small movement.
“I’m a single dad,” Gray said. “Violet has to be my top priority.”
“Do you think Avery would have it any other way?”
Gray sighed. “Stacy will use Avery’s past against me in court.”
“What do you know about her past besides the garbage your ex-wife fed you?”
“Avery didn’t deny any of it.”
“She shouldn’t have to,” Mal countered.
“Damn.” Gray ran a hand through his hair. The older man was right, of course. He’d had a knee-jerk reaction to Stacy’s bombshell and had gone in guns blazing when he confronted Avery. He understood there were two sides to every story. Why hadn’t he forced himself to calm down and find out Avery’s?
She’d gone out of her way to connect with his daughter. There had never been one moment he’d doubted her affection for Violet, even when she would have denied it. Had he taken the easy way out? Instead of facing something difficult, he’d assumed the worst so he wouldn’t actually have to put in the work to get through that kind of challenge. “Are you going to tell me what actually happened?”
“Not my story to share,” Malcolm answered as he stood up. “Just know that woman loves you and she loves your daughter. She’d never do anything to purposely hurt either of you.”
Regret churned in Gray’s stomach as he watched Malcolm walk away. He couldn’t believe Avery was gone. As angry as he’d been during their last conversation, the past few days had been horrible without her. It was like a dark cloud hovered over him, blotting out the brightness she’d brought to his world. He put on a good face for Violet, but inside he felt like he’d never recover.
Stacy had claimed he was too black-and-white in life—there was no room for any mistakes in light of his high expectations. She’d accused him of holding the people who loved him to unreachable standards. At the time, he’d paid no attention to her words, too righteous in his own heartbreak and betrayal.
Now he wondered if she’d actually been on-target with her charges. Becoming a father hadn’t been part of his plan at the time, but he’d embraced the role with the whole of his being. He’d wanted to create the perfect life for Violet any way he could. But what if his daughter grew up feeling like she had to be perfect to earn his love?
Of course she had his heart unconditionally.
Too late, he understood Avery did, as well.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
AVERY GAZED OUT the window of the rental car, toward the well-appointed brick house in a posh neighborhood outside San Francisco.
“I can do this,” she whispered.
“Absolutely,” Carrie agreed and reached over to squeeze her hand.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t have stopped for a drink on the way?” Meredith asked from the back seat.
Avery shook her head. “I can’t talk to Tony’s wife when I’ve been drinking.”
“I meant for me,” her youngest sister clarified. “I’m a nervous wreck right now.”
Avery felt the corner of her mouth twitch into a smile. “How do you do that?” She glanced back at Meredith. “You manage to make me feel better with your asinine comments.”
“It’s a gift,” Meredith answered with a wink.
Carrie rolled her eyes, but even she smiled. “Are you sure you don’t want us to go up to the house with you?”
“I need to talk to her on my own.” Avery drew in a deep breath, then handed Carrie the keys. “But if you hear plates crashing against a wall or—”
“A gunshot?” Meredith suggested.
Carrie wagged her fingers toward the back seat. “Enough from you,” she said, then gave Avery an encouraging smile. “You’ll be fine. She invited you here.”
“Right.” Nerves zipped through Avery until it felt like her skin was electric. But this was what she needed to do for closure. She’d called Sofia Monteroy from the kitchen table at Niall’s house two nights ago with her sisters flanking her. Their presence gave her the strength she needed to punch in the number. Sofia had answered on the second ring, sounding strangely unsurprised to hear