Love on Beach Avenue(83)

Gabe gaped at Pierce. “Dude! You need to tell me if we’re supposed to bring stuff.” He looked at Carter. “You, too, Judas.”

Taylor stared down Pierce, who was still grinning at her. “Is it the turtle one?”

“Yep, so there’s incentive to keep me alive at least until dessert or you get nothing.”

Zoe jumped up from the television and ran toward them, stopping short. “Gabe and Carter and Pierce! You know each other?”

Gabe laughed, scooping her up high in his arms with an easy familiarity. He was like a mixture of father figure and older brother to Zoe. “’Course we know each other! I got him a cool tux and bought him some chocolate milk. Then Pierce took our picture.”

She giggled. “I love chocolate milk.”

“I love it more,” Carter said solemnly. Gabe tossed her over, and Carter carefully lifted her up, a grin curving his lips. “How was your day?”

Zoe crinkled her nose and thought hard. “Good. I did coloring, and cleaned my room so Mama wouldn’t get mad, and ate a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich with milk, but not chocolate milk, because we ran out of Hershey’s syrup. Oh, and I played outside on my bike.”

“Sounds like a perfect day,” Carter said.

Gabe turned to him. “Hmm, I went skydiving, had tea with the queen of England, and ate frog-leg sandwiches. What’d you do, Carter?”

“I rode a purple kangaroo and had chocolate cake for lunch.”

Zoe’s eyes widened. “You got to have cake for lunch?”

They all burst into laughter. Bella plucked her from Carter’s arms and patted her on the head. “TV off and get in your chair. Dinner’s ready.”

Zoe ran off, and Bella turned to Carter. “You’re amazing with children. What a fabulous father you’re going to make someday.”

Avery watched emotion flicker over Carter’s face, but it was Gabe’s that threw her off. Raw frustration and a touch of anger glinted in his dark eyes as he watched Bella finish serving in the kitchen. She glanced back and forth between them, wondering what was going on. Gabe was part of the family. Was he jealous that Bella was giving Carter kudos instead of him? But he knew Zoe adored him.

She had no time to puzzle out the question. Bowls were plunked down on the table, glasses filled, and they all took their places. The men immediately grabbed for the Texas toast, announcing it was their favorite. Taylor muttered something under her breath about clueless men and how bread should be the accent of a meal, and Avery tried hard not to laugh.

“How did the wedding go, Carter?” Taylor asked. “Avery must’ve been busy since she never let us know.”

She shot her sister a glare.

“It was amazing. My family couldn’t stop talking about it, and we gave out a ton of your business cards.”

“Nice,” Gabe said. “I’m almost ready to take on my own clients, so we’ll be able to increase our list.”

Avery sighed. “I’m excited for the business, but how will I ever find another assistant even close to your capabilities? It’ll be impossible.”

“Maybe Gabe should stay on as an assistant until we’re comfortable with our growth,” Bella suggested. “It may be smarter to delay his promotion until next season.”

An uncomfortable silence fell. Gabe stiffened and Avery glanced at Bella. But her sister seemed clueless to the dig, acting as if it didn’t matter what position he owned at Sunshine Bridal. Avery bit her lip. Gabe had worked hard the past few years to prove he’d be able to handle a full roster. Bella’s casual dismissal of his skills was bound to sting.

Taylor shook her head. “I disagree. Gabe is ready, so we’ll just have to find another amazing assistant for Avery. Hey, Carter, you in the market for a new job?”

He gave a mock shudder. “No, thanks. She’s a slave driver. I slept for two days straight after I crawled out of the Bankses’ wedding.”

“I’m a perfectionist,” Avery said defensively.

Gabe snorted. “The first month, I almost quit. Figured she’d be my very own Miranda Priestly and drive me to madness.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding?”

“Nope. Taylor told me that charts and checklists were my new best friend. She was right. I think you have to be detail-obsessed to succeed in the wedding-planning business.”

“But you also need creativity,” Pierce added. “Plus the ability to flow with sudden change.”

Bella nodded. “All true. Balance is the key. Do you enjoy your job, Carter?”

He nodded. “I do. When I started working with the government, I received some special clearance projects that kept my interest. Lately, though, I’ve been feeling a bit stagnant. It may be time to move on to a new challenge.”

Avery’s interest piqued. “What type of new challenge?”

His gaze drilled into hers. “Something that excites me again,” he said. “I’m tired of playing it safe. Aren’t you?”

A shiver worked down her spine. “Yes,” she whispered, caught up in the moment.

A brief silence settled at the table, but she was helpless to break the spell. He was right. She shouldn’t have tried to run away after their nights spent together. They had little time left, and damned if she wasn’t about to seize every precious second. He smiled at her, as if sensing her thoughts, and a giddy pleasure bubbled up in her veins.