Chasing Shadows (First Wives #3)(86)

Blake turned to Liam. “I’m told you’re in construction.”

“I am.”

“Commercial or residential?”

“A little of both, actually.”

The two of them started a conversation about work, and the doorbell rang again. Each time was like a tiny nail in Avery’s side.

“Brenda?” Avery’s jaw dropped. She’d invited her krav instructor, but she seriously hadn’t thought she’d show.

Holy shit did Brenda clean up. Wow, she took little black dress to a whole new meaning, and the man holding her arm was African American and towered over her. Not hard, because she was kinda on the short side, but wow.

Avery excused herself from Sam’s side and crossed to the door. “Look at this sexy mama!”

Brenda gave her a stern look. “Zip it, Grant, or you’ll be doing burpees until Christmas.”

Yeah, those words didn’t scare her. “You must be Brenda’s main squeeze.”

“I am.” Oh, and his voice was bayou deep.

“Phil. His name is Phil, not main squeeze,” Brenda corrected.

Avery pulled them into the room. “Let me introduce you to some of our friends. Shannon, Lori, this is Brenda, the krav queen of LA, and her boyfriend, Phil. Brenda, you need to talk Shannon into coming to class. I think a strong wind could knock her down.”

“Kinda like you when you first came to me?” Brenda was all snark.

“Delicate flowers hold the most poison,” Phil said, smiling down at Brenda.

Avery barely registered the doorbell ringing, because she was laughing. Brenda and delicate . . . that was rich.

“Oh, dear Lord.”

Avery felt the nails of her mother’s voice on her childhood chalkboard.

Her parents stood side by side in stunned silence when Avery turned around.

What, is there a problem already?

A waiter walked by, and her mother snagged a glass of wine off the tray so fast the guy almost lost the whole thing.

That’s when Avery looked around to see if anyone else was watching her reaction.

Phil started to laugh.

Avery looked up, then back at her mother, and shook her head.

Adeline Grant was about to have a coronary.

Because Avery couldn’t help herself, she waited just a couple of beats before excusing herself to greet her parents. “Hello, Mother. Daddy.”

Her father kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you. Been too long.”

“Well, I have been busy.”

Adeline kept eyeing the man standing behind her daughter.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Avery took a few steps, noticed her mother wasn’t moving, and motioned with her hand.

Turning on her heel, Avery walked past Phil and winked. He smiled back, and she moved past him and up to Liam.

She slid her arm around Liam’s waist and turned to her parents. “Mom, Dad, this is Liam. My boyfr—”

“Oh, thank God!” Adeline almost melted right there in the middle of the condo.

Liam was all smiles. He looked down at Avery as if saying, see, I told you all mothers love me.

“A pleasure to meet you, young man. I’m Howard, and this is my wife, Adeline.”

Liam shook her father’s hand, met his eyes, and turned to Adeline.

To Avery’s surprise, her mother leaned in for a kiss to Liam’s cheek. “You cannot understand my joy right now.”

Avery started to laugh.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Liam told them.

“I can’t say the same. I suppose that means we’ll have plenty to talk about,” Adeline said.

“I see where Avery gets her beautiful smile.”

Avery had a strong urge to roll her eyes.

She did a double take—was that her mother blushing? “Such a handsome man, Avery. Where ever did you meet?”

“In a bar,” she said, deadpan.

“At the gym,” Liam said at the same time.

Lori leaned in. “Jury is still out on which one of those answers is the truth.”

An hour later, when the party was in full swing, Avery had left her parents to fend for themselves and checked on the state of the caterers and supply of wine and cocktails.

She heard someone clinking a glass and the room grow silent. Turning, she saw Liam grabbing everyone’s attention. Someone turned the music down.

He motioned for her to join him.

What are you doing?

“I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for coming tonight. I like to think this is the first of many celebrations with this beautiful woman at my side. I especially want to thank Brenda, for giving Avery the skills to walk with confidence, not to mention kick ass.”

Avery saw her mother’s eyes. “Mom’s not going to like hearing that, babe.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. G. I’ll tell you how I first saw your daughter later.”

Mrs. G?

Holy shit, her mother was blushing again.

“Reed and your crew. The weight off Avery’s shoulders is like night and day.” Liam lifted his glass and Reed lifted his.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Bernie, who isn’t here . . . so glad he divorced you so I could have a chance,” Liam said directly to Avery.