Crashed (10 page)

Emily recounted the events from earlier in the morning with her best friend over lunch. Becca had never really cared for Jared. She always insisted he was a womanizer and looking back, Emily had her own concerns about his playboy like ways. But Becca loved Avery already...oh, and his best friend Tom, whom she’d already made it a point to hook up with.

“He deserves everything he gets. Fuckin’ snake,” Becca added before taking another nibble of her sandwich.

Before she could continue on her anti-Jared rant, Emily interrupted her with a pressing question of her own. “So, what’s the story with you and Tom?” A playful smile spread across her best friend’s face and she instantly knew she’d seen him again.

“Oh, well...um...” Becca kept her gaze down on her sandwich, instantly signaling her guilty conscience.

“Spill it, Girl!” Emily grilled her.

“We hooked up, and praise everything that is holy, it was fucking spectacular!” With a holler, Emily started choking on her sandwich.
I should never trust myself to eat anything around Becca’s damn mouth!
Tears spilled down her face as she chugged down her soda, all while Emily’s best friend laughed hysterically at her misfortune.

“I should know better than to eat anything with you. Remind me why we go to lunch so damn often?” Emily laughed, still catching her breath. “You gonna see him again?” she asked on a serious note.

“Are you crazy? You bet your ass I am!” Becca gaped at Emily. “He was nothing short of a God in bed. Girl...it has been so damn long since I found one that actually knows how to use their equipment!”

“Okay, as much as I’m enjoying your company, I have to leave.” Emily got up, collecting her garbage and re-wrapping her leftover sandwich. “Oh, by the way. We went to my parents’ house last night.” She dropped the bomb while she was getting ready to walk out of the deli’s door. Becca would want to dive deep down into the emotional sea of grief she still wasn’t ready to touch. But Emily didn’t want to keep something so important from her best friend. “We’ll talk about it later, I promise,” she said before giving Becca a little wave and making her way to her car.

Sitting down in the passenger seat, she fished her cell phone out to discover a missed call from her sister, and a text from Avery.
Avery wins out
. She thought as she opened the text.

Miss you. Can’t wait to see you tonight. Pick you up at 5? xoxo

Emily smiled and her heart warmed. The way Avery treated her reminded her so much of her own father. He was a gentleman, and it was that very thing which had her falling for him.

See you then xoxo

***

Emily sat gazing at her computer screen, waiting for the words to come to her. After being with her firm for five years, she wouldn’t be returning. She loved her job and all of her colleagues, but she couldn’t go back. Too much had changed in her life over the past couple weeks and she had a desire to try something new.

In college, she’d toyed with the idea of switching her major from marketing to design. Her parents and grandfather had somewhat talked her out of the switch because they had dreams of her taking over the marketing department for her grandpa’s racing company. It didn’t interest her enough to throw her life into, though. She completed her degree, but her family never knew of her double major. The workload sucked at the time, but she was grateful now.
Everything is going to finally work out.

Avery had encouraged Emily to pursue her dream of opening an interior design business. Nothing fancy at first, but she intended to talk to Amelia about how to start the firm up. If she wouldn’t show her any support, the next person she asked would be her grandfather. All Emily would have to do was bat her eyes in his direction and he would have a small army of businessmen at her feet asking how they could help.

When the letter of resignation didn’t come, she decided to give her big sister a call. After a handful of rings, her sister answered her office line. “Amelia Taylor O’Connor,” she answered in her typical professional purr.

“Hey, ‘Melia,” Emily greeted. “What’cha up to?” She made small talk about the mundane things in life. Dinner, business, mutual friends they knew over the years. But when her sister ran out of subjects to brag about, and it was Emily’s turn to talk, the conversation slowed considerably, like always.

“So, Emily. What’s on your mind? I know there’s a reason you called.”
Well I guess she wants to get to the point?
Sitting quietly on the line for a minute, gaining her composure, Emily let out a sigh and then began.

“I need your help with something. I’m resigning from my job and I want to start my own business.” She held her breath, waiting for her sister’s reply. This could go either really good, or horribly bad. There was never a happy medium with Amelia. Maybe when she was younger, but since she got married, it was gone.

“Why on Earth would you want to do such a thing?”
Yup! This is going to go downhill really quick.
Emily hesitated for a moment before debating on ways to end the call.

“Well, never mind, Amelia. I’m just going to get going. If you would like to do dinner on Saturday night, just shoot me a text.” Emily hung the phone up quickly before her sister could get in another word.

She sat slouched down in her computer chair and closed her laptop. She reached for the phone one more time before dialing
Pop-pop
, her mother’s father who would send her in the right direction. If Amelia didn’t want to be a part of this, she wouldn’t bring it up to her again.

***

“What’d ya do this afternoon?” Avery questioned as Emily hopped up into the passenger’s seat of his truck. She huffed and let out a giggle. He eyed her suspiciously across the seat before her mouth started to spill her rushed version of the day’s events.

“Well, it started with lunch. Apparently my best friend is banging your sex-god of a best friend, Tom.” He shot her a look of horror before turning his eyes back onto the road. “Yeah, I know...not what I wanted to hear about over my sandwich. Then I tried to write my letter of resignation for work, but I stared at the blank screen for a half hour. Argued with my sister, and then buttered up my Pop-Pop for some business smarts.” She gave him an exhausted look and inhaled a sharp breath after finishing.

“Business smarts?” Avery questioned. A smile broke out across her face as she thought about his encouragement for her new career direction.

“Well, my grandpa is a pretty successful businessman. So, after mulling over the idea of starting my new interior design business, I figured I would see what I would need to get started.”

Avery froze at the sound of her words. Had she actually listened to his encouragement? “That is so awesome, Emily,” he replied while pulling into the driveway of a little green beach type house. The driveway was short and empty. The yard was mowed, but not meticulously maintained. What stood out the most was the bright blue front door.
Yikes!
She thought to herself, what a freaking hideous color!

The small rental wasn’t much, but Avery called it home, for now. He eventually planned on buying his own home in the area, but not until he was ready to settle down with his life. He couldn’t cramp a wife or kids into this tiny two-bedroom beach house.

“Welcome to my shack,” he joked as he jumped out of the truck. Instead of waiting for Avery to come around and open her door, she started getting out on her own. By the time he rounded the truck she was on the ground heading right for him.

“I would have helped you!” Avery stressed, taking her hand and pulling Emily into his arms. When their eyes met, he leaned in to take her lips in a sweet kiss before squeezing her in a warm embrace.

“So this is where you live, Mr. Martin?” She looked back toward the clashing colors of the house and front door. She made a silent prayer, hoping when he walked her through the threshold the color scheme would calm down. “My landlords are
eccentric
when it comes to their decorating.” He started to explain, almost as if he could read her look of design horror. “They let me do some painting on the inside of the house, but there’s still this hideous orange living room. Just thought I would warn you.” He laughed, pulling her toward the front door with his keys in hand.

“Trying to scare me off already, Martin?” she joked as she squeezed his hand. “It’s going to take a little more than some orange paint to make me run.” Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him and they entered his home.

Looking around, she noticed it was pretty much as she imagined—the complete bachelor pad, with a crappy futon doubling as a couch, a second hand coffee table and a giant television. There was a sparse kitchen with appliances which looked virtually untouched. Thankfully, the orange walls weren’t as intimidating as she’d envisioned, a lighter orange made the room glow with a certain beach-like charm.

When she walked into the kitchen, a full candle-lit dinner sitting out on the table caught her eye, just as the voice of Luke Bryan’s
I Don’t Want This Night to End
filled the room. Avery took her hand, singing the words to Emily while she hung on every word coming from his mouth.

“Will you stay with me tonight?”

Chapter Six

When Momma Calls

Ring Ring Ring
sounded through the silent bedroom, slowly interrupting Avery and Emily’s slumber.
Ring Ring Ring,
the phone continued to scream from somewhere in the bedroom. Avery slowly sat up, searching for his mobile.
Ring Ring Ring,
then the noise stopped while he continued scrambling to find the phone. Emily sat up to help him search. The phone lit up, signaling a voicemail as they discovered it under the bed.

“Who the hell is calling me at five in the damn morning?” It was two whole hours before Avery’s alarm clock was set to go off, which would give him enough time to get ready for work and drop Emily off at her apartment before heading in for a forty-eight hour shift at the fire house. Reaching under the bed, Emily couldn’t help but notice the worry on his face as he rose to his feet.

“Is everything okay, Avery?” she questioned, wiping the sleep from her eyes with a yawn. He listened to the voicemail with a stone face while holding up a single finger, signaling that the answer to her question would be coming in a moment.

“It’s my grandmother. Something is wrong with my mom,” he mumbled while dialing a number onto the phone. Emily kicked the blankets off and stood, running a reassuring hand over Avery’s arm while he waited for someone to answer on the other end.

“Gran, what’s wrong?” Avery questioned into the phone. His face slowly started to flush as sweat beaded across his brow. Emily watched his face, continuing to try and comfort him. He nodded and replied with simple words. “Yes.” “Uh huh.” “I see.” “Yes, I will be up today.” And the call was disconnected. A single tear fell from his eye and made its way down his sun-kissed cheek. As Emily waited for a word from him, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her to him. He nuzzled his head into her neck, taking in her feminine scent before finally speaking.

“My mom is in the hospital. They aren’t sure what happened, but my Gran woke up this morning and found her on the hallway floor. I have to leave for Georgia today.” He let out a deep breath and wiped the tear from his face. Emily stood back, looking into his eyes, cupping his chin in her hand.

“Is there anything I can do, Avery?” Her voice echoed with true concern, but she could have never prepared herself for the answer he would give her. Kissing her knuckles before pulling her in once again, he found his favorite place to rest his head.

“Come with me,” he whispered, before kissing her neck. Emily slowly pulled out of his arms, taking a step back and placing an arms-length of distance between them. A puzzled look formed on her face as she dragged her gaze over his body, only coming to a stop when she reached his emerald eyes.

“Is that what you want?” she asked, holding her breath and waiting for him to reply.

If she were honest with herself, there was nowhere in the word she’d rather be than with him. If he had to drive to Georgia to care for his mother, she wouldn’t abandon him when she really had no other obligations at the moment. Avery’s family was more important than lounging on the beach or picking up some interior design books from Books-a-Million.

“Yes, Emily. I need you. I don’t want to face this alone.” Avery’s admission made her head spin, but it didn’t take long for her to land in mother hen mode.

“Pack a bag, and get ready. I’ll clean up the kitchen from last night and text Becca to take care of Flip, and then we will head to my apartment.” She took charge and sent Avery to his tasks. “And by the way, we’re taking my car,” she added. Avery wasn’t about to argue with her. He started tossing clothes into the overnight bag he used for work, before hitting the shower.

Avery called Tom, asking him to help with his scheduled shifts, and then picked up the phone to call Captain Sullivan. He wasn’t going to be happy, but he wouldn’t deny him the time off to deal with his family emergency.

***

Emily lost her battle over transportation. As much as she wanted the comfort of her compact car, Avery wasn’t leaving his truck in Daytona. After throwing together enough clothes for a full week and snagging her beauty bag, they were on their way.

Becca met them at Emily’s and picked Flip up to take to her apartment for the week. After the disaster her friend had left behind when Emily was in the hospital, she didn’t want to take any chances letting Becca have free rein of the apartment anymore.

“What are you doing?” Avery questioned, while Emily pulled an iPod and a long black cord out of her purse, slowly snaking the connection to the vacant auxiliary input. Emily could see the stress on his face while they cruised northbound on Interstate 95 toward the Florida-Georgia state line.

“Playing some music. I figured I could be the DJ for our drive.” She noticed a slight smile pull at the corner of his lips. With the small note of approval, she turned on Hunter Hayes.T words of
I Want Crazy
spilled through the speakers of the truck, coaxing another smile from his face.

“Thank you, Emily.” He turned to quickly look over at her as she gazed back at his hair, still slightly wet from his quick shower. He slid his hand over in her direction, lacing their fingers together while she scooted closer to the center console between them, housing their Starbucks.

A little over three hours later, the couple pulled into the small town in Georgia where Avery had been born and raised. When they called places like this a one-horse town, they weren’t kidding. There wasn’t even a damn traffic light. Emily had crossed the state line and spent time in Georgia before, but never in such a tiny town. She’d been to Savannah, Macon, all those big tourist cities, and of course Atlanta a number of times for the NASCAR races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, but never the likes of Jonesville.

A handful of turns later, they pulled down a long dirt road. Emily quickly realized, instead of an actual town street, this was a driveway, a really long damn driveway. As they rounded the last turn, a small country home appeared. The house was a beautiful faded white with brick red shutters and a matching wrap around porch. It was clear from the landscape around them that the house had fallen into a bit of disrepair over the years. But Emily could picture it in the height of its perfection. It was the kind of country home most southern girls would dream of.

On the front porch, a little old lady sat in a rocking chair, sipping a glass of tea. As the truck came to a stop, she slowly stood up from the rocker. Emily thought she looked as though she was moving as quickly as her age would allow. A smile flooded her wrinkled features. Avery leaned over to Emily, placing a small kiss on her cheek.

“My gran will kill me if you get out of that door without me opening it for you. Stay put, woman.” They both let out a little laugh as Avery exited. Quickly jogging around the truck to the passenger’s side door, he pulled it open, offering Emily his hand. Taking it, she hopped out of the truck, landing on the red dirt driveway. He kissed her knuckles and they headed for the little old lady who was anxiously awaiting their arrival.

“I knew I raised me a gentlemen, Avery Daniel,” the little lady spoke while he wrapped his arms around her. “I missed ya, Suga’,” she said, taking his face in her hands and planting a grandmotherly kiss on each of his blushing cheeks. “Now who is this fine young lady ya brought, boy?”

Emily walked toward his gran slowly, waiting for her introduction from Avery. His smile grew as he pulled her hand in his, placing another affectionate kiss on her knuckles and began his introduction.

“Gran, this is my girlfriend, Emily. Emily, this is my gran. She raised me with my momma.” Emily stepped forward to give the little welcoming woman a hug. It was clear she wasn’t going to get away with a simple handshake.

“Nice to meet you, Gran,” Emily spoke while the harmless looking lady caught her in a bear hug.

“Nice to see my Avery with a pretty girl. It’s been years since he brought any ladies ‘round. We were beginning to wonder ‘bout him.” She looked amused with herself while she let out a little chuckle and finally freed Emily from her over-eager embrace.

“Gran, I wanted to drop our bags off here and head over to the hospital to check on Momma.” Avery headed toward the truck, lowering the tailgate and pulling their suitcases from the bed. She watched every movement he made with a motherly-love expression on her face. She’d clearly missed him; the longing look in her eyes told Emily all she needed to know. He was a grandma’s boy through-and-through.

***

Avery clenched tightly onto Emily’s hand as they walked through the doors of the intensive care unit of the local community hospital. It wasn’t a big hospital, but it was all they had in their little community. The facility was big enough that she didn’t need to be transferred to any of the larger medical centers.

Emily made her way to the waiting room, leaving Avery to speak with the doctor who had been making his rounds for the day. He learned his mother had advanced stage four lung cancer, and because of the lack of treatment, she’d collapsed, not being able to breathe. She had known about it for some time, refusing all treatment.

His heart broke, learning his Momma’s life was coming to an end. The doctors gave her a couple days at most. She was just too far gone.

“I just can’t figure out for the life of me why she wouldn’t tell me. Why wouldn’t she fight?” He huffed as he paced back and forth across the waiting room floor. Emily watched in silence, having no idea what she could do to help him. Her loss had been so different. BAM! Your parent’s are dead. Deal with it. But this…Avery would have to watch his mother lose her battle before his eyes, wondering why she hadn’t chosen to live.

Emily ran her hand down his back, rubbing over his tense shoulder blades. With her touch, he slowly began to calm down. Avery turned to her, looking into her ocean blue eyes and knelt in front of her. He started to sob, lowering his head into her lap. She cradled him as if he were a newborn baby, looking for comfort in the arms of his mother. He was searching for comfort from his mother, but she couldn’t comfort him now.

Emily continued rubbing his back, running her fingers through his hair occasionally. Just holding him and comforting him the best she could. Minutes passed at the pace of hours before he stood once again.

“Come with me, I can’t go in alone,” was all he could say. She stood, taking his hand, this time reversing their roles and kissing his knuckles in a last effort of reassurance before they walked into her hospital room.

The room was silent and sterile. Fluorescent hospital lighting beat down on a small woman’s face. Hair, the same color as Avery’s, was loosely braided to the side. Her cheeks were hollow with weight loss, and she had an oxygen tube in her nose assisting her breathing. Her eyes remained closed. Avery was the spitting image of his mother in every way.

Tears pooled in Emily’s eyes, as she caught a tear slipping down Avery’s cheek. She stood by his side trying to keep her own emotions in check. Her heart broke for this man she cared so much about. His world was crashing the way hers had just two short years ago, except there would be a big difference for him. She wouldn’t be walking away when he clearly needed her so much. While their relationship was still in such an infant stage, it was about to grow by leaps and bounds.

He lowered himself into a chair, scooting it closer to the bed, which made a god-awful screeching sound, causing his mother to stir. He released Emily’s hand and took his mother’s frail fingers with both of his clammy hands. Slowly her green eyes flickered open. She eyed Emily with a confused look before noticing her lone son grasping her hand.

“Avery?” A low voice choked out. His mother proceeded to cough and gasp for air. He rubbed his fingers over her hand before answering her.

“I’m here, Momma. I’m here.” He let out with a sob. “And I’m not goin’ nowhere.” She closed her eyes again, as if she was exhausted from the one word she spoke.

***

Later on that evening, Emily and Avery sat at Gran’s kitchen table scarfing down the first bit of food either had eaten all day. Gran just watched without a word. Emily could see the wheels turning in Avery’s mind. He wore his emotions all over his face. Concern, worry, stress, sadness, and most of all he was in business mode. Ever since leaving the hospital, he seemed to be a man on a mission.

Gran crept down the hallway toward her bedroom before Emily could bring herself to break the silence. “A penny for your thoughts?”

“God, Emily, I don’t even know where to start.” He broke down. The floodgates were open and the tears were starting to form in the corner of his eyes. “I don’t even know what to do. Momma is going to be gone soon. Gran can’t be alone. Aunt Bert is on the other side of the country. There’s no one to take care of her.”

Emily stared at him with confusion. His concern was more for his grandmother than his mother who was mere breaths away from death. Avery continued while she tried to take in what he was saying.

“There’s no way she would ever go into one of those old people communities. She just wasn’t raised like that. She ain’t gonna want to leave here.” He let out a deep breath. Before either could notice her, Gran laid her hand on his shoulder and startled the both of them.

“Boy, child. When you gonna stop worryin’ ‘bout your ol’ gran? You got bigger worries right now. We’ll make do with whatever you have to do. Now worry ‘bout your momma and your girl.” She looked at Emily with deep emerald eyes, full of love and hope before turning back to Avery. “This one’s a keeper. Not like that hussy Zoe.” And with those cryptic words, back down the hallway she turned, disappearing into her bedroom.

With a look of shock on his face, Avery turned to Emily to explain a little more. “Em, my gran raised me. My momma wasn’t really a mother, ever. She was out doing whatever she wanted until my brother died. After that, she finally got her head on straight, then started taking care of Gran.”

Emily’s heart broke at the thought of any mother not wanting to take care of her own children, but his words explained a lot about his reaction to her current condition. Her own mother had been so doting. Being a mother was her everything, which made Emily’s loss so much deeper.

“We’ll figure it out, Avery. I promise, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll help you with anything you need.” Her words were sincere. They had been thrust into this sudden loss together, and she would do anything to make this process easier for him. Emily continued offering her support while he picked at the last of his greens. “Do you think she would come to Daytona?”