Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
A va had been busy all week at work, especially after taking three days off. She paid for it with long shifts and several critical cases, especially now that the nice weather was in full swing and everyone was out enjoying it. Unfortunately, they weren’t always careful and injuries flooded the department.
Her brother was also busy on the ranch, or ducking her calls, or both, so it took a whole week before Ava had pinned him down for a visit. She thought it best to go alone, and Reed agreed, since he’d already had a confrontation with Noah. She braced herself for a tense visit and hoped for the best. Dread settled in her stomach like a lead ball.
Noah’s small house on the ranch hadn’t changed in the three years he’d lived there—same beige couch with the coffee stain on the right armrest, same framed basketball jerseys on the wall, same photos of their parents on the mantel. It was comforting in its familiarity, which only made the knot in Ava’s stomach tighten. She was about to soil this safe space with lies.
Her brother moved around his kitchen with easy confidence, the same way he moved through life. Two drinks appeared on the coffee table as he settled into his recliner across from her. A beer for each of them.
“So,” he said, cracking his open. “You got married.”
The bluntness was pure Noah. No small talk, no easing into difficult conversations. It was a quality Ava had always admired about him, except when she was on the receiving end.
“I did,” she confirmed, leaving her beer untouched. Alcohol had gotten her into this mess; it wouldn’t help her navigate the aftermath.
“To Reed Campbell.” Noah’s expression remained carefully neutral, but Ava could see the hurt lurking behind his eyes. “In Vegas. Without telling me.”
“It wasn’t planned,” she said, the only honest part of the story she was about to tell. “We were caught up in the moment after Rachel and Kyle’s ceremony.”
“Caught up in the moment.” Noah repeated her words slowly, as if examining them for hidden meanings. “That doesn’t sound like you, Av. Planning is your thing. Color-coded schedules. Five-year goals. You once made a spreadsheet to decide which car to buy.”
Ava twisted her wedding band, still foreign on her finger. “People can surprise you.”
“Yeah, they can.” Noah leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t tell me you were dating him in the first place. Reed says it’s been going on for months.”
Of course, Reed had already talked to him. She should have coordinated their stories better, but everything had happened so fast, from Vegas to moving more of her things into his house just last night. Not everything. She didn’t want to take over his house and had no idea what to do with her furniture. Storage options sucked and she still had months left on her lease. Subletting it furnished was the smart idea. An added income was a smart idea. But she resisted, feeling the need to have a bolt-hole in case things went south with Reed.
“We kept it quiet because of work,” she said, reciting the explanation they’d agreed upon. “You know how the hospital gossip mill works.”
“I’m not the hospital gossip mill, Ava. I’m your brother.” The hurt in his voice scraped against her conscience like sandpaper. “Your only family.”
The guilt she’d been fighting since returning from Vegas crashed over her in a wave. Noah had been nineteen when their parents died, barely an adult himself. He’d put his own life on hold to raise her, to keep her in their childhood home, to make sure she had as normal a life as possible. He’d worked on the ranch during the day and put his dreams of being a rodeo star on hold to raise her.
And how had she repaid him? By keeping him at arm’s length as an adult, by building walls around herself, by lying to his face about marrying his best friend.
“I’m sorry,” she said, the words pathetically inadequate. “I didn’t want to complicate things if it didn’t work out.”
“Since when do we worry about complications?” Noah ran a hand through his hair—a gesture so reminiscent of their father that it made her chest ache. “We survived losing Mom and Dad. We could have handled you dating my friend.”
Another wave of guilt threatened to drown her. She thought of all the nights Noah had sat outside her bedroom door while she cried herself to sleep after the funeral. How he’d learned to braid her hair for school because that’s what their mom used to do. How he’d shown up to every science fair and debate club, exhausted from working long days on the ranch but never missing a moment.
“I’m married to one of your best friends,” she said, trying a different approach. “Isn’t that a good thing? Someone you know and trust?”
“It would have been, if you’d actually told me about it.” Noah’s voice had gone quiet, which was always more dangerous than when he raised it. “Instead, I had to find out from a Vegas chapel email that my little sister married my best friend. Do you have any idea how that felt?”
Ava’s throat tightened. She could imagine it all too well. Noah opening the email, the shock, the hurt, the betrayal. Reed’s bruised jaw was evidence enough of her brother’s reaction.
“I messed up,” she admitted. “I should have told you.”
“Is this why you’ve been distant lately? Keeping our dinners short, making excuses to leave early?” Noah’s perception had always been too sharp for her comfort. “Were you sneaking off to see him?”
The irony was that she had been distant, but not for the reasons he thought. The pressure at work, the constant fear of not securing the permanent position, the endless competition with Joe and the other residents—those were the real culprits. But the lie was easier to embrace than that complicated truth.
“Sometimes,” she lied, hating herself for it. “It was new. We were figuring things out.”
“And now you’re married.” Noah shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t even know who you are anymore, Av.”
The words hit like a physical blow. For all her adult independence, her brother’s opinion still mattered more than almost anyone else’s. He was the one constant in her life, the one person who had never left, never let her down.
And now she was breaking his heart with a lie she couldn’t take back.
“I’m still me,” she said, her voice small. “I’m still your sister.”
“My sister would have wanted me at her wedding.” The hurt in his eyes gave way to something worse—resignation. “My sister would have trusted me enough to tell me she was in love.”
Love. The word hung in the air between them, another complication in the already tangled web she’d helped create. Was she in love with Reed Campbell? The thought was absurd. They’d barely tolerated each other before Vegas, their interactions limited to professional exchanges and the occasional group gathering.
Except that wasn’t entirely true, was it? There had always been something there—an awareness, a tension, a deliberate distance they both maintained. And now they were sharing a house, sharing a life, sharing a lie that was fraying the most important relationship in her life.
“It all happened so fast,” she said, the excuse sounding hollow even to her own ears. “I didn’t think?—“
“That’s just it, Ava. You didn’t think about me at all.” Noah stood up, pacing to the window and back. “After everything we’ve been through together, I deserved better than finding out from a tacky wedding chapel email.”
Ava blinked back tears. This was worse than she’d anticipated. She’d expected anger, disappointment, even jealousy. But not this profound sense of betrayal, this fracturing of the bond that had sustained them both through the worst moments of their lives.
“You’re right,” she said, standing up. “You deserved better. And I can’t change what happened, but I can promise it won’t happen again. No more secrets.”
The irony of promising honesty while continuing the lie wasn’t lost on her, but what choice did she have? Tell him the truth? That she’d gotten drunk and married his best friend on a dare, and now they were pretending it was real to save face and her career prospects? That would hurt him even more.
Noah looked at her for a long moment, as if trying to see past the walls she’d built. “I always thought I’d be the one to walk you down the aisle,” he said finally, his voice rough with emotion. “Give you away like Dad would have done.”
The tears she’d been fighting spilled over. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again, the words utterly insufficient.
He nodded, but the distance between them felt greater than the few feet of carpet separating them. Something fundamental had shifted, a crack in the foundation they’d built their lives upon.
“I should go,” she said, when the silence stretched too long. “Reed’s expecting me.”
Noah didn’t try to stop her, didn’t move to hug her goodbye as he normally would. “I’m sorry, Ava. I’m struggling with this. It’s always been the two of us and I feel like you shut me out of part of your life. I’m going to need some time. Can you understand that?”
She nodded, fighting back tears. It had always been just them, since their parents died. She hadn’t expected him to take the news so hard. “I understand. We’ll be waiting for you, Noah.”
The formal farewell felt like a door closing. Ava gathered her purse, her keys, her broken heart, and headed for the exit. At the door, she paused, looking back at her brother—the person who had sacrificed everything for her, who she’d just hurt in the worst possible way.
“I love you,” she said, the truth a stark contrast to all the lies she’d told today.
“I know,” he replied, but he didn’t say it back.
Outside in her car, Ava pressed her forehead against the steering wheel and finally allowed herself to cry. There was a terrible irony to it all. She’d married Reed to create stability, to strengthen her roots in this town, to convince Ciponelli she was committed to staying. Instead, she’d destabilized the one relationship that had always been her true anchor.
And the worst part was, she couldn’t see a way out that wouldn’t cause even more damage.
R eed’s childhood home loomed before them, a sprawling Craftsman with perfect landscaping that had always made him feel both proud and slightly inadequate. Now, with Ava sitting silently beside him in the truck, those feelings multiplied tenfold.
“We don’t have to do this today,” he said, glancing at her profile. The afternoon sun caught the remnants of puffiness around her eyes—evidence of the tears she’d tried to hide when she’d come home from Noah’s yesterday.
Home. His home, which was now supposedly their home. The whole arrangement still felt like a fever dream.
“Postponing won’t make it easier,” Ava replied, straightening her shoulders with the same determination he’d seen her display before difficult procedures in the ED. “Let’s get it over with.”
Not exactly the enthusiasm a man hoped for when introducing his wife to his parents, but then, nothing about their situation was normal.
Reed cut the engine and rounded the truck to open her door—a gesture his father had drilled into him since childhood. “Just follow my lead,” he said, offering his hand. “Mom will have a million questions, but Dad usually reins her in before it gets too bad.”
Ava’s hand was cool in his, her fingers curling around his with surprising naturalness. They’d barely touched since Vegas, maintaining a careful distance as they navigated their new living arrangement. But appearances mattered now, especially in front of his eagle-eyed mother.
They hadn’t even reached the front door when it swung open, revealing Diane Campbell in a crisp linen dress, her salt-and-pepper hair styled in her signature bob. Her smile was warm but cautious, her eyes immediately cataloging every detail of their appearance.
“There they are,” she said, opening her arms. “The newlyweds.”
Reed accepted his mother’s embrace, breathing in the familiar scent of her Chanel perfume. “Hi, Mom.”
She held him at arm’s length, studying his face with the intensity only mothers can muster. “You look tired.”
“Night shifts,” he replied, the convenient excuse rolling easily off his tongue. Better than admitting he’d barely slept since Vegas, too aware of Ava’s presence down the hall, behind the closed guest room door that now bore a “Ava’s Office” sign she’d hastily made to maintain appearances.
His mother turned to Ava, her smile softening. “Ava, dear. What a surprise this has all been.”
The emphasis on “surprise” wasn’t subtle, but Reed appreciated that his mother had at least started with a welcome rather than an interrogation.
“It’s good to see you, Mrs. Campbell,” Ava said, accepting the older woman’s embrace with only the slightest hesitation.
“Diane, please. We’re family now, apparently.” The words held no malice, but the implied question hung in the air between them.
Reed placed his hand on the small of Ava’s back, guiding her inside. “Where’s Dad?”
“Where do you think? Fussing with the grill as if he hadn’t been cooking steaks the same way for thirty years.” His mother’s laugh eased some of the tension as she led them through the house.
The familiar path through the living room, with its gallery wall of Campbell family photos, felt different with Ava beside him. Reed found himself seeing it through her eyes—the obvious wealth displayed in tasteful furnishings, the prominence of family in every decor choice, the weight of expectations that had shaped his childhood.
“Your mother has pictures of you everywhere,” Ava murmured as they passed a particularly embarrassing photo of fourteen-year-old Reed in his baseball uniform, all gangly limbs and braces.
“Just wait until she pulls out the baby albums,” he warned, squeezing her hand. “It’s coming, trust me.”
They stepped onto the back patio where John Campbell stood at his pride and joy—a massive stainless steel grill that had cost more than Reed’s first car. His father was a big man, still fit despite being in his early sixties, with the same dark hair Reed had inherited, now streaked with distinguished silver.
“There he is,” John called, setting down his tongs to embrace his son with a firm clap on the back. “The man who gave his mother a heart attack with a Vegas wedding.”
Reed grimaced. “Sorry about that. It was spontaneous.”
“Spontaneous,” his father repeated, clearly struggling with the concept as it applied to a lifetime commitment. “Not a word I’d normally associate with Dr. Spencer here.” He turned to Ava with a warm but evaluating smile. “Though I suppose it’s Dr. Campbell now?”
Ava’s hand tightened almost imperceptibly in Reed’s. “Professionally, I’m hyphenating, Spencer-Campbell, for now,” she said. “Less confusing at the hospital.”
“Makes sense,” John nodded, though Reed could see his father filing away this detail for later analysis. Nothing escaped John Campbell, especially not when it came to his youngest son.
“Can I help with anything?” Ava asked, clearly seeking an escape from the scrutiny.
“You can help me with the salad,” Diane jumped in, beckoning Ava toward the kitchen. “And tell me all about how my son finally convinced you to put up with him.”
As the women disappeared inside, Reed felt a momentary panic at being separated from Ava. Their stories needed to align, and they’d barely had time to coordinate the details of their fictional relationship between work and Ava’s caution at getting too close.
“Relax,” his father said, accurately reading his tension. “Your mother will interrogate her gently. For now.”
Reed forced a laugh, accepting the beer his father offered from a cooler beside the grill. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“So.” John flipped a steak with practiced precision. “Vegas, huh?”
“Yep.”
“No warning, no announcement, no asking for your mother’s grandmother’s ring?”
Reed winced. The ring. He hadn’t even thought about family heirlooms or traditions in the fog of their impulsive decision. “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, Dad. We were there for Rachel and Kyle’s wedding, and it just...felt right.”
His father studied him for a long moment. “You’ve never been the impulsive type when it comes to commitment, son. Quite the opposite.”
It was true. Despite his reputation as a risk-taker, Reed had always been cautious with relationships, keeping things casual, avoiding deep entanglements. His no-dating-coworkers rule had been just one of many self-protective measures.
“People change,” he said, the words feeling hollow even as he spoke them.
“They do,” his father agreed. “But usually not overnight.” He lowered his voice, though the women were well out of earshot in the kitchen. “Is there something you need to tell me, Reed? A reason for the rush?”
It took a moment for his father’s implication to register. “No, Dad. Ava’s not pregnant. Jesus.”
Relief flickered across his father’s face. “Had to ask. Your cousin Michael had a similar Vegas situation, if you recall.”
Reed did recall. Cousin Michael’s “situation” had arrived seven months after his hasty wedding, fooling exactly no one in the family.
“It’s not like that,” Reed insisted. “We just...love each other.” The words felt strange on his tongue, not because they were a lie, but because he’d never said them about anyone before.
His father nodded slowly. “I like Ava. Always have. Sharp as a tack, dedicated to her patients. Noah speaks highly of her too.” He paused. “Though I’m surprised he took this well, considering how protective he is of his sister.”
Reed’s hand instinctively went to his jaw, where the last vestiges of Noah’s right hook had finally faded. “He’s...adjusting to the idea.”
From the kitchen window, he could see Ava helping his mother, her face animated as she responded to whatever interrogation was underway. Despite the circumstances, she looked like she belonged there, moving around his childhood kitchen with the efficiency she brought to everything.
“She had a rough time of it after her parents died,” his father continued, his voice gentler now. “Noah did his best, but losing both parents at that age...” He shook his head. “Makes a person a bit more hesitant, sometimes. Not easy to trust someone else.”
The observation struck Reed with unexpected force. Ava’s caution, her careful planning, her resistance to spontaneity—all of it made sense viewed through the lens of that early loss. And now he’d dragged her into the most impulsive decision possible, further destabilizing her carefully constructed life.
“Yeah,” he managed, unable to articulate the guilt suddenly weighing on him.
“Just make sure you’re doing right by her,” his father said, returning his attention to the grill. “She deserves that.”
Before Reed could respond, the patio doors slid open as his mother and Ava emerged carrying plates and serving dishes.
“Your wife is delightful, Reed,” his mother announced, placing a bowl of salad on the table with a flourish. “Though why she settled for you remains a mystery.”
“My charm and good looks, obviously,” Reed replied automatically, falling into the familiar banter even as his mind caught on the word “wife.”
“Those Campbell genes do count for something,” Diane conceded with a wink at Ava. “Though usually they take longer to work their magic. Three months, was it?”
Ava nodded, seamlessly supporting their cover story. “We wanted to be sure before telling everyone.”
“And then you decided to tell no one and just get married instead?” His mother’s tone remained light, but the question had teeth.
Reed intervened. “Mom, we’ve been over this. It was spontaneous, not secretive.”
“I’m just having trouble reconciling spontaneous with the Ava Spencer I’ve heard so much about from Dr. Ciponelli,” Diane said, arranging napkins with surgical precision. “He always describes you as methodical, careful, thorough.”
“I can be spontaneous,” Ava replied, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her voice.
“Clearly,” Diane smiled to ease the sting from her question. “And I’m thrilled you are, dear. We’ve wanted to see Reed settled for years. His older brother, Jared, shows no interest in leaving the military, much less settle down anywhere or with anyone.”
No one mentioned the missing brother, their middle son, Tyler, who died when he was barely a teen. Reed’s stomach clenched at the memory. Would he have been married by now with a couple of kids? Or would he have still been off chasing crazy adventures, never settling down for a minute? Jared was the complete opposite, a strict military, by the book kind of guy. Reed always felt he was somewhere in the middle, all of them defined by the one moment in time, deep in the woods, that summer afternoon.
His father rescued them by announcing dinner was ready, and conversation mercifully shifted to safer topics—hospital gossip, Reed’s younger cousin’s college plans, an upcoming charity gala for the hospitals his mother was organizing. Reed kept a careful eye on Ava throughout the meal, noting the way she picked at her food, the slight strain around her eyes despite her polite smiles.
She was trying so hard, answering his parents’ questions about her career plans, her medical specialties, her childhood in town. But Reed could see the toll it was taking, this performance coming so soon after what had clearly been a devastating conversation with her brother.
“So, will you be staying at the hospital here in town, then?” his mother asked as they finished dessert—his father’s famous grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream. “I know you were considering positions elsewhere before all this.”
Reed tensed. This was news to him. Ava had been considering leaving?
“I’m hoping to secure the permanent position in the ED,” Ava replied smoothly. “It’s competitive, but I’m optimistic. I would prefer to stay in Elizabethtown rather than move elsewhere. But I have to go where the work is. I like working in the Emergency Department. It’s the specialty I am focusing on.”
“Well, we certainly hope you stay,” his father said warmly. “Both of you. That house of Reed’s has always needed a woman’s touch.”
“Dad,” Reed warned, but Ava just smiled.
“It’s a beautiful home. You both have done a wonderful job helping Reed with it,” she said diplomatically. “I’m still figuring out where my things fit.”
An apt metaphor for their entire situation, Reed thought.
When they finally said their goodbyes an hour later, Reed could feel Ava’s exhaustion, like a physical presence between them in the truck. The tension she’d been holding all evening seemed to drain out of her as they pulled away from his childhood home, leaving her slumped against the passenger door.
“That wasn’t so bad,” he offered, trying for optimism.
“They think I trapped you,” she said quietly. “Or that I’m pregnant. Or both.”
Reed winced. His mother must have asked the same question as his father. He only hoped his mother was more delicate. “They’re just surprised. They’ll come around.”
They drove in silence for several minutes, the familiar streets of their hometown slipping by in the gathering dusk. When they stopped at a red light, Ava turned to him, her face illuminated by the glow of the street lamps.
“Have we ruined everything with our families?” she asked, her voice small. “This impulsive decision?”
The light turned green, but Reed didn’t immediately accelerate. The question hung between them, heavy with implications neither of them had fully considered in that Vegas hotel room.
“I don’t know,” he admitted finally, the truth easier than false reassurance. “I hope not.”
She nodded, turning back to the window, and Reed drove on, the weight of their shared deception pressing down on him with each passing mile.