Page 50 of From Grumpy to Forever
And she wouldn’t see that unless I told her.
With a sigh, I started, “The problem, Carrie, is?—”
“Avery!”
I jolted at the sound of my name on my cousin’s lips.
Dammit.
“Shit, Carrie. Jacob’s back. I need to?—”
“Avery.” Jacob rounded the corner, and he didn’t look impressed. “I don’t know what the hell you’re up to here.”
“Call me later,” Carrie said into the phone. “Unless you’re too busy with that sexy husband of yours. In that case, call me much later.”
I hung up with a shake of my head, her laughter still ringing in my ears as I set my phone down and stood.
“How was town?” I asked lightly. “Was it everything you remembered Trickle Creek to be?”
He stopped inches from me and looked down at me in a move meant to be intimidating. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it, so I stepped back and up onto the porch step, putting our eyes on level.
“I don’t know what you’re up to here, Avery. But I know it’s something.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He shook his head and chuckled. There was no humor in it. “I was asking around about you.”
I worked hard to keep my face a blank mask. “And what did you learn?”
“I learned that I’m not the only one surprised by your sudden marriage.” He crossed his arms, looking quite pleased with himself. “In fact, there was more than one person in town who had a hard time believing that Reid Lyons would settle down at all, let alone with someone he barely knew.”
“Well, I guess that just goes to show how little people actually know about what’s going on.”
I held my position. There was no way I was going to back down. Not to Jacob. Not when so much was on the line. “I don’t know what you hope to find, Jacob. But Reid and I are legally married and the inn is mine. You don’t have to like it. But you do have to accept it.”
His lips curled up into a sneer. “That’s where you’re wrong, cousin.” Jacob shook his head. “I don’t have to accept it. Because I know you’re up to something. And if you loved this place as much as you claim to, you’d admit the truth before things get ugly.”
I opened my mouth to protest but didn’t have a chance before he fired off again.
“But you’ll never do that, will you, Avery? You and I both know you’d rather watch this place burn than give it to me.”
I sucked in a breath, but there was nothing I could say as he turned on his heel and stalked off. Because I wasn’t entirely certain that he might not be right.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Reid
With Grayson on one end, we hefted the final board onto the stack of wood loaded on the back of my truck. It was hot, sweaty work, especially on a warm day, but I relished it.
I needed some kind of outlet for the emotions that had been raging through me all morning. And considering punching Jacob in the face was more likely to end in me facing charges than it would him leaving town—not that I wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice to see the look on his face when I decked him—lifting heavy shit was probably the best choice.
At least for now.
“What else do I need?” I wiped the sweat off my brow with the back of my arm and looked at my brother. “Anything else on Avery’s list? Or can we move on to mine?”
“Yours?” My twin shook his head. “Shit, brother. I don’t think you can fit much more on there.”
“I’ll borrow the trailer. Let’s go.”
