“Avery, your dad called your phone a few times,” he says to her.

“Right, of course,” she says, quickly getting out of the pool.

“What were you doin’ in there?” I hear him ask her as she rushes past.

“Just practicing.”

He grunts and she disappears, yelling, “Thanks Nate, I’ll see you later.”

Nice.

I get out of the pool, pull a towel off the chair beside it and give Liam a glare as I walk past him. Kelly stops me just as I get to the garden. I’m guessing I’m about to get a lecture, probably the same lecture Liam is giving Avery right now.

“What’s goin’ on there, Nate?”

I give him the stink-eye—hard.

“What are you implying, Kelly?”

He leans his hip against the arch surrounded in colorful flowers. “You’re married.”

I stiffen and straighten. “When did you think I became unaware of that?”

“The moment you saw her.”

I narrow my eyes and cross my arms. “Avery and I have created a friendship, an innocent one. Since when was it not okay to be friends with a member of the opposite sex?”

He steps close. “Avery isn’t the kind of girl that can deal with heart break, Nathaniel. Just you remember that. She’s had a hard time; she’s not the kind of girl for you.”

“And she’s the kind of girl for you?”

His jaw tics. It’s obvious to me Kelly has or has had feelings for Avery. I’m going with the first option.

“I’ve known Avery for a very long time. I saw her suffer when her momma went missing. She’s complicated, she’s deep and she’s fragile.”

“That’s the problem with people like you,” I say, leaning forward and getting in his face. “You treat her like a child. She’s a grown woman who is extremely smart and funny. Maybe you should try being her friend—just like I am—instead of treating her like a wounded child and you might just see that.”

“Stay away from her, Nate,” he warns.

“Or what?” I growl. “You don’t choose who I’m friends with, Kelly, and you certainly don’t dictate to me what I will and won’t do. She’s my friend and I won’t stop being her friend for you.”

“You so much as touch her . . .”

“This conversation is finished.”

I turn and walk off, not letting him get another word in.

I can’t—because if he digs too deep, he’ll see that part of what he’s saying is right.

She makes me forget.

CHAPTER 9

AVERY

“You did good today,” Lyn says, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

“I think I sent one of the kids spiraling out of control with my instruction.” I frown.

Lyn laughs. “It takes a while; you’re only just starting out. You’ll do fine.”

“Thanks, Lyn.”

“Avery.”

I look up to see Jacob walking in. He’s striding towards me with his usual stiff expression on his face. He reaches me, presses a kiss to my cheek and then straightens again, as though he just preformed a ritual.

“Max is outside, he’s waiting for you.”

My eyes light up and I rush past him, yelling a goodbye to Lyn. I step outside and let my eyes fall on the tall, muscled, sexy-as-hell cop that has been my friend since I was thirteen years old, broken and alone. He was just starting out back then, a rookie. He’s not anymore.

Max is in his early forties and he’s handsome as all hell. Messy black hair, smoky grey eyes, tall, broad—all topped with a smile to die for.

“Mad Max!” I cry, running to him and leaping into his arms.

“Petal!” He laughs, spinning me in a circle.

He’s called me petal since the day he met me as a young girl. I was so fragile back then, just like a flower, he said. I clung to him when they were investigating my mother’s disappearance. My father was busy, always running around frantically, and my brother closed off. Max was the only person I could talk to. He left five years after she went missing, and I haven’t seen him since but he always calls me.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” I say, stepping back and holding onto his shoulders, taking him in. “You look exactly the same!”

He chuckles and grips either side of my face, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “You’ve grown up, petal. When did you get so tall?”

I laugh. “Growth spurt, hey? I blame all the greens I eat.”

He smiles warmly at me, his hands still on my face. Max couldn’t have children because of an accident he had when he was younger. He’s married to a woman named Kate, who was always around when he lived here, though she was a little snotty.

“How’s Kate?” I ask.

He frowns. “We split.”

I crinkle my forehead and frown. “I’m sorry, Maxy.”

He rolls his eyes. “Maxy? Still?”

“It’s cute.” I beam.

“How’s your dancing?” he asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

“It’s good. I’ve just started practicing and studying to be a teacher.”

“Good for you, petal.”

“I’m going to leave you to it,” Jacob says, walking up behind me. “It was good to see you, Max.”

Max nods at Jacob. “Yeah, you too, son.”

When Jacob disappears, I turn back to Max.