Venture Forward (17 page)

A nudge from Darryl made him grit his teeth.

“Aren’t you gonna introduce us?”

“Darryl, this is my sister, Kearney, and my business associate, Avery.”

“Pleasure to meet you, ladies.” Darryl smirked at Paul. “Business associate, huh?”

“Yep. And I’m sure she’d be interested to know your sister’s got quite a set of pipes.”

“You a record producer?”

“No, I run a website for singers and musicians where they can perform their music. A few of them have gotten recording contracts.”

“I can name five singers right now in the Top 40 who’ve gotten huge record deals because of your company.” Paul raised an eyebrow. “You shouldn’t downplay what you did for them.”

“I know the whole humility thing kind of escapes you,” Avery shot back with a toothy grin.

“Doesn’t seem to bother you too much since you keep coming around.”

Avery’s jaw dropped, and Paul had to stifle a laugh. The expression on her face was priceless. Yep, he’d rendered this gorgeous woman speechless. As in, unable to squeak out a single syllable. He liked that, a
lot
.

Kearney giggled. “Okay, while this exchange is teetering on the brink of semi-juicy, I’m going to find Evan. Thanks for the lift, Avery.”

“No problem. Give me a call, and we’ll get together again soon.”

“Sounds great.” She crooked a finger at Darryl. “Come on, you’re a big strong guy. Want to help me carry some boxes?”

“Sure.” Darryl sprang to his feet and took off after her like a lovesick puppy.

“Your sister certainly turns heads.”

“Let’s not talk about it.” Paul leaned the waxed board against the side of the shed. “Sorry she dragged you down here.”

“It’s really no problem. She’s great. I love her enthusiasm.” Avery slipped off her flip-flops and sat on a towel, legs stretched out in the sand.

He bit the inside of his mouth and forced his eyes in a different direction. Such incredibly sexy feet — bright pink nails, perfectly symmetrical toes. He’d always had a thing about the index toe being longer than the big one. It was just another one of his many quirks. But
her
feet? Yeah, he’d love to have them locked around his—

“You should tell Darryl’s sister to sign up on the site if she’s as talented as you guys say.”

“I don’t really see that happening.” Paul wiped his forehead and hoisted another board over his shoulder, all thoughts of Avery’s feet replaced with the harsh reality of Darryl’s plight.

“Why not?”

“He and his family can barely make ends meet. His drugged out, abusive dad took off, and they can’t even afford food most weeks. A computer is a luxury they’ll never have.”

“I had no idea. That’s such a shame.” She looked around at the guys on the beach working on their boards. “So what are you doing down here? How do you know him and the others?”

“Kearney didn’t tell you?”

“She mentioned something about a program, but that’s all. Do you guys repair surfboards or something?”

“No. I mean, yeah, we fix them up to donate. But that’s only part of what we do.” He went to a cooler and grabbed two bottles of water. “Thirsty?”

“Thanks.”

“This program is for kids who come from broken families where one or both parents have substance-abuse issues. It’s a support group, but different from the typical ones where you sit around in a circle and talk about your problems. These kids want help, but they also need to find a purpose. That’s what we do for them. We help them find ways to develop their skills so they can make better lives for themselves.”

“That’s incredible. I had no idea you were such a philanthropist. What made you start the program?”

With a sigh, he trailed his fingers in the sand. “I’m trying to give back because I know what they’re going through. It’s not easy to rise above your circumstances. It’s hard to have hope when you’re in the middle of hell with no emergency exit.”

A small gasp escaped her lips. “Oh no, did you—”

“That’s why my parents divorced. My dad was an alcoholic — seriously disturbed, a real lunatic. He was abusive — physically, mentally.” He took a long gulp of water. “It was the worst life imaginable, until one day we left and put it all behind us. I straightened myself out on my own, but these kids need each other, the support to overcome, to make plans. It’s part of the healing process. We’re paying it forward, you know?”

“I’m so sorry.”

His chest tightened, the look of sadness in her eyes mirroring his own inner struggles. With all he’d become and everything he accomplished, life’s purpose still managed to evade him. The program helped by giving him perspective but it would never erase the anger and resentment. How was it possible, after all this time, Avery’s mere presence could soothe his wounded soul? Somehow, she’d brought the peace that eluded him for so many years. “It was the hand I was dealt. I rose above it.”

“Not everyone would be as strong as you were.”

“I decided my life was worth more than what he thought, so I made it the best one I could.”

“Have you seen him since you moved out here?”

“No. He’s… he’s pretty sick. Liver cancer.”

“Did you ever want to see him again? To have your final say?”

“Never.” He’d dance on William’s grave before uttering a single word.

“Sometimes I wish I could see my dad again. I feel like I could give him an earful, you know?”

“Your dad walked away, and he should regret that mistake every day for the rest of his life. Look at everything you’ve done, all your successes. You didn’t need him. You did all that on your own.”

“I know.” She sighed, stretching her arms overhead. “Maybe we’re both trying to overcompensate for our daddy issues, huh?”

“That’s one way of looking at it.” He toyed with his water bottle, not sure why he’d confided in her. It was the closest he could ever come to confessing his true feelings. Opening himself up like that, tearing the scabs off those old wounds — the deep-rooted pain was too much to bear. It needed to remain locked away, buried, never to be unearthed. Even then, the darkness would always overshadow his future. But he refused to let it cloud Avery’s.

“
HERE, LET ME
do it.” Tina spiraled the curling iron around Avery’s thick locks.

“Thanks. I can never get the back right.” A sip of the crisp, chilled chardonnay did little to calm her frayed nerves. T.A. Powell continued to wreak havoc on Peter Everly’s business, at least according to
Venture Scope
. And with Rochelle Harrison navigating the ship, Avery suspected there was a large iceberg lurking in the not-so-distant future… and no lifeboat waiting to rescue her.

“What’s up? You’re a million miles away.”

“I’m fine, just trying to unwind a little. I don’t have to tell you again how much last week absolutely
sucked
, right?” She wiped her clammy hands on a towel, trying to calm her racing heart. Facing him in a few hours, knowing the destruction she’d caused… hell, she could have probably used something stronger than wine to take off the edge.

“No, I’m pretty clear on that. What’s the plan?”

“I think I need to tell him the truth.” Avery’s fingernails clicked against the tile wall, the pang in her chest amplifying by the second.

“Tonight? Is that such a great idea?” Tina wound the iron around another strand of hair, grazing Avery’s ear.

“Ow! Jesus, Tina! Maybe you need a break from the wine until my freaking hair is done.”

Tina took another sip. “Sit still. It barely touched you.”

“I’m having heart palpitations here, and you’re not helping.”

“Relax. If anything, it’s a good distraction.”

“Maybe he’ll handle it better if there are tons of people around.” Just the thought of telling Paul about the book made her stomach flip-flop. What was she thinking? Even if he felt something for her besides the very odd friendship thing they had going on, it would never end well. Withholding the truth when their whole foundation was already built on such a huge, ugly ass lie? That would be unforgiveable in Paul’s eyes, the utter betrayal.

“I won’t sugarcoat this. The circumstances aren’t ideal.”

“Gee thanks, Professor Obvious. What would I do without you?”

“I don’t appreciate the sarcasm. Remember, I still have the curling iron.” Tina smirked. “I’ve never seen you react this way to a guy before. Do you realize that? You’re not even dating him and you light up like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree at the mention of his name. That means something.”

Avery tried to swallow past the golf-ball-sized lump in her throat. “He’ll never forgive me. I know him. We’d never get past this. He won’t—”

“Tell him how you feel. Just take a chance. Put yourself out there, really and truly. I want you to be happy. You can get through this. Just be brave and take the leap.”

“But the book is making such a mess of his career. He can’t get his new fund off the ground, he’s lost out on some really great investment opportunities, and now there’s the whole thing with SportSensor. Investors are bailing left and right, all because of what I did.”

“Yes, before you even knew him. I know you’re scared, but if he’s Mr. Right, you’ll work things out. I also wouldn’t worry too much about his livelihood. He’s a smart guy who clearly knows how to land on his feet. I’m sure he’ll be just fine.“

Paul Emerson didn’t take too kindly to people screwing him over. The truth would destroy him. It would destroy
them
.

“
WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM? WHY
are you so quiet?” Evan twisted off the cap from the bottle of beer and took a long sip.

“Just thinking.” Paul fiddled with the Apple TV remote. “I haven’t been able to get in touch with Darryl since he told me about that shit with Miguel. I’ve left about five messages.”

“He’s not going to do something stupid.”

“I don’t know. Things sounded pretty desperate. If Miguel got in his head and dangled numbers in front of him—“

“Wow, so you’re actually worried? About someone other than yourself? Never thought I’d see the day. Avery’s had some effect on you.”

“You’re an asshole. I’m just telling you I think something is up with Darryl. My concern has nothing to do with Avery.”

“Let’s see if he shows up at the beach this week. Maybe something happened with his phone. Don’t jump to the worst-case scenario just yet.”

“Fine, we’ll give it a few more days, but that’s it.” Trying to shake that unsettling feeling was near impossible, but it wasn’t just Darryl that had his stomach twisted, not that he’d ever admit that to his brother.

“Deal. Now, when are you going to admit there’s something going on between you and Avery?”

“Never.” Paul popped a Twizzler Cherry Bite into his mouth. “’Cause there’s nothing to tell.” Much as he’d like there to be.

Evan smirked. “You’re full of shit.”

With a sigh, Paul grabbed the Apple TV remote. “What do you want to watch?”

“Quit changing the subject. You obviously have a thing for her. Why can’t you admit it?”

“There’s something wrong with this Apple TV box. It’s so damn slow. See? It’s taking forever to load the movie.” He stuffed another handful of licorice into his mouth. No therapy today. He had enough on his mind.

“She’s not your type anyway.”

Reverse psychology. Seriously? Not even worth the ten cents. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, that got your attention, huh?” Evan chuckled. “Looks aside, she’s smart, witty, and can actually engage in intelligent conversation. You never bother with girls like that because they’re too much work.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She’s into you. Why are you pushing away?”

“I don’t want to complicate anything. If I get too close—“

“You might actually be happy? Is that so horrible?”

“I’m not looking for anything more. She’d end up getting hurt, and I can’t be responsible for that.”

“So you’re making the decision for her. That’s not exactly fair.”