Checking his watch he looks back at her and places a chaste kiss on her lips before rushing out the door and down the driveway.
Avery changes into an olive green blouse, dark denim jeans, and brown boots. She blow dries her hair quickly and puts on a smidgen of makeup before grabbing her phone from the nightstand.
Avery calls Nikki first but she doesn’t answer, Melanie doesn’t answer either.
Relegated to the only other people Avery knows in Carson, she calls Everleigh and luckily her sister picks up after one ring.
Avery begs her for advice after disclosing all that has taken place in the past week. Everleigh offers to ask Austin what is going on, but Avery explains that she wants to keep it private. Instead, Avery asks if she can stay with her for a few days until she can figure out what she needs to do. At first, Everleigh turns her down, suggesting that Avery speak with Logan, but after much begging, Everleigh finally relents. She does point out that Avery is not getting out of Thanksgiving dinner and that if Logan wants to speak to her he’ll find her there - and then all of the family will be brought into the mess. When Everleigh explains that possible situation, Avery tells her that she’ll think about it for a bit.
Going ahead and packing her small duffle bag, Avery is intent on getting some space before she confronts Logan. She grabs a picture from the dresser to toss into her bag: a photo of her and Logan from Halloween taken by Sydney. They were leaning against the porch column, Logan’s arms wrapped firmly around her body, Avery’s head tilted back in laughter at something one of the trick-or-treaters said. Logan was gazing down at her as if she was the most important thing in the world, a beautiful smile gracing his defined face.
Avery wipes away a tear as she tosses the picture in the bag with her few day’s worth of clothes. Stepping into the bathroom, she adds some small toiletries into her small travel bag. When Avery moves back into the bedroom, she finds Logan standing beside the bed, eyeing her duffle bag. So deeply buried in her own turmoil, she never heard him enter the house.
“What’s going on, Avery? Why are you packing up?” he inquires, panic raising the tone of his voice.
Avery steps closer to him, unable to ignore the pull he has over her; grateful that she doesn’t smell the scent of Chanel No.5.
“Why did you smell like perfume last night?”
He steps back, seemingly astonished that she would ask such a question.
“Avery…,” he says, reaching for her hand.
“No, Logan. Don’t touch me. I’m going away until I can figure out things.”
He tries once more to grab her hand and this time he is successful; the warmth of his grasp is a comfort to the hurtful situation.
Logan urges, “Avery, please, I need you to come with me.”
“Why?” she questions, hesitating to follow him.
“Because I need you to, okay? Trust me.”
Taking a deep breath, she hesitantly follows him to his car and waits for him to sit in the driver’s seat. Avery gazes down at her shaking hands, nerves wracking her body. She’s both scared and intrigued at wherever it is that Logan is taking her.
He starts the car and heads to the main road, interlacing his hand with her reluctant one over the center console. No words are spoken as they climb the steep roads leading to the top of the mountains, nor when they descend those roads heading toward the valley and lake.
Surprisingly, they turn onto the gravel road that leads to the winery Logan took her to on one of their first dates. When he parks the car, Avery glances at the empty parking lot and turns to him, raising her brow in question. Without any words, he smiles at her and then kisses the back of her hand before releasing it. He assists her in stepping out of the vehicle and then escorts her to the backside of the large barn.
“Logan, I don’t think we’re supposed to be here.”
“Sure we are,” he assures her, then continues in response to her apprehensive face. “It’s fine. I wanted to show you something.”
He leads her down a flagstone pathway, ending at a dock jutting out over the lake. Confidently stepping onto the pier, he tugs Avery in step behind him. She follows him to the end of the wooden planks, protruding them into the middle of the lake.
Logan turns her in his direction and wraps her in his strong embrace, whispering in her ear, “I love you, Avery. You know I’d never cheat on you. Since you’ve waltzed into my life, I can’t even imagine being with another woman.”
Avery leans back and looks into his eyes, but she knows he’s sincere, mainly due to the overwhelming fact that she trusts him instinctively. She silently berates herself for considering any alternative.
She moves away from his embrace and turns to glance at the water, running her hands through her hair.
“I just don’t understand, Logan. I believe you, but you’ve been so different this past week and you smelled of perfume last night. I just don’t know what’s going on.”
Avery waits for a beat and when he doesn’t respond she turns around, ready to press him for an answer. Gasps escape her parted mouth when what she finds is Logan bent, kneeling before her, a glimmering ring held between two of his fingers.
“Oh my gosh,” Avery quips, her hands covering her mouth in shock.
“Avery, you swept into my life and took me completely by surprise. I was never looking for you and I never knew I was worthy of someone like you. Someone that would show me what it means to be kind, to trust, to love, and to show love. Without you in my life, my world seems meaningless. You are in every breath I breathe, every intake of air. Without you, I cease to exist.