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She felt him pulling away full seconds before he physically did so. When they parted, their breaths crashed between them, their chests heaving against each other.
He put a few inches between them, his half-lidded gaze sending mixed messages. “I’m sorry,” he said finally. “I shouldn’t have... I’m not...”
She waited for him to continue, her mind filling in the sentence a dozen different ways. “You’re not...”
His focus dropped to their fingers, which had woven together at some point, then he looked back up at her. “I’m not exactly available.”
She pulled her hand from his. Her left eye twitched. The memory of the phone conversation she’d overheard sprang into her mind. She remembered the softness of his tone. She’d known it was a woman, hadn’t she? She’d told herself it didn’t matter.
But now it mattered a lot because Wes might be... “Are youmarried?”
“No.No, of course not.”
“But you’re not... single.”
“No. I mean yes. It’s complicated.” He closed his eyes in a slow blink. “There is sort of someone else—Landon’s sister, Lillian. I promised him I’d take care of her.”
Avery’s head tipped back. It was starting to make sense now. “She’s waiting for you in Albany.”
“I haven’t promised her anything but—”
She waved him off. What was the point in hearing an explanation that was only going to hurt her? She wasn’t exactly in the market for a relationship herself. “It’s okay, Wes. I mean, you’re leaving tomorrow—today. There’s no reason this has to...”
“I should’ve mentioned her earlier. But I didn’t think anything would happen between us. I didn’t expect—”
“You don’t owe me anything, least of all an explanation.”
“Listen, it’s late. We’re both tired and you’ve had an emotionally draining night—and I complicated things by... I shouldn’t have kissed you.” A smile glinted in his eyes an instant before his lips twitched. “But man, it was a good kiss.”
Laughter bubbled out of her. He could always make her laugh. Even in the midst of pain. “For a minute there I forgot how to breathe.”
“Who needs air?”
“Well, technically...”
“Technically, those lips of yours taste like heaven.” He touched her face, still smiling. “Why don’t we table this for now? We both need some rest and clearer heads.”
The weight of exhaustion hit her like a boulder. “You’re right. I’m wiped out.”
He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, then he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Get some rest.”
Chapter33
As dawn’s light slipped through the slit in Wes’s curtains, the truth seeped into his heart: he was in love with Avery. He hadn’t meant for it to happen. He’d told himself she was just a friend. That she was just pleasant company, someone to while away the evening hours with.
But the woman had slipped past his guard and conquered his heart. He’d been in love before but never like this. He couldn’t tolerate the thought of leaving her—especially after what she’d disclosed last night. She was facing a difficult and uncertain future. She needed him and he wanted to be here for her. Needed to be here for her.
An image of Lillian flashed in his mind and guilt pricked hard. Landon had counted on him to take care of his sister, and Wes had given his solemn word. How could he go back on a deathbed promise? He was torn between duty and love.
Yet as the morning light pushed back the shadows, he toyedwith the idea of staying. Of pursuing a relationship with Avery. Did she love him too? His heart quickened with hope.
He could continue to check in on Lillian, couldn’t he? He could even visit her periodically. He’d made her no promises regarding marriage. He’d promised only his friendship, and surely he could carry out that pledge from afar. How many times had she assured him he wasn’t obligated to move to Albany?
What would it look like for him to stay in Riverbend Gap? Would Avery welcome him into her life on a permanent basis? She seemed to enjoy his company, and she’d been receptive to his kiss. But that didn’t necessarily mean she wanted a long-term relationship with him.
Could he accept her uncertain future? A life without children? He shifted to his back, lacing his hands behind his head. As he stared at the ceiling, he let the questions simmer, rejecting the easy answer. There was nothing easy about Avery’s situation. It was a difficult reality, and she’d been carrying the weight of it for years. She’d fashioned her life, her career and goals, around this reality. But she still grieved all she would sacrifice.
The longer he lay here, the more he knew. He could not only deal with the uncertainty of Avery’s future, he needed to be with her through it. When she wavered, he would remind her of her strength. He could be strong for her. They could be strong for each other.
