Page 41 of Against The Tide

“Including you.”

“Especially me, sunshine.”

“The absurd thing about it all is that I know you’re a good man, Rhett. Your past doesn’t change anything you’ve done for me. It just hits home too damn hard, and I need time…to process and to deal with all…this stuff.” One of her hands flattens to the side of her head. “Maybe I need to talk to someone. I don’t know… All I’m certain of right now is that I need time.”

“Take all the time you need,” I tell her, turning my palm up to catch her lingering fingers in my hand.

A breath escapes her when I stand, her body almost touching mine. Avery is tall and slim, making her fit perfectly with me when I close the distance and press a kiss to her forehead, relishing the heat of her body as she closes the gap between us.

“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

“Time and space are two very different things, sweetheart.”

CHAPTER 13

AVERY

Two weeks until school starts and I’m really freaking nervous about what I’m doing. Am I staying, or am I going back?

Then I start wondering why I still haven’t heard anything in regard to the documents filled at court almost over a week ago. I know Carl is going to come back at me for filing for divorce and sole guardianship. Especially when he’s meant to be looking like a stand-up citizen. When he finds out he’s going to make my life hell. And I’m trying to keep myself on guard and ready for anything. But the waiting is killing me, making me paranoid and jumpy.

I’m so desperate and ready to be done with all this and move on that I keep going over the conversation I had with Uncle Mike about it last night. He said he would see what he could do to help seeing as he plays golf with a couple of judges Dad was also friends with. Although it would probably help if I wasn’t in a different city, or so he keeps telling me.

I keep walking around, aimlessly picking fruit to maybe distract myself. It doesn’t work, though—nothing does, because if I’m not stressing over Carl, I’m pining and confusing myself over Rhett.

“Mommy, can I go help Doc now?” Iris asks, handing me a couple of apples she’s picked from the lower branches. “Please? Please, please, please?”

Attempting to ignore her puppy dog eyes, I look ahead only to be greeted by Jo’s narrowed stare.

“Stop it,” I snap at her, turning away.

Whenever Rhett’s here, she can’t stop giving me all these crazy, pushy signals to talk to him. Over the last few days, I’ve managed to avoid him somewhat with his long hours and busy schedule. When we do see each other, it’s awkward. Mostly down to me because every time he’s near me, it’s hard to keep my distance. Especially with Iris following him around all the damn time.

“Pleeeeease? Please can I go help Rhett with the horses?”

“Fine.” I relinquish on my plan to put space between us even though he’s been here almost every day, making good on his promise to give me time but invade my space.

With a squeal Iris runs toward the stables, not giving me one single backward glance.

“How long are you going to avoid him?” Jo asks when I turn to help her pick some more apples.

The food bank in town is having a special treat day tomorrow, and Jo has volunteered to make fresh apple pies for them.

“I’m not avoiding anyone.”

“Oh, sorry, I assumed that you were pushing him away after your conversation at the beach. You know, him being divorced and the reasons behind it…”

“Fine, I’m avoiding him. I’m purposefully staying away from him so that I don’t do something stupid.”

Dropping the apples in the basket on the ground, she pats Wave’s head when she fetches another nearby. Meanwhile, I keep waiting for her to say something. She always has something to say. It’s one of the things that has made the last two weeks at the ranch easier to handle.

“I’m guessing that by stupid you mean giving Rhett a chance?”

“Jo…” I sigh in defeat, looking in the direction of the stables again. “A chance for what? I told you, as I told him, I need time. I need to figure my life out.”

“No, you need to be happy. Figure that out first.” With a shrug she goes back to picking some more fruit, leaving me to think about what she said.

I watch while Rhett and Iris go in and out of the stables, carting the old hay and poop in the wheelbarrow. Even though they’re too far for me to hear her laughter, I can see it as Iris tips her head back and her entire body vibrates with it.