Accidentally Hers (Sterling Canyon #1) (10 page)

Chapter Nine

Avery buried her face in her hands, sighing. Problem solving had always been a challenge she’d enjoyed, but the current financial dilemma held no simple solution. She toyed with the small desk clock as it ticked away the seconds like a game-show timer running out.

Her savings account was rapidly dwindling thanks to floating Andy’s share of their house payments and expenses these past months. If only her parents weren’t counting on the monthly loan checks to supplement their meager retirement income. She couldn’t indefinitely pay Andy’s share of everything without causing significant disruption to her own life. And every dime spent bailing him out took away from the fund she’d been saving to try to start her own clinic.

If Grey won a big judgment, they were all screwed. Even if he didn’t, Andy was very likely going to jail, possibly for a number of years. How would she manage to do this all on her own? She rubbed her temples. How dare she fret over money when her brother would be facing far worse concerns in prison?

Andy wandered out of his room half-dressed, hair still wet from his shower. He stepped closer and peered at the papers on the desk. “What
cha doing?
” His shoulders slouched when his gaze fell on the house payment check sitting beside her laptop. He averted his eyes as he walked into the kitchen.

She nibbled on her thumbnail. “Any luck with the job search yet?”

“Nope.” He gulped a large glass of orange juice. “No one’s interested in hiring a felon who could be carted off to jail soon. I’m a poor risk.”

Avery’s hand flattened against her stomach, as it did each time she was forced to confront her brother’s future. In that moment, she resolved to find a solution without adding to Andy’
s stress.
“I’m sorry.”

“I know.” His defeated grin weighed on her heart, fueling her near-desperate desire to restore hope and some sense of normalcy to his life.

Silence mushroomed around them. Once again Avery’s fingers massaged her temples to cope with the stress she felt whenever she realized how little control she had over either of their futures. She watched her brother pick at the fruit bowl and rinse his juice glass.

Although she couldn’t do anything about the criminal charges, surely she could facilitate some kind of employment. Maybe Emma needed help around her inn this summer?

The doorbell rang, interrupting her train of thought. She glanced at her watch. “Who’s here at this hour?”

“Matt’s driving me to my defense lawyer’s office. He keeps trying to reduce the felony charges, but honestly, at this point, I’d live with them if we could just get the prosecutor to drop the jail time.”

“Andy.” Avery paused, unsure of how to comfort him.

He dismissively waved his hand. “Can you let Matt in while I finish getting dressed?”

He shuffled to his room while Avery retied her robe, smoothed her hair, and caught a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror. She groaned before trotting toward the door, calling out, “Coming!” after Matt knocked again.

“Good morning.” She held the door partly closed, blocking his entry. “Andy’s not quite ready yet. Give him five minutes.”

“
Can I come in?
”

Avery rubbed one eye with two fingers. “Fine.” She stepped aside to open the door. “You know, you’ve spent a lot of time with us these past ten days. I hope whatever your reasons are for sticking around town, they aren’t about me.”

“Everything isn’t about you.” Matt crossed his arms, having the gall to appear indignant. “But I do want to talk to you before Andy comes out.”

Avery held up her hand. “I’m not interested in sharing confidences. If Andy has something to tell me, he can do it in his own time.”

“What if waiting costs you your chance to save this house?”

Avery tilted her head. “Well, that certainly got my attention.” She sat at the kitchen island instead of in the living room, having no desire to make things cozy. “What are you talking about?”

He looked a little too pleased with his victory. Determined not to beg him for details, she waited.

“Did Andy tell you much about the night of the accident?” Matt remained standing, his elbows resting on the counter. His blue eyes scanned her face and took a quick inventory of the rest of her, too, eyes lingering on the knot just below her chest.

She tucked the top half of her robe together for additional modesty. “You mean about how he didn’t see Grey on the bike, or about the ice on the roads?”

His gaze moved back up to her face. “No, I mean about what happened
before
he got in his car.”

She crossed her arms and legs, impatient with his Twenty Questions approach. “Only that he’d been out for drinks with his buddies.”

Matt straightened up, glancing toward Andy’s room before continuing. “Apparently those guys hooked up with a bachelorette party at the OS.”

The “OS,” locals’ shorthand for the Outpost Saloon, was a decades-old popular hangout among the ski instructors and local ski bums. Cheap drinks. No posers. The kind of joint she and her friends used to haunt to scope out the cute guys. Guys like Matt, in fact.

“Oh, what a surprise. A bunch of skiers hoping to take advantage of drunk women.” Why Matt considered this news helpful, Avery surely didn’t know. She uncrossed herself and began to slide off the stool.

“Hold up.” Matt pulled out the stool next to Avery and sat down. “Apparently Jonah Barton was bartending that night and had the hots for one of the girls. He wanted to keep her at the bar, so he kept pouring everyone rounds of shots despite their increasing rowdiness.”

Avery waited for the big revelation. When Matt said nothing, she flipped her palm toward the ceiling. “And?”

“Jonah served obviously drunk people more alcohol. Every bartender knows that’s against the law. Insurance companies require bar owners to enforce it. So it’s possible the OS could be held responsible for the consequences of Andy’s accident.”

Avery sat up straighter, intrigued but wary. “If that’s true, why haven’t Andy’s lawyers already raised this defense?”

“It’s not a defense to the criminal charges. And in Colorado, the intoxicated person can’t sue the bar. But a third party can.” Matt shook his head when she didn’t connect the dots fast enough. “Grey Lowell can sue the OS. These cases are real long shots, but if Lowell gets money from the OS, maybe you won’t be forced out of your house.”

Avery’s mind raced in several directions while processing the possibilities. “Why is Andy confiding in you instead of me?”

Matt shrugged, his expression softening in response to her distress. “Guilt and shame have him gun-shy. He’s also worried exposing the extreme partying could actually hurt his criminal case.”

Could it hurt Andy? Avery felt her forehead crease. She returned her attention to Matt, who seemed to be studying her reaction. If only it were anyone other than him delivering this news.

“So why are you breaking Andy’
s confidence?
”

“Andy says you think Grey Lowell doesn’t plan on taking your family to the cleaners. Unlike you, I’m not convinced that guy’s a selfless hero.”

Avery felt a smug, if inappropriate, sense of satisfaction when she heard the jealous bite in Matt’s voice. “I never said he was a hero, but Grey isn’t the bad guy either. And if he did have a case against the bar, his lawyer would’ve already pressed it.”

“They haven’t filed suit yet, so they haven’t taken Andy’s deposition. All they have is the police report and some eyewitness testimony from the scene of the accident. As far as I know, Grey and his lawyer have no idea what went down that night beyond
where
Andy was drinking. But you can tell Grey.”

Avery sat back and crossed her arms again, watching Matt, whose eager grin reminded her of a puppy begging for a treat. “What are you hoping to gain from this, Matt? Because you telling me sure isn’t going to sit well with my brother.”

“I’m just trying to be a good friend. You deserve the truth, especially if it keeps you from losing the house I know you love. And I’m convinced Andy will start feeling better once it’s all on the table.”

The pair engaged in a silent showdown. She could hug him for his help, but she couldn’t afford to let him slip behind her defenses. Thankfully, Andy showed up before she said anything further.

“I’m all set.” Andy, now fully dressed in khakis and a button-down shirt, smiled at them, unaware of what they’d been discussing. He glanced around the room and then teased, “Hey, no broken glass. Are you two friends again?”

Matt stood, his expression blank, and nodded at Andy. Unfortunately, her brother’s poor joke provoked a flash of anger that short-circuited Avery’s patience. Before outing Matt for breaking Andy’s confidence, she glanced at him apologetically, although he knew her well enough to have predicted she’d tackle this news head-on.

Turning to Andy, she quipped, “I didn’t have time to throw anything. I was too intrigued by a story about a certain bachelorette party.”

She noticed Andy blanch before he scowled at Matt, who braced for an argument. No matter how much she might like to see Matt tossed out on his ear for
other
reasons, she wasn’t about to let her brother attack him for telling her something Andy should’ve admitted weeks ago. “Andy, why didn’t you tell me this sooner? More importantly, why didn’t you tell Grey?”

Andy closed his eyes, breathing out through his nose. “Because I’m worried about my criminal trial.”

“How does the bartender’s recklessness hurt your criminal case?” The cobwebs cleared from her brain, allowing rational thought to prevail. “The blood tests are conclusive, so the lawyers and judge already will know exactly how drunk you were. There’s no hiding from that evidence.”

“
I don
’t know, Avery. I’m not as smart as you, okay?” Andy’s hands were on his hips as he began pacing behind the sofa, head bowed. “I’m scared. I don’t want to be in jail for one day, let alone years. Telling everyone I’d been throwing back endless shots probably won’t help my cause. Besides, Jonah didn’t force those drinks down my throat.” Andy paled as he raked his hand through his hair. His green eyes creased with worry when he looked at Avery. “If Grey files a suit against the OS, everyone in town will start talking again. They’ll say I’m trying to blame someone else for my mistake. Mark and Cindy have been decent to me since this happened, but if their bar gets dragged into this mess, I’ll have two more enemies.”

“Hey, if Jonah was reckless and broke the law, maybe the OS
should
be sued. Surely
it
is more responsible for the fallout than the victims. At the very least, Jonah’
s behavior
contributed to your accident. He should’ve stopped pouring shots or called you a cab. He did neither. Now Dad, Mom, me, even Grey, we all stand to lose, and none of us have any blame in this situation.” Avery shook her head, fueled by a fire in her gut. “I know you’re scared. But you’ve got to face what’s coming and let the chips fall. The people who love you will stand by you and help pick up the pieces. Jeez, you know this, Andy. I know you know this.”

Avery wiped away the tear streaming down her cheek. Now that she’d unleashed her repressed anger, her heart ached to see her brother shaken and ashamed. She glanced at Matt, bewildered by the mix of gratitude and irritation his presence stirred.

Before either man uttered another word, she hopped off the stool and ducked into her room.

Once safely inside, she leaned against the door, pressing her cheek and palm against the cool wood. Her body trembled slightly while she drew deep breaths to slow her heart rate. Andy and Matt’s rising voices penetrated the walls, prompting her to crack the door open to eavesdrop. Maybe it was wrong, but curiosity grabbed hold of her.

“What an asshole move, Matt. I can’t believe you threw me under the bus just to score points with Avery.”

“I told you to tell her over the weekend. It’s Wednesday. How long were you going to let your sister worry? Don’t be mad at me because you’ve been too much of a chickenshit to do what’s right.”

“Back off, man. You can’
t judge
me
after the way you dumped her and took off. Now, suddenly, you’re back using every trick to win her forgiveness?” From where Avery stood, it sounded like Andy banged his fist against something hard. “Don’t destroy my relationship with my sister just to fix your own.”

“I know I fucked up last year. It’s why I can’t sit back and watch her suffer just so you can put off coming clean.” A brief silence ensued. “Believe it or not, I’ll always love Avery, and I’ve always been your friend, too. I know you, Andy. In the long run you’ll feel better once you do the right thing, even if it seems impossible right now.”

Avery’s heart hammered against her ribs as she quietly closed the door.

If Matt was right, this information might help her family and Grey. She didn’t believe in frivolous lawsuits, but it sounded like Jonah’s recklessness broke the law. Heck, he intended to get that poor woman fall-down drunk in order to get her into bed, and to hell with the danger he created for others.

She hugged herself, wondering whether or not Mark and Cindy had been nice to Andy simply to make it more difficult for him to speak up. She hoped not. Then again, anything was possible when livelihoods were at stake.

Avery mulled over her options and decided she’d grill Andy this evening, in private. Feeling more settled, she pushed off the door and finished getting dressed for work.