Shattered Rose (Winsor Series) - By T L Gray Page 0,59

he wised up. I was actually impressed that he knew me well enough to call it. He ended their conversation with a “good luck with your dad, and give Avery back her phone!”

“Amazing,” Issy said as she set the phone down. “He totally nailed me. I thought for sure you two were well into the dirty talk phase.”

“Oh my Gosh, Issy, what did you text him?” I asked with horror in my voice.

“Just that he looked sexy in his shorts and that I looked forward to rubbing out all of his hurt muscles.” Her voice was pure innocence as she turned up the stereo. I couldn’t help but laugh, mostly because Parker already knew it wasn’t me. The thought did make me blush, though. Parker was sweet and kind, and I really liked him. But the only person that popped into my head when I heard “sexy” was Jake. My smile remained until Issy got to the chorus of Like a Virgin, which quickly brought me back to reality. I hit the power button as fast as I could.

“Hey, I was singing that!” Issy yelled as she reached for the stereo.

“No, we have to focus.” The forty-five minute drive to Issy’s dad’s house was almost over and I needed some preparation this time. I walked into a lion’s den with Issy and her mother, and I refused to do it again. “What should I expect here? You made it seem like all was peaches and cream with your mom, and you two hardly said a word to each other.”

“What to expect?” Issy sighed, posing in the thinker position. “Ok, well my dad will act like we are best friends. I will play along. My stepmom will say all the wrong things, and I will either ignore her or say something rude. Her son will likely be reading a book or playing a video game, so he is a pretty low threat. In all, it will feel like a perfectly dysfunctional meal.”

“Ok, then clarify for me, please, why you wanted me here? I thought you and your dad didn’t get along.” I was totally confused at this point. It seemed more that her mom was the estranged one.

“Avery, just have my back. My stepmother tends to bring out the worst in me. You seem to bring out the best in me. I was just hoping they would balance each other out.”

Her comment surprised me, but I finally understood. Sometimes you just need a friend to be there, even if they don’t do anything at all. Maybe Parker was right about Issy. I followed her instructions down a long driveway until out of the trees loomed the largest house I’d ever seen. No, house wasn’t the right word…it was a mansion.

Issy punched some numbers on the keypad and the gates opened, giving us access to the front drive. The house was split level and three stories. It was a butter-yellow color with cream trim and had multiple balconies on each level. The entire yard was filled with tall trees and plush landscaping, making it seem even more expansive than it was.

“Oh, here we go again. Avery, you really need to stop gawking.”

I shot her a dirty look and parked the car, carefully watching her body language as she got out of the car. I’d know Issy for months and had never seen her so tense. She grabbed her purse and whispered under her breath, “Here we go.”

As if given new resolve, she shot me a big smile and pointed to the front door. I followed slowly, turning around with every step to take in the beauty.

The door opened before we even got to it and a young man in khaki slacks and a cotton button-up dress shirt and tie stood there smiling. He was handsome in a rugged kind of way, and his broad face and tussled hair didn’t seem to match his preppy attire.

“Issy, the prodigal daughter returns.” His voice was full of humor, but also had a tension to it. He was watching Issy carefully as if trying to read how she would respond to him. I quickly deduced that those two didn’t get along.

Issy walked past him without a word and waved her hand to dismiss him. I watched his face tense as he shut the door behind us and walked away.

“Your butler?” I asked as he disappeared around the corner.

“No silly, we’re not that rich. He’s my dad’s assistant. My stepmom is obviously smart enough not to let

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