His whole life had been built on organization and planning. He’d needed to know exactly what to put on the table for meals. He’d needed to know how to budget for bills, get Ally to her various clubs or sleepovers, make sure she did well in school, and fit in work, all while keeping a low profile. He’d refused to have his sister be pegged as the one with no parents, so he had become both to save her from ever feeling she was different. A lofty goal—one he’d failed at multiple times. But after each mess-up, he’d tried harder. Looking at Avery’s home reminded him of being playful again, with no thought to how a house of cards can crash with just one soft, misplaced tap.
He shook off his musings and pressed the doorbell.
Avery opened the door. Her chin was tilted, as if ready to meet an opponent rather than her dinner companion. His gaze swept over her casual jeans, flowy white top, and low-heeled sandals. She’d let her hair go free, and the natural curls sprang around her head with cheerful abandon. Other than a touch of color on her lips, her face held little makeup. A large canvas bag was thrown over her shoulder.
“Hi,” she said.
He reached over, snagged the bag, and put it on his own shoulder. “Hi.”
“I can carry my own bag, you know.”
“My mother would scream from the grave if I allowed such a thing. I promised to open doors, pay for dinners, and help with oversized bags.”
“It’s a different time. Us womenfolk can take care of ourselves.”
“I know, but I do it to honor her. She believed it was about respect.”
Avery pursed her lips, seeming to consider his statement. “That’s actually nice.”
“Thanks. Your house is purple.”
She rolled her eyes, and the quick truce ended. “I happen to like purple. I bet your house is still gray. And the interior is black and white—all neutrals. Little color. And very tidy.”
Other than Ally’s room, he’d put little thought into the house after their parents were gone. There was no need. It was just a space needed to accomplish his goal to raise Ally in a safe environment, and the less stuff the better.
“Yep, still the same. Do you still have the habit of leaving glasses half-full of water everywhere like the little girl from the movie Signs?”
Annoyance flickered over her face. “Of course not.”
He grinned, pegging her in the lie. “At least you’ll be prepared for an alien attack.”
She ignored him, slamming the front door and marching past to his car. “Where are we going?”
“Peter Shields.”
She slid into the passenger seat, and he climbed into the car, pulling smoothly away from the curb.
“Wait, how did you get a reservation? Even weekdays, it’s impossible in the summer, especially last minute,” she said.
He shrugged. “I had no problem.” Especially after he’d used her name and basically told the hostess it was a business appointment so Avery could impress a client. That had secured him a table in record time.
“Hmm, must’ve gotten lucky. I just spoke with Ally a few hours ago. Told her the cake samples are on the way, and to let us know when she makes her choice.”
He knew he should let the whole thing go, but the words popped out of his mouth. “Care to make another bet?”
She snorted. “Like what?”
“If she picks my cake, you come to the beach with me.”
Her mouth dropped open. “That’s the stupidest bet I ever heard. First of all, I have no time to go to the beach, and if I did, I wouldn’t want to hang out with you.”
“I’m going to begin thinking you don’t like me by such harsh comments.”
She shook her head, a laugh ripping from her chest. “And I think you just want to make these bets to get a rise out of me.”
He did. Like right now, her cheeks were flushed, and the air conditioner was blowing over her gauzy top, lifting the skimpy material up to bare a nice flash of her midriff. Her scent had already permeated the car—teasing and seductive in its light floral with a hint of spice. He liked the idea of hanging out on the beach with her. Imagined kicking back on a blanket and trading barbs under the hot sun, a wash of icy ocean water over their toes. Not that he’d admit it. She’d either punch him in the face or run away.
“Actually, I’ve been concerned with something you’ve said a few times,” he said. “When was the last time you took a day off?”
“Hmm. Maybe last year? Oh, wait, I got really sick last winter, and I missed a whole weekend.”
“Sick days don’t count. How can people get married every weekend all through the year? I figured you’d have plenty of downtime in the winter.”
“We do in terms of actual events, but I use the time for planning the spring and summer weddings. There’s really no downtime to discuss details, and planning is always a good year ahead. And of course, there’s the occasional surprise wedding thrown in that I take on, like Ally’s.”
He’d figured she had all winter off to relax and recharge before taking on wedding season. It seemed he was wrong. His interest peaked. “What about holidays?”
She shot him a look. “Are you kidding? We always have multiple Christmas weddings to deal with, plus New Year’s Eve. Then we get into Valentine’s Day, and I have the month of March to scramble for spring, which starts in April.”
“Have you thought about hiring more staff?”
“Of course, but it’s harder than you think to get a qualified worker who wants to live in Cape May year-round. We get students and interns and part-timers, but my sisters and I are the only ones capable of truly handling the big clients. Gabe has been wonderful, though. He’ll be promoted soon.”
“Gabe?” Annoyance stirred. “Who’s he?”
“My assistant, but he’s ready to get his own clients. He’s charming, patient, and women adore him.”
Was that her idea of a perfect guy? Sounded boring and trite to him. Most men like that were hiding some nasty stuff underneath such a shiny exterior. “I see. Is he married?”
She laughed and waved her hand in the air. “Gabe? God, no. He’s like Jake Gyllenhaal—gorgeous but a longtime bachelor. I doubt there’s a woman out there who can tame him. He hates commitment.”
Carter picked through this new knowledge and found himself a bit pissed off at this perfect assistant of hers. Maybe they were sleeping together. Which was fine. It wasn’t as if he was looking for anything with Avery.
“How long have you been working together?”
“A few years. He’s been an integral part of the team, so it’s nice to see him succeed. We spend so much time together; it will be strange not being with him on a daily basis, though.”
The thought of her with some hot playboy charmer assisting her did something strange to his insides. They got all twisted and burned like acid. Maybe he needed some damn TUMS. “Sounds like you’re real close.”
She shot him a look, and he realized he’d emphasized his last word. “Yes. We are. Like I am with all my employees.”
Her voice told him he was walking on the edge, and though he’d like to know for sure if they were sleeping together, there was no way he was going to ask. That meant no more talking about Gabe and his Gyllenhaal-like charm. He shifted back to his original topic. “Seems a shame you live in a beach town but rarely use it. What about your niece? Do you take time off to be with her?”