The Escape Clause Read online

  “I’ll have my grandfather.”

  Pete nodded sarcastically. “Right. That worked out so well for your mother.”

  Avery just stared at him. “You won’t go with me?”

  “Avery, we just decided to get married. We can’t just run off and live somewhere else.”

  “Yes we can.”

  Pete turned and picked up his pants from the floor and slipped them on. “I have to go to work. We can talk about this tonight.”

  “I leave next Wednesday.”

  Pete buckled his belt and reached for his shirt. “We will talk about it tonight,” he said again.

  Avery felt her heart shatter. “I leave next Wednesday.”

  Pete lifted his head. “You’re moving to France? That’s the end of it? No discussion? No talking it over with me? You’re just going.”

  “I leave next Wednesday,” she repeated as her heart slammed in her chest.

  He pursed his lips, picked up his suit jacket, and draped it over his arm. “I just got a huge promotion. I passed over two senior investors. I’ve worked my ass off for the past three years for this. Next Wednesday I’ll still be here.”

  Without another word, he walked past her and out of the house.

  ~*~

  One day had become two—then three. Pete hadn’t called. He hadn’t come by the house, texted, or even emailed. He’d simply walked out of the bedroom that morning and never looked back.

  Avery looked down at her iPhone screen. The text message she had sent him an hour ago was marked read. She was reaching out to him and he wasn’t responding.

  How could he simply think that walking away would be better?

  She looked at the ring on her finger. It sparkled as brilliantly as it had the other night, but it hurt to look at it.

  Avery made her way around boxes, which filled the living room, to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. She hadn’t slept in three nights.

  Had he seen her drive by his house? Did he ignore the doorbell when she’d rung it?

  At least when she’d called his office yesterday they told her he was in a meeting, so she knew he was alive and well—and avoiding her.

  Her mother, thank goodness, had called her and apologized for her breakdown. She made it clear that though she wasn’t thrilled with Avery’s decision, she’d stand behind her. Then she proceeded to invite her to dinner on Sunday.

  Avery graciously accepted. It would be her last family dinner before her new journey—alone—began.

  She muddled through another day and by Friday afternoon she was all packed and waiting for the shipping company to come and take her things. They’d promised to be there by three and it was already four.

  It would be an easy move. Nothing but clothes and necessities. The furniture belonged to the house—the house where almost all the Kellers and Bensons had lived on their journey into adulthood.

  When the doorbell rang she moved to the door. Once they loaded up her boxes what else would she do with her weekend?

  Avery opened the door expecting some man in a bland uniform and a wheeler, instead Pete stood before her.

  His hair was in need of a trim and he certainly needed to shave. The week had left its tracks on him as well.

  “Pete…”

  “I know you didn’t expect me. I just…”

  She took his hand and pulled him inside before she lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. It took a moment before he gathered his arms around her and held her.

  But his hold didn’t feel right. None of it felt right.

  Pete stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I wanted to apologize.”

  “I understand. I don’t blame you for walking out.”

  He ran his tongue over his teeth. “I didn’t mean about walking out.”

  “Oh.” What could he mean she wondered? After all, he’d just up and left. Then ignored her. She’d never gone nearly a week without talking to him.

  “Hundreds of times I’ve dropped you off and tucked you in. I’ve slept in that guest room and on that couch more times than I’d like to have counted. I should have done that when I brought you home after your birthday. I should have kissed your cheek and gone home.”

  Avery fisted her hands on her hips. “You’re sorry for what we did?”

  He nodded. “If I had just gone home our friendship would be in tact and I’d be only heartbroken because I wouldn’t see you everyday while you lived in France. I’d go to visit. Drink wine. Maybe meet some French girl.”

  That one stung, she thought as he took a breath to continue.

  “I wouldn’t have poured my freaking soul out to you and proposed had I just walked out that night.”

  The tears that were fighting to get to her eyes stung in the back of her throat. “You regret proposing?”

  “Didn’t do me any damn good did it?”

  “In case you forgot I said I’d marry you.”

  “And then turned right around and told me you wished I hadn’t gotten my promotion because you’re moving to France.”

  Avery moved toward him, but Pete took a step back. Heat from the anger pulsing through her warmed her skin. “I want this, Pete. I want this as much as I want to marry you.”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t think you were as shallow as you’ve proven to me that you are.”

  “Exactly what does that mean?”

  “You want to move away as much as you want to marry me. Honey, when you love someone you’re usually willing to make sacrifices.”

  She crossed her arms. “What about you? You don’t love me enough to make sacrifices for me?”

  “Is that what you think?”

  “You chose your job.”

  He stepped closer to her and narrowed his dark, angry eyes at her. “I quit my job yesterday.”

  And that, Pete thought, was the reaction he’d hoped for. Avery’s eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. She, for the first time in as long as he could remember, was speechless.

  “You quit your job for me?”

  “For us,” he corrected.

  “But your promotion…”

  Pete shrugged. “I love you more.”

  She lifted her hands to her mouth and the sobs came quickly. He wanted to scoop her up, but there was still some invisible wall between them.

  “You quit your job to move to France with me? To marry me?”

  Now he stepped in, though the air was still thick between them. He gathered her hands in his. “Avery, for as long as I can remember, you’re all I’ve ever wanted. I was willing to forgo the thought that someday that might happen. I cherished our friendship more. But you said you loved me and you said you’d marry me. So, yes. I quit my job, passed up my promotion, and am willing to leave my family behind to follow you.”

  She let out a long ragged breath. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”

  “You’re willing to leave your family for this. That means it’s very important to you. It means you think this is what you need to do. The Avery Keller I know doesn’t take lightly the commitment of family.”

  A line formed between her brows. “Right.”

  “I need to go home and pack and get things settled in my world.”

  “I’ll come with you,” she offered and he shook his head.

  “I need some time to process this.”

  Avery stepped back from him. “My parents want me over for dinner on Sunday. I assume it won’t just be my parents.”

  “Usually, with your family, that’s how it works.”

  “Will you come? We can share our news.”

  Pete nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  He moved in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll come by in the morning.”

  He took his keys from his pocket and headed toward the door.

  “Pete,” she called after him and he turned to look at her. “I love you.”

  He smiled, but it felt forced. He gave her a nod and walked out. At that very moment he needed to save
his I love you too until he didn’t feel jaded about it.

  Chapter Seven

  Pete sat in his bedroom with his suitcase open to the side of him. It was empty. He was empty.

  He lowered his head into his hands. Avery Keller was going to be his wife. The thought lightened the pain going through him. She said she loved him and she was going to marry him—Avery.

  He’d never told her that once he’d even written their names together and named all their children. It had been a childish dream back then, but now it was real.

  What the hell did it matter that he’d given up his apartment and his job? Those weren’t his identity. But being Avery’s husband would be.

  The pain in his chest seemed to ease.

  He stood and walked to the dresser. Pulling out the contents, he placed them in the suitcase. There was an ease to the packing now.

  Next week he was going to be living in France on a vineyard.

  A smile actually came to his lips. He could even see Avery, her dark French beauty with the beautiful vineyard backdrop.

  He didn’t speak French. Was that going to be a problem?

  It was something to consider. He needed to learn it, but when he came back to Nashville he’d speak French.

  Where would they travel when they were there, he wondered as he emptied another drawer. It was the opportunity to see the world with the woman he’d loved since he was just a little boy.

  ~*~

  Avery had managed an eye open to look at the clock. It was seven o’clock and she was sure she’d heard the back door open.

  If it wasn’t for the fact that every person she knew had a key, she’d probably have jumped out of bed, grabbed the baseball bat from under her bed, and headed down to check it out.

  Whoever had come in the door had dropped their keys, noisily, on the counter. Now they were whistling.

  Avery rolled over and looked at the bedroom doorway. She recognized the song before she did the whistle. My Girl, brought a smile to her face.

  A moment later Pete was leaned up against her doorjamb with a cup of coffee in his hand.

  “Vanilla latte?” she asked, her voice cracking under protest.

  “Anything for my princess,” he said moving toward her.

  Avery sat up in the bed and took the paper cup with the cardboard sleeve on it. “You’re much earlier than I thought you’d be.”

  Pete sat down on the bed next to her and she inhaled his fresh cologne—savoring its comfort.

  “I had a change in attitude last night and I couldn’t wait to get here.”

  “You could have come back last night.”

  Pete lifted his own cup to his lips and took a careful sip. “I needed to make sure I let all the anger go.”

  Avery reached out for him and he took her hand. “I didn’t mean to make you mad about it all.”

  “Give and take. That’s what makes a relationship. Avery, I meant it that night. Never for one night. I knew already I wanted forever. And this is only going to be one of the misunderstandings we have between us. There are going to be many more of them.”

  “Thank you. I know what this is costing you.”

  Pete leaned in and kissed her gently. “You can make it up to me. I want our daughter to be named Mildred.”

  Avery crinkled up her nose. “You’re right. We’re going to have many more arguments.”

  “Mildred is out?”

  “It’s hideous.”

  “It’s my grandmother’s.”

  Avery held back her smile. “It might make a wonderful middle name.”

  Pete gave her leg a pat. “Give and take. You’re beginning to get the concept.”

  With all of her belongings gone, Avery was living out of a suitcase. It was decided, between both of them, that she’d live at Pete’s until Wednesday. The shipping company would pick up his belongings on Tuesday. Then they would set out on a journey of a lifetime together. They’d move to France and plan their wedding. They’d start their new life and learn to be their own family. They’d have each other.

  Sunday afternoon, as they drove down the street where her parents lived, she laughed when she saw the cars lined up.

  “I told you it wasn’t going to be just a dinner.”

  “Avery, I’ve been around this family long enough to know how it works. What I didn’t tell you was my folks want us for dinner tomorrow night. You’re going to have the same thing.”

  She liked that. It was one thing they certainly had in common—a large family. Never had Avery felt as if she were really an only child. How could she? Sure, the dynamics between her and her cousins was a little different than that of Pete and his brothers and sisters. But a close family was a close family.

  Pete found a parking place nearly a block from her parents’ house. He parked, turned off the car, and sat quietly for a moment.

  “Is something wrong?” Avery asked.

  Pete shook his head and then lifted it to look at her. “It’s going to be strange, living away from everyone, isn’t it? No big Sunday dinners at your family’s or mine. No late nights at the hospital with new babies arriving all at one time,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Are you having second thoughts?”

  Pete shook his head. “No. I was just thinking it would be different. Not impossible.”

  They climbed from the car and walked hand in hand to her parents’ front door. Darcy was just inside bouncing a crying Emily and trying to soothe her.

  “Is she okay?” Avery asked as they walked into the house.

  “I think she has a little tummy ache. Ed is on a phone call. I need to nurse the baby, but she won’t stop and won’t let me put her down,” Darcy said in a frazzled, lack of sleep voice.

  Pete instinctively reached out. “Let me see if this helps.” He took Emily from her mother and rested her on his wide shoulder. A few sobs later and Emily calmed.

  “What did you do?” Darcy asked.

  “I’m just built right for correct pressure on babies’ tummies. I could always get my nieces and nephews to calm this way.” Emily gave a few more big gasps from her sobs and soon was asleep on Pete’s broad shoulder. “Go feed the baby. She’s fine with me.”

  Darcy kissed him on the cheek then looked at Avery. “He’s a gem. You should catch him before someone else does,” she said as she moved into the house in search of her baby.

  “It’s a good thing you caught me,” he joked. “I seem to be perfect.”

  “She didn’t say that.”

  “Yes she did. Don’t mess with my ego. I’ll wake Emily up and hand her to you.”

  Avery thought the threat wasn’t worth it. She kissed him on the cheek and they walked into the house where her family all waited for her.

  Everyone one but Christian and Victoria were there. Their daughter was still in the NICU, but her Aunt Madeline assured Avery that she was growing by leaps and bounds.

  “A few more days until she’s big enough to move home with her parents and her cousins,” Madeline said.

  Avery was happy for them. They were raising Victoria’s niece and nephew. They’d lost their first baby and now their daughter was still in the hospital. They were truly a family that proved that love could triumph over all.

  Avery’s mother stood in the kitchen, a glass of wine in her hand and a tissue in the other.

  “Is everything okay?” Avery asked her.

  “I miss you already and you haven’t left.”

  Avery pulled her into her arms and held her. “Just think. It’ll be the most wonderful reason for you to visit me in France.”

  Her mother nodded. “I know. My mother has been begging me to do that for years and I am sure my father would be cordial enough.”

  “He loves you, Mom.”

  “I know. Avery, you will just never understand.”

  No, she was sure she wouldn’t. But she also couldn’t imagine her grandfather was the same man that banished her mother when she’d become pregnant. However, he’d been nothing b
ut gracious to her. She was willing to move across the world to take what he was offering. Avery figured she needed to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

  “How come you’re always the last one to the party?” Spencer walked into the kitchen and swept Avery up into a grand hug.

  “I didn’t know I was late.”

  “You’re always late, now come out here.” He gave her arm a tug and pulled her to the living room where Spencer had obviously gathered everyone.

  Avery moved in next to Pete as Spencer put his arm around Julie.

  “This has got to have been the longest week of my entire life,” he began. “Most of you have busted my chops about missing half of my birthday party last week because I ducked out. Fine. I did.” Julie nudged him with a grin. “And then what was with all the babies trying to get in on mine and Avery’s birthday?”

  The family laughed and Avery smiled lovingly at her cousin. She hoped the cousins born the day after their birthday would share the same special bond they did.

  Spencer kissed Julie on top of her head. “The reason I left early that night was to avoid a black and pink birthday cake.”

  Again, the family laughed and Avery coughed behind a disguised, “You’re welcome.”

  “But I had something very important to attend to. Julie agreed that night to be my wife.”

  Avery was sure that the announcement wasn’t a surprise to any of them, but they all cheered and moved in around the couple to congratulate them and honor them.

  When Avery made it to Spencer she cupped his face in her hands and gave him a noisy kiss on the cheek. “I will always make you celebrate with a pink and black cake. In fact, I want to be in charge of your wedding cake.”

  “No,” he said pulling her hands from his face and then looked down at her ring.

  Julie looked down as Spencer brought her hand into view.

  “What is this?” he asked and the sparkle had left his eyes.

  She’d forgotten she’d had it on. Perhaps she should have taken it off.

  Pete moved in behind her and Spencer lifted his eyes to him. “Are you kidding me?” he whispered.

  “About what?” Pete asked as he wrapped his arms around Avery’s waist.