18. Avery
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Avery
“Lyles,” I groan, letting my head fall against the back of the couch.
“What?” she says, turning to face me from where she’s kneeling on the floor by the coffee table.
“I’m so tired.”
“Did you not sleep good last night?” she asks.
I’m definitely not going to tell her that fantasies about one, two, or maybe even three of her uncles kept me up far too late last night. Since the night I spent with Miles and Owen a few days ago, I’ve been able to think of little else.
It doesn’t help that every interaction with their stubborn older brother stokes a confusing fire inside of me.
Why do they all have to be fine as hell?
I just shrug. “I don’t know. I’m just struggling here.”
She giggles, choosing a different marker to color with. An idea pops into my head and I sit upright.
“Oooh… let’s go to Peak Brews. I could probably go for an injection of caffeine right now, but I’ll settle for an iced coffee.”
“I don’t know what that means, but they have bomb chocolate muffins. I’m down,” she says, clicking the cap back on her marker.
“That’s my girl. Let’s go.”
The thought of caffeine alone is already adding a pep to my step. We quickly slip into our shoes and head out to my car.
I pause, seeing something behind the guest house. “What’s that?”
Lyla walks beside me as we round the house. In the grassy area behind my little temporary home sit two huge Adirondack chairs with a small table between them.
“Where did these come from?”
I didn’t realize I said that out loud until Lyla answers me. “I think that’s what Will brought home in those big boxes yesterday. I heard him working in the garage last night.” She walks over to sit in one of them. “Maybe he was building them.”
What? Will bought these for me? No…
There’s no way. The guest house is his. It isn’t just for me. It’s for whoever will stay here after I’m gone.
A sharp pain shoots through my chest at the thought of not living here anymore.
“It’s really comfy,” Lyla says, leaning all the way back in the chair. It’s so big it looks like it’s swallowing her up.
I laugh, sitting down in the other chair. Leaning back, I gaze up at the sky. All I want to do is sit out here and read a good book.
Oh… and caffeine.
“Come on, Lyles. Let’s go get our fix. Me caffeine. You sugar.”
“Lyla,” Emory says, setting her chocolate muffin on the counter. She slides my coffee toward me.
I clutch it to me, like someone is going to snatch it away. Emory lets out a chuckle.
“Enjoy,” she says before turning to help the next customer in line.
I’ve gotten to know Emory over the last month with my coffee runs here and there. I’ve tried to space them out, but their coffee is just so damn good.
I don’t get any fancy drinks, but whatever they put in their cold brew is crack for my soul.
Lyla laughs at me when I sigh dramatically after taking my first sip. “Want to go sit outside?” I ask her.
She nods, nibbling at the top of the muffin.
“You must be Avery,” an older lady says out of nowhere. She’s sitting at a nearby table with another older woman. They both have permed white hair, and their shirts look like a garden exploded on them.
“That would be me,” I say, taking a step in their direction. How they know my name, I have no idea. They seem nice enough, though.
“I’m Louise and this is Martha,” she says, pointing to the woman sitting across from her.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, taking another sip of my drink.
“You too,” she says, turning to look at Lyla. “Hi, Miss Lyla.”
There’s a tenderness in her gaze. This woman might be a bit forward, but obviously she has a good heart.
“Hey Miss Louise and Miss Martha,” Lyla says with a little bit of sass in her tone, which makes both older women smile.
“How did you know my name?” I ask.
Martha swats her hand in the air. “It’s a small town, sweetheart. Everyone knows everything. Plus, you’re fresh meat. Everyone going to talk about it.”
“More like you’re going to gossip about it,” Lyla mumbles under her breath, hiding her mouth behind her muffin.
I use my own cup to hide my snort. Luckily, neither of them seems to notice.
“So, are you staying in town or just passing through for the summer?” Louise asks.
“Just here for the summer,” I tell her. When I look down at Lyla, there’s sadness in her eyes.
As quickly as it arrived, it vanishes with a few quick blinks.
“Hmm,” Louise hums. “Those bosses of yours are mighty fine, though.”
“Eww,” Lyla says, cringing.
I have to side with Louise on this one. “They are all very handsome,” I say, instead of saying that they’re all hot enough to make my panties magically disappear.
Both ladies give me a loaded look that I can’t quite decipher. Maybe it’s their extra years of being here on Earth or their gained wisdom, but I feel like they know something that I haven’t quite figured out myself.
On our way to my car, we decide to stop by the hardware store to say hi.
Pulling into the parking lot, my eyes immediately fly to Miles and Owen, who are unloading a truck full of lumber with two other men.
They’re both sweaty and delicious. I want to crawl up them like they’re sexy coconut trees.
A pounding on the window snaps me out of my daze.
It’s Lyla. She must have already climbed out of the car while I was ogling her uncles.
Great.
I should be looking anywhere else as we walk across the parking lot, but I can’t. My eyes stay fixed on them.
They both sense our presence at the same time.
“Hey, pretty ladies,” Miles shouts.
Lyla waves but keeps walking.
“Are you going to go give them a hug?” I ask her because that’s usually what she does.
“They’re all sweaty,” she says, cringing as she skips into the store.
Miles gives me a wink before picking up another piece of wood. Owen is still just staring. It feels like he’s drilling through me, heart and soul.
“Aves,” Lyla groans. She’s holding the door open, waiting for me. I spare one last look toward the guys before walking inside.
Lyla beelines for the break room.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“To get a snack.”
“You just ate a muffin.”
“And?”
A few of the workers who are sitting at the table start chatting with her as she grabs a bag of chips from the cupboard.
“Lyles, I’m going to go talk to Will,” I tell her.
She nods and goes back to eating. Kids.
I wasn’t planning on talking to Will, but now that we’re here, I need to know. I knock twice on his door before peeking my head in. “Hey.”
He’s leaning over his desk, typing away. His face softens when he sees me. I don’t understand why, but I like that. I like it a lot.
“Is everything okay?” he asks, turning his chair to face me more.
I take a few steps inside. “Yeah, everything is fine. We were at Peak Brews and Lyla wanted to say hi.” I chuckle. “I actually think she just wanted more to eat. You’re probably going to need to buy more chips for the break room.”
He laughs, leaning back in his chair. “She eats a lot.”
“Yeah, she does.” There’s an awkward pause, so I just blurt it out. “Did you buy the new chairs?”
There’s no need to specify which chairs. By the look on his face, he knows.
“I did.”
“Thank you. They’re really nice.”
I expect him to play it off or say he did it for some reason that has nothing to do with me. I’m surprised when he says, “I thought they would be more comfortable for you to read in out there.”
A flutter of warmth passes through me. He got them for me.
“So, you’ve been watching me,” I say, tilting my head to the side.
He sighs, running his fingers through his already tousled hair. “Despite my best efforts and better judgment, yes.”
This makes me smile.
“Is that why you bought two chairs?” I ask.
He hesitates for a moment, like there’s something he wants to say but won’t let himself.
“I thought you might want to sit out there with Lyla.” He pauses, taking a deep breath. “Or one of my brothers.”
Oh, how I wish he would have mentioned himself somewhere in there.
It’s obvious there’s an attraction between Will and me. Maybe I just need to let it go. I have Owen and Miles… at least for the rest of the summer.
Maybe I don’t want to let it go, though. Maybe I want Will, too. Call me crazy. Call me greedy. I don’t care. It’s an indisputable fact.
I want Will Kingston. He could be the cherry on top of this spicy summer sundae.
I peek back at him as I walk out the door. “Thanks for the chairs, Will.”
Our eyes stay locked until the door closes between us, severing the heavy tension between us that’s getting thicker with each passing day.