Love on Beach Avenue(94)

His tat seemed to throb and burn on his skin as a reminder of the boy he’d once been, and the man he’d chosen to grow into. Ally was no longer his responsibility. It was time for him to make a life for himself free from the past.

He just hoped he could do it.

“Yes,” he said. “I love her.”

Ally nodded. “Good. I can only imagine the horrific things you said to her, so you probably have a long way to dig yourself out of the doghouse.”

He winced. “Yeah, it was bad.”

“She’ll give you another chance, but it may take a while. You know what you need to do to get her back, right?”

“Quit my job and move to Cape May?”

She grinned. “It’s a start. But if you want your own happily ever after, you have to go all in, Carter. Do you understand?”

He nodded, throat choked with emotion. “Yeah.”

“Good. Now get to work. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Ally-Cat. Thanks.”

The screen went dark.

His sister was right. He couldn’t fix this overnight, but he could damn well begin the process. Avery deserved more than the man he’d shown her. It was time to show her he had the balls to leap.

He opened up his internet search and began typing.





Chapter Twenty-Two

Avery walked into Sunshine Bridal in a bad mood.

Gabe had called in, citing an emergency, sticking her with a vendor appointment amid all her regular meetings. Bella had disappeared and wasn’t answering her phone for backup, and Taylor had texted that she was in AC for her sacred day off and wished her luck. And to top everything off, Jessie, their receptionist, had called in sick, so she now had to spend the next hour going through messages to make sure they didn’t miss anything important.

She hated today.

Muttering a string of curses, she handled the voice mails first, then printed out Gabe’s worksheet for the Ackerman wedding. Her life was pathetic. This was all she had left to look forward to—planning everyone else’s weddings while she grew into an old maid. She’d met the love of her life, and he hadn’t wanted her.

Morphing into a pool of self-pity, she almost wished Taylor was here to kick her in the ass. Her sisters gave her a full month to grieve the loss, and then she wasn’t allowed to eat a Peace Pie every night. She even had to begin eating kale salads again.

Her life sucked.

She heard the door open and close. Great, if she had to deal with a walk-in, she was going to seriously lose it. Gritting her teeth, she popped her head out of the conference room, praying she wouldn’t have to pretend to be nice.

Her jaw dropped.

Lucy stood in the foyer, glancing back and forth as if trying to figure out what was going on. When her gaze snagged on Avery, her little doggy face lit up, and she began trotting toward her.

Avery dropped to her knees and held her arms out. “Lucy! Sweetheart, what are you doing here?” She hugged and kissed the wriggling bundle of fur, savoring her sweet licks and the sheer comfort of knowing such love. God, she’d missed her so much.

Then her brain gave her a jolt, reminding her if Lucy was here, it also meant Carter was here.

Her body shook. It’d been more than a month since their phone conversation. He’d never called her back. The pain was brutal and swift, and she’d spent endless nights crying with a hopeless longing to beg him to come back. But she refused to be with a man who’d never give his whole heart, no matter how much she loved him. As time passed, she got stronger, but there was still an empty ache in the pit of her stomach that hadn’t gone away.

After some more snuggles, she noticed a paper tied to Lucy’s collar. She pulled out the rolled-up note and opened it.

Avery,

Please meet me at the Merion Inn in 15 minutes. I’ll be waiting for you at the bar.

PS: Please bring Lucy with you.

She hissed out a breath and grabbed for patience. How dare he? By giving her Lucy, he forced her to his terms. It would serve him right if she just took Lucy home with her and ignored his note. Her schedule was already packed, and she didn’t have time to play games.

What was he doing in Cape May?

Anger warred with despair. Did he want to apologize? Try again? Or just clear the slate for his sister’s sake? The questions haunted her, but she had little time to think. Exactly what he’d counted on—no time to call her sisters for advice or make a quick disappearance.

Fine. If he wanted to make nice, she’d do the same. She’d be cold, distant, and polite. She’d pretend she’d moved on. Anything to make him go away.

She checked her hair and makeup for vanity only, then scooped up Lucy. The Merion Inn was within walking distance, and the dog’s pink leash had been attached to her collar. Though it was a gorgeous fall day, she refused to be charmed by the cooler air, the flight of crisp leaves, or the calming sound of the ocean waves.

When she reached the Merion Inn, she walked inside. It was an odd time between lunch and dinner, and the place was empty. With the gorgeous floral Victorian wallpaper, mahogany wood, and rich tapestry carpet, the restaurant gave off an old-world, elegant charm that was a favorite for guests. A beautiful piano gleamed with high polish, empty for now.

Carter was sitting at the bar, nursing a whiskey, his elegant fingers skimming the edge of the crystal-cut glass. Hank, the bartender, nodded to her and left his station, probably sensing something big was going down.