The Magnolia Sisters (Magnolia Sisters #1) - Michelle Major Page 0,76
pet Spot, who’d wandered up onto the porch. “Again.”
“Maybe.”
The dog did her usual flop and Avery finally found herself able to smile. “I think she’s lost more weight.”
“You’ve got a way with her,” Meredith said. “Don’t change the subject. You should talk to Gray.”
“He was so hurt by Stacy’s cheating. How can I admit to him that I’d caused that much pain to someone?”
“You’re missing a key point,” Meredith argued. “He was hurt by his ex-wife. She betrayed him, not the man she fooled around with.”
“Do you truly believe that? Do you think he harbors no anger toward the guy?”
Meredith straightened. “You have a point, but as I understand it, he knew the dude. That makes a difference.”
“A small one.”
A crashing sound came from the barn, followed by a cacophony of bleating and then barking from the dog herd, which had gathered at the fence.
“Stupid goat,” Meredith muttered. “Frank must have gotten out of his stall again. He’s determined to get into the oats every chance he can find.”
Avery picked up the broom again. “Good luck with that.”
“You’re coming with me,” Meredith called over her shoulder, already moving for the porch steps.
“I should hold down the fort out here.” Another crash reverberated in the quiet of the morning.
“I need you.”
Those three words were like a shot directly to Avery’s gut, just as they had been when she’d been the one to say them to Meredith and Carrie. As much as she’d become accustomed to not needing anyone or being needed in return, she hadn’t realized how lonely that made her life until she came to Magnolia.
She trotted to catch up with her sister. “The property is twenty acres, right?”
“Around there.” Meredith cupped her hands around her mouth. “Frank, you better stop making trouble,” she called.
“It must be a huge amount of work on your own.”
“A ton,” Meredith said absently.
“What if we could find another location for the shelter and sell this property? The Realtor I met with, Jacob, thinks a developer might offer a decent price for the whole thing with the intention of subdividing it.”
Meredith whirled on her so fast it made Avery’s breath catch.
“This is my home,” the petite firecracker said, tension lacing her tone. “You want to dump the gallery and that mess of a house in town, fine. I’ll back you. They mean nothing to me. Less than. But don’t even think about making a move for the ranch.”
All Avery could do was nod in agreement. She half believed Meredith might take her to the ground if she argued. She had at least four inches on her tiny sister, but that didn’t mean Meredith couldn’t kick her ass.
“Got it.” She held up her hands, palms out. “Although, you might rethink letting me stay here. I could help.”
“You just stepped in a pile of horse poop.” Meredith chuckled as Avery grimaced at her dirty sneaker. “Not sure how much help you’ll be on the ranch, city girl. You’re taking care of Spot, and I might bring over a few kittens for fostering. That will help.”
“Kittens?” Avery swallowed and scraped the bottom of her shoe along the ground. “If I was here—”
“Work things out with Gray instead,” Meredith suggested, hauling open the wide barn door. “He’s a stand-up guy, Avs. Even if you don’t want forever with him, be smart enough to take advantage of the now.”
Avery paused as Meredith disappeared into the barn where the noise level sounded like a late-night rave gone wild. Could it be that simple? Take advantage of the now. Live in the now.
She’d always been a planner and a worrier, a crazy combination of ambition and anxiety. It seemed impossible to let that part of her go but things couldn’t get much stranger than they already were. Why not change up the plan and see what happened?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“YOU SHOULD BE at home resting.”
Gray looked up from the paperwork he’d been staring at for the past half hour to see