When I'm With You. Donna Hill
widened. Her mouth opened a bit but then closed.
“Hmm. Those girls, if they know nothing else it’s how to put a wedding together.” She chuckled. “Give them and yourself a chance. I understand the ties that bind you at work. You don’t get to speak up, only take orders, and it’s hard to break old habits. But...how ’bout this. Next time, you initiate the get-together. You call Dom or Desi and tell them your thoughts. One step at a time?” Her right brow lifted with emphasis.
Avery pushed out a breath. “You’re right. This is all so new to me.”
“As much as those Lawsons may fuss and feud with each other, the love and the bond that they have is unbreakable.” She squeezed Avery’s hands. “They want you to be part of that. And if you give it a chance, you might find what you’ve spent your life looking for.”
Avery wiped away the remnants of her tears and offered up a wobbly smile. “I’ll try.”
Alice winked. “Good girl. Now,” she planted her hands on her hips, “hungry?”
She smiled for real this time. “Starved.”
Avery finished her late breakfast, took a shower and went for a short run. She pushed through the stiff breeze wrapped in muggy air. Before she’d gone a little more than a block her skin grew damp and a line of perspiration dribbled down the center of her spine. Her limbs pumped. The fuel of adrenaline rushed through her veins, and clarity pushed through the cobwebs of her thoughts.
She loved Rafe. There was no doubt about that. Yes, she was overwhelmed by the rush of family, even a little scared. But if what Alice said was true, they wanted her to be part of who they were. She’d never had that before, but because she wanted a life with the man of her dreams she would find a way to work through her issues.
Avery rounded the corner and headed back to the house. Just as she slowed in front of the walkway, a car door opened and a man got out, blocking her path.
“Avery Richards, right?”
Her senses leapt to high alert. Instinctively her hand flew to her waist, where her gun would have been.
“Whoa!” He held up his hands. “Reporter.”
She frowned. “Reporter? What do you want?” Her nostrils flared.
“I was hoping I could get a statement from you.”
“I don’t give statements.” She tried to move, and he stepped into her path.
Her body flexed. “Step aside.”
“I was hoping you would give me a comment about your engagement to Rafe Lawson. Your father is Horace Richards, right? Senator Richards.”
Her head snapped to the right. “What did you say?” She took a step toward him and he flinched.
“Look, all I want is an exclusive for the paper. Playboy Lawson and heir to the family jewels hooks up with a senator’s daughter—a Secret Service agent—that’s news.”
“Get away from me.” This time she shoved him out of her way and started up the walkway.
“Are you staying here now? Have you moved in?” he shouted to her back.
Avery quickened her step, a beat short of a jog until she reached the front door. She took a quick look over her shoulder. The reporter snapped her picture. She opened the door and shut it solidly behind her. She leaned her back against it, felt her heart hammer in her chest.
Alice was walking toward her with a blue cloth shopping bag in her hand. She stopped halfway. “What is it?”
Avery vigorously shook her head. “Nothing. That run took more out of me than I thought.”
Alice hurried over. “Go in and sit down. I’ll get you some cold water.”
Avery forced a smile. “Thanks. That’s probably what I need.”
Alice went off to the kitchen. Avery pulled herself together and walked out onto the back deck. Now she was being followed by reporters? How in the hell did they know where she...of course, the papers announcing the engagement. She pushed out a breath of frustration and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. This was not good. The last thing she needed was to be followed around by reporters or photographed while she was on duty. Dammit!
Alice pushed open the screen door to the deck. “Here you go, sweetheart.” She extended the glass of ice water toward Avery.
“Thanks, Alice.” She took several long swallows before setting the glass down on the circular wrought-iron table.
Alice studied her for a moment. “Feeling better?”
Avery nodded. “Yes. Thanks.”
“Okay. Well, I have my daily errands to run. Shouldn’t take too long. Need anything while I’m out?”
Her thoughts swam. “Um, no. Thanks, Alice.”
Alice turned and went back inside.
Avery lowered herself onto one of the lounge chairs. What was she going to do? Rafe felt it best that she stay in his home so that she wouldn’t be alone. But clearly his house was being staked out. If there was one reporter, eventually there would be others. Going home might not be a better option. They probably knew where she lived.
She headed up to the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase and began to pack. Then she called Kerry.
Avery checked the bedroom. Satisfied that she hadn’t overlooked anything she shut the door and pulled her small rolling suitcase behind her. She made a quick stop in the kitchen to leave the note she’d written for Alice.
She took the extra set of keys that Rafe gave her and locked the door behind her. When she’d insisted that he drive her car to his house, it was more a matter of trying to maintain some sense of control. She turned the key in the ignition. Now it was her method of escape.
A little more than a half hour later she pulled up in front of Kerry’s house and parked on the street. She stared at the house. What was she doing? She wasn’t a runner. She didn’t run from problems to avoid confrontations. Guess there was a first time for everything. What she needed was some space to think. The very idea that she was being watched creeped her out in a way that being followed by her father’s private hire when she’d first started dating Rafe didn’t. This was different. She turned the car off just as Kerry’s front door opened, and she stepped out.
Kerry walked to the car. Avery got out.
“Hey, girl.” She opened her back door, pulled out her suitcase and came around to the sidewalk, where Kerry was standing. They hugged.
“You good?” Kerry asked, the concern etched between her brows.
“Yeah,” she said on a breath. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”
“Girl, please. Come on in.” She draped her arm over Avery’s shoulders and they walked inside.
“Can I get you anything?” Kerry asked once they were settled inside.
“No. Thanks. Just want to sit here for a minute.”
Kerry plopped down in the side chair opposite Avery, just as her cellphone rang. Avery took the phone from her back pocket. “It’s Rafe,” she mouthed to Kerry, who eased out of her chair and walked away.
Avery dragged in a breath and pressed the talk icon. “Hey.”
“Avery, what’s going on? I got a call from Alice. She said you packed your bag and went to Kerry’s.”
“I