Page 13 of One Southern Summer

“Nice. Congrats.”

“Thank you. He’s a sweetie.”

Cole nodded then sipped his water. A comfortable silence settled between them. Birds chirped in the trees nearby, and the citrusy fragrance of Mama’s bee balm flowers wafted on the breeze. Her chair squeaked as she continued rocking. She wanted to ask about him and what was new in his life. Except part of her didn’t really want to hear if he had a wife and children.

Surely Nana would’ve told herthat.

“How are you, Avery?” His tender concern seeped into his voice.

She looked away. He’d always been able to see right through any facade she tried to construct. No sense pretending all was well.

“I’m all right. It’s a big adjustment coming back here.”

“Especially with two small children.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together. “Are you looking for work?”

She nodded.

“Mama? Can I come out there with you?” Addison pressed her palms and her face against the screen, the tiny metal squares squishing against her porcelain skin.

“You stay in and help get ready for supper. Go wash your hands in the bathroom, please.”

“You. Come. In.” Addison stomped her bare foot on the floor, emphasizing each word.

“No, ma’am.” Avery mustered her stern voice, still determined not to wake Hayes. Addison had impeccable timing for testing her patience. “That’s not how you speak to me. Go wash your hands, please.”

Addison hesitated then scampered away.

“She greeted me at the door.” His mouth curved in a knowing smile. “She’s feisty. Kind of like someone else I know.”

“Hardly.” Avery scoffed and reached for the water, her mouth suddenly dry.

“Oh, don’t be skeptical. You had all of Camellia and most of Alabama wrapped around your finger.”

“Yeah, well, that was a long time ago.”

Warmth heated her skin as he stared at her.

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been,” he said.

“C.S. Lewis?”

“George Eliot.”

She gulped half the glass of water then resumed rocking. “Here’s the thing. I’m still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.”

Amusement flashed in Cole’s eyes. “I’ve seen pictures. My mom told me all about the show too. When it comes to home renovation, you’re a natural.”

“That’s sweet of you to say, but we had a producer and talented camera people. Pax and Trey...” she trailed off, stopping short of confessing how little she had to do with their past success. She was sick and tired of her own narrative. And what that meant for her future. For her children’s future.

Cole sipped his water. The birds chirping in the trees near the porch filled the silence. When he met her gaze again, the empathy and the hope she saw there made her breath catch.

“I’ve known you almost my whole life, Avery. While I admire your humility, I refuse to believe that all you’ve accomplished is because of someone else’s savvy. You have a gift. A creative energy that no one can stifle. Don’t let someone else determine your worth.”

His words knifed at her. Is that what she’d done? Placed too much focus on Pax’s rejection?

“See? You know I’m right.”

“My life’s been an absolute nightmare this past year, Cole.”

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