuck,” he said as he reached down and adjusted himself.
Chewing on my lower lip, I walked up to him and placed my hand over his still-hard erection. “Do you want me to help you with that?”
“Avery,” he warned, his voice thick with desire. “We shouldn’t have done what we already did.”
“It’s a shame you don’t want to use that hotel room you have,” I said, as I walked to the car and opened the driver’s door. Slipping into the seat, I looked back at Beck. “I’m not asking you to marry me, Beck. We want each other, and we’re both adults. I don’t see anything wrong with giving in to our desires.”
His hand went through those gorgeous locks again, but when he looked at me, he smiled, and my breath was pulled right out of my lungs.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Avery.”
I winked and said, “Good night, Beck.”
He walked up to the car, and I turned it on as he shut the door. I rolled the window down, and he leaned in and kissed me. “Goodnight, Minx.”