She placed the pills on her tongue and took a drink of water to wash them down. Stress headaches had become par for the course lately, which meant she had to resort to pain relievers, deemed safe during pregnancy, just to get through the day.
“I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt. At least talk to him, give him a chance to tell his side of the story.”
She refreshed her computer screen. Five emails in as many minutes. “He stated his case. I didn’t believe him. End of story.”
Luc sighed. “How do you know he wasn’t telling the truth?” He tapped his knuckles on the desk to draw her attention away from her computer monitor. “What is it with you, Avery? Why the hell are you so determined to sabotage every relationship?”
She forced herself to focus on Luc, the man who was single-handedly driving her business at the moment. She couldn’t afford to piss him off, though she wanted to tell him to mind his own business and get out of her office so she could get back to work. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes you do. You did it with me, Trey, now Ty.”
Avery laughed. “Excuse me? You’re blaming me for what happened between us when we were dating?”
Luc rolled his eyes. “Okay, I know I wasn’t the ideal boyfriend. I’m not even gonna try and deny that I had feelings for Marisa while we were together, but you weren’t even willing to give us a chance.”
“I gave it a chance. It didn’t work out so I moved on.”
“Yeah, you moved on while we were still seeing each other.”
She shifted the papers on her desk, mentally re-writing her to-do list for the remainder of the day. “I really don’t have time to get into this now.”
“You did the same thing while you were seeing Trey. He was out of town and you started seeing that doctor, what’s his name, Miles?”
“Trey and I were never exclusive.” She reached for her pen to make a note of a phone call she had to make when Luc left her office. “Neither were you and I for that matter.”
“You wrote us off before you even gave it a chance and then you blamed it on us, claiming we were the ones hung up on other women.” He folded his arms and stared at her. “When was the last time you had a long-term, committed relationship?”
She tried to resist the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. “I don’t know.”
“Have you ever had a real relationship?”
She resisted the inclination to laugh at the inane question. “I’ve had dozens of relationships. I don’t see what you’re getting at.”
He leaned forward, forcing her to look him in the eye. “That’s not what I asked and you know it. Have you ever had a real relationship, a relationship that had a shot at going the distance?”
“Happily ever after is a fallacy.” She raised her hands to ward off his objections. “No offense. I know you think you’ve found that with Marisa, but in my experience, people who try and commit to just one partner for the rest of their lives are just setting themselves up for disappointment.”
He shook his head. “Wow, someone has really done a number on you, haven’t they? Who was it? An ex-boyfriend, your parents...”
She chuckled, trying to mask her discomfort. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but I really need to get back to work now. I’m interviewing a handful of potential assistants in a few minutes and I need to prepare.”
He stood and leaned over her desk, bracing his hands on his fists. “Ty is one of the good guys, whether you choose to believe that or not. Your son or your daughter is going to need their daddy. You don’t have the right to keep them apart.” He straightened, fixing her with an intense stare.
She glared at him. “That’s none of your business.”
“I intend to make it my business.”
She felt the rush of panic rising in her throat. “What are you saying?”
“I know you haven’t told Ty about your pregnancy. If you had, he wouldn’t have been willing to let you walk away without a fight.”
“So? What’s your point?”
“My point is, Ty has a right to know he’s gonna be a daddy. The question is, who’s gonna tell him, you or me?”
She got up and came around the desk, thrusting her finger at Luc. “I told you that in confidence. Now you’re gonna use it against me, to hurt me...”
He grabbed her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m trying to help you, sweetheart.” He turned to walk out.
“Luc, wait, you’re not going to tell him, are you? Please, I need more time to...”
He regarded her carefully before responding. “I’ll give you two weeks to come clean with him. If you don’t tell him about the baby, I will.”
It wasn’t easy, but Ty finally convinced Luc to give him Avery’s parents’ address. Luc and Avery had visited the Collins home once while they were dating and Luc had formed a casual relationship with them that involved reciprocal holiday cards every year.
Ty sat in his economy rental car, staring up at the imposing residence. It was a formal estate with perfectly manicured grounds and iron gates at the end of the long circular drive. Fortunately, the gates were open now, which permitted access without an awkward explanation over the intercom.
He didn’t know what he expected to gain from meeting her parents, but he hoped the encounter would give him some insight into Avery’s reluctance to get involved with him. He knew she was angry about the episode with Lisa, but after talking to Luc, he suspected there was more to it than she was willing to admit.
He pulled up to the front door and got out of the car, running up the stairs quickly, before he lost his nerve. According to Luc, her parents were intimidating at first, but in time they came around. He only hoped they would warm up to him as quickly as they had Luc, especially without Avery to act as a buffer.
He pressed the button for the intercom and a female voice responded, “Collins residence, how can I help you?”
“Hi, my name’s Ty McCall. I was wondering if I might speak to Dr. Collins?”
“Which Dr. Collins?”
Avery’s mother was a psychiatrist, her father a cosmetic surgeon. “Both if possible.”
“Were they expecting you, sir?”
“No, but I’m a friend of their daughter. I’m only in town a few days and I was hoping to meet them. I know I should have called first, but...” He was afraid they wouldn’t agree to discuss their daughter with him over the phone so he decided the element of surprise might work in his favor.
“One moment, please.”
Ty turned around to survey the neighborhood. There were massive trees on all of the estate lots, maximizing the homeowners’ privacy. Even with a lucrative recording contract, Ty couldn’t imagine living in a house like the one Avery had called home as a child. He wanted a sprawling stone and wood bungalow on a couple hundred acres with horses and—
The door opened and a matronly woman wearing a black and white uniform smiled up at him. “I’m sorry that took so long, sir. Won’t you come in?”
He removed his cowboy hat, holding it against his body like a shield as he crossed the threshold. He looked around, barely suppressing the urge to whistle under his breath. The high ceilings were decorated with moldings that looked like they belonged in an upscale hotel and the furnishings appeared to be hand carved wood with gilded accents. The windows were adorned with silk and velvet draperies that puddled on the wood and marble floors.
An attractive woman with a chic silver bob rounded the corner. She was wearing a black business suit and her high heels tapped against the polished floor as she walked toward him. She smiled, extending her hand.
“Ty McCall. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Collins. I’m sorry I didn’t call first.”
She waved her hand in the air, flashing a large diamond and French manicured fingernails. “Nonsense, any friend of Avery’s has a standing invitation in our home.” She gestured toward the living room. “Please, have a seat.”
“Will there be anything else?” the housekeeper asked her employer.
“Ty, can I offer you something to drink?” Dr. Collins asked.
“No thank you, ma’am. I’m fine.”
Dr. Collins smiled at her housekeeper. “That will be all, Tina. But if you wouldn’t mind telling my husband we have company?”
“Of course, right away.”
Ty felt guilty at the mention of Avery’s father. He was probably intruding on their valued downtime. “If he’s busy, I don’t want to bother him.”
“He’s just catching up on some paperwork in his study, nothing that can’t wait.” She gestured toward an upholstered chair across from the sofa. “Please, have a seat. Tell me what brings you by.”
He settled on the chair she indicated and cleared his throat. He had no idea how to broach the subject of Avery with her parents. How could he probe them for information they may consider highly personal? “I’m sure my being here must seem a little odd to you, Dr. Collins.”
“Only my patients call me Dr. Collins. Please, call me Anna.”
“Okay, Anna.” He set his hat down on the ottoman in front of him and laced his fingers. He was about to offer an explanation to justify his visit when Avery’s father entered the room.
He was a tall, well-built man with close-cropped silver hair and a subtle tan. He wore tailored dress pants, a light blue golf shirt, and stylish silver-rimmed glasses perched atop his head. He regarded Ty carefully before extending his hand. “Have we met?”
Ty accepted his outstretched hand, trying to resist the urge to squirm under his close scrutiny. “No, sir. My name’s Ty McCall. I’m a friend of Avery’s.”
He smiled, shaking his head. “Ty McCall, that’s right. I was just reading about you in the newspaper. It seems you and Trey opened to rave reviews last night.”
Ty smiled, relieved that his first concert had been well received by fans and critics alike. “It was a special night, my first concert in a venue like that. It was exciting and a little overwhelming to say the least.”
“I imagine it was. Can I offer you something to drink, Ty?” he asked.
“No, thank you, sir. I’m sorry to intrude on your day off, but I was hoping I might talk to you both about Avery?”
Dr. Collins settled on the sofa, extending his arm across the wood frame behind his wife. “You met Avery through work, I assume?”
“Yes, sir. She’s my publicist.”
“Please, call me Grant. You’re lucky to have Avery in your corner. She takes her job very seriously.”
Her mother frowned. “Too seriously sometimes, if you ask me.”
Grant laughed. “I don’t think we’re in any position to judge Avery’s work ethic, do you, Anna?”
She looked at her husband, a sad look darkening her green eyes. “I don’t want her to repeat our mistakes, do you?”
He shifted uncomfortably and looked at Ty without responding. “So tell us, how is our little girl?”
“Do you see her often?” Ty asked, trying to understand the dynamics of Avery’s relationship with her parents.
“Not nearly as often as we’d like,” Anna said. “We have to plead with her to come home during the holidays.”
“Avery went away to boarding school, correct?” Ty asked, wondering if he was overstepping his bounds by bringing up what may be a sore subject.
Grant crossed his legs. “She went to one of the finest schools in the country.”
“One of my biggest regrets,” Anna said, setting her glasses down on the coffee table in front of her. “People always tell you to enjoy every moment you have with your children because they grow up too quickly. I only wish I’d heeded that advice. Avery and I never had the chance to bond with her being away at school. I’ve always regretted that.”
“Does she know how you feel?” Ty asked quietly.
Anna offered a small smile. “You’d think it would be easy for someone in my profession to express their feelings, wouldn’t you? I don’t know why it’s so difficult for me to talk to my own daughter.”
Ty couldn’t imagine what it must be like to have a strained relationship with your own parents. His family had always been so close, regardless of the geographic distance that separated them now. “I appreciate your honesty, Anna.” He glanced at Avery’s father, who settled his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I feel I should be honest with you. I didn’t come here as Avery’s friend and this isn’t a casual visit.”
Grant’s eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Then why are you here?”
Ty leaned forward. “I’m gonna be honest with you. Your daughter is the most beautiful, intelligent, amazing woman I’ve ever met in my life.”
Anna smiled. “You’re in love with her?”
Grant shook his head. “I’m beginning to see where this is headed. You’re here to ask for our daughter’s hand in marriage?”
Was he? Yes, that’s what he wanted, to know that if Avery were willing to marry him that he had her parents approval. “I do love your daughter, sir.”
“Tell me a little bit more about yourself, Ty,” Grant said.