He reached for his smartphone. He hadn’t even glanced at it since he’d landed in California, and a part of him recoiled at the idea of all the missed calls from his family. No doubt there were already six calls from his mother and at least four appointments for blind dates with “suitable young women” when he got home.
Wincing, he opened his phone and resolved to listen to the latest message only—just in case there had been some emergency. After that, he wasn’t looking at the thing again until he was in the airport, ready to head home.
He pressed play, then held the phone to his ear.
His mother’s clipped, even tone filled the speaker. “Well, I suppose since you insist on spending all your time in California and you refuse to answer your phone, I’ll simply have to come there myself. Your father and I have booked a flight. If this is what it takes to see my son, then I suppose it’s what I’ll have to do. The plane arrives tomorrow morning. I would hope you’d be there to pick us up, but considering the circumstances, I’m guessing we’ll have to take a cab. And another thing—”
The message suddenly ended, and Holden stared at it as if it had done something to him personally.
His mother was coming here…fully knowing that he was with Avery? A knot settled in his stomach as he remembered the last time the two women had been in the same room together.
It had been his going-away party before his first tour in Iraq, and his father had just toasted his superior skill and his upholding of the family tradition.
Afterward, his mother had said, “Why don’t we all give a little toast for Holden?”
His brothers had looked at each other briefly, but then all gazes had focused on Avery, whose cheeks had gone bright red.
“Maybe not. I didn’t bring my joke book.” Avery had desperately tried to get out of it, but his mother had insisted.
“Oh no, we have to. It’s a very special day. I’m sure Tom would have appreciated it if we’d done this for him.” She had stared down at the eldest Morris boy, who had exchanged weary glances with his then-girlfriend.
“Avery, why don’t you go first?” his mother had asked.
Avery had glanced around the table, then stood, making the American flag stretched across her T-shirt even more apparent to the table at large. She had cleared her throat, then had looked down at Holden. “Go get ’em, sport.”
Then, without pause, she had settled back into her chair. His mother had looked at Avery for a long moment, appraising her with her usual air of cool displeasure, then had stood and launched into the most heartfelt pledge he’d ever heard.
And Holden knew why. She’d prepared it. In fact, she’d arranged this very moment to show him—and Avery—who belonged at the table and who didn’t. And by the end of that night? It had been obvious that Avery had gotten the message loud and clear.
So, what could he do now? Sneak off and pretend they weren’t coming? Make excuses for Avery to avoid them?
No, if his plan was going to work, he was going to have to go all in.
And Avery would, too.
Chapter Ten
Avery ran her fingers through her damp hair then squirted some shampoo into her palm and lathered her head with the too-sweet coconut rinse she always favored. It was the cheap stuff—the kind her mother had always brought home on the rare occasions when she’d gone to the grocery store—and every time Avery smelled it, she was torn between wanting to be reminded of her youthful summers with Holden and feeling the urge to buy something that an adult would actually use.
Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to think of what she’d do with him today. The past few days had been a whirlwind for sure, and she was already beginning to run out of steam. There were only so many roller rinks or bungee jumping spots in the city, and knowing Holden, he wasn’t going to allow her to hold the reins for much longer.
That look in his eyes—the one that got all soft and thoughtful—was showing up more and more, and a few times, it had seemed like he was on the point of saying something she knew she didn’t want to hear.
Swallowing hard, she rinsed her hair and then stepped from the shower, too distracted to bother with conditioner today. Absently, she glanced at the phone on the corner of the sink and thought about what Myla might be doing. No doubt her friend was snuggled close to her boyfriend or pinning more ideas to her wedding board in Pinterest. She probably had that goofy, lovey-dovey expression on her face, and Lord only knew what her advice to Avery would be. Probably something like “follow your heart” or some other kind of romantic crap.
What if my heart wants to play dead? What then?
She was on the point of sending Myla a message when she put the phone back down again and grabbed her towel instead.
She was making a mountain out of a molehill. Holden hadn’t said or done anything
So they’d slept in the same bed. It wasn’t like they hadn’t done that before.
So his kiss felt more tender than she remembered. A kiss was just a kiss.
And that look he got in his eyes? That could all just be in her head.
She knew the right thing to do, and that was to relax and enjoy these last few days before he left again. So he had a plan? Fine. That didn’t mean he’d asked her to be part of it.