Chapter Twenty–Two – Avery
Chapter Twenty-Two
AVERY
A week. Over a week. Ten days, to be exact.
Ten days ago, Beck Dahlstrom blew into my life and changed everything. It had been a wonderful ten days. Most of it, however, was spent with Emily and me getting everything set up for our new business venture before she needed to fly back to New York. We finally came up with a name and had our lawyer register it with the state of Montana. Bitterroot Flower Club was what we chose. After going back and forth with cute names, we ended up agreeing that simpler was better.
Two days straight were spent in the greenhouse, getting our space up and running. That meant planting hundreds of seeds and seedlings. Beck had stopped by one afternoon and helped out. Not minding at all getting his hands in the dirt. I loved working alongside him.
Since I wasn’t earning any income, now that I was home from France, I also went back to work for Morgan and Georgiana at their boutique, La Chic. I didn’t really want to get back into fashion, but if I wanted to move out of my parents’ place anytime soon, then I needed to work.
Upon arriving in town, Emily had immediately procured a job at one of the local floral shops in Hamilton, and they had agreed to let her start once she and Doug officially moved, which would be in a couple of weeks. I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was insanely jealous she was working around flowers, and I was back doing what I didn’t really want to do. She had offered to see if they had another spot open for me, but I had told her no, I was fine at the boutique.
“Avery?”
The sound of Morgan’s voice caused me to turn away from the window display I was working on. “Yeah?”
“Will you please come back to the office?”
I closed my eyes and prayed they wouldn’t tell me they couldn’t afford for me to work there. If that was the case, I’d have to find a waitressing job.
Climbing out of the window display, I started back toward the offices. Could I even work as a waitress? Knowing me, I’d spill something on someone. Like hot coffee.
Knocking lightly on the door, I peeked in to see Georgiana leaning over a sketch of what was sure to be one of Morgan’s latest designs.
“What’s up?” I asked. Stepping in, I glanced at the sketch of what looked to be a wedding gown.
Morgan and Georgiana both looked up and smiled at me.
“The window displays have never looked so good,” Morgan said.
“Thanks. I learned a lot in France.”
Georgiana leaned against her desk. “I’ll say.”
Looking between the two of them, I asked, “You wanted to talk to me?”
“Right,” Morgan said, closing the sketchbook. “We were wondering if you wanted to live in the apartment on the third floor.”
My eyes went wide. “What? Are you being serious?”
They both nodded. “We figured with you living away from home so long, it must be hard living back with your parents, and the apartment is only used for extra storage. It’s just sitting there,” Georgiana explained.
I jumped and clapped my hands. “Yes! Yes, I’ll take it!”
Morgan frowned slightly. “You don’t think Uncle Dirk and Aunt Merit will be sad that you’re moving out so soon?”
Crap. I hadn’t thought of that. I hadn’t even been home for two weeks and I was already moving out. “How about this. Can I move in maybe in like…two or three weeks? That way, it doesn’t look like I’m trying to get away from them.”
Georgiana chuckled. “That’s sweet of you. And you can move in anytime you want. Just let us know when and we’ll get the boxes we’ve got up there hauled out.”
I walked over to Morgan first and hugged her, then Georgiana. “Thank you for everything. For the job, the apartment…all of it.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie,” Georgiana said as she hugged me tight. “We’re just so happy you’re home.”
“Speaking of home, we’re closed for the rest of the day, and that window display is perfect. Get out of here, Avery, and try to spend some time with Beck. Won’t he be heading back to Texas soon?”
It felt like something inside my chest cracked open. I nodded. “Yeah. He hasn’t said when, but I know he was only supposed to be out here for two weeks. He’s been here ten days already.”
Morgan reached for my hand. “It’s all going to work out, Avery. I know it will.”
I forced a smile. “I’m sure you’re right.”
After cleaning up my mess, I left with my two cousins and decided to head to the Shaw Ranch instead of home. I knew Beck was spending time with Uncle Ty today. I’d called him, but his phone went to voicemail.
Less than a minute later, my phone rang. It was Aunt Kaylee.
“Hey, Aunt Kaylee! I was just heading to the ranch to see where Beck is.”
“He’s here, so head on over to our place. Brock and Tanner came over and they all went out for a ride.”
The temperature had been warmer than normal, causing a good portion of the snow to melt. Beck had been dying to get out on the ranch on horseback, but one thing after another had stopped him. Yesterday, for instance, literally as he was putting his foot in the stirrup, his grandfather called with some work emergency. He’d ended up spending a good portion of the afternoon in Tanner’s office on the phone.
In fact, his grandfather seemed incapable of letting him vacation in peace. Two days before that, when we’d managed to sneak away to the hotel room, Beck was about to slip inside of me when his grandfather kept calling over and over. He cursed and called his grandfather back. It turned out he wanted to know if Beck would be home for a charity dinner that their company was hosting because he had to give a final head count. Like one person would make or break the whole thing. I’d heard his grandfather say, “I’ll put your name and a plus one.”
“I’m so glad he’s finally able to go riding,” I told Aunt Kaylee.
“What’s your ETA, and if they come back I’ll let them know?”
Glancing down at the dress I was wearing, I replied, “I need to stop by my place and change, then I’ll be out that way. I’m only about five minutes from home.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll see you soon. Be careful.”
“Will do. Bye.”
Once I pulled up to my parents’ house, I raced in, praying I wouldn’t run into them and get delayed, and changed into jeans and a Montana State sweatshirt. I pulled on an old pair of boots and took down the fancy French twist I had in my hair, letting it fall loose. I grabbed my purse and headed back downstairs.
Stopping at the front door, I listened for any sounds of my parents. I heard muffled noises coming from my father’s office. Feeling guilty, and deciding I needed to at least say hello, I started down the hall—and as I grew closer, I knew exactly what the sounds were. A memory assaulted me: I was eight…and had walked in on my parents having sex in their bedroom.
My hand flew up to my mouth and I quickly spun around and started to walk fast. But not fast enough. As I was about to turn the corner, I heard my mother call out my father’s name, and I tried really hard not to throw up.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God! No!” I whispered as I rushed out the front door and to my mother’s car, which I was still using. I got in, slammed the door shut, and shuddered. “ Gross! ”
Starting the car, I gagged once more and quickly drove off, turning on the radio to drown out the echoing sound of my mother’s voice in my head.
I pulled up and parked behind Beck’s rental car. Kaylee came walking out, bundled up in a sweater coat.
“Avery, you got here fast!”
Trying not to remember why I’d broken every speed limit risking a ticket to get here quickly, I simply smiled and said, “It didn’t take me long to change.” I glanced out over the pasture. “Are they still riding?”
She followed my gaze. “They are. I called Ty when I saw you pulling in. He said they stopped at the old hunter’s cabin on the east side of the ranch to talk for a bit.”
My head snapped around and I stared at her. “The guesthouse?”
“Yeah, why?”
I was positive my mouth was on the ground. “Aunt Kaylee, that place is haunted!”
She laughed. “It is not, Avery Littlewood.”
“Oh yes, it is. Lily and I went there one time, after losing a bet with Bradly and Hunter, and we had to spend the night. Trust me when I tell you, it’s haunted.”
Giving me a look that said I’d lost my mind, she looked back out over the pasture. Then she frowned.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, turning to see four shadows approaching on horseback.
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered.
“What?” I asked, trying to see what it was that she saw. “Are they okay?”
Aunt Kaylee grabbed my hand and started toward the house. “I have to show you something.”
I had to run to keep up with her. Once inside, she brought me to the living room and pointed to a painting.
“Look.”
Walking closer, I blinked a few times. I glanced toward the window overlooking the pasture, then back to the painting.
Kaylee took it off the wall and started back outside.
“Where are you going?”
She didn’t say a word, simply kept walking, with me hot on her heels. She ran toward the pasture and stopped. She held up the painting, and I sucked in a breath.
“Holy crap.”
“Holy shit,” Aunt Kaylee said at the same time.
“When did you paint this?” I asked, looking at the painting, then back toward the four men riding in from the pasture.
“Over twenty-five years ago.” She pulled out her phone and took a picture of my uncles and Beck.
A chill ran up my spine as I looked at the painting, showing four men riding in with mountains in the background. The same orangish-pink sky in the painting was the current backdrop of the riders.
“Who’s the fifth rider?” I asked.
Kaylee looked at me. “What? There’s only four.”
I shook my head. “No, right here. It looks like you painted one more rider, he’s just much farther back from the others.”
Staring at her own painting, Kaylee asked shakily, “Will you hold this?”
“Of course,” I said, taking the painting. Then I watched, shocked, as she dropped to her knees.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay? Aunt Kaylee!” I reached a hand down to her.
She slowly looked up and smiled.
“Should I call Uncle Ty? Tell him to pick up the speed?”
Tears started to roll down her cheeks. Now I really wasn’t sure what to do. “I’m going to put the painting back in the house. I’ll be right back.”
Running inside, I carefully hung the painting. Uncle Ty must have seen Aunt Kaylee on the ground, because when I got back outside, he was jumping off his horse and running to her. He jumped the fence, and I gasped. For a man his age, he cleared it like it was nothing.
“Kaylee, what’s wrong?” he asked, dropping to his knees. The other three riders approached, all wearing concerned expressions. I found myself looking past them for the fifth rider that I knew logically wasn’t there.
“Avery, what happened?” Beck asked, getting off his horse.
I walked to the fence and said, “You guys need to see something.”
A younger guy, around my age, walked out of the barn with two other hands. Brock was off his horse and giving them instructions on taking care of the animals. I assumed they already knew, but they nodded politely.
“Let’s get you inside,” Uncle Ty said, lifting his wife up into his arms and carrying her toward the house.
“I’m fine, Ty. I can walk.”
“You don’t look fine, Kaylee. You look pale.”
“Is she okay?” Uncle Brock asked, as Tanner walked up to me.
“Yes, but there’s something you all really need to see.”
Tanner’s brows drew down, but he looked at Brock and shrugged before they followed Uncle Ty and Aunt Kaylee, who was now demanding to be put down.
Beck walked up to me and kissed me gently on the lips. “Hey, you.”
“Hey,” I replied, putting my hand to the side of his cold face. “You must be freezing.”
A brilliant smile broke out on his face. “Not at all. I had the best time just riding around the ranch and hearing stories about them and my father growing up here. I really feel more connected to this ranch than ever.”
My brow raised. “Then you’re really going to want to see this painting.”
“Painting?”
I nodded and took his hand as we made our way toward the house. “Aunt Kaylee painted it twenty-five years ago, she said.”
“Wow, I didn’t know she was a painter. Just like Rose.”
“Yes,” I said as we walked into the house. Uncle Ty was currently trying to get Aunt Kaylee to drink some water.
“Ty! Will you stop. I was simply overcome with emotion, and if you would leave me alone, I can show you all why!”
Uncle Brock and Tanner stood off to the side, trying not to laugh.
Aunt Kaylee walked over to the painting and took it down. All three of my uncles moved toward her, as did me and Beck.
“Do you remember me painting this before Ty and I were even together?”
They all nodded.
“Look at it closely.”
They did so. Then they all looked around at each other, then at Kaylee.
“Now look at this.” She pulled out her phone and showed them the picture she’d snapped.
“Holy shit,” Uncle Ty whispered. “That looks almost exactly like the painting.”
Uncle Tanner shook his head slowly. “That’s kind of creepy.”
“Yeah, it is,” Uncle Brock added.
Beck simply stared at the painting. I watched him carefully, and he finally drew in a sharp intake of air. He’d seen what I had.
“You see it, don’t you, Beck?” Aunt Kaylee asked.
He glanced at her and nodded.
“See what?” Brock, Ty, and Tanner all said in unison.
When neither Kaylee nor Beck answered, I did. “The fifth rider, behind the last rider on the right…which is where Beck was just riding.”
Brock, Ty, and Tanner all leaned forward—and saw it at the same time as they all whispered, “Holy shit!”
Uncle Ty jerked his head up and looked at Aunt Kaylee. “Has that always been there?”
She shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Has what always been where?” Josh asked, as he walked up to where we were all huddled.
“That fifth rider in the back there, behind…” Uncle Ty’s voice trailed off.
“Beck,” Uncle Brock added.
Josh looked around at all of us like we were crazy. “Yeah, of course it’s always been there. You have to look hard to see it, though. Rose pointed it out to me a long time ago.”
Everyone stared at Aunt Kaylee.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”
It was then I noticed Beck sitting down on the sofa. He looked like he’d just seen a ghost.
“What are the odds that you paint this painting, and it comes to life over twenty-five years later?” Uncle Tanner asked.
“I mean, the sky often looks like that at sunset, and I don’t really remember why I painted the four brothers.”
“It’s not four brothers,” Beck softly said. “It’s me with my three uncles, and my father watching over me, over all of us.”
A chill ran down my spine, and I was pretty sure everyone else felt the same thing.
“How is that possible?” Aunt Kaylee whispered, dropping into a chair with a hand over her mouth. “But he’s right. Beck is right.”
Everyone remained silent for a good two minutes before Josh said, “I cannot wait to tell the guys at school my mother can see into the future!”