Playing for Keeps (13 page)

“Give me a minute, okay? To catch my breath. This comes as quite a shock.” Avery hadn't expected Woody to find her biological mother so quickly. Once she had a few minutes to compose herself, she finally asked, “What can you tell me about her?”

“Well,” Woody paused. “Her name is Leah Johnson. She's married and a mother of three.”

“She has more children?” Avery gasped. She had never thought about that.

“Yes, two boys and a girl.”

“I see.” So her birth mother had gone on to have more children. They'd had the mother Avery had been denied.

“Avery, I know this must be upsetting for you. But your mother was only twenty when she had you and wasn't ready to be a parent. She waited to have children until she was in her early thirties,” Woody tried to explain.

“How old are they?” Avery inquired. “My half brothers and sisters, that is?”

“The oldest boy is twenty-one, the youngest is nineteen and your half sister is sixteen.”

“And her husband?”

“A prominent surgeon. He's well respected in the community. Leah's a full-time homemaker.”

Avery felt sick to her stomach. Sounded as if her biological mother had had a wonderful life after she'd given up her first child. “Thank you, Woody. I really appreciate everything you've done.”

“It was my pleasure. Now if you have a pen and paper, I can give you her address and phone number.”

Now that the information was right in Avery's grasp, she hesitated reaching for it.

“Avery?”

“Oh yes, go ahead.” She jotted down Leah's address and phone number in Buffalo.

“Give me a call, Avery. I'd like to know how it goes.”

“Sure, Woody,” she said as she hung up.

When her fingers began dialing Quentin's cell phone, it surprised Avery that he was the first person she wanted to confide in despite the fact that she hadn't told him about her search. To say that she had mixed emotions about finding out the identity and location of her biological mother was the understatement of the year. “Quentin, it's Avery.”

“Is something wrong?” he asked because she sounded upset.

“I need to talk to you. Are you going to be home later?” Avery sniffed.

“Whatever you need, baby. I'm here.”

“Great, I'll see you after work.”

Avery walked through the afternoon in a daze. She even ignored Hunter's snarky comments. She was thankful when the clock struck five and she could leave the gallery.

When Quentin slid open the door to his loft, Avery rushed into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck so tightly, he could hardly breathe. “Baby, what's wrong?” he asked.

“Everything,” she replied, finally releasing him. She headed to his sectional leather sofa and plopped down.

“Talk to me,” Quentin said, closing the door and coming to sit beside her. “Has something happened?”

“I hired a private investigator to find my biological mother,” Avery blurted out.

“I see. Why didn't you tell me before?”

“Because I thought you might be upset. You told me to be thankful for the loving parents I do have and I didn't want to appear ungrateful.”

“Avery,” Quentin sighed. Why did she always underestimate him? He wouldn't judge her for wanting to know her birth parents. “You're welcome to your feelings. I would never begrudge you that. My experience and your experience are totally different. I knew who my mother was. She just chose not to care. On the other hand, you have no idea who she is. If I were you, I would want to know where I came from, too.”

“You would?” Avery's eyes grew wide with amazement.

“Yes, of course.” Quentin smiled, stroking her cheek.

She nodded. “Well, I know now.” She attempted a smile. “My private investigator found her, Quentin, and I don't know what to do. When I started this, it was more of an issue of entitlement. I had a right to know who she was, but now that it's here…” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I'm scared, Quentin. I'm not sure if I should have opened Pandora's box. She has a whole new family.”

“You don't have to
do
anything with this information, Avery.”

She turned sharply toward him. “Why do you say that?”

“I only meant that you can take some time and digest all of this.”

“And what aren't you saying, Quentin?”

“I'm cautioning you, Avery.” He scooted closer to her on the couch. “I don't want you to get hurt, baby, or be disappointed. Because as you said, she has a whole new life now. She may not want to include you.”

“Or it could be the reverse?” Avery replied, struggling to be optimistic. “She may want to get to know me.”

“I would love for that to be the case for you, Avery, but what if it isn't?” He tried to be the voice of reason. He'd hate for Avery to have her hopes dashed.

She shook her head. “I don't know, Quentin.” Her entire body began to shake as fearful images built in her mind. “I suppose you're right, I could get hurt, but I don't want to spend my life staring at strangers to see if someone looks like me. For once, I'd like to know where I fit in.”

Quentin understood more than she knew. He remembered all too well what it felt like to be an outsider. He'd felt like one at the orphanage, but once he'd made friends with Malik, Dante and Sage, it hadn't seemed to matter as much anymore. He'd found a safe haven, a place to call home. That was what his friends were to him. They were like home.

“Come here,” Quentin said, leaning back and sinking into the cushions. Avery moved closer until she was sandwiched between his big strong thighs with his solid chest as her pillow. When she rested her head on his chest, Quentin softly stroked her hair. “I'll support you in whatever you decide.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead.

“Thank you.” Avery looked up at him. “Because I doubt my mother's going to feel the same way. Do you know she hasn't talked to me in weeks? She was so upset when I told her I was searching for my biological mother. Imagine how she's going to feel when I tell her I not only found her, but I'm contemplating meeting her.”

“I doubt she's going to take it very kindly,” Quentin said.

“You're telling me. She's going to fly off the handle. But I can't not tell her. I already accused them of keeping secrets. How would it look if I did the same?” She'd be a hypocrite.

“Would you come with me when I tell her?” Avery asked. “She's got this big charity Vegas Night with Nora Stark on Saturday night and I go every year. If I didn't, she'd get suspicious. I figured I could tell her after the gala.”

“Are you sure you want me there?” Quentin asked. Meeting her parents was a big deal. It meant that they were more than just casual. And if so, how did he feel about that?

“Only if you want to come,” Avery said, sitting forward. Perhaps she was moving too quickly and he was feeling smothered at the idea of a commitment. They hadn't really discussed where they were headed. “I mean, if you have other plans, I completely understand. We're not a couple or anything.”

Quentin heard the anxiety in her voice and chose his words carefully. “It's not that, Avery. I would love to join you. I just thought you might want some privacy to talk to your parents.”

She breathed a huge sigh of relief. So he wasn't trying to blow her off? Thank God. She'd hate to think she was the only one feeling as if they shared a connection. Perhaps they were headed in the right direction after all.

 

Vegas Night at the Carlyle was all glitz and glamour when they arrived at the West Versailles room. It was luxuriously decorated in butter cream with Louis XIV chairs and pier tables. Only the very best for her mother, Avery thought.

But she didn't care about all the trappings of wealth, because she had Quentin by her side. Dressed in a tuxedo with a button-clip shirt, he outshone every man in the room in Avery's eyes. And he smelled even better. Strong and masculine. “Are you nervous about meeting my parents?” she asked.

“No, should I be?” His eyes clung to her green ones, analyzing her reaction.

“Maybe?” Avery shrugged. “I haven't brought a man to meet them in quite some time.” She couldn't even remember the last time. It had been that long.

Quentin broke into a smile. He felt honored that Avery was proud enough to introduce him to her parents.

She found her mother and father holding court with several other prominent socialites at the doorway. Her parents smiled as she and Quentin approached.

“Thank you for coming, sweetheart.” Her mother kissed either cheek and gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “I know we haven't been on the best of terms,” she whispered in Avery's ear.

“You know I wouldn't let you down.” Avery smiled back at her.

“Well, I must say—” Veronica Roberts stepped back to peruse her daughter's new haircut and dress “—you look smashing. The new haircut suits you and so does the gentleman standing next to you. And you are?” Veronica gave Quentin the once-over. She was impressed. This man was a tower and Avery didn't usually go for the alpha-male type.

“Quentin Davis.” He extended his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts.” Quentin shook Clayton Roberts's hand.

“Pleasure to meet you as well,” Veronica replied before turning to Avery. “Darling, I've reserved a table for us in the center of the room.”

“Thanks, Mother.”

“Why don't you both grab a bite to eat,” Veronica said, “because I really must mingle. It's all about raising money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.”

“Of course.” Avery kissed her cheek and watched her melt into the crowd.

The evening went smoothly, with her mother raising nearly a hundred thousand dollars for the charity, yet a cloud of apprehension hung over Avery. Even Quentin asking her to dance and being swept up in his arms did little to alleviate her panic.

Quentin dipped his head and rasped in her ear, “It's going to be okay.” He could feel her anxiety over telling her mother that she'd found her birth mother because her body was as stiff as a board.

“No, it isn't,” Avery said. Her stomach was clenched so tightly she could hardly breathe. “She's not going to be happy about this.”

“Was she happy when you told her you were searching for her?”

“No, but—”

Quentin interjected, “Then nothing has changed. Don't worry. This too shall pass.” He tried to reassure Avery, but he doubted he was having much success because when the song ended, she rushed off to the powder room.

In the bathroom stall, tears threatened and she swallowed hard to force them back. Her mother would see her wanting to get to know Leah as a betrayal, but it wasn't like that at all. Avery just hoped she could convince her mother of that.

She didn't realize she had stayed so long inside until she exited the ladies' room and noticed people were leaving.

“Mom, I really need to talk to you,” Avery said, stalking through the ballroom.

She'd kept the news inside all night, but she'd made the decision to meet Leah and now she had to live with the consequences. Her mother was wrapping things up with the caterers and event staff while her father and Quentin sat sharing an after-dinner sherry. Her father was probably in protective mode and giving Quentin the third degree. She had to strike now before she lost her nerve.

“Darling, it's really been a long evening, can't this wait until tomorrow?”

“I wish it could, Mom, but it can't,” Avery replied. “Please, can we talk outside on the terrace?”

“All right, honey,” her mother conceded and followed her onto the terrace. The air was warm and humid, causing Avery to feel as if she were suffocating.

“Mom, there's really no easy way to tell you this,” she started.

“You've found your biological mother,” Veronica stated matter-of-factly.

“I have.” But how did she know?

“Call it a mother's intuition or what you will,” Veronica said. “I just had a feeling. So what do you want from me, Avery?”

She stood there unsure of how to ask for what she wanted.

“Do you want my blessing?” her mother asked derisively. “Because you're not going to get it.”

Avery began to speak, but her mother held up her hand. “I've had a lot of time to think over the last few weeks. Your father and I have discussed this many times and although I've come to understand why you
have
to do this, I don't think it's a good idea. Baby,” her mother said, stroking her cheek, “I think this will cause you nothing but pain.”

“I don't believe that,” Avery replied, abruptly turning away. “Did you ever think it might bring me peace of mind?”