Chapter 4
Miles
I drove to the party on autopilot, my brain replaying everything Logan had said, every tilt of his head and quirk of his full lips.
His gray eyes seemed tired, and where he used to wear his hair short, now the ends straggled past his ears without any effort at a style.
A year wasn’t long, but he’d seemed older, more worn.
Maybe that was the effect of another season at the lowest level of pro hockey, with the toll the sport takes on a guy’s body, and not much success to show for it.
Maybe his stress was making that journey alone for the past year.
I certainly felt much older than a year ago.
Although I was only assuming Logan was alone.
He was a great guy, hot, funny when you got to know him, with those cheekbones, that mouth, the hockey ass, and that kind heart.
Logan was the total package, as long as you didn’t ask him to come out.
Maybe there was some man in his apartment tonight who’d said, “Yeah, go help out your old buddy who’s in a jam. I know you’ll come home to me.”
That image should’ve made me happy for Logan, but frustration and loss rose to choke me. That could’ve been us, if… if…
I forced my mind away from that hypothetical situation and eased off the gas pedal.
Tonight’s fancy show-off-the-wealthy-people event was some kind of golf charity thing at a clubhouse on the most elite course in town.
I parked in the main lot for a fast getaway, rather than letting the valet have my keys, and walked up the hill to the front steps.
I’d put on my good slacks and jacket and wrapped a tie around my neck before getting in the car at Winters’ mansion.
I probably seemed a little mussed, but my clothes were in the right price range, and when I said I was a guest of Avery Winters, the doorman recognized me.
Inside, a throng of folks a generation older than me, dressed in designer wear, mingled, sipping drinks and chatting.
The background murmur of conversation had that typical brittle sound, voices artificially bright, laughter muted and for show.
I spotted Avery and her father across the room and headed their way.
A waiter interrupted me with a tray, and I took a glass of bubbly, to have something to do with my hands that wasn’t strangling that bigoted old man.
Avery looked miserable, her slim body sheathed in shimmering silk, her shoulders hunched.
Her father gripped her elbow with his big hand, and I had the impression of a small bird under the hunter’s grasp, frozen in the overwhelming need to shrink from notice.
Avery was lovely, and brilliant, and trapped.
No wonder Rachel, a crusader if there ever was one, had fallen so hard for her.
Avery saw me first and her face brightened. “Miles. So glad you could make it.”
“I wouldn’t have missed this.” I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against me, dislodging her father’s grip in the process. “I hope they’re raising great funds for… the charity.”
Winters said, “Some decent silent auction stuff. A signed Tiger Woods program I have my eye on.”
“I’m sure you’ll bid generously,” I replied, in part to tweak him since he prided himself on his sharp business practices and never paying a penny more for something than he had to.
“Of course.” Winters looked me up and down. “You didn’t make much of an effort tonight, did you? Your tie’s crooked.”
“Here.” Avery turned to face me. “I’ll fix it.”
I tried to silently ask how she was, widening my eyes while she tweaked my tie into place. She gave me a little headshake, which I couldn’t decipher beyond not great.
Winters said, “I want you to sue that man who put out the slander against you. There’s a time to ignore the muck-rakers and social-climbers, but this story’s spreading.
It makes Avery look bad. Get a lawyer, get the media articles squashed, and take the bastard to court.
He doesn’t look like he can afford representation.
I’m sure he’ll back down. Or pay him off, if that’s faster, but make sure you have a solid NDA in place. ”
I kept my tone mild. “I’ve found in my long career as a public figure that ignoring bad press is the best route to take.
” I was beyond pissed that Jayden had tattled on me to the media.
We’d had two dates, two hookups. He wasn’t a bad guy and he was broke, but there was a code of sorts, that you don’t betray your gay fuck-buddies to the straight world.
Maybe he thought he was doing it for Avery’s sake, warning her.
Maybe it was just about the money they’d no doubt paid him.
Since we had fucked, or at least sucked, I could hardly threaten legal action, and buying him off would look even more guilty.
Fuck this situation. I managed not to glare at Avery.
She’d been rescuing herself, and a little mud on my reputation was a small price to pay.
I snugged her against my side again instead.
“You can ignore what you want, when it’s only about you.” Winters poked my chest with a wide, manicured finger. “This affects my daughter.”
“I want to let it blow over too, Daddy,” Avery said from the safety of my hold.
“Well, the story’s spreading.” He frowned at her. “This isn’t some fairy tale. In real life, you have to protect what’s yours. I expect Buckner to step up and protect you from this slander.”
A stir in the crowd marked Winters’ bodyguard heading toward us, his phone in hand.
Shit. I dropped my arm off Avery, squeezed her hand in warning, and went for plan B.
“You don’t own me, Winters.” I was going to burn all my bridges with this man, but if things worked out, we wouldn’t need them after tonight.
“And you don’t own Avery. Neither of us wants to speak out and so we’re not going to.
If you don’t like being in the spotlight, you can wash your hands of Avery and let her go.
Stop trying to keep her under your thumb. ”
Winters folded his arms and glared at me. “Don’t you tell me how to handle my own daughter.”
“She’s twenty-two. She’s a grown adult. If she wants to live with a flawed guy like me, that’s her business.”
“You’re not flawed,” Avery protested. “You’re awesome.”
Winters barked a harsh laugh. “Not flawed? I didn’t raise you to stick your head in the sand, girl. And you, Buckner. Are you saying this accusation was true?”
“What if it was?” The bodyguard had almost reached us. I needed Winters focused on me. “All that matters is if Avery’s fine with what I do.” I glanced at her. “Are you upset with me for anyone I’ve slept with, Aves?”
“No, not at all,” she said firmly.
“So what you think is irrelevant,’ I told Winters.
The bodyguard said, “Mr. Winters—”
“Not now.” Winters focused the full force of his scowl on me. “You, Buckner, are you demanding that my daughter be okay with you sleeping with other men while you’re engaged to her? How dare you!”
“We weren’t engaged yet.” I cocked a hip, trying for an insolent tone. “And even if we were, there’s such a thing as open relationships.”
“No, there aren’t!” he thundered, shrugging off his bodyguard’s “Sir?” Winters stepped up to me, nose to nose. “How dare you disrespect Avery that way?”
I grinned and raised my chin, noting the moment when this six-foot-two middle-aged man realized he was trying to intimidate a six-five football player. “Are you going to stop me?”
He eased back but snarled, “I can and will! This engagement’s off. You’re not welcome around my daughter. Come, Avery.” He made a grab for her arm, but I swung Avery out of his reach.
“Ah, ah, ah,” I taunted him. “Grown woman. Her own choice.” Avery trembled under my hand, but we’d agreed not to back down.
“Avery. Get away from that man,” Winters demanded.
“No,” Avery said, softly but clearly, staring at the floor. “You should stay out of my life.”
“I what?” He stared at her. “You live in my house, you eat my food, I buy the clothes you wear. Even that ridiculous stuff you call art that doesn’t support one tenth of your lifestyle— I pay for all of that.”
“I don’t want you to.” Avery jerked up her gaze to meet his. “I’m sick of you thinking your money owns me. I’m leaving and I’m going to marry the person I love, and it has nothing to do with you.”
“Doesn’t it?” Winters laughed. “You’re a useless girl with a very expensive hobby. What are you going to do without all your tools and toys? Clean his house and mend his clothes? You’ll be crawling back in a month.”
“You forget one thing,” I reminded him. “I made twenty-one million dollars in a single season in the NFL. I played eleven years. If Avery wants to do her art— which, by the way, is not a hobby, but her career— I can easily afford the equipment to help her.”
His huff told me he had forgotten for a moment that he wasn’t the only rich man in this conversation.
“You’re a cheater, a man who slept with someone else while dating my daughter.
You’re not worth the mud on her shoes.” Winters pushed away the bodyguard’s touch on his arm.
“Wait your turn.” He focused on Avery. “If you marry this man, I’ll disown you. ”
I asked, “Avery, have you ever been upset about anyone I dated?”
A little smile brightened her eyes, despite everything. “No, Miles, not once.”
“You!” Winters stared at her. “What kind of woman are you? You’d let him walk all over you?”
Avery shook her head and straightened her shoulders.
“You want to know what kind of woman I am? You really want to know?” She glanced around at the crowd that had gathered, most of them clearly enjoying the drama in this boring venue, but when she turned back to her father, her chin was up.
I squeezed her shoulder, then let go. This was Avery’s show.