The Magnolia Sisters (Magnolia Sisters #1) - Michelle Major Page 0,73
her arms, nuzzling her soft fur. If only everything could be as simple as a dog’s straightforward affection.
* * *
“YOU CAN COME out to Last Acre every morning for the rest of eternity.” Meredith handed Avery a push broom later that week. “I’ll put you to work, but you aren’t moving in with me.”
“One night,” Avery pleaded softly. “You could let me stay one night.”
“What’s wrong with Carrie’s place?” Meredith pointed to the wide planks of the beach house’s front porch, and Avery dutifully began to sweep. She’d first come out to the property after Gray had been picked up by his friend Lucas the morning his ex-wife had shown up at the house.
After Stacy had driven away with Violet, he’d returned to the carriage house but she hadn’t answered the door when he knocked, feeling somehow too vulnerable to handle a confrontation. The thought of contributing in any way to conflict between Gray and his ex-wife brought back all the emotions of her disastrous past in California.
Spot had barked and whimpered, and of course, he knew Avery hadn’t left, but she couldn’t face him.
Not when she had no way to explain her powerful reaction to Stacy’s anger. The situation was totally different than what she’d previously experienced, and her rational side understood that his ex had no claim on him. That it wasn’t the same as it had been with Tony.
Too bad her rational side seemed to have melted away in the heat that seemed to linger interminably, making her wonder if North Carolina would ever cool down.
She wiped a hand over her brow, then continued to sweep. At least out here a breeze blew in from the ocean so there was some relief from the scorching heat. They were well into September now, and she’d heard talk that the weather should break soon. She could only hope.
“That house is creepy,” she told Meredith. “I don’t know how Carrie stays there. She’s made a ton of progress on cleaning things out, and I promised I’d be back to help take another load to the donation center this afternoon. But I don’t want to stay where Niall lived. He wanted nothing to do with me when he was alive. I don’t want to feel any attachment to him now.”
Meredith cocked a brow. “I meant the carriage house.”
“Oh.” Avery bit down on the inside of her cheek. She hadn’t told either of her sisters about Stacy, and they certainly didn’t know about her past. “Nothing’s wrong with it,” she lied. “I thought you and I should get to know each other better.” She offered what she hoped was a confident smile. “Carrie’s take on all of this is pretty clear. She was Niall’s real daughter and the one with the most to lose by moving on. I’m still curious about where you stand on things.”
“I stand on my property,” Meredith answered. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to his house or to the buildings downtown, but I need the ranch.”
Avery followed her sister’s gaze toward the large fenced-in enclosure where what looked like a mini herd of dogs was milling about. Beyond that area was the barn, which she’d toured yesterday. In addition to the half-dozen rescue horses housed there, they’d visited pigs, goats and an enclosure of energetic bunnies.
“Did it seem strange at all when Niall leased you the property? You pay next to nothing for the rent. I understand why he did that downtown. Those were his neighbors. But he could have sold this property at any time and made a significant profit.”
“I figured he had his reasons.”
“Really? Because from what I understand—”
“I knew about his affair with my mother,” Meredith blurted. She turned to Avery, arms stretched out like she expected a crucifixion. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”
Avery shook her head, too dumbfounded to speak. They stared at each other for several long minutes before Avery found her voice. “Did you know he was your father?”
“No,” Meredith said, looking away again. “I never suspected that. I guess he and my mom were together off and on for years, but I thought it started after I was born.”