“Of course.” Wyatt leaned forward too, ready for the golden nugget of insight.
“Finally admitting my feelings for Michelle. When I stopped running from her, the rest of my life fell into place.” Tyler grinned.
There it was again. The theme of love changing the course of someone’s life. The men in the family had done well with picking a mate…with
the exception of Corbett. Or so he thought at first. But after hearing Tyler’s tales of his ex-sister-in-law Eden and how J.J. bounced back to find true love with Sam, he felt hopeful for his brother again. It also confirmed that he was in more trouble than he’d first thought about Avery. Weren’t they too young to think about anything else but having sex? But something in him knew he wanted
more than just that from her. They had a special relationship, and he didn’t want to ruin it.
He and Tyler continued to talk until lunchtime. Then they walked out to the main reception area to see Corbett talking to Anna Beth.
“Corbett, what are you doing here?” Wyatt asked, suddenly wary. Had his other brother decided to pile on with this pick-a-career stuff?
“I started my vacation
early,” Corbett replied. “I remembered you said you were visiting Bo today. I thought I’d drop by and take my brothers to lunch.”
“Wow.” He knew his brother and that was total crap. Something was going on. And it looked as if it had less to do with him and more to do with Anna Beth. “I’ll go get Bo.”
“That’s not necessary. Anna Beth was kind enough to let him know I was here.” He smiled
at her.
“Anna Beth is a sweetheart isn’t she?” Tyler said.
“She’s the best.” Bo said as he approached the reception area. “Tyler, you want to join us for lunch? Channing got caught up in a conference call and said for you to go ahead but to bring him something back.”
“Sure. If you guys don’t mind me horning in on your brotherly lunch.”
“You’re always welcome, Tyler,” Corbett
said. “We’re family.”
“OK. Let me grab my cell phone.” Tyler walked back to his office.
Anna Beth retrieved the menu from her desk. “Bo, I’m heading down to the cafeteria. I can see if Channing wants anything.”
“Great,” Bo replied.
Wyatt caught Bo’s attention and gave a subtle nod at Corbett.
“But,” Bo clumsily continued, “you’ll be dining with us today. I never got
to take you to lunch for your anniversary at Blake Enterprises.”
She beamed. “Oh, that’s not necessary. You guys got me that Caribbean vacation package and the Rolex watch. That was more than generous.”
“No, I’d intended to take you out, but the wedding stuff got nuts. You’re dining with us today.”
“We’d love for you to join us,” Corbett blurted out. “You’ll bring some class
to our table. You can even pick the venue.”
“S-sure,” Anna Beth stammered.
“Anna Beth, please,” Wyatt begged. “I need meat in my diet.”
“You know I can’t say ‘no’ to you. You’re just too darn cute.” She patted his cheek. “We’ll go to the steakhouse. I can get a cobb salad there.”
Wyatt turned back to see the rest of the men rolling their eyes, but Corbett’s expression said
“cut it out.” As Wyatt got into the elevator and stood next to Anna Beth, Corbett subtly nudged him out of the way so he could stand beside her. Wyatt grinned, grateful that his brother seemed to be bouncing back from his break-up with Courtney.
He’d accomplished a lot on his first day. Bo’s expectations had been tempered and he now felt like his brother understood why it had been taking
him so long to announce future plans. Tyler’s talk made him feel better knowing he wasn’t alone at the indecisive point in his life and gave him hope that at the end of his journey, he’d come out a well-rounded person too. Instead of dreading his time here, he found himself looking forward to spending more time at Blake Enterprises.
Now if he could only have things go so seamlessly with
Avery…
CHAPTER SEVEN
Wyatt jumped out of his jeep and hightailed it into the Bright Star. He didn’t mean to be so late, but he’d been having so much fun with Tate in his recording studio, he’d lost track of time. It was a treat to see his creative process, which included a teleconferenced jam session with his band. The business of music was more
complicated than he thought. There were conference calls to the label, new music concept debates, marketing planning sessions for the upcoming album and tour. These days Tate kept the tour intimate, playing smaller venues and few cities. It was important to him that he not be away from Isabelle and the kids too long.
When they’d taken a break for lunch, Tate hadn’t laid the career talk on
too thick. He’d just talked about how he’d loved playing the guitar since he was a little kid. Strumming on the instrument helped him work through a lot of things with his birth parents, who’d come and gone from his life over the years. It had been therapeutic, but one day the stress-relieving jam sessions turned into real music, and he’d been creating it ever since.
Wyatt wasn’t musically
inclined, but he got what the country music crooner was saying. Music was the inspiration for many things in his life, and he’d someday find what inspired him. Tate had also told him that marrying Isabelle and having a family with her was the best thing that ever happened to him and had enhanced his love of music. He’d said a good woman would do the same thing for him too.
He’d noticed lately
that the men in the family weren’t finishing their sentences with
as long as it wasn’t Avery
. For years they’d terrorized him and reminded him she was off limits. They now seemed to be treating him like an adult…and he liked it. After lunch, they’d gone back into the studio, and Tate let him mind the console while he laid down a few tracks. When Wyatt got ready to leave, Tate offered to let him
come along as a roadie on the upcoming tour. He was so excited about the offer he’d left his cell phone in the recording studio.
Now Wyatt hustled inside the Bright Star and stepped behind the bar. “Cal. Sorry I’m late. I left my cell phone at Tate’s, so I couldn’t call.”
“Boy, I think you’d be late to your own funeral.” Cal gave him a sideways glance. “Tate called here. He said someone
would be coming by with your phone later.”
“But I did stop and get the lemons you asked for.” He held up the bag. “Looks like I got here just in time. It’s a full house.”
“Yeah, your friend Kelly is here. She’s been to the bar three times asking if you arrived yet.”
Wyatt groaned.
Cal only grinned. “I remember the days when I was a handsome young buck. I had to beat the
ladies off with a stick.”
“It’s more trouble than it’s worth,” Wyatt replied, grabbing a pint and heading to the taps to fill an order from one of the regulars.
Wyatt busied himself taking orders from the patrons seated at the bar. He liked working there. He was fast and didn’t skimp on the liquor so he got good tips. It was especially nice to hang out with Cal because he’d tell Wyatt
stories about his mom, Bonnie, and Bo Sr. Cal’s version of the couple was a frenzy of colorful escapades that had resulted in their marriage.
A few hours into his shift, he saw a cutie waving frantically at him from the door. She reminded him of Avery. He squinted to get a better look. That
was
Avery. He stalked over to the door and held it open with his foot, but stood in front of it to
make sure she didn’t try to come in. “Avery. You’re not allowed in here.”
“Nice to see you too.” She put her hand on her hip. “Are you mad because you can’t run away from me?”
“No. Of course not. But Cal’s going to call the ranch, and you’ll get into trouble.” He stepped to the side to let patrons in.
“I came to bring you this.” She handed him the phone. “I was at the ranch riding
Comet and having dinner later with Parker. I offered to bring it to you.”
“Oh.” He gaped at it, feeling stupid. “Thanks.”
“Not worried I snooped?”
“You wouldn’t do that. You have a rigid code of ethics.” He put it in his pocket. “You wouldn’t find anything anyway.”
“This place is a little off the beaten track for your snooty neighbor.” She nodded at Kelly and her friend
in a booth in the corner.
“Rick told her I worked here.” He held up his hand signaling to Rusty, the new bartender, that he needed five minutes. “You should probably head out. I don’t know if Cal can get fined for having someone under twenty-one in here.”
She frowned. “I’m not drinking anything.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Whatever she wants, I’m paying,” a familiar voice interrupted.
Wyatt turned around and saw Riley Sloane coming up the steps with a group of people.
“Riley,” Avery said, her eyes widening. “What are you doing here?”
“Yeah,” Wyatt huffed. “What are
you
doing here?”
“Avery. This is a pleasant surprise,” Riley said to her. Then he laughed and threw a glance Wyatt’s way. “I don’t need a special access keycard to get in here, do I? Last time
I checked this is a public bar.” Riley motioned for his group to continue into the bar.
“No. But there is a ‘no jackass’ policy.” Wyatt pointed to the big sign on the wall behind the bar that said
jackasses belong in the barn, not in my bar
.
“Is that applicable to employees too?”
“How’s the football going?” Avery interjected before Wyatt could reply.
Riley grinned. “We
won again.”
Wyatt shrugged. “In spite of your performance.”
“A victory is a victory.” He wedged in next to Avery. “But it would have been sweeter if you had attended the game with your family.”
“I was there last week,” Wyatt said sweetly. “I was the one screaming for you to throw the ball to McKinney for that touchdown you botched.”
Avery flashed him a dirty look, but he
didn’t care. Surely she wasn’t falling for this muscle-bound idiot’s flirting?
Riley looked as if he would reply, but Avery beat him to the punch. “I’d love to go to a game, but I’m busy with classes right now. Uncle Seth actually gave me a break on the mandatory family appearance requirement for the games. I hope to make the next one.” Avery flipped her hair over her shoulder and flashed
a tight smile.
“I was hoping I’d get to see you again,” Riley said.
Wyatt cleared his throat. “
I
was hoping you’d go join your party. You’re blocking the door.”
“Patience, my friend,” Riley said with a slow grin. He turned to Avery. “Are you coming in Avery? Remember, it’s on me.”
When Avery had volunteered to take Wyatt’s cell phone to the Bright Star,
it’d felt like she had hot coal in her hand. She was tempted to snoop but when she’d touched the screen, the screensaver picture of them on the beach during spring break appeared. They’d had a blast, even though Regency had followed them everywhere they went. She’d loved the way he got tongue-tied over the bikini she’d been wearing.
So in the end she hadn’t snooped. She’d made the trip to
the bar, ready to hand over the phone…and then she’d spotted Kelly. But she hadn’t even had time to be irritated over that when Riley had appeared out of nowhere. She could tell Wyatt wasn’t thrilled about the shameless flirting Riley was doing, but it served him right. The hunky quarterback did have a tendency to lay it on a bit thick. He knew how her Uncle Seth felt about it, so that did give
him a hint of badass. She was about to decline the offer for a drink when a voice boomed out across the bar.
“Did I just hear you offer to buy my under-aged grandniece a drink?” Cal barked as he stalked toward the door. “Quarterback or no quarterback, I will tan your hide.”
“Uncle Cal.” Avery stood in front of Riley. “He didn’t. He told Wyatt to give me anything I wanted. Tell him,
Wyatt.”
Wyatt shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a bit loud in here. I couldn’t catch everything he said.”
“Wyatt!” She glared at him, so shocked she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Riley cleared his throat. “Mr. Cal. Sir. I did offer to buy her a refreshment, but it was implied I meant something non-alcoholic. I know Avery’s not old enough to drink.”
Wyatt tugged on
the towel that lay on his shoulder. “
Now
you respect boundaries?”
“How is it that you come into my bar when she’s here?” Cal scowled at Riley. “I’m calling the ranch.”
Avery’s cheeks flushed. “Uncle Cal. It really is a misunderstanding. I came here to return Wyatt his phone. There was no way Riley could know I’d be here tonight. Riley would never do something so idiotic and in full
public view. I don’t think he came here intending to break the law or going against the entire Blake family. Please don’t make this an issue. Because it’s not.”
Cal kept a stone expression just like John Jacob, so it was hard to tell which way the older man was leaning. One call from him to anyone on the ranch and this would blow up into an awful situation. She sneaked a glance at Riley.
He didn’t look scared, but she knew this was a PR nightmare in the making for him.
She wanted to break Wyatt’s fingers as he tapped them on the door. He could have backed her up but he hadn’t. Instead, he’d acted like a jealous child. Now the person she cared most about was acting like a callous jerk while the incessant flirt was trying to be humble.
“OK. I believe you,” Cal finally
said gruffly. “Riley, you can stay. But no more trouble.”
“I appreciate that.” Riley let out a sigh of relief. “My buddies and I would like a few beers.”
“I’ll send Lurline over,” the owner grumbled. “The first round is on me.”
“Avery, always a pleasure.” Riley smiled and went over to his friends.
Avery kissed Cal on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sugar.”
“I have to get back to the ranch. Parker and I have dinner plans.”
“Have fun and be safe.” Cal walked toward his office leaving her and Wyatt alone.
She turned on him as soon as Cal was out of earshot. “I can’t believe you did that. You could have gotten Riley into serious trouble.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but she wasn’t interested in hearing his excuses. Instead,
she turned and walked down the stairs to her car.
Wyatt followed after her. “Serves him right for trying to be a big shot.”
She rounded on him again, so angry her fists were shaking. “You’re just pissed he was paying attention to me.”
“Do you like him?”
“What?”
“Are you into him?” He ran a hand through his hair. “It must be a change of pace to be with someone who’s
a big success already and has his life together. Come to think of it, he reminds me a little bit of Seth. Handsome quarterback who has a lot going for him.”
“Do you have a point?” she said, her voice cold.
“He may be a major tool, but he’s got some of the same traits as the men you’ve grown up around all your life. You said so yourself, you had a bit of a crush on Seth when he married
your Aunt Morgan. Maybe you want that life. If the Blake men lifted the embargo on being around you, he’d try to sweep you off your feet for sure. You wouldn’t have to wait for someone like me to get his act together.”
At first Avery thought he was joking, but the expression on his face told her he was serious. The idea that he thought she’d be naïve enough to fall for Riley’s charm was
insulting. But the worst thing about what he’d just said was that he didn’t realize how much he’d just hurt her feelings. How could he not know she was in love with
him
? They were only a few feet away from each other, but they’d never been farther apart.
“You are such a clueless idiot.” Her voice broke on the last word, but she didn’t cry as she walked slowly to her car, climbed in, and
drove off.