Chasing Bailey, page 4
part #3 of Lake Harriet Series
The sweet look in Lisa’s blue eyes when she spoke about her daughter made Avery’s smile widen. “I’m Avery. Avery McKinnon. I’m sorry I never introduced myself before. It would have been the polite thing to do.”
“I’m Lisa,” she said, looking more comfortable. “And I accept your apology, if you really meant what you said.”
“I do mean it,” he said. He didn’t know exactly what had made him soften toward her. Her smile? The way her eyes gleamed when she looked at her daughter? Whatever it was, his heart didn’t feel as cold and shut off as it had over the past year. “Oh. I brought you pizza, and chicken strips for your daughter,” he said, indicating the boxes in his hands. “I wasn’t sure if after everything that happened, you’d had time to cook dinner.”
Lisa’s eyes moved to the bottle of wine.
“And the wine is part of the apology,” he added.
Lisa opened the door a little wider and both Bailey and Abby glanced up at Avery. “Actually, we haven’t eaten yet, unless you call crackers dinner.” She took the boxes from him. “Thanks for thinking of this.” She walked to the dining room table and placed the boxes there.
“It’s the least I could do.” He was still standing outside the door and holding the bottle of wine. He wasn’t sure if he should stay or leave.
Lisa turned to him. “Would you like to join us?”
Avery smiled. He hadn’t been expecting an invitation, but he realized he really wanted to stay. “Thank you. I would.” He walked inside, closing the door behind him.
Chapter Five
Lisa sat across the table from the hermit—oops, Avery—eating a piece of pizza and sipping the wine he’d brought. She could hardly believe they were here together after all that had transpired earlier. The pizza was delicious, and of course Abby liked the chicken strips. Lisa had brought out some cut-up veggies, too, and salad that she’d prepared the day before. Abby was as comfortable with Avery being there as if he ate with them every night. And Bailey was, too.
Now that she’d had a closer look at Avery, and he wasn’t glaring as he’d typically done, she realized that he wasn’t bad looking. His dark hair was a bit long, as if he hadn’t had it cut in a while, but it didn’t look shaggy. And he was freshly shaven, which had surprised her too. He’d always had that scruffy look before. But what caught her off guard the most were his deep blue eyes trimmed in dark lashes. Despite his always being grouchy toward her, now she saw that his eyes looked kind, especially when he smiled.
“I wasn’t expecting you to invite me in to eat, but I’m glad you did,” he said. “It’s nice eating with someone for a change instead of alone.”
She nodded, not sure what to say. She figured hermits liked to eat alone. “I hope Ryan didn’t make you do this,” she said. “I honestly didn’t send him over to talk to you. Kristen, his wife, did.”
“No. Ryan didn’t tell me to do this. This was my idea. I felt terrible the second the words came out of my mouth, but I was too ornery to apologize then and there. Once I got home, I knew I’d gone too far. But I did have a nice talk with Ryan. He’s a good guy.”
“He is. And Kristen is great, too. This is a wonderful neighborhood. Everyone is always willing to lend a hand.”
“So I’ve been told,” Avery said. “I noticed there was a big neighborhood get-together at your place last Sunday.”
Lisa thought a second then remembered. “Oh, yeah. That wasn’t a planned thing. Everyone came over to help fix my yard so Bailey wouldn’t dig a hole and escape again. I guess it didn’t work as well as we’d thought.”
Upon hearing the dog’s name, Abby smiled wide and said, “Baywee!” Bailey responded by getting up from where he’d been lying and running over to sit beside Abby’s highchair.
Avery laughed, a deep, warm chuckle. “She’s adorable,” he said, grinning at Abby. “Your puppy sure does love you.”
“Baywee!” Abby said again, enjoying the attention.
“And she loves Bailey,” Lisa said. She turned to Avery. “It’s been frustrating having him run away, especially since he goes to your yard all the time. I’m at a loss what to do now.”
Avery nodded. “I understand that now. Maybe I can take a look at your yard and see what else can be done. The most important thing is that Bailey doesn’t get out and get hit by a car.”
“I’ve worried about that too,” Lisa said. It had been something she’d feared the most, even more than facing the hermit, uh, Avery. If anything happened to Bailey, how would she explain it to Abby? “If you have any ideas for the yard, I’m open to them.”
“I’d be happy to look,” he offered.
Abby was finished eating so Lisa began clearing the table. She’d only had one glass of wine, but it had warmed her from the inside and helped to calm her nerves. Avery pitched in, and even lifted Abby out of her high chair after Lisa had wiped her little face.
Abby toddled after Avery into the kitchen, which meant that Bailey followed too. Avery wrapped up the leftover pizza and put it in the fridge while Lisa rinsed the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. The whole time, Abby followed Avery around and watched him.
“It looks like you’ve made a new friend,” Lisa said to Avery, indicating her daughter beside him.
“I could use a new friend.” He smiled down at Abby, then lifted that smile up to Lisa. “Or, maybe two new friends.”
Lisa felt an unexpected warmth rush up her neck and face. She couldn’t believe she was blushing. But as she looked at Avery, she understood why. When he wasn’t glowering, he was actually charming. That thought surprised her so much that she quickly changed the subject.
“So, what is it that you do that keeps you in the front bedroom working day and night?” she asked. As the words left her mouth, she realized how they sounded and a new blush rose into her cheeks. It didn’t help that Avery grinned and raised his brows.
“Well,” he said, drawing it out.
“You know what I meant,” she said hurriedly.
He chuckled. “I’m a writer. I sit at my computer all day and spend most of my time staring out the window instead of writing.”
This surprised her. “Really? I would never have guessed that.”
“That I stare out the window or that I’m a writer?”
“That you’re a writer,” she said. “What do you write?”
She noticed he paused before answering, making her wonder if she was prying. “You don’t have to answer that,” she said quickly. “It’s really none of my business.”
“I don’t mind answering, although people generally act weird when I tell them. I write novels.”
“Novels. That’s amazing. Anything I might have read?”
He chuckled. “That depends on what you read. Have you read any good romances lately?”
Her mouth involuntarily dropped open and it took a moment for her to realize she was gawking at him. She clamped her jaw shut.
“See what I mean?” he asked. “You’re acting strange.”
Lisa felt awful for the way she’d reacted. But it was really hard to believe that the man she’d thought of as the cranky hermit was sitting in his house writing romances. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to react that way. But really? Romance? I didn’t expect that at all.”
He shrugged. “I know. I get that all the time. But there are men who write romance. It’s not that odd.”
She nodded. “I know. But it still surprises me.” She frowned as she thought for a moment. “Wait. You said your name is Avery McKinnon?”
“Yep.”
Lisa walked out into the living room with the whole parade of Avery, Abby, and Bailey following her. She headed for the built-in bookshelf beside the television. After studying it a moment, she pulled out a paperback and showed it to him. “This Avery McKinnon?”
Avery glanced at the book cover. “Guilty as charged.”
Her forehead creased. “You’re kidding me, right?” She turned the book over and stared at the author’s bio on the back. “I always thought you were a woman. Avery is a female name, too.”
Avery laughed. “As far as I know, I’m a man.”
“There’s no author picture on the back. Why not?” Lisa stared up at him expectantly.
“Well, it’s probably because I’m not very photogenic,” he said. “I’m told I look like a hermit.” He winked.
Lisa was horrified. She lifted a hand to cover her face. “I’m so embarrassed. Who told you I call you a hermit?”
Avery laughed. “It doesn’t really matter. Besides, I don’t blame you. I’ve acted like a grouchy hermit since I moved in. But I found your description of me rather amusing.”
Lisa groaned. “I’m sorry.”
“No problem. The truth is my publisher decided not to add a photo on the back. They didn’t mean to deceive readers by letting them think I was a woman, but after my first book sold so well, they decided to keep my picture off the covers and let women think I was female. I don’t care either way, just as long as I get paid.”
Lisa still felt awful about the hermit name. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve read several of your books. They’re very good.” She still couldn’t believe this guy she’d always thought was ornery actually wrote tender love stories.
“Thanks.” His glance moved to Abby, who’d sat down on the floor and was rubbing her eyes. “It looks like the princess is getting sleepy.”
Lisa bent down and lifted her up. “It’s time for bed, isn’t it, sweetie?”
“No bed,” Abby protested, but her heavy lids told a different story.
“Do you mind if I take a look at your backyard while you put her to bed? I mean, if it isn’t a problem,” he said.
“No. Please go ahead. You can use the door at the end of the hallway. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Lisa watched as Avery made his way down the hall with Bailey following at his heels. This had been a long, extraordinary day. But the biggest surprise had been how quickly she’d softened toward the hermit.
“Ugh!” she said aloud, remembering that Avery now knew what she’d called him.
“Ghug!” Abby said softly, copying her mother.
Lisa laughed. “Come on, little girl. Time for bed.”
***
Avery walked down the hallway and out the back door with Bailey trotting happily beside him. He noticed that there was a doggie door attached. That explained how he got outside during the day.
Today had been an eye-opener for Avery. He’d had such a bad attitude for so long, he’d forgotten how nice it was to share a meal with a nice woman and enjoy her company. No doubt, Lisa was good-looking. He’d even say beautiful. Her hair had still been up in a messy ponytail and she wore minimal make-up, but she’d looked lovely.
Too bad she thinks I’m a hermit.
He sighed. He couldn’t blame her. He’d acted like a crazy hermit these past few months. But he’d had good reason. Being cast aside and taken for a ride by his wife, he found it easy to believe that everyone had an agenda. He’d forgotten what it was like to have friends. Or nice neighbors.
Once he was in Lisa’s small backyard, he saw the rocks around the fence. It didn’t look bad, but it still hadn’t been enough to keep Bailey from digging. He noticed the new hole under the fence. Looking around, he saw a shovel leaning against the back of the house. He grabbed it and began filling in the hole, then pushed a layer of rocks over it.
As he stared at the fence, he had an idea how to stop Bailey from getting out. It might not stop him from digging, but if his plan worked, the dog wouldn’t be able to get under the fence.
“It looks like I need to outsmart you, Bailey,” he told the dog.
Bailey just wagged his tail and smiled.
Lisa came out wearing a blue sweater over the long-sleeved tee she had on. He noticed how the color of her sweater made her eyes an even deeper blue.
“Did I hear you talking to the dog?” she asked in a teasing tone. “That’s the first sign of insanity.”
Avery chuckled. “I gave up on being sane years ago. That’s why I live in my own head, writing stories.”
She laughed. He liked the sound of her laughter. He was pretty sure that Lisa hadn’t had much to laugh about over the past few months, other than cute little Abby.
“Any ideas hit you?” she asked.
“Ideas?”
“For the fence,” she said.
“Oh, yeah. The fence.” Sheesh! He sounded like an idiot. “I do have an idea. I’ve heard of people burying a strip of chicken wire about two feet below the fence so when the dog digs, he’ll be blocked by the wire. Then you can put the rocks over it, too, for added protection.”
“That is a good idea.” Lisa’s face brightened. “And it shouldn’t be too costly. It will take some work to dig a trench along the fence line.”
“I’d be happy to do it for you, if you’d like,” Avery offered. Instantly, he realized what he’d done. He already had a tight deadline for his novel and here he was, offering to spend time digging up her yard and adding wire.
“I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that,” she said, shaking her head.
Avery wanted to see her smile again. He liked how her face lit up when she smiled. “You didn’t ask. I offered.”
“Well.” She hesitated.
“You won’t owe me a thing. I promise. And after the job is done, if you never want to see me around here again, I’ll go back to being a hermit.”
She bit her lip, obviously still embarrassed. “I’m really sorry for that,” she said softly.
He smiled. “Like I said. I don’t blame you for thinking of me that way. Maybe we can start over? I promise I’ll try to be more congenial than I’ve been. I’d be happy to fix your fence for you.”
“That’s very nice of you,” she said, her worried expression fading. “And truth be told, I’m relieved that you offered. I’m sure I could do it myself, but it would take weeks. I just don’t have the time.”
Avery didn’t really have the time either, but now that he’d offered so adamantly, he was happy he had. After his terrible behavior toward her, it was the least he could do. “So, is it okay if I come over here tomorrow while you’re at work and start on it? I’ll pick up the wire in the morning and be here early.”
“That’ll be fine. I’ll give you a key for the lock on the gate. And the money for the wire. Any idea how much it’ll cost?” She was already heading back into the house.
“Don’t worry about it. You can catch me later on it. But I’ll take the key.”
She turned, and her eyes looked worried again for a brief moment, but then she nodded and headed into the house to retrieve the key.
Avery glanced down at Bailey, who was sitting beside him on the grass. “Well, bud. It looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together.
Bailey only grinned.
Chapter Six
Avery awoke early the next morning despite having been up late working on his manuscript. His writing was going slowly and felt awkward. He was actually relieved he had a project to do instead. Maybe, as he did the mindless work of digging, he’d be able to work the story out in his head before sitting down to write again.
Maybe.
He dressed in old clothes and headed to a hardware store where he bought a roll of chicken wire and cutters. Then, he was back in his car and arrived at Lisa’s house by nine. He knew she’d already left for work, so he helped himself into the backyard. No sooner had he entered the gated area than Bailey was out the doggie door and greeting him.
“Hey there, boy,” Avery said, petting his silky coat. The dog bounced around him then ran to fetch a ball so he would play. Avery laughed. He couldn’t believe he’d been so mean about Bailey coming over to his house. Well, except for him digging around his bushes. But if Avery had just given the dog a chance, he would have seen he was just a puppy that needed attention.
After throwing the ball for Bailey a few times and trying to teach him how to drop it instead of chasing him for it, Avery got down to work. He used a metal rake to push aside the stones by the fence and began to dig a trench.
The day grew warmer as the sun rose higher in the sky. Avery discarded the flannel shirt he’d been wearing and only wore a white T-shirt underneath. He hadn’t worked out in a gym—his gym that he’d given up—in over a year and he felt it in his arms, legs, and back. He was only thirty-six, but after digging for a couple of hours, he felt like he was a hundred.
“Getting thirsty yet?” A female voice interrupted his thoughts. He glanced up and standing on the other side of the fence was the neighbor lady—he assumed this was Kristen—holding out a bottle of water and a small cooler.
“Hi,” he said, surprised to see her. “Yeah, I am getting thirsty and I forgot to bring over something to drink.”
She handed him the bottle, then lifted the cooler. “I brought you a couple more bottles of water and some lunch. It’s only a sandwich, carrots, and chips, but I figured it would fill you up after all the work you’ve been doing.”
He accepted the cooler, stunned that she would take the time to do this for him. “That was very nice of you,” he said. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I’m Kristen, by the way.”
“Avery,” he said. “Nice to finally meet you.”
“Same here.” She smiled.
“Did Lisa tell you I was working on the yard today?” He wondered if Lisa had asked her to bring him lunch.
She shook her head, her thick, auburn hair swaying as she moved. She was a pretty woman and didn’t look as ferocious as her husband had made her sound. But then, looks could be deceiving. He’d found that out from his ex-wife.
“I saw you working out here from my kitchen window. It’s nice that you’re doing this for Lisa. I figured the least I could do was bring you something for lunch.”
Avery had known thoughtful people in his life. Heck, he had even been considered a nice guy once too. But it had been a long time since someone had done something for him without expecting anything in return. “Wow. This is a nice neighborhood,” he said without thinking.
