Her pulse began to speed up, but she didn’t want her dad to notice he’d succeeded in making her doubt herself.
“He hasn’t accepted Andy’s insurance company’s offer, so apparently he considers it insufficient.” Her father huffed in that superior way he’d perfected by the time she’d turned ten.
Still, the news surprised her. Grey hadn’t struck her as greedy.
“So what are you suggesting? I should drop him as a patient?” She tipped up her chin to hide the shiver sliding down her spine. “Would that make him more or less cooperative, do you think?”
“You always have an answer for everything, don’t you. But mark my words: this won’t end well. Not for your brother, not for you, and not for your mom and me.” He turned on his heel and marched toward his bedroom to continue the argument with her mother, she presumed.
Avery tossed the magazine aside, her dad’s warning ringing in her ears, echoing her own secret fears. Suddenly, she was no longer interested in the healthy peanut butter bar recipe she’d been perusing before her dad had ruined her mood. She glanced around her living room.
Large picture windows offered a distant mountain-range view. The décor resembled something along the lines of mountain-treehouse-meets-Mexico. Earth tones and exposed beams grounded the space, but festive drapes, pillows, and carpets splashed vibrant color and patterns all around.
Her parents had nearly dropped over in shock the first time they’d come back to visit and seen all the changes she’d made. She’d done it to please herself. To make it hers instead of theirs.
Cosmetic changes did not, however, erase her memories of growing up there: building pillow forts with Andy, sleepovers and secrets, the first kiss on the back deck, report cards on the refrigerator, and her favorite tradition—eggnog French toast every Christmas morning.
Treasured memories in her beloved home—now a home at risk.
If Grey filed a lawsuit against Andy, she’d have to drop him as a patient. And what if he won? Of course he’d win, but how much? Enough to force Andy to sell the house to pay him? Enough to wipe out her entire family’s finances?
At least she had a stable career and a respectable paycheck. Andy and her parents would really suffer if they lost the house.
She scrubbed her face.
Helpless.
Helpless didn ’t suit her. She hated being vulnerable to someone’s whim or will. Watching her mom live under her dad’s thumb had been a huge turnoff for most of her life. And yet, she’d ultimately let herself fall under Matt’s spell.
He’d influenced everything from her appearance to her opinions, and even had her questioning the wisdom of living out her life in Sterling Canyon. That mistake in judgment resulted in public humiliation when he cheated, and, worse, utter self-disgust. Never again could she allow herself to be so weak for a man.
But men weren’t at issue now. Legal battles were on the horizon.
And as much as she’d like to blame Grey for her current predicament, she couldn’t.
Normally, her brother’s tendency toward irresponsibility was harmless: paying a bill late, losing his car keys, shrinking her favorite shirt when trying to “help” with the laundry.
However, Grey sustained serious and potentially life-changing injuries thanks to Andy’s carelessness. Andy had broken the law and put all of their financial situations in jeopardy. He was to blame, not Grey.
A streak of resentment stabbed her heart. She inhaled deeply to relieve the mounting tension. But the walls around her pressed against her from every angle. She needed to go do something productive. To be anywhere else.
She heaved herself off the sofa and grabbed a large garbage bag from under the sink before going into her room to purge her closet.
“This is a good bundle of gently used clothes, honey.” Mrs. Johnston, the proprietor of Finders Keepers Thrift Store, refolded the last sweater in the pile and pushed it
“He hasn’t accepted Andy’s insurance company’s offer, so apparently he considers it insufficient.” Her father huffed in that superior way he’d perfected by the time she’d turned ten.
Still, the news surprised her. Grey hadn’t struck her as greedy.
“So what are you suggesting? I should drop him as a patient?” She tipped up her chin to hide the shiver sliding down her spine. “Would that make him more or less cooperative, do you think?”
“You always have an answer for everything, don’t you. But mark my words: this won’t end well. Not for your brother, not for you, and not for your mom and me.” He turned on his heel and marched toward his bedroom to continue the argument with her mother, she presumed.
Avery tossed the magazine aside, her dad’s warning ringing in her ears, echoing her own secret fears. Suddenly, she was no longer interested in the healthy peanut butter bar recipe she’d been perusing before her dad had ruined her mood. She glanced around her living room.
Large picture windows offered a distant mountain-range view. The décor resembled something along the lines of mountain-treehouse-meets-Mexico. Earth tones and exposed beams grounded the space, but festive drapes, pillows, and carpets splashed vibrant color and patterns all around.
Her parents had nearly dropped over in shock the first time they’d come back to visit and seen all the changes she’d made. She’d done it to please herself. To make it hers instead of theirs.
Cosmetic changes did not, however, erase her memories of growing up there: building pillow forts with Andy, sleepovers and secrets, the first kiss on the back deck, report cards on the refrigerator, and her favorite tradition—eggnog French toast every Christmas morning.
Treasured memories in her beloved home—now a home at risk.
If Grey filed a lawsuit against Andy, she’d have to drop him as a patient. And what if he won? Of course he’d win, but how much? Enough to force Andy to sell the house to pay him? Enough to wipe out her entire family’s finances?
At least she had a stable career and a respectable paycheck. Andy and her parents would really suffer if they lost the house.
She scrubbed her face.
Helpless.
Helpless didn ’t suit her. She hated being vulnerable to someone’s whim or will. Watching her mom live under her dad’s thumb had been a huge turnoff for most of her life. And yet, she’d ultimately let herself fall under Matt’s spell.
He’d influenced everything from her appearance to her opinions, and even had her questioning the wisdom of living out her life in Sterling Canyon. That mistake in judgment resulted in public humiliation when he cheated, and, worse, utter self-disgust. Never again could she allow herself to be so weak for a man.
But men weren’t at issue now. Legal battles were on the horizon.
And as much as she’d like to blame Grey for her current predicament, she couldn’t.
Normally, her brother’s tendency toward irresponsibility was harmless: paying a bill late, losing his car keys, shrinking her favorite shirt when trying to “help” with the laundry.
However, Grey sustained serious and potentially life-changing injuries thanks to Andy’s carelessness. Andy had broken the law and put all of their financial situations in jeopardy. He was to blame, not Grey.
A streak of resentment stabbed her heart. She inhaled deeply to relieve the mounting tension. But the walls around her pressed against her from every angle. She needed to go do something productive. To be anywhere else.
She heaved herself off the sofa and grabbed a large garbage bag from under the sink before going into her room to purge her closet.
“This is a good bundle of gently used clothes, honey.” Mrs. Johnston, the proprietor of Finders Keepers Thrift Store, refolded the last sweater in the pile and pushed it
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