Page 66 of More Than Anything

Shannon frowned. “What’s wrong? Miss me already?”

“Now,” Avery growled.

“Okay, okay! Guess you really did miss me, huh?” she asked, laughing and standing. She reached a hand toward him. “Hold my hand?” He just glared at her. “Back in a bit, girls,” she called back toward the women sitting around where she’d been entertaining anyone who’d listen.

The door closed behind the two of them. “What do you want?” Shannon spat toward Avery.

“I want to know what your game is.”

“I don’t have agame,” Shannon told him, staring up into his eyes, challenging him. “I just came here to find my husband. You need to come back to Clarksville, Avery. We need you.”

“I’m not going back to Clarksville, and I’m most certainly not going back to Clarksville with you. You get yourself out of TuckerCity and do it quick,” he warned her.

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Shannon told him. “I was hoping we could reconcile.”

“Ben told you about my money, I assume,” Avery said.

“Money? I don’t know about any money,” she answered, batting her eyelashes at him. God, she was a terrible liar.

Avery stooped down to stare into her eyes, anger rolling off his body. “Listen to me. I want nothing to do with you. Nothing.”

“You’ll change your mind. You remember how good it was between us, Avery. I know you do,” Shannon purred.

He shook his head. “All I remember is finding you in bed with my brother. That’s it. And I’ll never get that image out of my mind.”

She shrugged. “Ben was a mistake.”

That made Avery snort. “Yeah?when he ran out of money.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he snarled out, “I know you followed Jason here. And I’ve talked to Ben. I know exactly what’s going on. Oh, and I talked to Mom,” he added and watched her face fall. “She knows everything now. That means your biggest cheerleader is now gunning for you. You’re finished with the Holcomb family. Finished.”

“No. I’m just getting started. And you can’t just dismiss me that way. I won’t have it,” she snipped at him.

“And what exactly do you think you’re going to do about it?”

“Whatever I have to.” With that, she turned on her heel and headed back into the diner.

Avery stomped to his truck and slammed the door when he was in the driver’s seat. His first stop was back at Lydia’s, and her BMW was sitting out front. When he knocked on the door, she asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, baby.”

Lydia opened the door a crack. It broke Avery’s heart to see her nose red and eyes swollen from crying. All she said was, “What?”

Avery couldn’t believe she’d greet him that way. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

Lydia shook her head. “I don’t date married men.”

“I’m not married,” Avery said, then added, “well, not as far as I’m concerned.”

Lydia’s face was passive, her eyes dull and tired. “Let me ask you something. If we wanted to get married tomorrow, could we?”

Avery’s eyes dropped to the concrete of the porch. “Legally, no.”

“Then we have nothing to talk about now. Get this straightened out and we can talk.” She tried to close the door, but Avery shoved his foot in it. “What do you want, Avery? I can’t do this.”

“Lydia, nothing’s changed. I love you.” He could feel the tears welling up in his lower lids and he didn’t know what to do. “Please, let me in?”

“I love you too. But no. This has to be resolved. It’s bad enough that word is traveling all over town, but now it includes me messing around with a married man. I can’t have that,” she said, then sighed.

“I talked to your dad.”

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