Page 22 of One Southern Summer

Avery sat at Mama’s kitchen table with her laptop open. She’d spent almost an hour scrolling through social media accounts, searching for design inspiration. She blew out a long breath and reached for her coffee. Only a smidge remained. She drained the mug then grimaced when the lukewarm beverage hit her taste buds. Gross. Maybe a second cup would ease the headache forming behind her eyes or somehow ignite a spark of creativity. Nothing she’d seen felt right for Imari’s Place.

Worse, the nagging sense of dread that she couldn’t succeed without Trey and Pax still clouded her thinking. So frustrating. Pushing back her chair, she stood and crossed to the coffee bar in the corner of the kitchen. She didn’t need them.

A quick glance at Hayes rocking in his baby swing nearby, eyes closed and his precious mouth curved into a toothless, dreamy grin, reminded her that she had a limited amount of time before he woke from his morning nap and needed her full attention.

Greer came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. “Mornin’.”

“Good morning.” She smiled then popped a new capsule in the single-serve coffee machine. He looked dressed for a round of golf in his lavender polo shirt and pressed white trousers. “Have you had time to review the agreement?”

He held up a thin stack of paper then removed his reading glasses from their perch on top of his head and slid them into place. “I’m going to read it right now.”

He’d agreed to review the document Cole’s assistant had emailed yesterday. Avery had read through it twice and didn’t have any concerns, other than her lack of confidence that she was the right person for the role. Greer wasn’t an attorney but she trusted his judgment implicitly. She longed for his quiet reassurance that she wasn’t making a huge mistake.

The front door opened. A flurry of whispered conversation preceded her sisters’ arrival in the kitchen. Plastic bags filled with groceries rustled as they plunked their provisions on the counter.

“Hey.” Avery poured almond milk creamer into her coffee. “Thank you for going to the store.”

“Not a problem.” Julene slipped past her with frozen berries destined for the freezer. Why had she avoided eye contact?

“They were out of some of the baby food you wanted.” Harper held up a two-pack of pureed peaches. “I hope this will work?”

“I’m sure Hayes will love peaches.” Avery offered a grateful smile. She’d planned to start introducing solids soon. Harper turned away and quickly emptied the next bag.

“All right, what’s going on?” Avery opened a drawer and pulled out a spoon. “You two are unusually skittish, and the whispering is a bit of a concern.”

“Nana called me while we were at the store and said to be sure and grab a copy ofCamellia Today.” Julene pulled a glossy magazine from the bottom of a shopping bag. “There’s an upcoming event that has her all fired up.”

Oh. Avery’s scalp prickled. She hesitated, the spoon suspended above her mug then feigned a smile. “Well, that could mean anything, right? Nana might be concerned about a garden club announcement or the latest book club selection. So what is it? What’s the issue this time?”

Julene and Harper stood side by side at the counter, their foreheads crinkled. Harper fidgeted with the tassel on the zipper of her straw purse.

“Here.” Julene flipped open the magazine. “As your sister and the magazine’s social media manager, I want to apologize for not warning you first. I don’t always know what articles are being featured. I’m still really new and—”

“Julene.” Avery stopped stirring then reached over and squeezed her sister’s arm. “It’s okay. There’s nothing to apologize for. Y’all. C’mon. How bad could one little article be?”

Julene scrunched her nose in disgust.

Harper glared at the publication like it harbored a flesh-eating bacterium.

Avery took a fortifying sip of coffee then let her gaze slide over the article dominating two pages of the magazine’s spread. A professional headshot of Pax standing next to a stack of hardback copies of his book sent a pang of surprise arcing through her. Of course, Camellia would be proud of him. He’d just published a book.

“Nana is worried because he’s coming for a book signing and he’ll be speaking at The Oasis,” Harper said.

Oh.

“Good for him.” Avery shrugged then turned away. She popped the spoon inside the dishwasher then retrieved her mug. Why the hushed whispers and worried glances? They’d divorced. Who cared if Pax’s book tour garnered positive press?

The way her gut coiled in a tight knot hinted that she cared. At least a little. Okay, maybe a lot. And maybe other people cared too. Especially if a popular local magazine featured him. She peeked at Greer. He was pretending not to listen. But she could tell, since he hadn’t flipped to the next page of the contract yet, that he was paying attention.

“W-when’s the book signing?” Avery managed to squeak out the question.

“I haven’t seen the flyer yet.” Julene closed the magazine then tucked it inside her tote bag. “Nana says it’s during Father’s Day weekend.”

How ironic. Avery nodded, drumming her fingertips on the counter. That was three weeks away. She could be mentally and emotionally prepared by then.

Right?

“Thanks for letting me know.” She carried her coffee to the table and sat down again across from Greer. “I need to sign that contract today. Unless you have any concerns?”

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