26. RHETT
RHETT
The weekend is a blur of emails and phone calls.
The little time that Avery and I get together is nothing short of blissful even with her constantly looking over her shoulder.
But it’s Sunday evening, and I’ve spent most of the day going over the medical records I managed to get from Robert’s doctor.
I have gone over the six months prior to his death with a fine-tooth comb, and there’s nothing.
Not a single thing that would indicate he had health issues.
It’s not all that surprising given he was fifty-nine years old and there is almost nothing to his file.
All routine checks are normal. There isn’t a single blood test that stands out.
There is quite literally jack shit to go on with the exception of the needle bruising recorded on his upper arm in the postmortem.
There’s no record of any vaccination in his medical file. He had no allergies, so an EpiPen is out. There was nothing out of the ordinary in his system. Toxicology is clean. I’m at a loss for possibilities. None of it makes sense.
Which is why I need to step away, because the words are all melding to one long strand of what the fuck were you thinking? And my gut just keeps on twisting tighter because the only thing that doesn’t add up is the fact that he’s dead.
“Doc.”
I look up from my MacBook, tipping my head back on the couch to find Avery standing behind me.
Her hair has grown and lightened since that first time I met her.
Coming closer, she removes my glasses before framing my face with her hands.
Everything brightens as she leans over me, her hair tickling my chest while she peppers kisses to my jaw.
There’s so much affection inside her that I find it impossible to understand how anyone could ever let her go or treat her badly. It’s impossible not to love her.
“You are too damn pretty, you know that?”
“I do now,” she replies with her smile pressing to mine. Her hands rove down my shoulders to my chest, meandering all the way down until she’s braced on my thighs, and I imagine she’s stretched up on her tiptoes, while I nip at her jaw.
“I’ve helped Jo to bed, tucked Iris in, and had a bath while you’re still working. No wonder you need glasses,” she chuckles into the top of my chest with a chaste kiss. “Time for a break, Dr. Reynolds.”
Setting my laptop beside me, she stands and proceeds to saunter all the way to the kitchen, looking back at me with a come-hither smirk that has my dick calling to attention with the rest of me as I start toward her.
Tan legs hold my attention as she opens the freezer, making a point of bending over and sticking her ass in the air to tease me.
Glancing back at me, she takes out the tub of Chunky Monkey Iris bought me as a gift for taking her surfing on Saturday mornings.
It’s become our thing. We catch some waves while Avery gets a little time to herself, and then we grab chocolate chip pancakes to go, along with Avery’s red velvet cupcake.
Looking over at the back porch when Avery goes out of sight, I smile at the small surfboard by the back door with her new wet suit hanging over it.
“You better not be eati—” I stop cold when I find her leaning over the kitchen side, her eyes screwed shut as she sways slightly. Rushing to her side, I ask, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m fine. Just a head rush…” She blinks her eyes open as I turn her toward me and sit her on the edge of the counter. Touching her forehead to mine, she chuckles, “It’s what I get for teasing you.”
“Instant karma,” I snicker in return while I grasp her wrist to check her pulse discreetly.
Her heart rate is crazy fast, I’d say about fifteen beats more than what I would consider normal. Instantly, my mind starts going back to her father’s postmortem report.
“Does this happen often?” I’ve never noticed it, but if this is something that she’s grown used to, she would know how to push through it without fuss.
“Rhett.” She looks me in the eyes as she says my name in that serious tone of hers that tells me not to press further. “I’m fine.”
I almost let it go, but then I just keep thinking how these sudden turns can be a symptom of SADS, and it terrifies me to the point that my own heart feels like it might give out at any point. There’s no way I can let this go without watching her like a hawk or driving myself insane with worry.
“I need you to answer my question.”
“No, it doesn’t happen often at all. My blood went to my head, and I got up too fast, that’s all.” With a sigh, she nuzzles into the crook of my neck, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “I was trying to be all sexy and seductive, and instead I killed the moment.”
Avery’s giggle makes me chuckle, easing the vice around my chest. Before things get serious again, she grabs the ice cream that’s to the side and pulls the drawer beside her legs open to pull out a spoon.
“Time for dessert!” she sings, offering me a spoon.
After I have the first mouthful, Avery helps herself to some. We’re a few spoons in when she asks, “Does that taste right to you?”
“Sure…banana ice cream,” I say, spooning another helping into my mouth. “Mmmm, fudge and walnuts…tastes like Chunky Monkey to me!”
“I think I’ve overindulged because it’s getting a little yucky to me.”
“I’m pretty certain that’s also karma for eating a whole tub of it to yourself in one sitting.”
“It was not the whole thing. I totally left you some.”
“Barely,” I tease her as I cover the tub and put it back in the freezer. She’ll probably come back for more later when we’re watching our next monsters of the deep movie. “What are we putting on tonight?”
“Deep Blue Sea or The Meg.” The excitement in her voice is all I need to make my world right.
When Avery is happy, it doesn’t matter what is going on around us or outside this place because our bubble is perfect.
I let her down and follow her to the couch, grabbing waters from the fridge in case she’s still feeling sick from all the sugar. “Did you want some Pepto-Bismol?”
“Umm…” Taking a pause from arranging the cushions to one side of the couch, she glimpses at me over her shoulder, face screwed up in deliberation before she replies, “No, I think I might need to cut back on the sugar… I feel bloated anyway, so…”
With a shrug she goes back to arranging what Iris likes to call the love boat—the couch and the long footstool pushed together to make a daybed.
“I’ve never heard of The Meg,” I say as she grabs her favorite blanket and waits for me to lie down on the couch before she stretches out on top of me.
Bliss.
It’s what we do on a Sunday evening after Jo and Iris have gone to sleep.
Our version of casual date night. I’ve discovered that Avery doesn’t enjoy going on fancy dates.
Simple and casual is her vibe, and I like that too.
It means having her all to myself, being able to hold her like this as we watch a movie and relax.
It’s true what people say: it is the smallest things in life that can make you the happiest. And this is the happiest I’ve ever been. Even with all the anxiety surrounding us.
The credits for the film start, and she pauses them to give me her lowdown on the trailer she’s no doubt watched a couple times or more already.
“Okay, this is basically a purposeful funny take on the Deep Blue Sea. Or at least that’s what the trailer made me think, but it doesn’t matter because Jason Statham’s in it and I love his accent. Besides, his films are always corny, so it’s a winner whatever happens.”
“Jason Statham, huh?” I peer down at her, and she looks up at me from under long lashes.
“Don’t be jealous, Doc, he might be pretty to look at, but he’s no you.”
With a wink, she plays the movie and pulls the blanket over us before stretching an arm up so she can play with my hair while I rub her back, and we steal another evening alone. Exactly what the doctor ordered.
“Please hold, Dr. Reynolds,” the receptionist tells me again, sounding almost as fed up as I am.
I’m getting pissed with the way Robert’s doctor keeps avoiding my calls. It’s only making me suspect that there really is something amiss. Why else would he refuse to talk to me? Especially after Avery had him send me the records as a matter of urgency.
“Let me guess,” Rowan scoffs, flipping his keys around his finger, “he’s busy?”
The phone line crackles back to life when the hold music halts, and the receptionist says, “I’m really sorry, but Dr. Haas is unavailable. I would be happy to take a message and pass it on so that he can get back to you.”
Broken records. I hate them, and a laugh escapes me at her awkward tone as she delivers the repeated message.
“I’ll call back.”
“Dr. Reynolds—”
“Goodbye.” Without another word, I put the phone down and look over at Rowan. “I think it’s time I pay him a visit.”
“Oh yeah?” he chuckles, getting to his feet as he checks the time. “What makes you think he’ll see you?”
“I’d say I’m pretty hard to miss.” Standing from my chair, I close my MacBook and slip it into my satchel before grabbing my jacket. “I can’t lay this to rest until I’ve figured out what went wrong.”
Pulling the truck keys from my pocket, I follow him out the door.
With Carl being around, I can’t risk him confronting Avery when she’s on her own.
He’s hurt her enough, and although there’s been no sign of him other than that one instance at the school…
I don’t trust him not be lurking in the shadows somewhere.
“Did you talk to Adrian?”
“Yeah, and he confirmed that Carl’s car is still on his drive in Washington. On Thursday morning he saw him go into the house, followed by his girlfriend, and he didn’t see him leave.”
“Well, maybe he’s losing his touch.”
“Rhett, Adrian’s the best of the best. I would trust him with my life and my kids’—fuck, I’ve trusted him with Callie’s. Adrian isn’t losing his touch. We think that Carl has someone helping him.”
“His girlfriend?” I ask as we take the stairs down and head for the car lot.