Page 63 of More Than Anything

Jason nodded. “That was my understanding.”

Avery didn’t even have a sigh for it. “Well, at least I’m done with that.”

* * *

Jason drovethe four-wheeler with the trailer behind it and Avery rode Dixie. They got to the acreage Avery needed fenced, and he proceeded to teach Jason how to string the fencing. It took him less than an hour and he watched as Jason put up twenty feet of it without any difficulty at all. “I think I’ve got this,” Jason told him.

“I think you do. I’m going back to the house and then into town. I’ve got my eye on a brand new grill and I’m going to pick it up, then pick up some steaks and all the fixings. Tonight I’ll be grilling like a pro!” Avery laughed.

“Sounds great! I’m looking forward to that. I’ll get as much of this done as I can, then I can come back tomorrow and finish it up,” Jason said, grabbing the big bolt cutter to work on the wire.

“That works. I’ll be free tomorrow so I’ll be out here too. We should be able to get this whole pasture done by next Tuesday and I’ll have room for more cattle. The auction’s not for another three weeks, so that’ll give me plenty of time to get a guy in here to bushhog and it’ll be ready when I bring them home.”

“It’s a plan. See you later this afternoon.” Avery watched as Jason went back to work, and he had to admit, his friend had never been afraid of hard work. It would be no time at all until he was every bit as muscled up and hard-bodied as Avery, and there was no doubt he’d get a lot done that day.

Lydia had been in the house working on hanging some curtains when he left to get Jason set up, but when he returned, there was an unfamiliar car in the drive and Lydia’s was nowhere to be seen. He unsaddled Dixie and turned her out with Buttercup, then headed to the house.

Bounding up the back steps two a time, he opened the door to a smell that sickened him, a girly, flowery scent he recognized, but he hoped he was wrong. Unfortunately, everything pointed to his guess being right. Pulling his boots off in the laundry room, he sock-footed it into the living room and saw a headful of red hair there. His chest constricted and his head started to pound.

It was Shannon.

“What the hell…” he gasped out as a surge of anger rose in his chest.

“Oh, there you are! Hey, baby!” Shannon sang out and hopped up from the sofa. “I’ve been missing you! That thing that was wandering around in here when I came in said you were out…”

“You. Out of my house. Where’s Lydia?” Avery saw stars, and not the good kind. His vision quickly turned bloodred and he could feel the veins pop out on his neck.

“I told her she needed to get lost since your wife’s back,” Shannon cooed and tried to put her hands on his chest, but Avery stepped away.

“You’re not my wife.”

“Yes, I am your wife. I’m most certainly your wife.”

Avery’s laugh was maniacal. “No. You’re my kid brother’s wife.”

“No. Our divorce was never final, baby. I’m still your wife.”

Avery shook his head. “You’re lying.”

“Ever see the divorce decree?”

Avery scanned his memory. He’d asked about it; he remembered that distinctly. But he’d been moving about, staying with first one friend and then another while he tried to find a place when Shannon kicked him out until he’d finally landed at Jason’s. In the moving around, he assumed it had shown up somewhere and he’d missed it. So no, he’d never seen it. When he’d asked, she’d told him she knew it had come and that he should be more responsible with his mail. He’d flipped her off and told her to go to hell.

Was it possible that it wasn’t final? Nausea swept over him. It just couldn’t be; she’d married Ben without even a backward glance. Would she have done that? What the hell was she thinking if she had? “Shannon, get out. If you don’t get out, I’ll call the cops.”

“You can’t just throw me out. I’m yourwife.”

Now Avery was panicking. What had she said to Lydia? He had to find her, and then he had to find out if Shannon was telling the truth. If she was… well, that would be a royal mess. “I’m going out. When I come back, you’d better be gone.”

“My stuff’s already upstairs in your bedroom.”

“I don’t give a shit. You can take it out just like you put it in.”

“She’s coming back to get her crap,” Shannon announced, filing her nails and completely unconcerned. “I told her she needed to get it out.”

Avery didn’t stay to hear another word. He took off out the front door like a man possessed and jumped into his truck. As he drove, he hit the contact for the business and waited. “HolcombIndustries. How may I direct your call?”

“Ruthie? It’s Avery. I need to speak to Ben.”

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