Page 51 of One Southern Summer

Dale grinned and hiked up the waist of his jeans. They promptly met the fortress that was his prodigious belly and retreated to hanging low on his hips. “You look a little miffed is all. What’s going on?”

“I’m waiting on the designer to show up. She’s...” He checked his phone. “Almost thirty minutes late.”

“Ah.” Dale brushed some crumbs from the front of his green polo shirt. “Waiting on a woman. I get it.”

Cole opened his mouth to say something polite about how he normally didn’t mind when folks ran late, but that wasn’t true. He did mind. A lot, actually. A vehicle turned the corner and drove toward them. Cole studied the front of the SUV and caught a glimpse of Avery’s blond hair through the windshield.

Dale followed his gaze. Avery applied the brakes and parked behind Dale’s truck. When she opened the door and stepped out, Cole noted Dale admiring Avery’s shapely legs and yellow slip-on shoes. He fisted his hands at his sides, but hardly could he admonish Dale, because he was staring too.

Avery stepped onto the sidewalk, closed the door then offered a tight smile. She’d tamed her hair in glossy platinum ringlets. Aviator sunglasses shielded her eyes. A gray-and-yellow-striped dress skimmed her knees. Her arrival sparked something inside, brightened his glum mood, like he’d captured a whole jar of fireflies before bed.

“Ah.” Dale’s gaze swung back to Cole. “Now it all makes sense.”

Cole narrowed his eyes at him, hoping he’d telegraphed his irritation. Gah! Did he have to be so transparent all the time?

Dale ignored him and ambled closer to Avery, pairing a handshake with a welcoming smile. “Hi, I’m Dale.”

“Avery Crawford.” She shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m the project manager. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Crawford. Let me know if I can be of any assistance.” Dale turned and winked at Cole. “Looks like your day just got a whole lot better.”

Cole angled his head toward the construction site. “Roberto said he needed to see you. Something about a plywood delivery.”

Dale’s belly jiggled as he laughed. “Sure, I’ll go find Roberto.”

Avery stood quietly beside Cole, hands clasped in front of her until Dale walked away.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said.

“No problem.” He studied her. She hadn’t removed her sunglasses. The downward turn of her mouth and the pink splotches of color clinging to her cheekbones hinted that she might’ve cried during the drive over.

“Are you okay?”

She hesitated, trapping her lower lip behind her teeth.

His gaze landed there and suddenly he didn’t mind that she’d kept him waiting.

“Pax and Trey are going to be in town soon.” She looked away, the breeze lifting some of her curls. “We agreed that he’ll see the kids while he’s here, so Addison spent some time at Dalton and Whitney’s this morning and it didn’t go quite like I expected.”

Uh-oh. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He’d heard Millie Kay bragging about the tickets she’d scored to Pax’s book signing. Something about limited seating at an exclusive event at The Oasis.

“How are you feeling about this arrangement?”

“I want to throw up.”

“Well, by all means.” He gestured with an exaggerated flourish toward the lawn behind them. “I’m sure the neighbors won’t mind.”

Her lips twitched. “Very funny.”

“The guys who want to make the documentary came by earlier. They’re ready to start conducting interviews and filming. Are you on board or...”

She nodded. “Let’s do it.”

He wanted to pump the air with his fist. Instead he kept his hands in his pockets. “Do you have any questions?”

“Just one.” She removed her sunglasses. “Do you think I’m using you?”

His heart squeezed in his chest. “Excuse me?”

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