“I THOUGHT we were going to the beach,” Avery said as we drove down the highway.
I had been thinking about Avery all day. During my morning run along the beach, I thought about her pretty blue eyes. While I showered, I replayed her sitting on the kitchen counter, crying out my name with my fingers deep inside her. How sexy she had looked, stepping into the kitchen in only my t-shirt, and then pulling it off to expose her perfect tits. They fit perfectly into my hands, and the way her head fell back when I slid my tongue over her nipple—fucking hell.
I couldn’t stop thinking about last night, and it wasn’t even sex. It was hand stuff. That was it. She got me off with her hand like I was a horny teenager.
I thought about what it would feel like to put my mouth on her, and how incredible she must taste. I should have done that last night, but I was greedy and wanted to feel her squeeze around my fingers.
“We’re going to a different beach.” I shot her a sly look. “It’s a secret beach.”
I thought about her sleepy sigh of contentment in bed while I read Div’s email with poll results that showed me neck-and-neck with Isaac. I thought about the way her smile lit up the room when she made fun of me for being grossed out by turtles.
All day, I looked forward to coming home to Avery.
I never, ever thought I’d say this, but thank god for bedbugs.
I could do without washing machines, though. Washing machines had ruined my plan of having Avery either wearing only my t-shirts or nothing at all.
Her lips parted in surprise and her eyes lit up. “Oh, really?”
I nodded. “It’s a Rhodes family secret, though. You can’t tell a soul or you’ll be excommunicated.”
She laughed. “You’re telling me right now.”
Castle Beach was a secret, I wasn’t lying about that. It wasn’t on Google Maps or in any tourism brochures. Some locals knew about it, we’d seen them there, but the unspoken rule was we didn’t post about it on social media and didn’t direct tourists here. There were no repercussions, though.
Bringing Avery here felt right. She was the closest to a wife I’d ever get. She knew my parents, she was close with my mom, and she should know about the beach. I wanted to share it with her.
I grinned at her. “We’re getting married so it’s fine.”
We shared a glance, the we’ve got a secret look. My heart squeezed.
When I turned off the highway onto a dirt road, she wrenched around in her seat to look behind us. “I didn’t even know this road was here. I’m not sure I can find it again on my own.”
“I’ll have to bring you back.” I reached over and placed my hand on her thigh and she grinned out the window.
We bumped along the road and parked in a small clearing. Takeout and beach blanket in hand, I led her down a trail to the beach, holding her hand at the steep parts, even though she was wearing sneakers and capable of climbing down herself. My body craved her touch. Any excuse to put my hands on her, and I did it without hesitation. Even better, her mouth twitched up every time we made contact, which warmed my chest.
The path ended and turned to sand, and we stepped out onto the beach.
“Oh, wow.” Avery paused where the sand started and looked out at the sparkling water.
Castle Beach was in a small, protected cove. Across the water, the forest rose out of the sea. We had the beach to ourselves. A light breeze carried off the ocean, and it smelled fresh and clean. This was so much better than the popular beach in Queen’s Cove, which would be packed tonight.
“The sky looks so beautiful.” She sighed and shook her head with a wistful expression on her face. “We live in the most beautiful place on the planet.”
The blue sky stretched out endlessly, the thick green forest was lush as ever, and the sea sparkled. “We sure do.”
I kicked my shoes off and led us to a log down the beach we could sit against. She shook out the blanket and I unpacked the takeout as she took a seat and watched. I grinned at how her eyes lit up at the bottle of wine I pulled out.
“I grabbed it before we left,” I told her before pouring it into a couple travel mugs.
Her smile was shy. “Thanks for bringing me here.”
“Anytime. I like to run here in the mornings.”
She shook her head and gave me a teasing look. “Early bird.”
“You should try it. It’s nice waking up before everyone else. The water’s calm, it’s just you and the birds and the waves. It’s very serene.”
She started opening the takeout boxes with our sushi. “That’s what I like about being up late, after everyone has gone to bed. It feels like I’m the only person awake in the whole town, when it’s silent and all the lights are out. Sometimes I stay at the restaurant long past when everyone has gone home just to get work done. It’s peaceful.” She smiled softly at me and my chest panged.
We sat there, eating and talking and laughing and listening to the waves wash up against the shore, and the sun dipped lower in the sky. I enjoyed watching her eat. Something about procuring her food and seeing her enjoy it gave me satisfaction. The urge to feed and provide for my woman.
My woman? I sounded like a caveman.
I glanced at her again.
Mine.
The idea of anyone else putting their hands on Avery, even smiling at her like that fucking Carter guy, sent hot rage through my veins and made me furious.
Avery was mine. There was no doubt about that. I just didn’t know what to do about it. I was out of my depth here.
A giggle bubbled out of her and I gave her a curious look.
She grinned wider. “Remember when you thought I was gay because I didn’t like you?” She laughed again and her eyes glittered.
I snorted. “I also thought you’d be dutiful.”
“The joke was on you.” She ate another piece of salmon nigiri.
“It sure was.”
I had entered this arrangement thinking it would be so simple. We’d take a few photos for social media, I’d sign on the dotted line of her loan, and we’d part ways. Easy. Straightforward. Emotionless.
I swallowed. This thing I was doing with Avery, it was easy, but it was anything but straightforward or emotionless. I couldn’t imagine not spending time with her after this. I couldn’t imagine her moving out of my home or my life, which she fit so perfectly into. I wanted to drop by The Arbutus every day to chat with her over lunch until I was a hundred years old.
You don’t understand, Will had joked once when I made fun of him for not wanting to take a trip with me. You’re not the family kind of guy.
My chest tightened, and I brushed the confusing thoughts aside, bringing my attention back to the present. There were only two pieces of nigiri left.
“I can see why you like running a restaurant, if everyone eats like you,” I told Avery as she ate another piece.
She narrowed her eyes and chewed. “Is that a compliment? I can’t tell.”
“Of course it’s a compliment. You enjoy food. I bet it’s rewarding to watch people go home happy after eating at The Arbutus.”
A wistful look came over her face. “It is. I like standing near the bar and watching everyone talking and laughing. There were these two older women who came in the other day for lunch, and they stayed for three hours, drinking wine and laughing so hard they were crying, and I just knew they had been friends for twenty or thirty years.” She swallowed and smiled, remembering. “It was like I got a flash of who they were when they were young.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what it is. There’s something about the restaurant that’s special. Keiko and her family put so much into it and made it this important part of our community.” Her expression shuttered, just a moment, and she blinked. “I want to keep that going.”
I nodded. “You will. Everything worked out okay with the money?”
“Yes.” She glanced down at her hands and then back up at me. “Thank you for that.”
“Don’t mention it. Seriously.”
She gave me a grateful smile. Golden hour was starting, the hour before sunset when the last rays of sun cast a warm orange glow on everything, and her eyes glittered in the light. Behind us in the trees, hundreds of birds were chirping. “It’s like the birds are all saying goodnight to each other,” she observed, grinning.
I smiled at her and remembered something. “Wedding dress shopping must have gone well today.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Did someone show you a picture?”
I shook my head. “Saw a charge on my credit card.”
She sagged with relief. “Okay, good.” A smile grew on her face. “I don’t want you to see my dress until the wedding. It’s bad luck.”
“Are you happy with it?”
She couldn’t contain her grin and gave a little wiggle of excitement. “Yes. I am. It’s gorgeous. Oh, and I’ll pay you back for it. You shouldn’t have to pay for it, I’m sure you’re already paying enough for the wedding.”
“Absolutely not.” I was already shaking my head. Something that made her this excited, this happy? I’d pay for it a thousand times.
“Come on.” She gave me a flat look. “Emmett.”
“No.” My voice was stern. “I’m going to be blunt here.” I turned to her. “Remember what I told you before. I have lots of money and no one to spend it on. Myself? I have everything I need. My mom? I spoil her rotten. Let me buy you a pretty dress.”
She looked away but I could see her beaming from the way the apples of her cheeks rose. “Fine.”
“Fine,” I repeated, satisfied. “Also, Div asked me about your parents, and I wasn’t sure.”
She turned back to me. “What do you mean?” A little crease formed between her eyebrows.
“He wants to know if they’re coming. Something about a seating chart.”
The crease deepened and she pressed her mouth into a tight line.
Something was wrong. “Adams? What’s going on?”
“My dad is a dick,” she blurted out.
I blinked at her.
She wrung her hands. “Okay, maybe not a dick. He doesn’t mean to be, but he just kind of… sucks.” She winced. “That sounds bad. I’m a bad person. He’s just slippery, and I’ve been putting off inviting him. I know I have to,” she told me. “And I will. I’ve just been procrastinating.” She frowned and studied her hands, twirling my ring around her finger.
Watching the anxiety on her face, the way her mouth pressed into an unhappy line, it broke my goddamn heart.
“You don’t have to invite him. It’s our wedding. We can do whatever we want.”
She winced. “What if he finds out? He’d be crushed.”
Uncertainty crossed her face and she looked so different from the confident and self-assured Avery I knew. I opened my arms. “Come here.” I gestured for her to slide closer.
A moment of hesitation crossed her face before she scooted over, and I pulled her against me so her back rested against my chest, her head tucked under my chin, and we both watched the ocean. Comfort hummed in my chest, and she relaxed against me. This was better, much better.
“If you don’t want him there, you’re allowed to say no.” My voice was a murmur into her hair as my arms pulled over her chest, locking her against me. Her hair smelled incredible, and it took everything I had not to bury my face in her neck. “What do you think he’ll do?”
She sighed, and I rubbed my hand up and down her arm. I hated seeing her like this, anxious and uncertain.
“I don’t even know how to describe him.”
“Try.”
“He’s the most charming, friendly, funny guy you’ve ever met.” Her tone was contemplative, and I wished I could see her face. “He’s everyone’s best friend and so passionate about life. Everything is more fun with him around. He’s the life of the party.” Her voice changed to a more hesitant tone. “And he has all these big ideas.”
She paused.
Oh. It hit me. He was like me.
“Did I tell you my parents had a restaurant when I was a kid?”
“No,” I murmured into her hair. “You didn’t.”
She nodded. “They did. My mom always wanted to have a restaurant, my grandparents had one for a bit and she loved it. She saved all her money, worked two jobs when I was young, and when I was twelve, they bought a place.” She tensed beneath me, and I rubbed her arm again. “My dad was so excited, and he has the kind of personality where he kind of takes over things.” She shrugged. “He took over her dream. He had all these grand ideas and he totally changed the place.” A low noise of irritation came out of her throat. “He spent all their money on his grand ideas.”
She exhaled slowly.
This was starting to make sense. Avery was starting to make more sense. Anger seeped into my bloodstream at this guy who had failed to take care of his family, failed to create the best life possible for them, and instead dragged them down with his impulses and poor business choices.
I worked to keep my voice neutral. “What happened to the restaurant?”
“It went out of business, of course, because he didn’t know what the fuck he was doing, but by the time my mom figured that out, he was gone.”
My eyebrows rose in alarm. “Gone? He left?”
She shrugged. “Yep. He said it wasn’t his dream, it was my mom’s dream, and he had to pursue his own passions.”
Rage. White-hot rage. Furious, unbridled rage rattled through my body.
What kind of person did that? What kind of father and husband left his family, especially after he had dug their grave of debt?
“He’s not coming to the wedding,” I growled.
“I can’t not invite him.” She didn’t sound like she believed that.
I shook my head. “He’s not coming.”
She was quiet a moment before she nodded and relaxed against me. “Okay. He’s not coming.”
We were quiet again, staring at the setting sun, the splashes of color across the sky.
A thought struck me and I frowned. “You know I’d never do that to you, right? Not that you need me for anything. You’re so fiercely independent and I can see why now.” I swallowed. “But you need to know I would never do something like that.”
She nodded. “I know,” she whispered. She turned her head and caught my gaze before nodding again. “I know.”
“Good.”
We sat there for a long time, listening to the waves and watching the water crash against the shore, watching the sun fall lower and lower. Something had changed between us with that conversation. All the cards were out on the table. This was why Avery didn’t like me for so long. It was because I reminded her of her dad.
Rage spiked my bloodstream again. That fucking asshole. I’d never met the guy but I hated him for what he did to Avery, how he made her feel uncertain and confused. Fathers should be like Will, devoted and consistent and adoring.
I would never let Avery down like her dad had. I wasn’t like Will—I didn’t know what kind of guy I was anymore—but I sure as hell was going to live up to Avery’s expectations.
