AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As much as my family irritates me, I really appreciate their support. Grannie Pam moved in with us when Mom opened her dance studio. I was five, and Grannie Pam was my whole world. Losing her messed with my mojo, but I’m getting it back. Well, I would if I could get more than a couple hours of sleep, and to do that, I need to get my brain to shut down.
“Good. As long as you know, I will always have a box of Froot Loops in my pantry for you.”
I smile, warmth filling me. I think Liv gets me the most out of all my siblings. I know I’m an odd duck in our family, which means a lot. “You’re the best.”
“I know. Sammy told me this morning.”
I chuckle. My nephew is a pill. “I’m guessing it wasn’t about gravy. He told me the other day that Mason made the best.”
She rolls her eyes and chuckles. “No. Not my gravy. Although, I swear he could get it any day of the week. Both the kids can get Mason to do almost anything for them.”
I listen to her talk about the latest schemes Sammy has dreamt up and how Callie seems to have learned to relax a little. I’m thrilled for her and the kids. They deserve it. Losing her husband, Sam, had been hard on all of them. Mason fits in nicely with them.
But now that they are settled, I feel unsettled. I felt that way before then, but I could use the distraction of helping Liv to deal with it. I know I will have more time to think about myself and my worries, and I don’t want to do that. Not right now.
And so, in true Avery fashion, I push those thoughts aside and dig into my food. Later, I promise myself. I’ll deal with all that crap later.
ChapterTwo
Jon
“Do you want to tell me why you’re heading to Juniper Springs?”
I glance at my mother and sigh. I don’t want to admit I’m running away from a crazy woman. I didn’t want to tell my mother in person, but she wanted to have brunch. Mom doesn’t intrude too much in my life, so I give in to her when she asks.
“I just need to work on some stuff, and too many people know where I live.”
She gives me a look that tells me she doesn’t believe me. “But…Juniper? You always say you hate it.”
I do. It’s the epitome of everything I hate. Too many people and everyone thinks they know me. That’s not the case. They know my father’s side of the family. Kind of hard not to know the Howards. My grandmother is the wealthiest woman in the county, the queen bee of the entire town. My cousin has a massively successful home improvement show based there. But, if I can sneak into town late at night, I might be able to avoid most people. Thankfully, my grandmother has a house she keeps for me there. I have no idea why. After thirty years, I’ve learned not to question Estella Howard.
“True, but if no one knows I’m there, I can do some work.”
She crosses her arms and looks at me. We don’t look that much alike, except we share the same color of eyes. It’s a distinctive blue, darker than most, with lots of gold.
“You actually think you won’t set off the Juniper Springs Express by being in town?”
I hear the humor in her voice, and I’m glad for it. Her marriage to my father was brief and painful. Mom’s been good about not trashing my piece of crap father. But she’s happy now, thriving, in fact.
Today, she’s practically glowing. There were some rough times for us in the early days. Getting divorced wasn’t easy for her. My father didn’t support her physically. We always had money, but she had her hands full with a kid who was too smart for his own good. I was always causing problems at home, most of them electrical and some of them dangerous. But she forged ahead and gave us a great life.
Once she left my father, she went back to school. She graduated with a Ph.D. in sociology and now teaches at the University of Dallas.
“Maybe, but I don’t have to answer the door.”
She laughs. “Oh, Jon, you are such a stupid man for being a genius.”
Before I can respond, an older man steps up to the table. He’s at least six feet tall and has curly blond hair cut short over his ears. The button-down shirt matches his green eyes and looks tailor-made for him. The dark Wranglers and cowboy boots complete the outfit.
“I hope I’m not intruding.”
I open my mouth to say something, but my mother beats me. She turns at the man’s voice, and then I see it. She lights up. Then everything falls into place. Now I understand the reason she dragged me out to brunch.
“Ted. Sorry, I haven’t had a chance to tell Jon you were joining.”
The man leans down and kisses my mother, then they both turn toward me.
“Jon, this is Ted Franklin. We’ve been dating for a few months.”
