Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Avery
Jacob wasn’t there when I got back to the inn. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure he’d have the balls to come back after everything that had happened, but I knew him well enough to know that he liked a fight.
Especially when he had the upper hand.
And in this instance, he did.
And he knew it.
Not physically, of course. Reid definitely had it over him in that regard. But Jacob wasn’t an idiot. He’d use Reid’s momentary loss of control to his advantage.
I dropped my head into my hands. Everything was such a mess. Worse than before, if that was even possible.
I could almost hear my mom’s words in my ears.
After my grandfather’s funeral, when the will was read and I learned about my inheritance, she hadn’t seemed surprised. All she’d said was, “I’d hoped they’d changed their mind. That inn is going to be the same anchor on you as it was on them.”
But I didn’t see it that way. At least, I hadn’t.
I saw the laughter and the love. I saw mornings at the kitchen table with piles of Grandma’s waffles. The way Grandpa would tell her they were the best waffles he’d ever had, even if he’d had one just like it the day before. And then how Grandma would blush a little, and wave off the compliment before turning around with a big smile on her face.
The inn was always a bustle of activity, and every day was different. People were coming and going, and each of them had a story that my grandparents were more than happy to sit and listen to. They had a kind word for everyone, and every single person who stayed under this roof left feeling better for it.
When I pictured the inn and their life here, I saw the way they’d sit on the porch swing every night, Grandma curled up under his arm while they talked about the day and their guests. I saw the love. I felt it.
I wanted it. I wanted that life.
I wanted the inn.
And now…
It looked like I was going to lose everything: the life, the love, and the inn.
To my surprise, it wasn’t the prospect of losing the inn that hurt my heart the most.
I poured myself a glass of wine and retreated to the porch for some fresh air.
I choked back a sob when I saw the empty chains still dangling from the porch roof where my beloved swing once hung. We still hadn’t gotten around to fixing it and now?—
My phone rang. The sharp sound sliced through the quiet evening as my heart leapt into my throat.
I’d told him to leave me alone, but now that I was alone, I wanted nothing more than for Reid to be there with me. I snatched up the phone without looking at the screen and accepted the call. “Reid, I?—”
“Hello to you, too, Avery.”
“Mom.” My heart fell, which wasn’t fair. Despite our differences, I loved my mom. “I was just thinking about you.”
“All good things, I’m sure.” She laughed, and despite my exhaustion, the sound warmed me. “How are you, dear? I haven’t heard from you in ages.”
I know it wasn’t intended, but guilt flared through me. I’d purposely kept my mom in the dark about the drama surrounding my inheritance. I didn’t want to give her any reason to worry, but if I was being honest, I really didn’t want her opinion on the whole situation. Never mind the fact that I’d gotten married and not told her. That was a whole different issue.
I knew what she’d say. And right now, it didn’t feel like there was enough room in my heart for the truth.
“I’m doing great.” I tried for light and fun. ”It’s been really busy around here getting everything ready for the grand opening, and today there was a thing called the Sprout n’ Shout. It was?—”
“Avery.” The tone of my mom’s voice told me she could see directly through my bullshit. “What’s really going on?”
I wasn’t ready to concede defeat. “What makes you think there’s anything?—”
“Avery.” She waited a beat. “I heard you got married.”
“Oh.”
“Yes,” she said. “Oh.”
I exhaled slowly and pinched the bridge of my nose. There was no point lying to her. At least not any more than I already had. Especially considering she was there for the will reading. She knew what it said. And she knew very well I wasn’t in any position to get married before that moment.
“It turned out that the lawyers weren’t able to dismiss that particular part of the will.”
“So you figured out a way around it.”
It wasn’t a question but I nodded anyway, even though she couldn’t see me.
“Oh, Avery.” Her voice didn’t hold any judgment. Only sadness and worry. “Put me on video.”
I did as she requested, pushing the button that changed our call to a video. Seeing my mom’s face on the screen had the immediate effect of bringing tears to my eyes. Or maybe it was everything else that had happened, coupled with my complete and total exhaustion. Either way, seeing the way my mom was looking at me with so much worry and concern broke me, and the tears spilled down my cheeks.
“Sweetheart.” Her voice was full of love. “What’s going on? What happened?”
“You were right,” I said after a moment. “This was a bad idea. The inn…Trickle Creek…all of it. It was a horrible idea. I’ve maxed out every credit card I have, and borrowed against my savings.” I ignored the shock on her face at my confession and kept going. There was so much more. “I paid the handyman I barely knew to marry me so I wouldn’t lose it all, and then Jacob showed up, threatening to take it all away from me. And he did. Or at least he’s going to. He figured it out and he made a big scene at the festival and then Reid punched him and I got mad and yelled and sent him away and now my heart is breaking because somehow, somewhere along the way, I fell in love with him but we can never be together, because our entire relationship is a lie and?—”
“Wait.”
My breath hitched and another sob tore from deep inside me. I was a mess. Tears poured freely down my face, streaking my cheeks with the mascara I hardly ever wore.
“I just wish he was here with me, but I don’t know where he is and I?—”
“Avery,” she said gently. “Stop.”
I did.
“Take a breath, honey.”
I did as I was told.
“Now,” she said. “There’s a lot to unpack there. So, let’s start with the most important part.”
I nodded.
“This man? You love him?”
My heart squeezed in my chest, and I nodded, reality settling in. “I do, Mom. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love him.”
“I can see that, honey.” Her smile was kind. “But have you told him that?”