The Magnolia Sisters (Magnolia Sisters #1) - Michelle Major Page 0,50
“My grandma’s golden retriever died last year, and she’s been wanting to get a smaller dog. She doesn’t get around as well these days.”
“Oh...” Avery’s stomach twisted. “Spot has a bit of a weight problem so might be a better fit for someone active. I mean—”
“We could take her,” Jennie interjected without missing a beat. “I’ll be at home more once the baby is born.”
“A baby and a new dog?” Lucas laughed. “I’m blaming that idea on pregnancy hormones, too.”
Avery gripped Spot a little tighter, ignoring the dog’s wiggling. “She’s not ready for a permanent home yet,” she told the couple. “There’s time to decide.”
“You look great, Jen.” Gray stepped forward, once again managing to change the subject when he knew it was difficult for her. “How are you feeling?”
Jennie patted her belly. “Like I’m brewing up a baby orca instead of a little girl.”
Gray threw back his head and laughed. “I hope she has your personality.”
“Fighting words,” Lucas muttered but Avery could tell he was deeply in love with his wife. He dropped a kiss on Jennie’s head. “Just joking, sweetheart. I hope our daughter has your spirit and your beauty.”
“And your sleep habits,” Jennie told him with a wink, then turned to Avery and Gray. “We’re heading over to the funnel cake stand. I do love eating for two. Some of the other wives reserved tables near the bandstand. Want to join us?”
“I need to head out,” Gray answered before Avery had a chance to say anything. “I told Avery I’d give her a ride home.”
They said their goodbyes, with Jennie entering her number into Avery’s cell phone and insisting that they get together another time.
“Fire station friends are really like family?” Avery and Gray curved off the main path of pedestrian traffic and walked across a less crowded section of the park. “I knew that’s how it was in the movies...”
“Lucas and I go way back. He and Jennie have been through a lot together. I like seeing him this happy.”
“You don’t have to give me a ride anywhere,” Avery said, suddenly feeling self-conscious, like she’d inadvertently inserted herself into a tableau where she didn’t belong. As easy as it was to hang out with Gray, she was still an outsider here. There were probably way more Annalises in this town than Jennies, and either way Magnolia was a temporary stop.
“Actually...” Gray ran a hand through his hair. “I’m the one who’s without a car. I walked to the fire station this morning. If it’s a problem, I can walk back to the—”
“I’ll give you a ride.” Avery suddenly didn’t want to be alone. Even if she could capture a few more minutes with Gray, she’d take it. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for this day. I had a great time.”
“Me, too,” he said, his hand brushing hers as they walked.
Butterflies flitted along Avery’s skin. She had it bad for this man and had a feeling that could only lead to trouble for them both.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
GRAY PAUSED IN the act of chopping vegetables to watch Avery emerge from the guest cottage and walk across the lawn toward his back door. Spot trotted along next to her, and she grinned as the dog made to chase a squirrel, then retreated behind her when the squirrel charged instead of running.
He’d invited her for dinner, both because he hated being alone on nights Violet stayed with her mom and also for the simple pleasure of Avery’s full-of-contradictions company. He enjoyed her far too much.
It didn’t mean anything, he reminded himself. She was safe, in Magnolia temporarily and happy to wear that fact like a neon sign. The connection he felt could be chalked up to physical attraction, or so he wanted to believe.
There was no denying her appeal. Tonight she wore a pair of loose-fitting jeans that hung low on her slim hips and a thin tank top that skimmed her body. She’d pulled her hair back, although loose tendrils escaped to frame her face. The sun waned, and it had cooled off measurably from earlier. But the humidity remained