Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Avery
“This one needs full sun.” Lauren thrust a potted plant of some kind into my hands. I’d lost track of all the different types she’d already pointed out, but I was pretty sure we’d already seen one just like this. “It’ll be great next to the porch,” she continued. “Maybe three or four of them alternating in colors would be nice. Speaking of colors, have you thought about a color palette yet?”
“A color palette for the garden?”
“I know, I know.” She laughed and took the plant from my hands. “We should have discussed that before we started shopping, but I got carried away.”
“That’s okay.” I turned, dumbfounded, toward the wagon Lauren had borrowed about ten minutes earlier. It was loaded with all kinds of smaller plants and flowers. The bigger shrubs and even a few trees that she’d picked out were being held behind the tables. Lauren suggested we send Reid and his brothers to pick them up later, and I couldn’t argue with that. As it was, I was starting to think we should abandon all our selections for them to haul back to the inn later. Especially considering I was starting to hit my limit with gardening.
“You know what?” Lauren led me by the arm away from the table. “You look like you might need to get out of the sun.”
“Is it that obvious?”
My new friend laughed. “I tend to get excited about gardening,” she said. “And I know not everyone is as passionate about plants as I am. I’m sorry. I can be a bit much sometimes.”
“No.” I stopped her. “You’re just the right amount. Honestly. I’m just…” I scanned the crowd, suddenly missing Reid’s solid presence at my side. It caught me off guard how much I’d grown used to having him close by. We’d spent so much time together over the last few weeks. It was funny because we hadn’t even been separated very long, but I missed him.
The ridiculousness of it struck me as funny, and I threw my head back in a deep laugh.
“Oh yeah.” Lauren grabbed my hand. “We need to get you out of the sun for a bit. Come on, we’ll get you a drink.”
Happily, I let her start to lead me through the crowd. But we’d only made it a few steps before a familiar voice sent chills down my spine.
“I know what you’re up to.”
The voice cut through the air like the snap of a brittle branch.
I stopped so suddenly, Lauren jerked against my hand and almost fell over before she broke away.
“Avery.” Jacob’s voice was different. The way he spoke my name was different than before. It was demanding and colder than usual.
I took a breath, letting it fill my lungs before exhaling. It was only then that I turned slowly, my pulse thudding against my ribs. He stood close. Too close. His smile was practiced and forced, but it was the look in his eyes that stilled me.
“Jacob.” I assessed him. “Nice that you could make it to the Sprout n’ Shout. These town events are?—”
“Cut the crap, Avery. I know what you’re up to.”
Anger curled through me. This man had made my life hell for too long, and judging by the look on his face, he was poised to do even more damage. This time in front of the entire town. Still, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d gotten to me.
“I’m shopping for plants.” I waved in Lauren’s direction. “Lauren has been using her expertise to help me pick out some new plants for the inn and replace the?—”
“I know you’re lying, Avery.”
Ice ran down my spine. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” He took a step toward me. His lips were twisted up into a sick version of a smile. His eyes flashed with hatred.
I never did understand where his anger toward me came from. It couldn’t be only because Grandma and Grandpa left me the inn. This had started years earlier.
“You and your husband. ” His words were full of disdain. “You’re lying. And you’ve been lying from the beginning. And I can prove it.”
Finally, I broke out of my trance. I needed to defuse him quickly. Everyone in town was watching. I couldn’t afford to let anyone hear his crazy theories.
Theories that held far too much truth to be safe.
I held out my hand. “Why don’t we go talk somewhere?”
“I don’t think so.” Ignoring my hand, he shook his head and glared at me. “We can talk right here. Or are you hiding something from all these nice people?” Jacob waved his arms around to encompass the crowd that had at some point formed a circle around us.
There was no getting away from this. My heart raced and I couldn’t feel my toes, but somehow I stood my ground.
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“Bullshit!”
“Jacob. I don’t know what you think you know, but I?—”
“I know you and Reid aren’t really married.”
Someone in the crowd gasped, but I didn’t take my eyes off Jacob.
“That’s not true,” I said calmly. “Judge Baker married us himself and?—”
“Whatever.” He practically spat the word at me. “It might be legal ,” he used his fingers to make air quotes, “but that doesn’t mean it’s real. ”
“You’re not making any sense, Jacob.” I hoped my voice sounded calm and patient despite the panic that was very quickly bubbling up inside me.
“Enough.” He took another step toward me as he raised his voice. “I’m not stupid, Avery. And, quite frankly, the fact that you think I’m as gullible as all these people is insulting.”
Another gasp, along with a few grunts of protest at being called gullible sounded around me. But it didn’t deter Jacob.
“I don’t know why they gave it to you,” he said with distaste. “But no doubt you conned our grandparents into thinking that you were their favorite somewhere along the line. The only saving grace is that they were just old school enough to make sure you couldn’t have it on your own.” His eyes flared.
I needed to stop him, but I couldn’t make words come out of my mouth. I stood frozen like a deer in headlights, watching the wreckage barreling toward me.
“You needed a husband to get the inn.” He delivered the truth like a bomb. “So you found one, didn’t you? The first one who agreed, I assume.”
I shook my head slowly. My pulse pounded in my ears. “No. I mean, yes. But not like?—”
“I have to admit, cousin,” Jacob’s smirk deepened, and his voice dripped with condescension, “I didn’t think you had it in you to take all this on. The inn, the renovation, and now a fake husband. You surprise me, Avery. But what I still can’t figure out is what you had to do to convince him to marry you.”
I thought I was going to be sick. I swayed on my feet, but there was nothing to grab onto. I knew Lauren was behind me somewhere, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off Jacob during his assault on my life.
“It’s not?—”
“What did you have to promise him, Avery? Or did you just have to open your?—”
A blur of movement rushed past me.
And then a sickening crack.
Jacob’s head snapped back, his body jolting with the force of the punch. He staggered a moment, his eyes wide before he crumpled to the ground in a heap of stunned silence.
Shock startled me from my stupor. My hand flew to my mouth, and I spun to see my husband. He stood over Jacob, fists still clenched, his chest rising and falling with barely controlled fury. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark and burning with something lethal.
I didn’t recognize him.
“Reid.” His name was barely more than a whisper from my mouth. His lips twitched a little, but he didn’t turn away from Jacob.
“Reid,” I said again, and put my hand lightly on his arm.
My touch seemed to break him from his focus on my cousin. He turned and looked at me; his face softened immediately.
“Avery, I?—”
“What the fuck, man?”
Reid spun on his heel and once more loomed over Jacob. “That was for the way you were speaking to my wife ,” he growled. “Don’t try to get up or I’ll give you a reason to stay down.”
I threaded my arm through Reid’s and pulled him back before he could make good on his threat. “Everyone is watching,” I hissed in his ear. I needed to get him out of there before things got worse. Not that they could possibly get any worse than they already were. But I didn’t want to stick around and find out.
“Let them watch,” Reid muttered. “Everyone should know that they can’t fuck with you, Avery. I won’t let them mess with my wife.”
I didn’t like this caveman version of him, but despite that, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of heat deep in my belly at his protectiveness. “Let’s go, Reid.” I tugged him. “Please.”
It must have been the plea in my voice that finally made him move. To my great relief, he let me start leading him through the crowd, that parted to let us through.
“This isn’t over,” Jacob called out behind us. “You’ll hear from my lawyer.”
I had no doubt we would.
Only this time, I didn’t know whether it would be in regard to the inn, or to press assault charges against Reid.
I couldn’t decide which was worse.