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I sigh loudly, sending up a silent prayer of thanks for this momentary reprieve from my daughter’s interrogation. There is no way I’ll be able to talk my way out of having this conversation with Jade. Hopefully, Jade doesn’t say a word about my interaction with Audreywhen we are with Bristol, or I’ll never hear the end of it from either of them. Besides, there really isn’t much for me to tell them besides Audrey Wilde is one of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen.
“Bristol…” I say to myself, suddenly remembering I have the perfect way to get all the information about Audrey Wilde that I need.
Chapter 4
Connor
The moment I open the door to Nurture Space, Jade makes a beeline for Bristol. “My dad has the hots for your friend, Audrey, and needs all the information he can get about her.”
“Oh, he does. Does he?” Bristol wraps her arms around Jade, giving her a quick hug.
“Yup. Those two almost set Just the Drip on fire with the way they were looking at each other. Love and I came in at the perfect time to stop them from going at it right there on one of the tables.”
“Don’t listen to her,” I grunt, my face heating slightly and my stomach knotting as Bristol’s gaze settles on me. “You need to stop exaggerating things, Jade. You’re going to give Bristol the wrong idea about me and her friend.”
“The only wrong idea that I could give her is that you aren’t interested, and we both know that’s a load of crap,” Jade snaps back before plopping into an empty chair. “Just admit you like her, Dad. Then ask Bristol to tell you everything you need to know to make her fall in love with you.”
“I don’t need her to fall in love with me,” I grumble, wanting nothing more than for the ground to open and swallow me whole. I’m a grown man. The last thing I need is for my teenage daughter to be meddling in my social life.
“So, you do like her?”
“I never said that. Stop putting words into my mouth, Jade.”
Shame and anger surges through me at the budding feelings I have for Audrey Wilde. I promised to love, honor, and cherish Lydia until the day I died, yet here I am, thinking about starting a relationship with the first woman I find even remotely attractive in years.
“Cut your dad some slack, Jade. If he wants our help with figuring out whatever is going on between him and Audrey, then he’ll ask. Right, Connor?”
“Right,” I respond gruffly, heading further into the studio. “I’m going to go check the thermostat. Jade, stay out of trouble.”
I stop in front of the thermostat and mindlessly press buttons, attempting to get this thing to turn on and work properly. However, instead of paying attention to what I’m doing, my mind wanders back to my conversation with Jade.
I don’t know how to describe these foreign feelings that have overtaken my mind since I laid eyes on Audrey. She intrigues me, and I want to know everything I can about her. I want to know why she moved to Tyson’s Creek after all these years and what her favorite moviesare. Anything that can explain this pull I feel toward her, something I haven’t felt since I admitted to myself that I was in love with Lydia.
Shame fills me as I think of my dead wife. Lydia meant everything to me. She was the love of my life. The mother of my child. Allowing myself to have romantic feelings for anyone else feels like a betrayal of some sort. Like I’m turning my back on the love we had for each other by even thinking about another woman romantically. However, Lydia’s biggest joy in life was ensuring the people around her were happy. She’d do anything in her power to ensure that happened, and I was no different. Everything she did was to ensure her own happiness as well as our happiness together, and I did the same. But even thinking about Audrey makes my heart ache for what I lost at the same time.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
I turn and find Bristol leaning against the open doorway to one of the smaller studios, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studies me.
“There has to be something wrong with the unit. I should be able to come back in a few days and take a look.”
I don’t want to have this conversation with anyone, let alone the object of all my inner turmoil’s best friend. Bristol and I are close, but she and Audrey have been friends since they were kids. I’m sure her loyalty lies with Audrey and Love, but she might be the only person in all of Tyson’s Creek who can give me theanswers I’m searching for when it comes to Audrey Wilde.
“Thanks, but that’s not what I was asking.”
“Okay…” My voice trails off as I push one more button on the keypad and turn toward her.
“Audrey.”
Just the mention of her name sends my heart racing in my chest, my stomach tying itself in knots. How can someone I just met have this much control over me without even being in the same room? I silently chastise myself for my absurd reaction, willing my heart to calm down. I I haven’t spoken more than a few words to this woman. Sure, she’s gorgeous, but there’s no need to be acting like this.
“What about her?” My voice raises slightly as I try to walk past Bristol, but she grabs my arm.
“Don’t play dumb with me, Connor Bennett! I may not have known you all my life like everyone else, but I can tell when there’s something bothering you.” I turn toward her. Bristol’s eyes narrow slightly as she looks me up and down, waiting patiently for me to answer her.
I had planned on fixing the thermostat and heading home to eat dinner and watch a movie with Jade, but Bristol won’t let this go, especially after Jade’s bout of word vomit when we first arrived. They both know something happened between Audrey and me, so there’s no sense hiding it. But maybe she might be able to help me make sense of these emotions swirling through my mind.
“Everything is bothering me.” I sigh, all the fight draining from my body. “That’s the problem.”
