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“Talk to me about what? I’m busy right now Mom.”
“I know that, but I wanted to start planning out some things leading into the holidays and wanted to check with you about your preferences when it comes to unattached women. It’s been four years since Colleen left Avery, isn’t it time to move on?”
“Where did this come from?” Avery asked his chest tightening at the mention of his ex-wife. He wanted to stop thinking about her, stop wanting her. He’d let her go physically but he couldn’t let her go emotionally, not even four years later.
“You’re not getting any younger Avery. Your father and I both hope you’ll carry on the family name but in order to do that you would have to divorce Colleen. Do you have any idea where she is?”
“No,” he said harshly, more forcefully than he’d anticipated but the idea of finding her was agony. “I have no plans to ever remarry Mom. You’ll have to simply live with the knowledge that our part of the Montgomery name will end with me.”
“Why? I understand Colleen leaving you for another man must have hurt, your heart and your pride, but why refuse to even entertain the idea of remarrying? You’re forty now Avery, isn’t it time to let it go?”
“No.”
“Then what about letting Colleen have a divorce? Are you going to make her suffer forever simply because she hurt you? She’s only twenty-eight. She can find someone else, get remarried and have a family still…”
“I’ve already let her have a divorce Mom. I did years ago, so now that you’ve ruined my afternoon bringing up thoughts of my ex-wife, shall you go?”
“I don’t understand this bitterness in you Avery. Colleen was young, perhaps too young for you…you were her first love, and first loves don’t always last. You know that.”
“I know and Colleen isn’t my reason for refusing to marry again,” he said honestly not about to reveal the truth to her. “Colleen didn’t leave me. I left her for someone else. I thought it was what I wanted but, in the end, it didn’t work out.”
“What?” Julia said amazed that he admitted it. “You broke Colleen’s heart Avery!”
“As you said, she was young…I’m sure by now she’s healed and married again. She likely has a dozen kids surrounding her the way she always wanted and I am content to live alone.”
“Are you? Do you know for certain Colleen is remarried and safe? Did you ensure she was properly cared for when you left her—made her leave? She had no one left Avery. She gave up her only living relative for you, because she loved you and trusted that you would never abandon her the wayeveryoneelse in her life had.”
“I gave her a generous settlement. What she did with it from there was her choice, and she chose to return it in full. No I don’t know that she’s remarried, I don’t know anything about her, and that’s exactly how it’s going to remain.”
“Why? Why are you so bitter towards Colleen whenyou’rethe one who destroyed your marriage?” Julia asked crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at him.
“Because I know I destroyed it for something that didn’t last, something that wasn’t a tenth as real as what I had with her. I know I hurt her and I can’t forgive myself for that. I can’t look into finding her because if she is married with a dozen kids I don’t want to see her happiness because I gave up any chance at it with her. I have no claim to her anymore, no right to hurt her more. Is that enough truth for you, Mom?” Avery asked and Julia nodded hugging her son tightly as she thought about the best way to help her two hurting children. Colleen was still her daughter no matter if she divorced Avery or not and she had plenty to make up to her.
Chapter 2
Colleen unloaded the van making sure the coffee airpots were secure before she began to push the cart into the building. She was exhausted. Meredith was right about their schedule lately. She had an event planned for nearly every other day on top of the bakery to keep stocked. Tommy had kept her awake most of the night and she was ready for a break. This weekend she was catering the desserts for a wedding, something she despised doing but the contract would help her far more than the baby showers she was known for did.
The elaborate wedding cake would take her at least two days to decorate. It would make her remember her own and how in awe of it she’d been. It was almost heartbreaking to cut into it…
She stopped those train of thoughts as she let the receptionist know she was there to set up the refreshments for the board meeting. It had been an addition to their already booked schedule but the networking possibilities were worth coming to do the set up alone. Meredith was taking care of their normal Wednesday bagel and tart delivery to St. Peter’s Parish School, she would miss the time with Tommy but as owner of the business, she needed to be present to do the initial introductions and arrange for pick-up of the airpots for the coffee.
The room she was shown to was large, spacious and it wasn’t difficult to determine where they wanted the food set up. She quickly arranged things, smiling when a secretary came into the room looking desperate.
“Please tell me you have a cup of coffee I can take to the boss. I’m supposed to have a pot ready by eight but my kids missed their bus which put me late…if I don’t put a cup in front of him in two minutes I’m likely to be looking for a new job,” the woman said and she gave her a smile as she filled the cup with her richest roast.
“Anything in it?” she asked her.
“A little creamer and half a spoon of sugar, real sugar not the fake stuff,” she answered automatically and Colleen finished fixing the cup, handing it over with a smile. “Bless you…I’ll be back to get the bill and take care of all of that.”
“No rush, I have another tray to unload.” Colleen turned back to the job at hand after watching her hurry from the space. A few minutes later, she heard the door open and a voice cleared. It wasn’t close to being feminine and she straightened her back preparing herself as she began to turn around to face whoever it was.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the woman’s voice said catching her attention first. “My boss wanted to get the name of this coffee, seems he much prefers it to what we’ve been using.”
“It’s…a specialty blend,” Colleen answered as her heart jumped into her throat seeing the boss in question. It wasn’t humanly possible to combust was it? Because, as she caught Avery’s gaze, she felt as though she had just imploded or exploded or something.
“The phone’s ringing Margret.” Avery shut the door behind her as she hurried out to get it. “What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded as Colleen eyed the room nervously.
“My job,” she answered as anger blazed through her. “What areyoudoing in New York? What happened to Mont Industries? I never would have come if I…”
