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“Booooo.” Gavin jeered from the picnic table beside Avery. “Coop can’t hit the broadside of a barn tonight.”
“He’s too distracted by his girl.” Lisa’s dimple flashed as she took her turn, and the sandbag hit the board a few inches shy of the hole.
“He must be in love,” Dad said.
“I should hope so.” Cooper wrapped his arms around Katie as he whispered something into her ear. When she pressed into his side, he gazed down at her like a besotted fool.
Avery’s stomach bottomed out as realization sunk in: she would never have a man look at her that way.
Cooper and Katie made it seem so easy. But that wasn’t fair. They’d had a long and winding journey to love. And Avery was glad for them. Really, she was. They deserved a happily ever after.
It was just that she couldn’t help but juxtapose their obvious contentment and joy with her current lack of the same. In just a week Cooper and Katie would get married, and eventually Gavin would find a nice woman to settle down with. Avery would be surrounded by a family of loving couples. She’d be the pathetic spinster auntie who collected cats for company.
“You feeling okay, Ave?” Gavin asked.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m just hot. Can’t anyone else tell it’s a million degrees out here?”
Gavin studied her. “You’ve seemed a little out of sorts lately.”
“Really, Gavin? Have I seemed out of sorts? Maybe I have some things going on in my life, huh? You ever think about that?”
“Jeez. Just asking. Don’t have to jump down my throat.”
Avery drew in a long breath and blew it out slowly. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t fit for company tonight.
She was about to apologize when the game ended and Gavin took Cooper’s spot. Cooper grabbed a broom and started sweeping off the patio. Avery pretended to be invested in the game. She wouldn’t stay much longer, but she didn’t want to be rude and leave the second supper was over. She checked her Fitbit. Another ten minutes or so, then she could go home and stop trying to pretend she was all right.
The sun had set behind the mountains, ushering in twilight. She gave a deep yawn and covered her mouth. All that lack of sleep was catching up with her. She might even forgo the ice cream and just retire early. Then she thought of the dreaded hours tossing and turning and changed her mind.
“You getting enough sleep, Sis?” Cooper asked quietly from the patio, wearing that stupid, pitying look.
Avery pressed a finger to her twitching eyelid. “Yes.”
“Are you sure because—”
“Oh. My.Gosh.”
“What?”
Katie and Dad turned to stare. Gavin froze midthrow. Lisa’s brows furrowed.
Now that Avery had their attention, might as well settle this for the whole family. “For the record, before anyone else asks—I amfine.I’m just sick and tired of everybody staring at me sideways every time I sneeze.”
“Um, sneezing isn’t even a symptom of—”
Avery shot Gavin a glare.
“Okay, I’m just gonna... go back to the game.”
“Even perfectly normal people sometimes lack focus or feel irritable or suffer from insomnia. I am not a delicate flower. And I don’t need you sheltering me from stressful information or checking up on me”—she threw a glare Cooper’s way—“or doing background checks on people I care about. Also, I don’t need you all constantly reminding me that I might have a disease. I think about it enough all on my own, thank you very much.” She snatched her purse from the bench, stood, and addressed Lisa and her dad. “Thank you for having me, but I think I’ll be going now.” Her voice quivered with emotion.
She took off through the grass, rounded the house, and hightailed it toward her Jeep. Her legs trembled beneath her. Her chest heaved and tears burned the backs of her eyes. When she reached the safety of the vehicle, she got inside and dug through her purse for the keys.
The passenger door opened. Dad quietly slipped inside. He shut the door and stared out the front windshield as silence swelled around them.
Avery forced herself to breathe. She fought the embarrassment clawing inside. She had every reason to be upset with her family. She was tired of them treating her with kid gloves, and it was about time they knew it. Okay, maybe she should’ve had a calm conversation with them long ago instead of letting it all build up and exploding on them like a shaken can of soda.
“I’m sorry I handled that badly,” she said.
