extremely keen and perceptive. There would be no fooling this woman.
“Do you love her?” she asked while putting the meatballs in the oven.
Reed paused, grabbing the spices from the cabinet. “I like Avery, but I haven’t known her long enough to love her,” he answered as honestly as he could.
“When I met Frank, God rest his soul, I was the same way. Do you know what made me realize that I loved him back?”
Reed leaned against the counter, all thoughts of what spices she needed were gone. “What?”
“He was willing to walk away in order for me to be happy. It wasn’t until he did that I knew I couldn’t live without him.”
“You’re a wise woman,” he answered and grabbed the spices. “Although Avery strikes me as the kind of woman who would just let me leave.”
Nonnie chuckled and patted his good arm as she took the spices out of his hands. “Her heart is as big as the sun, my boy. She gets her smarts from me.” Nonnie winked and added some spices to the crushed tomatoes in the pot.
Chapter 14
Avery toweled off the salt water from her face and glanced up at the house. The sun was high in the sky, and her time in the water had been worth whatever embarrassing stories her Nonnie might have told. She’d needed the peace. She needed to get her head back in the game, and the water was where she found her solitude, most days.
What had she done by letting Reed into her life? She liked Reed. Even if he was a delicious temporary distraction, he was still a distraction. The way he watched her, his gentle touches, and his hot kisses, would she ever be ready to give all that up?
“Crap,” she mumbled to herself and grabbed her board. She sat the board on the patio and hosed off the sand sticking to her legs and feet. She stepped into the house and paused.
Reed was in the kitchen with Nonnie. They were both laughing and cooking together, a sight that made Avery’s heart clench. She never brought anyone this close to Nonnie, afraid of what her grandmother might say when they disappeared out of her life.
“What’s so funny?” she said as she approached.
“Nonnie was just telling me about the first time her mother tried to teach her to cook.”
Avery’s heart expanded. She knew that story, all too well. Nonnie had burnt the lasagna, including the bread. “Is that what’s for dinner?” Avery asked, lifting the lid on the pot. “Did you let Reed cook?”
“We cooked it together,” Nonnie answered, grabbing water out of the fridge and handing it to Avery. “You two can take the leftovers when you go back to his house. It makes an excellent midnight snack.”
Avery met Reed’s gaze. He’d told Nonnie they wouldn’t be staying. She didn’t know whether to be mad or impressed. Most men wouldn’t have been as honest and would have hemmed and hawed about their situation.
“We’re going to be working,” Avery explained. “Please don’t make more of us spending time together than what it is.”
“Working, right, dear.” Nonnie pulled the pie out of the oven and turned to Reed. “Could you give us a minute?”
“Sure,” Reed answered and gestured with his thumb toward the living room. “I’ll just go and make another call.”
Nonnie waited for Reed to leave the kitchen and step outside. She planted her hands on the kitchen counter. “I see the way he looks at you. I’d be blind not to.”
“Nonnie, it’s not like that.”
“Avery.” Her tone gentled as she stepped around the kitchen island and rested her hands on Avery’s arms. “Honey, he’s a good man, so I’m going to give you a little piece of advice that my mother gave me.”
This should be interesting. Avery’s brow rose.
“You can travel the world and do everything your heart desires, but wouldn’t it be that much better doing those things with someone you love at your side?”
“Nonnie, Reed’s life is on the Island,” she said, trying hard to hold the woman’s knowing
“Do you love her?” she asked while putting the meatballs in the oven.
Reed paused, grabbing the spices from the cabinet. “I like Avery, but I haven’t known her long enough to love her,” he answered as honestly as he could.
“When I met Frank, God rest his soul, I was the same way. Do you know what made me realize that I loved him back?”
Reed leaned against the counter, all thoughts of what spices she needed were gone. “What?”
“He was willing to walk away in order for me to be happy. It wasn’t until he did that I knew I couldn’t live without him.”
“You’re a wise woman,” he answered and grabbed the spices. “Although Avery strikes me as the kind of woman who would just let me leave.”
Nonnie chuckled and patted his good arm as she took the spices out of his hands. “Her heart is as big as the sun, my boy. She gets her smarts from me.” Nonnie winked and added some spices to the crushed tomatoes in the pot.
Chapter 14
Avery toweled off the salt water from her face and glanced up at the house. The sun was high in the sky, and her time in the water had been worth whatever embarrassing stories her Nonnie might have told. She’d needed the peace. She needed to get her head back in the game, and the water was where she found her solitude, most days.
What had she done by letting Reed into her life? She liked Reed. Even if he was a delicious temporary distraction, he was still a distraction. The way he watched her, his gentle touches, and his hot kisses, would she ever be ready to give all that up?
“Crap,” she mumbled to herself and grabbed her board. She sat the board on the patio and hosed off the sand sticking to her legs and feet. She stepped into the house and paused.
Reed was in the kitchen with Nonnie. They were both laughing and cooking together, a sight that made Avery’s heart clench. She never brought anyone this close to Nonnie, afraid of what her grandmother might say when they disappeared out of her life.
“What’s so funny?” she said as she approached.
“Nonnie was just telling me about the first time her mother tried to teach her to cook.”
Avery’s heart expanded. She knew that story, all too well. Nonnie had burnt the lasagna, including the bread. “Is that what’s for dinner?” Avery asked, lifting the lid on the pot. “Did you let Reed cook?”
“We cooked it together,” Nonnie answered, grabbing water out of the fridge and handing it to Avery. “You two can take the leftovers when you go back to his house. It makes an excellent midnight snack.”
Avery met Reed’s gaze. He’d told Nonnie they wouldn’t be staying. She didn’t know whether to be mad or impressed. Most men wouldn’t have been as honest and would have hemmed and hawed about their situation.
“We’re going to be working,” Avery explained. “Please don’t make more of us spending time together than what it is.”
“Working, right, dear.” Nonnie pulled the pie out of the oven and turned to Reed. “Could you give us a minute?”
“Sure,” Reed answered and gestured with his thumb toward the living room. “I’ll just go and make another call.”
Nonnie waited for Reed to leave the kitchen and step outside. She planted her hands on the kitchen counter. “I see the way he looks at you. I’d be blind not to.”
“Nonnie, it’s not like that.”
“Avery.” Her tone gentled as she stepped around the kitchen island and rested her hands on Avery’s arms. “Honey, he’s a good man, so I’m going to give you a little piece of advice that my mother gave me.”
This should be interesting. Avery’s brow rose.
“You can travel the world and do everything your heart desires, but wouldn’t it be that much better doing those things with someone you love at your side?”
“Nonnie, Reed’s life is on the Island,” she said, trying hard to hold the woman’s knowing
Similar Books
