Page 93 of Against The Tide

CHAPTER 26

RHETT

The weekend is a blur of emails and phone calls. The little time that Avery and I get together is nothing short of blissful even with her constantly looking over her shoulder. But it’s Sunday evening, and I’ve spent most of the day going over the medical records I managed to get from Robert’s doctor.

I have gone over the six months prior to his death with a fine-tooth comb, and there’s nothing. Not a single thing that would indicate he had health issues. It’s not all that surprising given he was fifty-nine years old and there is almost nothing to his file. All routine checks are normal. There isn’t a single blood test that stands out. There is quite literally jack shit to go on with the exception of the needle bruising recorded on his upper arm in the postmortem.

There’s no record of any vaccination in his medical file. He had no allergies, so an EpiPen is out. There was nothing out of the ordinary in his system. Toxicology is clean. I’m at a loss for possibilities. None of it makes sense.

Which is why I need to step away, because the words are all melding to one long strand of what the fuck were you thinking? And my gut just keeps on twisting tighter because the only thing that doesn’t add up is the fact that he’s dead.

“Doc.”

I look up from my MacBook, tipping my head back on the couch to find Avery standing behind me. Her hair has grown and lightened since that first time I met her. Coming closer, she removes my glasses before framing my face with her hands. Everything brightens as she leans over me, her hair tickling my chest while she peppers kisses to my jaw. There’s so much affection inside her that I find it impossible to understand how anyone could ever let her go or treat her badly. It’s impossible not to love her.

“You are too damn pretty, you know that?”

“I do now,” she replies with her smile pressing to mine. Her hands rove down my shoulders to my chest, meandering all the way down until she’s braced on my thighs, and I imagine she’s stretched up on her tiptoes, while I nip at her jaw.

“I’ve helped Jo to bed, tucked Iris in, and had a bath while you’re still working. No wonder you need glasses,” she chuckles into the top of my chest with a chaste kiss. “Time for a break, Dr. Reynolds.”

Setting my laptop beside me, she stands and proceeds to saunter all the way to the kitchen, looking back at me with a come-hither smirk that has my dick calling to attention with the rest of me as I start toward her. Tan legs hold my attention as she opens the freezer, making a point of bending over and sticking her ass in the air to tease me. Glancing back at me, she takes out the tub of Chunky Monkey Iris bought me as a gift for taking her surfing on Saturday mornings.

It’s become our thing. We catch some waves while Avery gets a little time to herself, and then we grab chocolate chip pancakes to go, along with Avery’s red velvet cupcake. Looking over at the back porch when Avery goes out of sight, I smile at the small surfboard by the back door with her new wet suit hanging over it.

“You better not be eati—” I stop cold when I find her leaning over the kitchen side, her eyes screwed shut as she sways slightly. Rushing to her side, I ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine. Just a head rush…” She blinks her eyes open as I turn her toward me and sit her on the edge of the counter. Touching her forehead to mine, she chuckles, “It’s what I get for teasing you.”

“Instant karma,” I snicker in return while I grasp her wrist to check her pulse discreetly.

Her heart rate is crazy fast, I’d say about fifteen beats more than what I would consider normal. Instantly, my mind starts going back to her father’s postmortem report.

“Does this happen often?” I’ve never noticed it, but if this is something that she’s grown used to, she would know how to push through it without fuss.

“Rhett.” She looks me in the eyes as she says my name in that serious tone of hers that tells me not to press further. “I’m fine.”

I almost let it go, but then I just keep thinking how these sudden turns can be a symptom of SADS, and it terrifies me to the point that my own heart feels like it might give out at any point. There’s no way I can let this go without watching her like a hawk or driving myself insane with worry.

“I need you to answer my question.”

“No, it doesn’t happen often at all. My blood went to my head, and I got up too fast, that’s all.” With a sigh, she nuzzles into the crook of my neck, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “I was trying to be all sexy and seductive, and instead I killed the moment.”

Avery’s giggle makes me chuckle, easing the vice around my chest. Before things get serious again, she grabs the ice cream that’s to the side and pulls the drawer beside her legs open to pull out a spoon.

“Time for dessert!” she sings, offering me a spoon.

After I have the first mouthful, Avery helps herself to some. We’re a few spoons in when she asks, “Does that taste right to you?”

“Sure…banana ice cream,” I say, spooning another helping into my mouth. “Mmmm, fudge and walnuts…tastes like Chunky Monkey to me!”

“I think I’ve overindulged because it’s getting a little yucky to me.”

“I’m pretty certain that’s also karma for eating a whole tub of it to yourself in one sitting.”

“It was not the whole thing. I totally left you some.”

“Barely,” I tease her as I cover the tub and put it back in the freezer. She’ll probably come back for more later when we’re watching our next monsters of the deep movie. “What are we putting on tonight?”