The Merger (10 page)

“Are you kidding me?” Julie’s voice rose in pitch and volume.

“That’s my grandfather.”

Clara shook her head. “Tell her about the vineyard. You’re going to want to.”

Avery grinned. “He just purchased a vineyard in France and it’s going to be mine. I’m going to be producing my own line of wines.”

That would explain the extensive collection in her kitchen, Julie thought.

“Wow. And here I am without two nickels to rub together.” She reconsidered her comment. “I’m sorry. That was very rude.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Avery brushed off the comment with her hand. “I’m excited for the opportunity. My grandfather and mother only recently began speaking again, so this is all new to me, but I certainly can embrace the vineyard and château,” she said with a hint of an accent. “It won’t change who I am.”

“No, because she’ll have Pete right there to remind her that she’s a Tennessee girl not some Parisian princess,” Clara joked with a thick Southern accent.

“He’s my rock,” Avery said and Julie noted the darkness that shifted in her eyes when she thought of him.

“Well, look what walked in,” Avery said.

Julie and Clara turned their heads toward the door.

A man walked in and gave them a wave as he stopped by the bar and collected a beer. He had the same dark complexion as Clara and Julie was sure she’d seen him before.

“Hey, they sound good.” The man looked toward the stage and lifted his beer in salute.

“Of course they do,” Clara agreed. “Where’s your family?”

“Mom took Darcy for a pedicure with Aunt Regan. Dad has Emily,” he said as he sat down next to her.

Clara laughed. “Who’d have thought she’d be a grandpa’s girl.”

The man looked toward Julie. His dark eyes
smiled
before his mouth did. He reached his hand across the table. “I’m Ed. Clara’s brother.”

Julie shook his hand. “Julie Jacobson.”

Now his eyes widened. The smile remained, but it had a strain to it. “Lawyer.”

“Yes.”

He nodded as he retracted his hand. “Very nice to meet you.” He eased back in his seat. “I didn’t know you guys would be here.”

“I’d rather be here than sitting at home with my feet up,” Clara said giving her stomach a rub. “It won’t be long until
backstage
and loud bars aren’t going to
fit into
my schedule.”

Ed rubbed her back. “That baby will fit in just fine here.”

Julie thought the tenderness between them might just make her cry. She’d longed her whole life for something like that—compassion from someone. Wasn’t that why she’d gotten married? And still she longed for it.

She took her beer from the table and noticed her hand shaking. Quickly, she lifted the bottle to her lips and took a sip to calm her nerves. These people who surrounded her already treated her with compassion as she’d never known. Regardless of what came from showing up in Nashville, she decided she’d made the right choice. And she was extremely grateful that Spencer had set her up in Avery’s house.

She felt the panic slide away and she took another, now steady, sip of her beer.

“Oh, hey! It’s a party!” Avery waved again at someone walking in the door.

Julie looked up and the panic set back in as she saw Spencer and Tiffany walk in, hand in hand.

Spencer reminded himself to breathe when he saw his cousins sitting at the table with Julie. He certainly hadn’t expected to see her there. And he didn’t like what it did to him when he saw her.

He stopped at the bar. “I’ll take a Bud and she’ll have a Blue Moon,” he said nodding toward Tiffany.

“No, I’ll have a glass of
water,
please.”

“Pansy,” he joked.

“My head hurts so bad I can’t see.”

“You shouldn’t get drunk with strangers in my apartment.”

Tiffany closed her eyes, but he could see them roll at what he said. “I’ll get him. I’ll just try it sober next time.”

“You’re lucky he tucked your sorry ass into bed and left without touching you or stealing anything.”

“Don’t lecture me.”

“Someone has to. I don’t want to come home and find you dead in my apartment or yours. Or raped. Or drugged. Or…”

“I get it.” She rested her hands on both sides of her head. “Maybe I should just go home.”

“No,” he said softly covering her hand with his. “Stay a while.”

“Afraid to be alone with her?”

They both looked toward the table. “Maybe just a little.”

The bartender handed him his beer and Tiffany a glass of water. He took her hand, as much to steady himself as to balance her, and walked toward the table where his cousins and Julie sat.

She had turned to watch Warner and Randy. Her blonde hair was pulled up and he noted the dainty little earrings she wore on her ears. Were they butterflies? They were cute.

He shook his head. That was about the most stupid thought he could ever have.
They were cute.
Who the hell was he? Someone’s grandfather?

“Hey, guys,” he said as warmly as he could as they approached the table.

That caused her to turn and force a smile so strained it made his own cheeks hurt.

“Pull that table over,” Ed said as Avery scooted her chair closer toward Julie to make room for the tables to push together. “Hey, Tiff.”

“Hi,” her voice was low.

“Don’t mind her she’s a little hungover from a date,” Spencer shifted his eyes toward Julie as he sipped his beer. She darted her gaze in another direction. He made her uncomfortable when Tiffany was around. He wondered if he’d always make her this uncomfortable.

Tiffany had her head down and he knew it had been a mistake to bring her. It was too loud. This little relaxing trip downtown was about to be cut short. But that wasn’t what he wanted. He had an urge to talk to Julie more. This wasn’t as intimate as his office, Avery’s kitchen table, or the basement where she was living. Maybe she’d relax a little around Ed, Clara, and Avery, but having Tiffany there wasn’t helping.

Nachos arrived at the table and Spencer ordered another, noticing that all six hands dove into the platter.

Tiffany moaned as she ate. “I don’t think this is going to help either.” She slowly sipped her water.

Spencer knew he needed to get her home. He should probably stay with her for a few hours too and make sure she was okay, but Ed had said something to Julie and she’d actually thrown her head back in laughter. The sound of it was electrifying, sending a jolt
through
his veins.

Warner and Randy finished their set and the volume in the
room
lowered. People moved to the bar, a few cornered Warner for autographs before he made it to the table.

Randy passed by the bar, collected a glass of
water
and headed toward them.

Ed stood and held out his hand to him. Spencer watched the greeting and
the introduction
to Julie. Her eyes were wide and he’d seen enough women flirt to notice that when she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear she was certainly attracted to the musician.

“You’re grinding your teeth,” Tiffany leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

“Am not.”

“
She’s being
friendly. Don’t read into it.”

He shifted his eyes to her and she narrowed her gaze at him. She knew him well enough to know when he had an interest. Julie seemed to strike that nerve. Hadn’t Tiffany said that when she’d kissed him in his kitchen?

Warner joined them and they all moved to accommodate two more chairs as the second platter of nachos arrived. He kept Tiffany’s groans stirring in his ear as he watched Julie
lean
in on her elbows and intently listen to Randy talk as she twisted that damn butterfly in her ear.

To his left Avery pulled her ringing phone from her purse and put it to her ear as she covered the other with her hand.

Her frustration with the phone call caused Spencer to shift his attention from Julie to his cousin.

“Okay. I need an hour. Tyler, I said I’d help. But just one more time. Okay? I don’t want to do this.” She finished the discussion and ended the call.

“My brother?” Spencer asked.

“They swore I wouldn’t have to help with the
Diamond Gift
gala this year. But it seems that big sponsor I brought in last year only wants to talk to me.”

She tucked her phone back into her designer purse with big bangles that jingled on the strap.

Tiffany looked up at her. “Are you leaving?”

“Yes. Tyler and Courtney need me to help them with the gala.”

“Can I bum a ride home on your way? Please,” Tiffany moaned.

“Sure, let’s go.”

Avery stood and swung that jingly purse over her shoulder and gave her hair a push back. Tiffany slid off the stool next to him and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Make your move, slick.” She winked.

“Give my girl a ride home, okay?” Avery nodded toward
Julie,
who was nearly forehead to forehead with Randy as he showed her something on his phone. “She’s occupied and having a good time.”
She patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the bar with Tiffany, leaving him at the end of the table watching Warner run his hand over Clara’s stomach, Ed texting on his phone, and Randy flirting with Julie.

Spencer swallowed hard. He could use another beer and then maybe another. First he’d better finish the one in his hand, so he downed it and let it swim in his head.

He signaled the waitress for another as Ed lifted his head and gave him a nod. He hopped down from his stool and walked toward Spencer.

“Where’d your date go?” Ed joked as he sat where Tiffany had been.

“Avery had to go and she took Tiffany home.”

“Looks like Julie is hitting it off with Randy.”

Spencer bit the inside of his cheek. “Looks that way.” He took the beer when the waitress arrived with it and set it on the table. He wrapped his hands around it. “I hired her,” he admitted in a low, quiet voice.

“You did?”

“She came to Nashville looking for a job.”

Ed nodded slowly. “Why did she leave PLL? Don’t we need her there? She’s an intricate part of the structure.”

“Was. They fired her the morning the merger went through.”

“So send her back. They all work for us now.”

Spencer nodded. He actually hadn’t thought about that. Why hadn’t he thought about that? He’d spent the past five months damning her name and then she shows up and he gives her a local job.

He drank again. He knew why he did it. It was just that he wasn’t sure he wanted to admit it yet.

Ed lifted his beer to his lips and sipped. “What’s her job title here?” He kept his voice low as another act took to the stage.

“She’s going to assist me on the neighborhood build. At least until she passes the bar in Tennessee.”

Ed ran his fingers across his chin. “Family? Husband? What’s her story?”

She twisted that butterfly on her ear again and placed a hand on Randy’s shoulder as she laughed.

Spencer took another
long,
purposeful pull from his beer. “Newly divorced. Looking for a new start somewhere else.”

“Are you sure you want her this close to you? She made you miserable for the past five months. I’ve never heard her name and anything pleasant come out of your mouth.”

Spencer felt the regret sink in his stomach. He wished he’d known her better before he’d said all those things about her.

“She’s been dealing with a lot this year. She’s not who I thought she was,” he admitted.

“I figured. Avery wouldn’t have taken
to
her so quickly if she
wasn’t
a good person.”

That was true enough. Spencer finished off his second beer and assessed how he felt. He could drive home now, but one more he’d need a ride. He needed to consider that she’d need a ride home. Avery had asked him to get her home. Maybe if he needed a ride she could take him home. He could invite her inside. Show her the view from the top floor. Maybe they could…

Randy and Julie both stood from their stools. Julie assessed the table. “Where did Avery go?”

“She had to leave. She took Tiffany home on her way,” Spencer explained.

“Oh, good. Randy and I are headed to get some
barbecue
for lunch. I’ll catch up with her at home.”

She threw her purse over her shoulder and gave them a wave as she said goodbye to Clara and Warner before she walked out of the building with Randy.

Spencer could only assume Avery didn’t get around to asking Julie if she had dinner plans or not. He let out a regretful breath, ordered up that third beer after securing a ride with Ed, and had every intention of following it with a fourth.

~*~