Page 21 of One Southern Summer

Hemby paused, his drink halfway to his mouth. “That’s cryptic. Say more.”

“Avery will be livid when she realizes she’s being used, especially given the way her marriage fell apart.”

“Is it safe to assume this won’t be the regular kind of anger where you apologize, grovel then she forgives you and life goes on?”

If only. Cole shook his head. “Afraid not.”

“But what do you gain by telling Avery about your agreement with her grandmother?”

Cole shot him a withering glance. “Peace of mind. Absence of guilt. The ability to sleep at night. I—I just got Avery back in my life. I don’t want to lose her.”

Again.

“Ah.” Understanding dawned in Hemby’s eyes. “I get it.”

“Do you?” Cole stood and shoved a can of tennis balls and his soggy towel into his bag. Shame blanketed him. He shouldn’t have confessed his feelings. This was going to come back to bite him in the worst possible way. Besides, Avery deserved to hear the truth directly from him. Especially when she’d been so vulnerable and revealed her doubts and fears.

Man, he was a fool.

Hemby finished off his drink then stood and launched the empty bottle toward the recycling container nearby. The plastic rattled against the rim then fell inside. “Here’s what you need to do.”

“Oh, great. Can’t wait to hear your sage advice.”

Unfazed by Cole’s sarcasm, Hemby retrieved his racket and shouldered his bag. “Keep the money, finish the project then convince Avery she can’t live without you.”

Cole blew out a laugh. “Golly, what a brilliant plan. Thanks so much. I’ll get right on that.”

“Do you have a plan B?”

Nope. “Sorry I was so lousy today. See you around.”

“Think about what I said,” Hemby called after him.

He waved his hand in the air and kept walking toward the court’s exit.

The board of directors had been flabbergasted by Nana’s generous donation. In the best possible way. They hadn’t asked the most pertinent questions. Not that they needed to know about Mrs. Lansing’s stipulation. Or contingency as Hemby called it. Between the board’s enthusiasm, their impromptu brainstorming session about raising additional funds, and their collective joy about providing housing and scholarships, there hadn’t been time to mention Avery’s role. To be honest, Cole couldn’t think of one person who’d object.

The only one who seemed to have issue with this unconventional agreement was him.

He pushed open the wrought iron gate, stepped through and let it clang shut behind him. Heat radiated off the asphalt as he worked his way toward his white sedan parked near the center of the lot. The news of the expansion was supposed to be an opportunity to celebrate. The young women at Imari’s Place had a shot at a normal life now. Every step of forward momentum for the foundation meant a step away from the unresolved guilt he still carried about his sister’s abduction. If he’d been paying closer attention, maybe she’d be alive today. Still, he wasn’t comfortable with Maribelle’s insistence that he bring Avery on board. Based on their conversation, it was clear Avery had no idea what her nana had done.

That didn’t stop you from offering the job, though, did it?

He kicked at a pebble in his path. That nagging voice of reason was really getting to be a problem. Why couldn’t he be more like Hemby and roll with this?

“Because it’s not that simple,” he grumbled, tugging his keys from his bag then unlocking the door to his trusty vehicle. Experience had taught him that if he wasn’t careful, he’d get swept up in the drama he’d promised himself he’d avoid.

Avery’s downfall wasn’t his concern. Her battles weren’t his to fight. Sure, Maribelle’s generous contribution made his biggest dream a reality. It also came at a significant cost. Because following through on their agreement wouldn’t be easy for him, either. Running a foundation meant coordinating a lot of moving parts. It wasn’t like he’d be at the job site every day. He could leave a project manager in charge—not that he had one of those—and avoid seeing Avery. Except she’d be closely involved in the decision-making process. Maybe even digging in and getting some of the work done herself.

Could he handle being that close to her again after all these years? He’d dated other women since he and Avery had gone to college. Even one woman in particular who he’d thought might be The One. Until he admitted to himself that she wasn’t. Evangeline was a beautiful and talented woman and he’d cared deeply for her, but he didn’t love her.

Because she wasn’t Avery.

Evangeline had wanted an engagement ring, but he’d ended the relationship. Avery had clearly moved on, married Pax and started a family. But he’d never been able to see himself standing at the front of a church reciting vows with anyone other than Avery.

He ached for all that she’d endured when her marriage unraveled. But selfishly, he was terrified to let her back into his world. He couldn’t risk his heart again.

Whycouldn’t she escape this punishing self-doubt?

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