Baby Stetson (Love and Music in Texas #1) (24 page)

The front door opened. Lucas turned, wondering who was coming through that door. Avery walked in. When she saw him, her eyes went round as saucers. Something on her arm caught his eye. She had a large bandage covering her arm just above her elbow. “What happened to you?”

“What are you doing here?” Avery asked at the same time. She turned to the open door. “Thanks for the ride! You can go home now, I’m in!” She closed the door and came into the dining room. The only available seat happened to be next to Lucas. She pulled it out and sank into it.

“I second Lucas’s question, honey. What happened to your arm?” her father asked, pointing to it.

“I tripped on my way to band practice,” Avery said. Lucas noticed she didn’t meet her parents’ eyes. There was more to the story, and he intended on getting the full details out of her somehow. “You should see the tree.” She smiled weakly.

“Oh, Avery,” her mother said, shaking her head. Everyone laughed.

“Okay, so I’m better at music than I am at making jokes. I know.” Avery laughed. “So, what’s going on here?” This time she turned her eyes on Lucas, questioning.

“I came to give you all the details of the trip to meet your birth mother. You weren’t home yet, so I have been talking to your parents for the past half hour.”

Avery groaned. “You haven’t grilled him and then some, have you Dad?”

“Hey! I resemble that remark.” Her dad feigned hurt while flashing a sarcastic grin. “You’ll be happy to know I have been very good. Lucas here is a nice young man.”

That felt good to hear, but Lucas had to disagree. He wasn’t that nice.

“Mom? Has he?” Avery turned to her mother. Avery was smiling. Lucas longed for that kind of relationship. One he would never have because his parents were dead. Gone. For some, having a childhood like his would turn them away from wanting this kind of life. Not Lucas. He yearned for it all the time. He watched the exchange between Avery and her parents and hated himself for turning her world upside down.

“He’s been a gentleman. Now I, on the other hand, have been inquiring about every little detail from this young man here.” Avery’s mom looked so serious that if he hadn’t been sitting here and known otherwise, Lucas would have believed her.

“You guys are such teases. Why must you torment me?” Avery placed a hand over her forehead, playing the woe-is-me attitude. Then she burst into a fit of giggles. When she lowered her hand, it brushed Lucas’s and he reached to hold it. Avery closed her fingers over his.

Lucas felt a sense of belonging.

“Avery, we can leave tomorrow evening if that works for you.” Lucas hoped that would work for her. She gasped and faced him.

“That soon? Really? I thought it would take much longer! Wow. Mom, Dad, are you guys really okay with this? And you can find help at the inn? We’ve been so short staffed, and-”

“Avery, we want you to go. It’s going to be fine. We’re going to manage just fine. We’ll miss you, of course, but I believe that you are going to be in very good hands.” Her father gestured at Lucas.

Nice.

Lucas hoped like hell the trip went well. If Avery came back heartbroken and hurt, even if it weren’t his doing, he had a feeling it would take a lot to get in her parents’ good graces again. That put a lot of weight on his shoulders.

Damn it. He didn’t like having that kind of weight.

He couldn’t help how the meeting would go, but what he could make sure of was that Avery got to see some beautiful sights, and have some fun.

“I appreciate that you are putting your trust in me, sir.” Lucas felt like he should say something.

The man nodded. “My daughter seems to care about you, so I have to do my best to be open. You hurt her, though, and I know a few people.” The words came across very clear. Lucas understood.

Which made him sink a little lower in his seat.

Oh, quit cowering, you dumb ass.

He straightened.

“Well Lucas, Avery, I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” Avery’s mother walked around the table and planted a kiss on her daughter’s head. Her father also stood and waited for his wife. “Are you going to be up much longer? Paula hasn’t come back in yet. We had a talk earlier, but I don’t know if we got through to her.”

From the behavior Lucas had seen with the woman, she must have been a handful. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. It sucked that they had to deal with the situation, but he was also glad to take Avery away from it for awhile.

“If I’m going to be leaving tomorrow night, then I probably won’t be. There’s going to be so much to do.” Avery waved. “Good night. I love you, Mom. And you too, Dad.”

There had never been a time that Lucas’s parents exchanged ‘I love you’s with one another, let alone with him. Maybe as a baby, but those were the days he couldn’t remember. This house, it was filled with so much love. Avery grew up a lucky woman, despite the way she had been left. Not every abandoned child had that same luck. It only made him admire Avery even more.

When they were alone, Lucas pounced. “What aren’t you telling, about your fall?” he demanded, keeping her hand in his.

Avery turned back to glare at him. “I’m not the only one not telling the full story. I talked to Jameson tonight. Why didn’t you tell me about the car?”

“Touche.” Lucas winced. “To be fair, I didn’t mean not to tell you. It’s obviously been a strange few days. I’m sorry. Now, what about you? You averted your gaze when you told your parents, so I’m going to guess you’re omitting something.” He lifted her arm and turned it to look at the bandage.

“I think someone was following me. I tripped, scraped my arm when I fell against a tree. When I saw a shadow, I got up and ran again until Jameson met me.”

“Do you always walk in the woods at night?”

Avery nodded, firmly setting her jaw. “I’ve played in those woods all my life.”

“You didn’t happen to make out anything about the person following you?”

“No. Too dark.”

That’s what he figured, but it didn’t hurt to ask. “Damn it. Have you been getting any more of those anonymous texts?”

“Not since that one.”

“Avery, I’m glad we’re getting out of here for awhile. I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like it. I can’t figure out why someone would want to run me over, and why someone would chase you. They may not be related, but, I don’t want to take that chance.”

“You’re creeping me out, Lucas.” Avery paled. She gave his hand a squeeze.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. I just want you to be more aware, okay? I know you’ve said you feel safe here. Something is off. I don’t want anything to happen to you, and there are plenty of people that share that same feeling. You mean so much to so many people, Avery. That includes me.” He pressed a soft kiss on her cheek.

“I’ll be aware. I promise.”

“Are you nervous about this trip?” He changed the subject a bit.

“I’ve never been on an airplane.” Avery leaned closer to Lucas. He let go of her hand and slid an arm around her. When her head rested on his shoulder, he ran his hand over the top of her arm.

“It may be scary at first, but I bet you’ll enjoy it. I thought, if you’re okay with it, I could take you sightseeing. The beach, a few other places.”

Avery lifted her head from his shoulder and stared at him, her eyes lighting up like a child’s as if he’d just told her they were going to Disneyland. Which, if she wanted, he could take her there, too. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely. If you’d like, we’ll fit in as much as possible.” That smile, the way she looked at him right now, was priceless. She grinned from ear to ear, looking happier than she had in a few days.

“Thank you, Lucas.” She squealed, kissed him on the lips and then pulled back, sheepish.

“Get some rest, sweet Avery. I’ll come by in the morning and help, if you’d like.” Lucas let go of her and got to his feet. Avery led him to the door.

She seemed reluctant to let him leave.

“Do me a favor, and call me when you get to your room.” Avery took his hand. “With everything going on, I want to know you made it just fine.”

The request showed she cared. For that, Lucas was grateful. It had been a long time since someone worried about him. Lucas tipped her face up and kissed her. Damn, he adored those soft lips and the way she smelled. Her reaction to his kisses drove him wild. “I will. Sweet dreams.”

*****

Avery slept terrible all night. She kept waking up to dreams, each one a different variation of meeting her birth mother. Each one a different nightmare, with a terrible ending. She’d wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath, tears running down her cheeks.

Now, as daylight broke, Avery decided to forget about sleeping. She might as well get up and begin her day, in order to get everything done that she needed to. To think, twenty four hours from right now, she wouldn’t be in the state. That thought was more than a little daunting. She found her large blue rolling suitcase and duffel bag, and made a headway in her closet. Choosing clothes for the trip wasn’t easy. For whatever reason, Avery shoved aside everything on hangers and realized she didn’t have much to go by. Dress up? Casual? What would be over doing it? Under doing it?

Then a thought occurred to her. Why worry so damn much about what she wore? She was obsessing more right now than when she dressed for a concert. It’s not like her birth mother would judge her by what Avery wore. And if she did, well, that would be stupid. There were far more important things to go by.

Avery was just stalling. Grunting, she started to pull random clothes off hangers, paired them with pairs of jeans and skirts, and folded them neatly into the suitcase. If she had second thoughts in California, then she could just go shopping. No need to waste time on petty things like figuring out clothes.

A few minutes later, just as Avery finished putting the necessities in the suitcase, someone knocked on the door. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was seven o’clock. It must be Mom, already up and preparing her day. She probably heard the ruckus Avery had been making for the past half hour. Oops. She hadn’t meant to wake anyone up.

“Come in!” Avery called. Sure enough, when the door opened, Mom’s good morning smile appeared, followed by the rest of her as she glided into the room. She looked from the suitcase to Avery.

“I see you’re getting a head start,” Mom said, sitting on the bed beside the open bag.

“I couldn’t sleep. Each dream I had was worse then the one prior,” Avery admitted, folding up the last of the skirts she’d chosen and placed them on top of the pile.

Mom reached for Avery’s hand and pulled her to stand right in front of her. “Avery. You’re going to be just fine, whatever happens. I want you to remember that Dad and I love you, and we have been so blessed and lucky to have you come into our lives. You already know I was devastated after Paula ran off. Having you around was wonderful. When I first saw you, bundled up in that beat up Stetson hat, I believed it to be a sign. I knew then we had to do whatever it took to keep you safe. When your parents couldn’t be found, I told your father, no questions asked, that we were going to fight for you. I haven’t regretted a day of it since.”

“Mom, you’re going to make me cry again,” Avery sniffed, but she couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across her face. “I love you too. I’ve always wanted to know where I came from. I’ve loved being here with you and Dad in Harmony’s Echo. I’ve thought about what you said about following my dreams, and as hard as it will be to leave you, I realize that music is something I want to pursue. I want to thank you for the encouragement and neverending support you always give me.” Avery hugged her mother tight.

“I’ve always been a little fearful- okay, well that’s under exaggerated. I’ve been very fearful of the day you may find your birth parents, but I know now that you would never forget us. That’s the reason you stayed around even when you had the chance to spread your wings and fly. No matter the distance between us, you are still my beautiful, talented wonderful daughter.” Tears cascaded down her mother’s cheeks, which started Avery with her own waterworks.

“Thank you so much.” Avery cried into Mom’s shoulder. “Thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do. I would not be the woman I am today without you. You’re the best.”

“Hey hey, are we having a crying party in here, or what?” Dad said from the doorway. Avery looked up to see his smile, but the tears were in his eyes, too. “Because if so, I’m glad I wasn’t invited. But I do love seeing you lovely ladies fresh and early in the morning.”

“Oh you hush, dear. I see those tears.” Mom scolded Dad playfully. He crossed the room and pushed aside Avery’s suitcase to sit next to her. He looked at her with love in his eyes.

“I’m going to miss you, angel-girl, but I’m glad you’re getting this chance. You get to see new sights, and you know we’ll be waiting here when you get back. But you enjoy the time away, and make some wonderful memories.”

“How did I get so lucky?” Avery asked, letting both Mom and Dad hug her and trying not to cry again. “I can’t imagine growing up with better parents. You both are amazing.”

“I did not even come in here for tears.” Mom sniffed and swatted at Avery playfully. “See what you do to me, young lady?”

Avery laughed. “Sure, blame me. You started it.”

She couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

“Well, why not come down for breakfast? We’ve got something special made for you.”

“It wouldn’t happen to be my favorite waffles, would it?” They always made her favorite on special occasions. Surely this would be classified as one.

Mom had a knowing smile. “You’ll just have to come downstairs to find out.”

Avery didn’t need any more prompting.

*****

“You’ve got everything?” Mom asked for the one hundredth time. Avery and Lucas stood before the cab as it waited for them to get in and head to the airport. The time finally arrived! Avery hugged and kissed Mom and Dad, weary about letting them go. But knowing what lay ahead, she reluctantly let Lucas tug on her arm gently as he pointed to his watch. He smiled, and thanked Avery’s parents for everything and promised that they would call as soon as their plane landed. The suitcases were loaded in the trunk, and all Avery had to do now was to climb in that cab and begin the venture. With Lucas’s guidance, she did so, waving to Mom and Dad from the backseat, as they stood and watched them go.