Avery
I’m such a mom. I hated to leave Maddi this evening after she told me how bad her day was. My poor baby spilled her lunch and then during recess, she tripped and fell, ripping a small hole in her favorite jeans. I was going to call and cancel with Max so I could spend time cheering her up, but Raven slapped me upside the head—literally—and told me everything was going to be fine. I was in serious doubt that “everything was going to be fine.” Maddi came home with tears in her eyes and her head hanging low. But all that doubt melted away when Raven won her heart over with only two words: ice cream.
By the time I left, Maddi was back to her bubbly and energetic self.
Since telling Max about my real career, nothing between us has changed. Except now I’ve been battling the guilt of not telling him about my daughter. I had all the intentions when I went to see him, but I panicked, scared I was going to lose him.
I park and start to head into the entrance of Max’s building when a whistle snags my attention. Max is beaming, leaning against his car with his arms crossed over his chest, his ankles crossed, and looking damn good as always. He makes my stomach flip.
“Hey.”
He pulls open the car door. “Still too scared to ride with me?”
I laugh and stretch to kiss his jaw. “Remember, I still have mace.”
I slide in and he shuts the door before striding around the front of the car. Once in, he doesn’t start the car. Instead, he leans over, grasping the back of my neck and pulls me in for a kiss. My pulse picks up as my heart slaps my chest, dodging the butterflies.
A loan groan rumbles his chest in protest as he pulls back. Adoration fills his gaze. Lust darkens it.
“I’m becoming obsessed with your lips,” he says staring at my mouth.
Slowly, I drag my tongue along my bottom lip. His eyes follow the moisture. “I think I’m becoming obsessed with your obsession with my lips.”
Chocolate eyes lift to mine. “You’re spellbinding in many ways.”
“Do you always lay it on sweetly?”
“For you? I lay it on however I need to keep you coming around.”
He cranks the car and pulls out of the parking lot while I’m in the passenger seat about to combust from desire.
The second we stepped into Zach and Jade’s beautiful house, Caleb attached himself to Max’s hip and very shyly greeted me. It makes me think of Maddi. When she was three, my legs were where she stayed. She was only shy for the initial hello and then after that she was wide open. She used my legs as a confidence charging station. She’d be off doing something and then come back, wrap her arms around me and hide her face until she was sure of herself again and bounce away. The cycle repeated every twenty to thirty minutes, regardless of where we were, until she was five—when she found her own confidence.
It broke my heart. My baby girl was growing up—fast.
“Avery. Would you like something to drink?” Jade asks. “We have wine.”
I smile politely. “No. Thank you.”
Max leans over. “She doesn’t like wine.”
“You’re kidding?” Jade’s view flits between Max and me. “Well, we have whisky and beer?”
I promised Maddi I’d be home tonight. “I’ll take a beer, please,” I reply.
Caleb tugs my pants and points up to Max. “Maasss.” His voice is precious.
Before I can get him, Max scoops him up and buries his nose into Caleb’s neck. The sight causes me to swoon.
“You’re good with kids,” I say.
Max is lit up with a loving pride as he rustles Caleb’s hair. “I kinda like this little tyke.”
Caleb immediate erupts into a smile, pushing away his hand, and then lays his head on Max’s shoulder. It makes me fight off a swoony sigh.
As Jade hands me the beer, another couple enters her house. The man is tall with a brown crew cut, bright green eyes, and a striking smile holding the hand of a beautiful blonde. Everyone greets them with hugs and kisses while I’m the awkward one, unsure what the hell to do with my dangling arm not holding the beer.
Max grins. “This is Easton and Zoey. Douchebag and his beautiful wife.”
Easton ignores the jab and his right brow jumps high, pulling the corner of his lips too. “It’s nice to put a face with the name.”
“Hopefully it’s been all good.”
“Oh. It has.” His devilish tone drops low and he slides his view to Max.
Zoey slaps Easton across the stomach. “You two stop that.” She folds me into a hug. “It’s nice to finally meet you. It’s been all good. I promise.” Her smile is warming, instantly making me feel like I’m part of their group.
“Grab the burgers. I’ll fire up the grill,” Zach says in our direction. Max grabs the plate with the meat on it and Easton walks outside empty handed.
“Come with me,” Zoey says. “We’ll get everything ready while the guys act like idiots outside.”
After Jade and Zoey grabbed everything from the kitchen we needed, I helped carry it all outside to the large metal and glass table positioned under a pergola. We all make our plates and sit, all the couples beside one another with Caleb next to Jade as she helps him eat.
I feel eyes on me and look up to Zach studying me. He doesn’t look away when I catch him. Instead, he’s homed in.
The corner of his lips pull up, contorting into the smuggest smirk. “I know you.” The moment the words exit his mouth, the entire table silences and eyes bounce between us. “Your name was Aubrey.” My heart sinks. “Or at least that’s how you were introduced. I did some work at SnoWard training facility years back. You were there snowboarding.”
“I used that training facility a lot back then.”
He folds his hands on the table. “You’re professional level. You had a coach.”
I can feel the heat on my cheeks rising as everyone looks between us. “Tim Keene. He’s coached me since I was fourteen.”
Zach’s expression hardens, his eyes shifting cold. “Not trying to be the bastard here, but I knew I recognized you. You’re not sitting there lying to him, are you?”
“I know,” Max bites, sounding annoyed.
“So you’re a professional snowboarder?” Zoey asks, sincerely interested, and it breaks up some of the tension.
I glance to Max for reassurance. I’m not ashamed of what I do, but I don’t normally talk about it outside of the group of people who know. My tribe will keep my cover safe and protect me no matter what. Openly admitting it makes me feel as if I’m losing my footing. Not many people know my names. If you know Avery, you wouldn’t know about Aubrey and vice versa. It’s been like this for years. I don’t mind speaking about my profession within my profession, but talking about it in my personal life…I’m in uncharted territory and it’s smothering me with nerves.
Max bestows a prideful smile on me and it grounds me, even though my pulse is out of control.
“Yeah,” I admit, keeping my view latched to Max’s for the mental support he doesn’t know he’s offering.
“Then who are you? Avery or Aubrey?” Zach asks and anger storms into Max’s eyes.
I swallow before looking to Zach. “Aubrey is a stage name, per say. It was my father’s idea. To protect my private life.”
“Do you get to travel the world? What kind of competitions do you compete in?” Jade asks as she wipes Caleb’s mouth.
“I went to Europe once, but I don’t travel outside of the states as much anymore. I prefer—”
“Wait!” Jade interrupts with a squeak. “Kid’s Bazaar. Aubrey Neal. Is that you?”
My brows furrow. “You follow snowboarding?” I’m confused.
“No, but Max is sponsoring the event and I remember seeing the name.”
What? I snap my head to him.
“I was going to tell you tonight,” he says.
“I’m excited to see you. I’ve never had a reason to like snowboarding, but you’ve just gained a new fan. I’ll be there cheering you on even if I don’t know anything about it,” Jade babbles.
But I’m too busy staring at Max in disbelief…in fear. It’s been almost eight years since I’ve competed in front of someone I was dating and that asshole tried killing me and my daughter. The memory chills my spine. Overcoming that fear and not fumbling will be a huge test for me.
“A winery sponsoring a children’s event?” I ask bemused.
Jade barks a loud laugh as Max chuckles. “It’s for a good cause,” he says.
“I think it’s cool as hell you’re that fearless,” Zoey says. “I would scream the entire way down.”
“With your eyes closed,” Easton adds. “You freak out when I do ten over the speed limit. I can’t imagine you flying straight down a mountain.”
Zoey visibly shudders. “Yeah. That’s why she’s the snowboarder and I’m the person on the sidelines watching.”
“Potty,” Caleb interrupts.
“You have to potty?” Jade asks, and he nods. She’s quick to get on her feet, jerks him out of his seat, and rushes him inside.
Zach sits back in his chair and exhales a chuckle. “I got him to piss on that tree.” He tips his chin behind me. “He thought that was the coolest thing ever and now he’s showing more interest in getting out of those damn diapers. But he doesn’t understand why we can’t shit outside.”
I titter, remembering how I bribed Maddi into being potty trained with M&Ms. Yes, I trained my daughter like you would a dog. But it worked.