Accidentally Hers (Sterling Canyon #1) (2 page)

“Good gravy, Kels, promise us you’re not stalking this guy.” Avery dipped her spicy tuna roll into the wasabi soy sauce, tuning out Kelsey’s “really hawt” bragging, which had been stuck on auto-replay in her head. She slid a sideways glance at her friend and paused, her chopsticks midair. “You
are
stalking him, aren’t you.” Avery plastered her palm to her forehead.

“No! Maybe I’ve texted and called him a few times, but he’s really focused on building his business.” Kelsey straightened her napkin and cleared her throat. “If I’m patient and friendly without smothering him, maybe he’ll come around once ski season ends.”

“
Well, he
’s hot,” Emma said. “I say go for it. Nothing to lose. It’s not like this town is bustling with great-looking, available, self-employed men.”

Kelsey looked at Avery, whose raised brows and soft sigh must’ve spoken volumes. “You disagree?”

“You know my feelings about ski guides and instructors.” Avery squeezed Kelsey’s hand.

“Come on, they aren’t all cheaters like Matt,” Emma interrupted. “Don’t judge every man in the ski industry based on the one who burned you.”

Matt’s duplicity had surprised Avery, but she’d ultimately considered their split his loss, not hers. She’d hardly shed a tear—at least not in public—when he finally left town with the wealthy client who’d stolen his heart.

“It’s not just Matt. I’ve spent my life watching those ego-driven adrenaline junkies—including my brother—preying on the tourists and the rest of us locals.” Avery shook her head, somewhat grateful Grey’s career would lessen any regret she felt about not getting to know him better. “Anyway, it’s not just skiers. The older I get, the less convinced I am that I’ll ever meet a nice guy with a normal job who won’t end up either taking me for granted or trying to change me.

“I get sick when I think of all the little things I started giving up—the compromises I made—just to keep Matt happy. Look where that got me! Dumped and publicly humiliated.” She waved her hand to sweep away the unpleasant memory. “Besides, the absolute last thing I
ever
want is to turn into my mom. No, thank you.” She sipped her drink and then set it down, sighing. “Flirting is fun. But I like my independence, too. If I’m going to accomplish my goals, I can’t get sidetracked again.”

“With that attitude, I’m surprised you stick around this town,” Kelsey said. “Wouldn’t you have a better shot at opening your own physical therapy clinic in a big city like Denver?”

“Maybe. But for better or worse, this is home.” Avery glanced at the dark silhouette of the San Juans, which was visible through the window. A warm smile spread across her face. “Besides, I could never leave you guys.”

Emma and Kelsey had been her closest friends since middle school, and the bond forged by their differing yet complementary personalities had carried them through fad diets, Emma parents’ messy divorce, the births of Kelsey’s adorable niece and nephew, and more campfire escapades than she could count.

No, she couldn’t imagine life without them. Nor would she want to leave her childhood home, which she and her twin brother, Andy, had bought from their parents a few years earlier. Thinking of him brought a smile to her face. Her playmate, confidant, best friend. The only man who loved her
because
of her grit, not in spite of it.

“
Well, I
’m not ready to give up on Grey.” Kelsey nodded in confirmation of her own statement. “I can tell he’s a good guy. Once he settles into a groove, he’ll be more available.”

“You know what my brother always says about reading a guy’s ‘just not that into you’ signs.” Andy had fostered Avery’s no-BS attitude toward the opposite sex thanks to several frank discussions during her high school and college years. Since then, she’d always walked away with her head held high the minute any guy’s interest waned. “Maybe you should consider his advice and back off.”

“But then Grey’ll think I’m not interested.” Kelsey twirled her blond curls around her fingers, pouting. “My sister never played games, and she’s married with kids.”

“Games?” Avery shook her head and looked at Emma for support. “Tell her the truth, Em. Tell her maybe the guy would respect her more if she weren’t so obvious.”

Emma meekly shrugged without confirming or refuting Avery’s claim.

Avery shooed her hand at Em and clucked. “Stop acting like such a politician.”

“Stop being such a pragmatist,”
Em shot back.

“Avery, you just don’t get it.” Kelsey looked at Avery, her amber eyes brimming with pity. “You’ve never been a romantic.”

Avery burst into laughter.
Oh, Kels, you sweet, starry-eyed thing.
“
Well, I can
’t argue with that, friend.”

Romantic or not, Avery might’ve enjoyed a little flirtation with Grey—Greyson.

Sadly, he’d remain off-limits unless Kelsey fell for some other guy before things progressed. Probably a fifty-fifty shot of that happening within a month. Not bad odds. Maybe she could overlook the ski-bum thing if she were willing to explore a more superficial relationship.

“So, if I can hang on for several more weeks, I’ve got a chance. Come on, help me figure out how to entice him.” Kelsey beamed, apparently convinced her friends could dispense some kind of miracle.

Avery shook her head with a little snort, then sighed. It amazed her that Kelsey could be so driven and savvy with her real estate business, yet so flighty in her personal life.

In any case, clearly Grey wasn’t an option for Avery even though he made her insides tumble and tingle at first sight. In fact, all the better for her not to fall so quickly under some skier’s spell. Last time hadn’t worked out so well.

And, unlike Kelsey, she had never wanted to fall hopelessly in love.
Hopeless
perfectly described what she’d seen too often: a woman sacrificing more of herself and her ambitions to accommodate a growing family’s needs than any man.

Perhaps some couples balanced those competing goals better than others, but on the whole, traditional gender roles still persisted in Sterling Canyon. Maybe Avery would feel differently if she were more maternal or romantic. Maybe she’d even welcome the idea. But, “for better or worse,” she knew her limitations.

She saw no reason to give so much up for a man when a man couldn’t always be trusted to hold up his end of that bargain, especially a ski pro like Matt—and probably Grey Lowell, too.

Gulping down the rest of her Sapporo, she forced herself to muster enthusiasm for Kelsey’s chatter about how she planned to woo Grey.

It would be a long night.

Her phone rang while they were waiting for the check. The display read “Sterling Canyon Medical Center.” As an orthopedic physical therapist, Avery often dealt with the hospital, but rarely this late on a Saturday night.

“Why the scowl?” Emma asked.

She held up her pointer finger as she answered her phone. “
Hello?
”

“Avery, this is Nurse Harding over at the med center. I’m calling about your brother Andy. He’s been involved in a car accident. Are you able to come to the hospital now?”

An accident?

A mystifying sense of calmness descended despite her unsteady hands. “Wait, what?” Avery uttered, her mind wiped clear of all thought. The hum of background conversations seemed to grow louder, but that couldn’t be right. “How bad is it?”

“He’s in critical condition. How far away are you?”

Throughout the many years Avery had interacted with Janet Harding, she’d never before encountered this
dire tone.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Her hands trembled as she shoved her phone in her purse. “Andy’s been in a car accident.” She stood to go, then remembered she hadn’t paid the bill. Her body overheated as she dug around for her wallet and keys. Absently, she threw forty dollars on the table. “I’ve got to get to the emergency room. Let me know if this doesn’t cover my share of the tab.”

“
Wait a second.
” Emma grasped Avery’s forearm. “We’ll come with you.”

“No, please.” She patted Emma’s hand. “Don’
t come. I
’ll call if I need you, I promise.”

“Aren’t you going to call your parents first?” Emma looked anxious.

“Not until I have all the facts. Sorry, gotta go!” Avery exited the restaurant and sprinted to her car.

Ten minutes later, Avery darted through the emergency room doors. Fortunately her frequent interaction with the hospital staff afforded her quick service. Janet whisked her out of the reception area and into the bowels of the facility.

“How’s my brother?” Avery fixed her gaze on Janet.

“He’s sustained a concussion, some broken ribs, and a traumatic pneumothorax. The puncture was significant, requiring surgery to insert a chest tube. The doctor couldn’t wait for consent before getting started. Andy’ll have to stay here to be monitored for several days while the lung re-expands and stabilizes.”

Flattening her hand against her breastbone, Avery gasped. “Can I speak with him?”

“He’s still in surgery, then he’ll be in the recovery room beyond the end of visiting hours. You probably won’t be able to see him until tomorrow morning, but if you want to leave him a note, I’ll make sure he gets it.” Janet handed Avery a notepad and pen.

In her peripheral vision, Avery noticed two policemen hovering nearby. Frowning, she whispered from the side of her mouth, “Why are the cops here?”

Janet
’s gaze darted from the officers to Avery. “They must’ve just finished taking the victim’
s statement.
”

“Victim? What happened—a robbery gone bad?”

“No.” Janet grimaced. “Andy’s victim.”

“What?” White noise rushed through Avery’s ears as her heart rate sped up. “Why?”

“Andy was drunk when he hit the cyclist.”

Chapter Two

Avery exited the hospital the next afternoon, her body aching as if she’d been the one who’d undergone surgery and was facing criminal charges. Her parents had just called her to say they were only minutes away, having made the nine-hour drive from Phoenix in record time.

Squinting, she shielded her eyes with one hand. The incandescent sunlight reflecting off the fresh snow clashed with the occasion. She needed sleep. She needed a shower. She needed the police to back off and let her brother rest.

Clasping her cashmere scarf to fend off a sudden breeze, she navigated the ice patches covering the sidewalk—ice patches similar to those that had contributed to her brother’s accident.

She collapsed onto a bench and raised her face to the sun. Minutes later, her parents walked toward her from the parking lot. Her mother’s shuffling gait suggested she’d taken too much Xanax. Now she leaned heavily against her husband’s arm for support. A common scenario—literally and figuratively.

Seeing her mom so weak made it difficult to envision that same woman as a premed student with an academic scholarship—all of which she’d given up after marrying Avery’s dad. She’d traded Bunsen burners and a chem lab for a bottle warmer and pie pans.

From Avery’s perspective, it seemed those choices had slowly drained her mom’s spirit and strength. If love had so transformed her once-ambitious mother, then surely Avery could fall victim, too. In fact, hadn’t she allowed Matt’s demands for her time and attention to take priority over completing a business plan for her own clinic? Proof of her own vulnerability.

Avery stood and approached her parents with open arms. Her mother hugged her, sniffling, but her father simply rubbed his big hand over his eyes.

“Oh, Dad, you look exhausted.” Avery stroked his arm. “You should’ve flown in rather than driven.”

“Avery, please. No lectures.” He turned from her and strode toward the hospital entry. “I need to see my son.”

And I don’t need another car accident in this family!
Normally she was quick to challenge her dad’s dominance, determined he not dictate to her the way he did to everyone else. Today, however, she bit back the remark and followed him. “He’s awake but still confused because of the concussion. The cops were questioning him again, but the doctor asked them to come back later.”

As they entered the elevator, her mother’s knees buckled, forcing Avery and her dad to catch her before she hit the floor. “Mom? Are you okay?”

“My baby could’
ve died,
” she whimpered. “And all the police care about is sending him to jail?”

“Gina, come on now. It’ll be all right. I’ve called a lawyer. We’ll meet him tomorrow.”
Her dad
’s no-nonsense tone held little compassion, no hint of softness. Funny her softhearted mother had fallen for someone lacking empathy.

Granted, the current circumstances were rather dire, but just once Avery wanted her mom to reclaim her backbone rather than fumble and falter and lean on her husband for support.

“Andy’s resilient, Mom. It’ll take a couple of months for his injuries to heal, but if he’s careful, there’s no reason to think his lung will collapse again.” She reached over to massage her mother’s shoulder. It had taken most of Avery’s strength not to break down when she’d first seen the violent purple bruising and scrapes covering Andy’s head, neck, and torso, so she worried about her mother’s reaction. “Prepare yourself, though. He looks bad.”

Avery’s mom squeezed her hand while her father stared up at the lighted numbers until the elevator came to a stop.

When they reached Andy’s room, Avery gave her parents a few minutes alone with him. Her raw nerves couldn’t tolerate additional tension. She’d barely had a moment to take in everything that had transpired during the past twelve hours.

The disgrace associated with the cause of Andy’s injuries made everything more difficult, at least for Avery. How many people in their tight community would now judge her brother by this single mistake rather than by his history of living with a ready smile and helping hand?

Her father strode into the hallway, his face drained of color. “Tell me exactly what the cops said.”

“Although this is Andy’s first DUI, the fact he injured someone elevates it to a class-four felony. If convicted, that typically carries a two-to-six-year prison sentence.” As she spoke those words, that reality tightened around her throat. “Arraignment should occur within three to sixteen weeks, depending on Andy’s health and the court schedule. The DMV will also pursue suspending his license.”

“My son, the felon,” her dad muttered, with a harsh curse.

Avery noticed her father’s hands grip his waist as he shook his head. “Dad, please don’t harp on the criminal charges right now. A positive attitude is critical to Andy’s recovery. Let’s focus on his health first.”

“You think I don’t want him to get better?”

“No, of course I don’t think that. But sometimes you can be so . . . judgmental. Please try to temper your opinions, at least until he’s out of the hospital.”

Her father’s hands flexed at his side as he stared into the distance. When he glanced back at Avery, he rubbed his surprisingly glassy eyes with the heels of his palms. “When will we get to talk to the doctor?”

Accustomed to her father’s cool demeanor, Avery was taken by surprise by his unexpected display of emotion. Perhaps stoicism was merely a shield he used to hide his fear. Or maybe he’d simply been preserving his strength. Either way, seeing his vulnerability tipped her off-balance.

“I’m told the doctor will stop in before early visiting hours end. Afterward, we can all go home to rest and shower . . . maybe grab a quick dinner before coming back this evening.”

“You go on home for a while. We’ll stay with Andy until they kick us out, and then we’ll come meet you.” Unexpectedly, he pulled her to his chest.

Despite everything, being held inside the cage of her father’s arms and hearing his steady heartbeat settled her for the first time since she’d received Janet’s call. He might be gruff and unyielding, but he did know how to reassure her, regardless of whether he could resolve Andy’s problems. At this moment, Avery would take the false sense of security and run with it for however long it would last.

Tears pooled in her eyes for the umpteenth time. She blinked them away before withdrawing from the embrace. “Okay. Let me go say good-bye to Andy and Mom first.”

Thirty minutes later, she turned in to the wooded enclave of homes three miles outside of town known as Artistry Row. Each of the seven homes in the cul-de-sac where she’d grown up boasted uniqueness, whether in design or color or both. Her own, stained the cheerful green shade of Early Spring and nestled amid a copse of aspen trees, resembled a tree house.

When her folks had decided to retire and move to Arizona a few years ago, Avery had practically begged them to sell her the family house at a below-market price. She couldn’t stomach the idea of another family living in the home that held most of her happiest memories. Just because she wasn’t a romantic like Kelsey didn’t mean she lacked sentimentality.

Her parents relented and agreed to informally finance the arrangement. They’d sacrificed the possibility of a higher, lump-sum payment in exchange for her happiness, which made Avery all the more grateful. But even at the market’s lowest point, going in on the house with her brother had been the only way to afford it.

Secretly, she hoped to live out her days there, and eventually leave her current job to start a private practice, like Richard Donner had done years ago. She assumed Andy would sell her his half of their home once she could afford to buy him out. Funny how those daydreams had sometimes made her eager to get him out of the house, when now she’d give anything to have him there rather than at the hospital.

She entered the ominously silent home and flung her purse on the kitchen counter. While pouring a glass of water, she noticed one of Andy’s red hoodies carelessly tossed over the back of the sofa, a pair of his sneakers by the side of a chair.

Drained, Avery simply passed the discarded clothing on her way to her bedroom, unable to deal with cleaning up before her parents arrived.

She fell across her bed, limbs heavy and numb. So tired. She closed her dry, scratchy eyelids and inhaled slow, deep breaths. Her body melded into the mattress as her mind skirted the edge of consciousness.

Ten or forty minutes later—hard to tell—her phone rang, jerking her from sleep. Groggily, she fumbled around in her purse, praying it wasn’t bad news from the hospital.

“Avery? Where are you?” Emma asked.

Avery lay back on the bed and flung one arm across her eyes. “Home.”

“I heard Andy’s lung collapsed. Is he okay?” Emma’s voice cracked, which didn’t surprise Avery. Her friends thought of Andy as a brother, too. “Why didn’t you call us last night?”

“I didn’t leave the hospital until after midnight. I planned to call you once I got my parents settled. Andy will be there for a few days, but his prognosis is good. I guess you heard about the cops, too?”

“Yes. Listen, I know you’ve been dealing with a lot.” Emma paused. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing, thanks. I’ve just got to brace myself for dealing with my parents for the next few weeks. You know I hate watching my dad take over and my mom act like June Cleaver.” Avery rubbed her eyes. “No doubt my dad and I will go several rounds throughout the coming weeks.”

“Maybe it’s time to quit being the family peacekeeper. You can’t keep defending Andy or your mom against your dad’s expectations. Putting yourself in the middle of this situation will be exhausting, Ave. Come stay with me while your parents are in town.”

“Thanks, Em, but I can’t leave Andy to face my dad on his own. It’d be a bloodbath.”

“It’s Andy’s first offense, right?”

“Yes, but he’s facing felony charges because he hurt someone.” The lump tightened in her throat. Fighting the tingling sensation in her nose, she closed her eyes and prayed for strength. “I know drunk driving is wrong. I know someone innocent got hurt. But I can’t bear to think of Andy in jail.”

“Me either,” Emma croaked.

“Town must be buzzing with this gossip.” Avery swiped at her nose.

“Mostly from the old busybodies,” Kelsey, who must’ve been listening on speakerphone, broke into the conversation. “It’ll die down soon, especially since Grey will be okay.”

“Greyson Lowell?” Avery rolled to her side and propped herself up on one elbow. “
That’s
who Andy hit?”

“It must’ve happened right after he left the restaurant.”

The fact Avery’s brother hit Grey on the very night she’d first laid eyes on him struck her as a ghoulish coincidence. Of course, in a town as small as Sterling Canyon, improbable coincidences happened with freakish regularity.

Suddenly curious about Grey’s condition, Avery asked, “Tell me, how bad was he hurt?”

“He tore his ACL. His doctor is waiting two weeks for the trauma to die down before he’ll operate.” Kelsey paused.

“Kind of ironic, isn’t it?” Emma chimed in. “What if you end up being his physical therapist? How awkward.”

“I’
m sure he
’ll prefer to use someone else.” When she considered what Grey’s penetrating eyes might look like when angry, she shivered.

“Um, I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Avery. There are four PTs in town. Only two of you have ortho specialties. With Richard Donner still in Florida helping his mother recover from her hip replacement surgery, you’re the
only
ortho PT in town for the foreseeable future.”

Awkward didn’t begin to describe how Avery would feel if forced to work with Grey. Plus, there were bound to be ethical conflicts, under the circumstances.

“I can’t think about Grey right now. I just need to get through today.” Avery rubbed her forehead. “Tomorrow I’ll face other people and their judgments.”

“You do realize you have nothing to feel guilty about,” Kelsey decreed. “
You
didn’t do anything wrong. Andy did. He made a huge mistake, and he’ll pay the piper. But he deserves compassion, too. He didn’t intentionally set out to hurt anyone. It was a terrible, terrible
accident
caused by a moment of bad judgment. Who out there hasn’t had a moment of bad judgment? No one, that’s who! Most of us are just lucky none of ours ended in tragedy.”

“I’m sure he’d appreciate your empathy and support, but the fact Andy’s not the first to get behind the wheel after one too many doesn’t excuse him or fix the fallout.” Avery sighed. “I’m sorry, guys, I can’t talk right now. I’m dead on my feet. I’ll call you later.”

Avery set the phone aside and rolled onto her side, hugging a pillow. She forced Andy’s troubles from her mind, including the recurring images of him lying bruised and beaten in his hospital room. How must Grey look? Her last coherent thought, as she drifted into the soothing peace sleep promised, was of Grey’s seductive eyes.