Julian will get better looking when he’s older, but don’t tell him I said that.” Lily did a little bounce and wiggle, almost as if she had to pee. “Are you coming inside or what?”
“Oh, yeah, that’d be great.” I could just see Grandma frowning at my manners. “It’s very nice to meet you, Lily.”
“Nice to meet you, too. I got here last night.” She lowered her voice. “Julian told me about the
project.
I’m supposed to take you upstairs before—”
“Lily, is that Avery May at the door?” a voice called from within.
Lily’s shoulders sank. “Yes, Daddy!”
“Bring her to the kitchen.”
She mouthed “sorry” before turning to lead the way.
Curtis Wayne stood at the stove by a shiny kettle that sounded like it was about to boil. “Hey, Avery May. How about a cup of tea before you guys set out?”
As nice as it sounded to sit with Mr. Wayne sipping tea, it was hot as heck outside. “No thank you, sir.”
He smiled and turned to Lily. “Go grab your hat, honey, and put sunscreen on your face. Your mother will kill me if you go back to Nashville with a peeling nose.”
Lily scrunched up that pretty nose but didn’t complain as she skipped out of the room.
The kettle started boiling for real then, and he quickly lifted it off the burner. “It always spooks me when it whistles.”
I nodded, watching as he held the tag of the tea bag with one hand and poured with the other. He wore a T-shirt, which meant I could see the tattoo on his right arm—an intertwining design like you’d see in the borders of a medieval manuscript. He wasn’t a beefy sort of guy, but he had nice muscles in his arms. And he always moved in a slow and steady way that told me he was comfortable in his own skin. I liked being near him.
“I’m going to have a cookie with my tea. Can I offer you a snickerdoodle?”
I was a little too nervous about Hilliard House to be hungry, but he seemed so eager to give me
something.
“Yes, please.”
He grinned. “We can have a little sit-down while you wait for Julian.”
I tried not to stare while I nibbled on the cookie, but part of me was comparing his face to that of the man in the photo with Mom. Another part of me imagined Mom meeting Curtis Wayne long ago and having children with him before he got to be a famous musician. Then I’d have a brother more like Julian. But even better, I’d have a dad, and it didn’t even matter that he was rich and famous. I didn’t care about his money, and that kind of made me proud of myself.
I jumped a little when he spoke.
“You sure look thoughtful, Avery May.”
“Your daughter is nice.” I rubbed a crumb from my chin. “But I made an idiot of myself when she opened the door. I thought she’d look more like Julian.”
“Ah.” He smiled. “She takes after her mother.”
“But…”
“Julian’s mother and I are divorced. Lily’s mom is my second wife.”
“Wow.” I’d spent all this time with Julian, but I’d never asked much about his family. Then again, he seemed to shy away from talking about his dad. “Is it hard? I mean, is Julian mad at your wife for taking you away from his mom? Does he hold it against you?”
Mr. Wayne winced.
“That’s what happened with a friend of mine back home,” I said quickly, my cheeks crawling with heat. “I shouldn’t be so nosy.”
“It’s okay. The whole world seems way too nosy about my life, but I know you’re not snooping for the tabloids.” He glanced at me over the rim of his cup. “You’re not hiding a microphone under that ponytail, are you?”
I gasped. “No way!”
Then I saw the twinkle in his eye.
“There’s no ‘stepmonster’ business going on with us,” he said. “She and Julian get along pretty well.”
“What about his mom?”
He frowned. “I got custody, and Julian’s lived with me since the divorce.”
“Does he ever see her?”
Mr. Wayne leaned forward. “Are you sure you’re not working for the tabloids?”
I
“Oh, yeah, that’d be great.” I could just see Grandma frowning at my manners. “It’s very nice to meet you, Lily.”
“Nice to meet you, too. I got here last night.” She lowered her voice. “Julian told me about the
project.
I’m supposed to take you upstairs before—”
“Lily, is that Avery May at the door?” a voice called from within.
Lily’s shoulders sank. “Yes, Daddy!”
“Bring her to the kitchen.”
She mouthed “sorry” before turning to lead the way.
Curtis Wayne stood at the stove by a shiny kettle that sounded like it was about to boil. “Hey, Avery May. How about a cup of tea before you guys set out?”
As nice as it sounded to sit with Mr. Wayne sipping tea, it was hot as heck outside. “No thank you, sir.”
He smiled and turned to Lily. “Go grab your hat, honey, and put sunscreen on your face. Your mother will kill me if you go back to Nashville with a peeling nose.”
Lily scrunched up that pretty nose but didn’t complain as she skipped out of the room.
The kettle started boiling for real then, and he quickly lifted it off the burner. “It always spooks me when it whistles.”
I nodded, watching as he held the tag of the tea bag with one hand and poured with the other. He wore a T-shirt, which meant I could see the tattoo on his right arm—an intertwining design like you’d see in the borders of a medieval manuscript. He wasn’t a beefy sort of guy, but he had nice muscles in his arms. And he always moved in a slow and steady way that told me he was comfortable in his own skin. I liked being near him.
“I’m going to have a cookie with my tea. Can I offer you a snickerdoodle?”
I was a little too nervous about Hilliard House to be hungry, but he seemed so eager to give me
something.
“Yes, please.”
He grinned. “We can have a little sit-down while you wait for Julian.”
I tried not to stare while I nibbled on the cookie, but part of me was comparing his face to that of the man in the photo with Mom. Another part of me imagined Mom meeting Curtis Wayne long ago and having children with him before he got to be a famous musician. Then I’d have a brother more like Julian. But even better, I’d have a dad, and it didn’t even matter that he was rich and famous. I didn’t care about his money, and that kind of made me proud of myself.
I jumped a little when he spoke.
“You sure look thoughtful, Avery May.”
“Your daughter is nice.” I rubbed a crumb from my chin. “But I made an idiot of myself when she opened the door. I thought she’d look more like Julian.”
“Ah.” He smiled. “She takes after her mother.”
“But…”
“Julian’s mother and I are divorced. Lily’s mom is my second wife.”
“Wow.” I’d spent all this time with Julian, but I’d never asked much about his family. Then again, he seemed to shy away from talking about his dad. “Is it hard? I mean, is Julian mad at your wife for taking you away from his mom? Does he hold it against you?”
Mr. Wayne winced.
“That’s what happened with a friend of mine back home,” I said quickly, my cheeks crawling with heat. “I shouldn’t be so nosy.”
“It’s okay. The whole world seems way too nosy about my life, but I know you’re not snooping for the tabloids.” He glanced at me over the rim of his cup. “You’re not hiding a microphone under that ponytail, are you?”
I gasped. “No way!”
Then I saw the twinkle in his eye.
“There’s no ‘stepmonster’ business going on with us,” he said. “She and Julian get along pretty well.”
“What about his mom?”
He frowned. “I got custody, and Julian’s lived with me since the divorce.”
“Does he ever see her?”
Mr. Wayne leaned forward. “Are you sure you’re not working for the tabloids?”
I
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