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“Ouch,” Gavin said.
All the men around the table displayed some form of a wince, even her dad. “What is so wrong with being friends? Everybody needs them and you really can’t have too many.”
“No man wants to be friend-zoned by the woman he has the hots for,” Gavin said.
Avery opened her mouth to refute the statement, thenremembered Rick’s crestfallen expression last night. “It’s nothing personal. I’m just not interested in a relationship right now.”
From across the table Lisa touched Avery’s hand. “I’ve been wanting to introduce you to a man I met this week, but I thought I’d wait and see how things panned out with Ricky. His name’s Jeremy and he’s new to town—he works over at the radio station with Katie’s mom.”
“Oh!” Katie said. “Jeremy. Why didn’t I think of that? He’s really cute, Ave, and he’s super smart. Mom said he attended Cornell, and he moved here to look after his mother who’s not faring well—very sweet.”
Katie continued extolling the man’s virtues while Avery gave her friend a pointed stare. Seriously, what part of “not interested in a relationship” did people not understand? She supposed she should just be glad Katie hadn’t mentioned her supposed crush on Wes.
“I have to run over to the station this week,” Lisa said. “I could feel him out, see if he’s interested.”
“Thank you, but no. I’m fine on my own.” Though Avery managed a temperate tone, she could feel her blood pressure increasing. Why did everyone feel the need to set her up?
“Have you tried a dating app yet? Flutter’s the best, in my opinion.” Gavin knew his way around the apps. But since losing Katie to his brother last fall, nothing solid had materialized.
“I’ve heard EHeart is pretty good too,” Cooper said.
Avery’s dad gave her a knowing smile. “Or she could just focus on her career for now.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
“Well, of course, it’s up to you,” Lisa said. “But I think you’d really like Jeremy, if you just gave him a chance. It’s great thatyou’re not actively looking—that’s when the best opportunities come along.”
Her stepmom meant well, she really did. But Avery only had to remember the deflating end to last night’s date to steel herself against Lisa’s persuasion. Avery would not be pressured into this.
“Let me just find out if he’s single. I can ask Beth to do a little digging—subtly, of course.”
“That’s all right. Let’s just leave it alone for now.” Avery balled the napkin in her fist and forced slow, even breaths. Even though her appetite was long gone, she forked a couple of green beans and slid them into her mouth. “How are those wedding plans coming along, Cooper?”
“We just talked about that last night.”
“I brought the invitations,” Katie said. “I’ll show you after lunch.”
“Oh, I know.” Lisa sat up straighter. “We can organize a spontaneous meetup. Jeremy grabs coffee every morning at Millie’s. You could show up at the same time and see if there are any sparks.”
“Good idea,” Cooper said. “More natural that way.”
“Right?” Lisa said. “That way no one’s put on the spot, and you’d get to see him before—”
Avery’s thumped her fist on the table, making the silverware jump. “I’m not getting married!”
Five pairs of eyes darted her way as everyone froze in place. Their expressions would’ve been comical if not for the fact that her outburst had come from a place of deep hurt and grief. Her face heated under their scrutiny.
“Well... ,” Lisa said. “Of course not, honey. I was only talking about a little ol’ date.”
Avery scanned the concerned expressions around the table. No doubt they were wondering if her sudden outburst could be considered a mood change—a symptom of Huntington’s disease.
But she didn’t want to deal with that right now. However, it was definitely time to put an end to all the setups. All the false expectations. She’d made her decision and now she needed to include her family. She shouldn’t have put it off this long.
“What I mean is... I’ve decided that I’m going to remain single.” Avery loosened her grip on the napkin and calmly set it on the table. “For life.”
Silence swelled at the table until the air fairly vibrated with tension. Her dad’s brows drew tight over his blue eyes. Lisa’s mouth gaped. Her brothers stared at their plates. Katie touched the base of her neck, peering at Avery with a heart-wrenching expression.
Avery took a deep breath. “A few months ago, I told you all that I’d decided not to get tested for Huntington’s... Well, I’ve also decided that I won’t put a husband and children through all the uncertainty I’m forced to contend with.” There was so much more to it than that. The threat of losing her mental health, of becoming dependent on the people she loved most, the shortened lifespan.
