“Oh, joy.” Avery downed the last drops of wine in her glass and set it on the counter. “On second thought, maybe you should’ve sneaked one, too.”
Andy grimaced. “Probably.”
Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath and then forced a smile, mostly for her mother’s sake.
“Welcome home, Mom.” Avery hugged her mother until she heard Andy clear his throat as their father stormed into the room.
She never knew what to expect from her dad. While she didn’t think he intended to blow through their lives like a hurricane, it often played out that way. “Dad.”
Their dad had never been particularly talkative.
“Avery,” he said in response to her tremulous smile.
“How was the drive?” she asked as he gave her a stiff hug and peck on the head. A hint of cigar smoke tainted his skin. Thank God her mother had always managed to keep him from smoking inside the house. But he’d never fully given up the bad habit.
“Uneventful.” It was then Avery noticed the folder in his hand.
Avery’s mom immediately began busying herself, fluffing the sofa pillows and refolding the throw blankets. Her reddening cheeks sent Avery a warning. Uh oh.
Avery craned her neck to peek at the file. “Whatcha got there, Dad?”
He opened the manila folder and pulled out two documents. “These little beauties will protect us all from that Grey Lowell.”
She rolled her shoulders and sighed. “That Grey Lowell is not an enemy combatant.”
“Avery, he’s playing Mickey-Mouse games with our finances and now he’s probably stringing you along, too.” He waved his big hand in the air. “Don’t start denying it. I’ve heard you’ve been dating the man.”
Avery glared at Andy. He bowed his head, and her stomach fell to the floor.
She’d been hoping for an opportunity to feel her parents out before dropping the bombshell about her relationship with Grey at their feet. Thanks to Andy, her dad was now staring at her as if he’d been told she’d quit the clinic to become a porn star.
Avery slid another disappointed look at Andy before returning her attention to the papers in her father’s hand. Deciding she didn’t owe her parents an explanation about her love life, she refocused on the documents. “What exactly are those papers?”
“A promissory note and mortgage.” He shook them in the air. “First thing tomorrow, we’re going to the town clerk’s office so you and your brother can sign these documents in front of a notary and then we can file them there with the deed. After that, we’ll all breathe a little easier at night.”
“What?” Avery stepped closer.
“We’re going to formalize our loan arrangement so, if Lowell gets a judgment against Andy and you two are forced to sell this house, your mom and I will get paid back first.”
Avery took the papers from her dad and looked at Andy, who merely shrugged. “I don’t understand.” She quickly scanned the first page of the note. “Did you contact a lawyer to draw these up?”
“No.” For once, her dad looked a little uncomfortable—almost apologetic. He cleared his throat. “Matt’s sister sent them over.”
Surely she’d heard wrong.
It took Avery thirty seconds or so to remember Matt’s sister, who lived in Denver, was a paralegal. He must’ve called her for advice. Why the hell was he still inserting himself in her business?
“Avery, I haven’t forgotten how Matt broke all our trust last year, but I can’t let that stand in the way of protecting my family. He’s come back and has been a real friend to your brother. He’s been watching out for our family’s interests, unlike your new boyfriend.” Her dad must’ve noted Avery’s dismayed expression. “This protects both of you, too, missy. It makes it much less attractive for Lowell to force a sale, because the money left on the table will be a lot less than what he expects.”
Avery’s mind—typically sharp—slogged through swampy emotions, unable to fit the pieces of this puzzle together. “I’m sorry. Not following. Can you explain how these will keep Grey from suing Andy?”
“It doesn’t stop him from suing, just makes it fruitless. Without them, if he gets a hundred-thousand-dollar judgment against Andy, he could file that lien against the house and then collect his money after forcing a sale. But if this mortgage is filed first, it will have priority over his judgment lien. So after the house is sold, there won’t even be a hundred grand left on Andy’s side of the table. In fact, Andy will probably be able to declare bankruptcy, which also means he’ll get to keep some equity under another law. Basically these papers mean Lowell will be no better off going after this house than he will if he settles for Andy’s insurance offer.” Her dad nodded proudly.
“This all seems unfair or fraudulent or something,” she sputtered. “I mean, Grey has a legitimate claim, Dad.”
“It’s not my fault he hasn’t filed a lawsuit.”
“He hasn’t filed because his doctor hasn’t made a final determination of his long-term condition, so they can’t estimate his damages. Besides, he’s been pursuing solutions that won’t affect us, like the thing with the OS. He’s also been diligently attending therapy to minimize his losses.” Avery slammed the papers on the kitchen island, her voice rising. “He stands to lose everything if he can’t ski and climb again . . . all because of Andy! This move feels like we’re taking advantage of his good will and delay.”
Her dad’s face turned as red as a Santa suit. He spoke in a lethally controlled voice. “I’m not taking advantage of anything. I’m simply formalizing the loan that already exists. I’m doing what I should’ve done from the start—protecting my family. You should be worrying about all of us instead of him, young lady.”
Avery glanced around the room, hiding the tears clouding her vision. She loved her home. All her memories—old and new—lived there with her. Her dreams for her future had always been played out in these rooms. Being forced to sell the house to strangers so Andy could pay Grey would hurt, but she didn’t want to see Grey lose his business either.
Her mother continued to avoid eye contact, while Andy suddenly looked relieved for the first time in a long while. A sense of betrayal twisted through her lungs, but she’d deal with him later. First she had to get her head together.
Was her father right? If he’d paid a lawyer when they’d made the transfer, loan documents would have been signed and recorded long ago. The debt was real, not phony or newly trumped up. Following her father’s orders enabled her to keep all her equity after a sale without feeling guilty about her parents being shortchanged, which set her up better for finding a new place. In fact, as a debtor, she probably couldn’t ignore her father’s demands anyway.
Bottom line, she owed him his money.
Would this feel so wrong if Grey were a stranger? Did that matter? Morals were supposed to be static, not something tied to personal feelings. Yet she couldn’t untangle the doubts clouding her reasoning.
How could she, when she’d just left Grey knowing how hard he was working to find a solution that wouldn’t hurt her? When, every time she thought of him, she envisioned his smiling face beholding her like she was some kind of superwoman. When he’d been honest, unselfish, and full of good will since the day they met. We’re in this together.
“Fine. I can’t argue with you, and I do owe you the money, but I want to talk to Grey first, as a courtesy.”
“No, Avery. We’re doing this tomorrow, and I don’t want to risk him finding some kind of eleventh-hour loophole that will trump my move.”
“What could he possibly do between now and tomorrow morning?”
“What if his lawyer can file something to stop us? I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. It’s not worth the risk.”
“Maybe not to you, but what about me? Dad, I want to be the one to tell him . . . before it happens. Otherwise, I look like I’m sneaking around stabbing him in the back.” She cast a pleading look at her mom. “He deserves better from me.”