Love Unclaimed (17 page)

Audree had planned to spend as much of the day away from her house as possible, just as she had over the past couple of weeks. Spending last night with Eva at her parents’ house had been a good start. Travis had told her that he was taking Scotty and Harry out of town to get parts for the new equipment. She didn’t want to be stuck alone with Gavin. Talia was taking Eva for the day to spend time with her before she left for her summer trip to see Brooks.

Audree had still been taking Eva with her to bed every night so that Gavin wouldn’t be able to tempt her into his. She had been successful so far and was very proud of herself for not giving in to her growing, desperate need to be with him. She spent time in her office and with Scotty at her parent’s house. She had told Scotty earlier that she was not looking for a relationship. He assured her that he completely understood; it was quite obvious that she was as much in love with Gavin as he was with her. Of course, Audree laughed that off and even joked about it, but
was
upset with herself; her feelings shouldn’t be on display to everyone.

***

“Audree, I love you. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I know I have fucked this up from the beginning, but I can only hope that someday you will give me the chance to make this up to you.” Audree heard the pleading whisper against her ear, but forced the heartbreaking words away and pressed back into her pillow.

***

“Momma.” Eva’s cheery voice sounded so distant. “Morning, Uncle Gavin.” She giggled and Audree shot up in her bed, noticing the creased linens on the bed where it looked like someone had lain down beside her. She knew it hadn’t been Eva, because she slept on the other side of the bed, away from the door. She turned to see Gavin standing right outside of her bedroom holding his arms out to Eva.

“Eva, baby girl, how ya’ feeling?”

“Much better, thanks.” She walked into his open arms for a hug.

“How about a kiss for your favorite uncle?” He tickled her and she laughed before she planted a loud wet kiss on his cheek. He threw his head back and laughed, squeezing her in a tight hug.

“Momma.” Eva wiggled out of Gavin’s arms, and his eyes followed her as she ran and jumped onto Audree’s bed. “Grammy said to come and get you to come down for breakfast before we leave and you go shopping.” Eva threw her arms around Audree’s neck.

“Did you have breakfast already?” She looked from Eva to Gavin, who was still standing in the doorway.

“Yup, I’ve been up for a while.” She hopped off the bed and moved to the door again. “Grammy said to let you sleep for a bit. I thought Uncle Gavin woke you up since he was here.” She ducked away from him when he moved to tickle her again. “Come on, Momma; we are leaving in ten minutes.” Eva disappeared down the hall.

Audree looked down again, at the dent on her bed, and her mind raced at the memory of the dream she had been having and the words she remembered. She looked back up at Gavin; he ducked his head, turned, and walked away.

After Eva left with her Grandmother, and Audree realized she was alone in the kitchen with Gavin, she busied herself with the list she was writing, hoping he would leave if she ignored him.

“Would you mind some company when you go to the store?” Gavin asked from his seat on the other side of the kitchen counter, not making a move toward her, like he usually would when they were alone. She didn’t know if she should feel hurt or relieved.

“If you want to come with me, Gavin, you are welcome to.” She giggled when he chuckled at the double meaning of her statement.

“You know as well as I do, that I love coming with you.” His voice was laughing, and his eyes were on fire. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

“I didn’t realize I was.” She felt flustered and looked back down at the list in her hand.

“You have always been a terrible liar.” He sipped his coffee. “You have done everything under the sun to make sure you aren’t alone with me; you have even had Eva sleeping in your bed.” He stood up and moved to the sink behind her, rinsed out his mug and put it in the dishwasher. “If you want me to leave, Audree, all you have to do is say the word, but at least have the courtesy to tell me to my face. We have known each other long enough to be honest with each other.” He leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Honest with each other, really?” she scoffed at him.

“You know you are one of my very best friends; I don’t think there is much you don’t know about me.” He took a step toward her, and she moved to take his seat on the other side of the counter.

“How many women have you slept with Gavin?” she blurted out and regretted it immediately, when his head shot up to meet her eyes.

“Excuse me?”

“How many women have you had sex with?” When he paused and ran his hand over his face, she felt herself getting angry; was the number so large that he couldn’t even remember? She turned around and bolted for the backdoor, before realizing she had forgotten her purse on the counter.

“Ah.”

“Never min….” she said, holding the doorknob in her hand.

“I can count them on one hand.” He caught her shoulders when she turned to grab her purse off the counter.

“Please forget I even asked; it’s really none of my business.” She shook her head and tried to move out of his grasp.

“How can you say it’s none of your business?” He released her arm and lifted her chin with his finger. “We sleep together…”

“No, Gavin, we have sex! All we have is sex. You make that very clear every time I wake up alone and in my own bed. We are friends who have sex when you are in town, at your convenience.” She was proud of herself for finally saying it out loud and to his face. She saw what looked like shock and pain cross his face, but she couldn’t figure out why he gasped.

“Audree, is that really what you …” he paused when the phone across the room rang.

“Hey, anyone home?” Clint’s voice called from the speaker on the phone’s answering machine and Audree ran to pick up the phone.

“Hello, Hello, Clint, I’m here.” Audree laughed excitedly, grabbing the phone receiver off the counter.

“Hey, little sis.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

“How are you? Is everything okay?” Audree loved when Clint called, but also feared that he was calling because something was wrong.

“All is good; I just wanted to tell you that I’m scheduled to come home at the end of the summer. I wanted to surprise Momma and Dad, but I needed your help.”

“Of course, anything.” She jumped up elatedly. “I cannot wait; let me know the details when you know what you need. I’ll have your place opened up.” She turned and smiled at Gavin who returned her beaming smile. “We cleared out the barn and have plans for an extension, maybe I’ll get Travis to move up his timeframe. I see a party in our future.” She laughed.

“You and your parties.” He chuckled. “Is Gavin there? I called his cell, but he didn’t answer. Last time I talked to him, he said he was planning on being there about this time.”

“Yup, hold on. Love you, Clint.” She looked back at Gavin and waved him over to the phone. “Clint wants to speak with you.” She held the phone out to him.

“We are not done talking, Audree.” He took the phone from her and covered the mouthpiece with his hand. He shook his head and wanted to grab her before she walked out the door, but Clint was waiting on the phone. “Hey, man,” was the last thing Audree heard before closing the door behind her without a backward glance over her shoulder.

“Good for you, about time,” Ruby said from the other side of the phone line.

“I cannot believe I said that to him.” Audree blew out a breath as she sat in her truck in the parking lot of the grocery store.

“I wish I had seen his face,” Ruby said cheerfully.

“He looked shocked and hurt; like I’d hit him.” She thought back to Gavin’s face and felt her stomach turn.

“Well, if he is in love with you, he needs to speak up. You tattooed the dumb ass’s initial on your body and you know, after all of this time, he has to have seen it. He isn’t that blind.”

“Ruby, I...”

“You, nothing. It’s his turn; he has to tell you how he feels. Only a woman who is totally in love with a man would put up with the scraps he has given you. You know I don’t agree with this whole fuck buddy nonsense, and I’ve told you before that you deserve better,” Ruby said, exasperated.

“Please don’t start again,” Audree pleaded.

“Sorry, honey, I just love you and want you to be happy. You deserve everything.”

“And you are happy with Harry, so you want me to be happy, too.” She smiled, knowing Ruby really liked Harry.

“Yes, I am and you deserve to be happy, too, and in love with someone who can tell you that he loves you,” she sighed. “Okay, I’m done; climbing off of my soapbox now.” They both giggled. “Harry will be gone with Travis and Scotty until later, do you want me to come over, and we could have a girls’ day?”

“Sure.” Audree smiled. “I’ll grab a couple more things, and I’ll be home in about forty-five.”

“Ok, honey, see you then,” Ruby said and hung up.

***

Audree finished in the grocery store and stopped by the feed store to put in an order for her father. She was reminded of the days she had helped Clint feed the cattle, when Gavin was late and she had to drive the truck.

“You spending more of your daddy’s money, little girl?” A voice pulled Audree out of her reverie as she walked back toward her truck; a voice she knew and dreaded every time she came to town. It was like he watched and waited for her to show up, just to harass her.

“Nope, Mr. Montgomery, just spending
my money.
I don’t need my daddy’s money; I have plenty of my own, but thank you for your concern.” She tried to move around him, but he blocked her path.

“You know I’m going to get that parcel back one of these days,” he grumbled, just as he always did. The story never changed.

“I’m sure you will.” She rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

“Don’t sass me, little girl,” he said roughly.

“Mr. Montgomery, how many times do we have to have the same…?”

“Until I get my parcel back.”

“Sorry, but it is out of my control.”

“The hell it is,” he said a little louder and a few people on the street stopped and turned toward them. “All you have to do is sign the papers.”

“You know as well as I do, I am not allowed to do that, in accordance with
your
wife’s will.” She shook her head. “And you know what,” she sighed. “I’m kind of tired of having this same lovely little chat with you.” She took another step away and he blocked her again. “Mr. Montgomery, honestly, doesn’t this get as tiresome for you as it does for me? If it doesn’t stop, I would be more than happy to get a restraining order to make sure you stay away from me. But then you would probably have to stay on your farm and bitch from your office.” She smiled to herself and took his shock as a chance to step around him.

“Why you little…” He wrapped his hand tightly and painfully around her upper arm.

“Father, stop!” Gavin stood behind his father and, as he met Audree’s eyes, he saw his father’s hold on her arm. “Father, let go of her arm.” He took a step closer to Audree, putting his body between her and his father.

“Son…”

“Stop!” He held up his hand. “Audree, go home.” He looked at her and smiled when he saw her glaring at him for telling her what to do, he imagined. “Please, I have some things to discuss with my father.” Audree nodded at Gavin and stepped away from him.

She tapped Gavin’s back as a silent thank you and he nodded, his position blocking his father’s view of her. “Have a nice day, Mr. Montgomery,” Audree said cheerfully and waved over her shoulder without ever turning back around. “I’m sure we’ll be doing this again real soon.”

***

When Audree arrived at home, she noticed that Travis’ truck was parked in front of the house. She carried the two grocery bags she knew contained perishables. She called out, but no one answered. After she put the groceries away, she went to find Travis.

Audree finally found him in the living room, a room they hardly ever used, but her mother had insisted that she needed a great room for visitors and parties. She thought it was a waste of a room, but she wouldn’t change it.

“So what is up your ass?” Audree finally asked, after almost fifteen minutes of watching Travis pace the living room floor, checking his phone every couple of seconds.

“Finally,” he said, turning when Gavin stepped through the front door. That in itself was odd, because they hardly ever used the front door.

“Let me see them.” Gavin walked past her and straight to Travis, who shoved a bunch of papers at Gavin. “Holy shit! This is for real. Have you spoken to her?”

“Yeah, like I’m going to go and ask her about this. Do you really think she would know about this bullshit and agree to it?”

“How the fuck would I know? I’ve never met the girl!” Gavin shouted at Travis.

“Well, schedules ….”

“Schedules, my ass! You have been engaged to this girl for six months, after dating for what? Like two seconds. How involved was he in the meeting and setting up of your relationship with her?”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Audree stepped closer to them, trying to see the papers in Gavin’s hands; they both turned and looked surprised at her presence. “Sorry, but I live here.” She stepped closer to Travis. “You’ve been pacing my living room since I walked in the door and … and Gavin is pissed. You are obviously talking about Trudy.” She looked between them. “What’s going on?”

“Our asshole father has serious fucking control and greed issues.” Gavin looked at Travis for approval; then handed the papers to Audree at Travis’ nod.

“What is this?” She looked at the papers. They appeared to be some kind of contract. As she read through the first page, she looked between Travis and Gavin, and back at the papers in her hand. She had to move over to the couch as she continued to read; she could feel her knees buckling under her.

“Oh my God! This is insane! Your father is crazier than I thought! You cannot go through with this wedding, Travis, you
cannot
marry her.” Audree threw the papers down onto the coffee table in front of her. “This can’t even be legal. He can’t force Travis to marry her.”