Yeah, he just might. But he had a long road ahead of him. He wasn’t truly happy working at Benson, Benson, and Hart, his uncle’s construction firm. Chris had never been an Erector Set kind of kid. Always, he’d been the boy with a bat and glove.
“Who are you taking to Ed’s wedding?” Chris asked as he peeked through the groceries and pulled out a bag of Doritos.
“Just that guy Paul from college.”
“Paul? Gay Paul?”
“Safe date, right?”
“Sounds good to me. Thought he had a boyfriend.”
“He does, but I’m not much of a threat.” She laughed. “It looks like you don’t need help with anything today. I guess I’ll head out.”
Chris pulled open the bag of chips. “You don’t have to hurry out.”
“I have a last fitting on my dress for the wedding. And then Darcy is taking us out to lunch.”
“Ah, girlie things?”
“And my mom arranged for a limo to pick us all up and take us to a spa.” Her faced glowed with excitement.
His Aunt Simone had been born into wealth and luxury. When he’d first met her, she screamed oil heiress.
But Avery’s grandfather had taken away her wealth when Simone became pregnant with Avery out of wedlock. To add insult to injury the Parisian heiress was in love with a common American. Even as a young man Christian remembered when the woman, who once strutted around in designer clothes and high heels with her fingernails perfectly manicured, struggled to make ends meet. Simone had taken a simple job, moved in with a stranger, and learned that there were many others who could use a helping hand.
He pushed his shoulders back a little more. If a Parisian oil heiress could learn humility, so could he. Sure, his aunt eventually got her trust fund back and Avery would never need for anything, but there she was, in his kitchen unpacking the groceries she’d bought with her own measly paycheck. Her long black hair was up in a ponytail, or a knot, or something he’d seen girls do when they didn’t care how they looked. But Avery Keller still looked beautiful.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” She asked opening his refrigerator, taking out an Izzy and opening it.
“Just thinking about how happy everyone around me is. My brother is getting married. My sister is married and is living on a tour bus.” He licked the Dorito dust from his fingers. “You have a great new job. Spencer graduates college soon…” he stopped.
“And Ty is M.I.A.” She set the drink on the counter.
Christian felt the ache in his gut. “No one has heard from him?”
“I think Spencer has, but he won’t break that brother confidentiality.”
Christian understood that bond. He had that with Ed. But the fact that his cousin had up and left to “find himself” still didn’t sit well with the close knit Kellers.
His self-help time was completely understood. Christian was sure that if a woman came into his life claiming to be his sister that he’d never known about, he too would have to flee.
They all knew Tyler would come around. The question was when. After all, it was his long lost sister who was getting married to Ed. Wouldn’t Tyler want to be there for that?
Avery pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and checked the time before picking her drink back up and taking a sip.
“So who are you taking to the wedding?”
“No one.”
“Why not?”
“I haven’t been too social lately. Can’t think that anyone would want to go with me.”
She nodded. “I hear Tori’s going to be there—with the kids,” she added quickly.
“I heard that too.” He folded the top of the Dorito bag over and set it on the table. “Thought maybe it would be my opportunity to amend things. You never know where it could lead.”
Avery studied him and then pursed her lips. This meant she knew something. He’d seen her make that face many times.
“What’s up? You know something.”
She shook her head and sipped from her can again. “It’s nothing. I need to get going.”
“Now your cheeks are flushing. You’re lying.”
“I am not,” she started toward the door.
“Avery,” his voice resonated his desperation.
She turned around and dropped her shoulders. “Tori marked the RSVP card that she was bringing the kids and a date.”
The thought that she might bring a date or even that she might have someone in her life had never crossed Chris’s mind. It was completely possible that Tori had moved on.
Suddenly the smell of fresh cut grass was a bit too much to take. Chris waited for Avery to leave and then he closed all the windows and pulled all the blinds.
Chapter Three
Nashville couldn’t be lacking in spring wedding attire, but every store Victoria looked in, she was sure the town was dry.
She hated leaving the kids with a sitter, but she had to find a dress—the right dress. A knock-your-socks-off dress. But it didn’t look as though it was going to happen.
Stuck in the back of her closet she had a dress she loved. Once upon a time it had been her favorite.
Chris had bought it for her one day. Okay, she admitted to herself, not just one day. The day. The very day he proposed to her.
She pushed through yet another rack of unappealing dresses. There was no way she’d show up to his brother’s wedding wearing her own engagement dress. It was time to put the thought of Christian Keller out of her head. He wasn’t the man she thought he was and she didn’t have time to waste pining on him.
Scott Foster had been asking her out for months and she’d finally accepted, on the terms that he’d attend the wedding with her and the kids. He’d graciously accepted.
Scott understood the world she’d been thrust into. He was caring for his ailing mother, but he knew what it was to become care taker of someone you never thought you’d have to take care of. Christian Keller, on the other hand, couldn’t even seem to take care of himself.
Victoria pushed aside yet another dress and let out a breath. Maybe it was a mistake to even go to the wedding. Darcy and Ed would understand, wouldn’t they? It was just too hard. It just couldn’t happen. It…
“Tori!”
She spun around at the calling of her name to see Christian’s mother and sister hurrying toward her.
“Who are you taking to Ed’s wedding?” Chris asked as he peeked through the groceries and pulled out a bag of Doritos.
“Just that guy Paul from college.”
“Paul? Gay Paul?”
“Safe date, right?”
“Sounds good to me. Thought he had a boyfriend.”
“He does, but I’m not much of a threat.” She laughed. “It looks like you don’t need help with anything today. I guess I’ll head out.”
Chris pulled open the bag of chips. “You don’t have to hurry out.”
“I have a last fitting on my dress for the wedding. And then Darcy is taking us out to lunch.”
“Ah, girlie things?”
“And my mom arranged for a limo to pick us all up and take us to a spa.” Her faced glowed with excitement.
His Aunt Simone had been born into wealth and luxury. When he’d first met her, she screamed oil heiress.
But Avery’s grandfather had taken away her wealth when Simone became pregnant with Avery out of wedlock. To add insult to injury the Parisian heiress was in love with a common American. Even as a young man Christian remembered when the woman, who once strutted around in designer clothes and high heels with her fingernails perfectly manicured, struggled to make ends meet. Simone had taken a simple job, moved in with a stranger, and learned that there were many others who could use a helping hand.
He pushed his shoulders back a little more. If a Parisian oil heiress could learn humility, so could he. Sure, his aunt eventually got her trust fund back and Avery would never need for anything, but there she was, in his kitchen unpacking the groceries she’d bought with her own measly paycheck. Her long black hair was up in a ponytail, or a knot, or something he’d seen girls do when they didn’t care how they looked. But Avery Keller still looked beautiful.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” She asked opening his refrigerator, taking out an Izzy and opening it.
“Just thinking about how happy everyone around me is. My brother is getting married. My sister is married and is living on a tour bus.” He licked the Dorito dust from his fingers. “You have a great new job. Spencer graduates college soon…” he stopped.
“And Ty is M.I.A.” She set the drink on the counter.
Christian felt the ache in his gut. “No one has heard from him?”
“I think Spencer has, but he won’t break that brother confidentiality.”
Christian understood that bond. He had that with Ed. But the fact that his cousin had up and left to “find himself” still didn’t sit well with the close knit Kellers.
His self-help time was completely understood. Christian was sure that if a woman came into his life claiming to be his sister that he’d never known about, he too would have to flee.
They all knew Tyler would come around. The question was when. After all, it was his long lost sister who was getting married to Ed. Wouldn’t Tyler want to be there for that?
Avery pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and checked the time before picking her drink back up and taking a sip.
“So who are you taking to the wedding?”
“No one.”
“Why not?”
“I haven’t been too social lately. Can’t think that anyone would want to go with me.”
She nodded. “I hear Tori’s going to be there—with the kids,” she added quickly.
“I heard that too.” He folded the top of the Dorito bag over and set it on the table. “Thought maybe it would be my opportunity to amend things. You never know where it could lead.”
Avery studied him and then pursed her lips. This meant she knew something. He’d seen her make that face many times.
“What’s up? You know something.”
She shook her head and sipped from her can again. “It’s nothing. I need to get going.”
“Now your cheeks are flushing. You’re lying.”
“I am not,” she started toward the door.
“Avery,” his voice resonated his desperation.
She turned around and dropped her shoulders. “Tori marked the RSVP card that she was bringing the kids and a date.”
The thought that she might bring a date or even that she might have someone in her life had never crossed Chris’s mind. It was completely possible that Tori had moved on.
Suddenly the smell of fresh cut grass was a bit too much to take. Chris waited for Avery to leave and then he closed all the windows and pulled all the blinds.
Chapter Three
Nashville couldn’t be lacking in spring wedding attire, but every store Victoria looked in, she was sure the town was dry.
She hated leaving the kids with a sitter, but she had to find a dress—the right dress. A knock-your-socks-off dress. But it didn’t look as though it was going to happen.
Stuck in the back of her closet she had a dress she loved. Once upon a time it had been her favorite.
Chris had bought it for her one day. Okay, she admitted to herself, not just one day. The day. The very day he proposed to her.
She pushed through yet another rack of unappealing dresses. There was no way she’d show up to his brother’s wedding wearing her own engagement dress. It was time to put the thought of Christian Keller out of her head. He wasn’t the man she thought he was and she didn’t have time to waste pining on him.
Scott Foster had been asking her out for months and she’d finally accepted, on the terms that he’d attend the wedding with her and the kids. He’d graciously accepted.
Scott understood the world she’d been thrust into. He was caring for his ailing mother, but he knew what it was to become care taker of someone you never thought you’d have to take care of. Christian Keller, on the other hand, couldn’t even seem to take care of himself.
Victoria pushed aside yet another dress and let out a breath. Maybe it was a mistake to even go to the wedding. Darcy and Ed would understand, wouldn’t they? It was just too hard. It just couldn’t happen. It…
“Tori!”
She spun around at the calling of her name to see Christian’s mother and sister hurrying toward her.
