Family Ties

Chapter 16

Avery sat in the family room studying. The house was empty. Kate had taken her brother and sisters to Connecticut for a few days; and her parents were out-of-town and would be back the next night. Avery was lucky enough to back out of both trips by using the excuse of having to prepare for her LSAT exam. Of course, her lawyer parents couldn't really argue with her about it. She mirrored her mother in her drive to succeed in everything she did, especially when it came to school. She was the valedictorian of her graduating class in high school and was more than likely going to graduate near the top in her class from college. Doing well on this exam and getting into a great law school was the next step in her academic life. However, her personal life was making it hard to keep her mind on her task. She sighed loudly, stretching her neck. Then she exclaimed, "Coffee break." She made her way into the kitchen and poured herself another cup when there was a knock on the kitchen door.

"Miss Calloway?" Mr. Waverley, the Chief Usher, appeared at the door. " The guards at the gate said that there is someone asking to see you.

"To see me? Who is it?"

" Dr. Templeton, Miss."

Avery froze for a second. " Josh is here? Okay... uh, you can tell them to let him in." She was flustered by this unexpected visit.

"Yes, Miss Calloway." The older man left to follow through with his orders.

Avery walked out into the hallway and passing by a mirror, she stopped and looked at her appearance. "I look like crap," she thought. She quickly removed the hair tie that held her hair in a ponytail. She let it fall below her shoulders, tousling it a bit. Grabbing her purse that was on the seat near by she applied some lip gloss. Then looking in the mirror again, she thought, "Not great but better."

Mr. Waverley showed Joshua into the family room and left the two alone standing there awkwardly.

Finally, Josh broke the silence. " Sorry to just show up here... "

"It's okay... I tried calling you a few times. Your secretary said you were on call."

"Yeah sorry. It's been a busy week. Look I just came to give you this, you left it at my place." He handed her a cardigan.

"Oh, thanks." She was disappointed by his reserve. "I forgot I had it with me." She took the offered sweater and then looked down.

Josh was similarly disappointed by her apparent lack of interest. "Well, I'm going to go. I just wanted to drop that off," he said as he turned away.

Avery looked up."Josh... wait."

He stopped and turned around to face her. "Avery, if you're going to again give me reasons why we can't be together... or how wrong this is, don't. I can take a hint." Again he began to walk out.

"I love you."

He stopped dead in his tracks, but didn't turn around.

"Josh... I'm sorry for running out the other night. You must think I'm nuts, I probably am. I was just scared. Frightened to admit what I was feeling–even more terrified to believe it... But I do love you. I can't deny that anymore."

Avery remained frozen, waiting for a reaction from him. But he didn't move. "Can you please say something?" she begged.

Josh turned to face her. Then he moved closer to her, and wiping a tear rolling down her cheek, he smiled. "I love you, too."

Avery looked up, and gave him a smile to match the one that greeted her. This time it wasn't Josh who made the first move. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to meet hers in a passionate kiss. Tenderly their lips met and they let their mouths open slightly, allowing their tongues to hungrily caress one another.

"Stay with me tonight," Avery told him in a breathless voice between kisses.

"But your parents..."

"Everyone is gone for the night–including Mom and Dad. It's just you and me. Please stay. I don't want you to go," she pleaded, her fears surfacing again.

Realizing what she meant, Josh cupped her face in his hands. He caressed her damp cheek with his thumb. "I'm not going anywhere, ever." He smiled. "I'm all yours, Ms. Calloway."

She again returned his smile. "And don't you forget it, Dr. Templeton."

They kissed again, this time softly, in a gesture that was more comforting than passionate. Avery's hands ran down the front of Joshua's shirt. She stopped at his hands and taking them in her own, she led him to her bedroom, shutting the door behind them. She dimmed the lights and they moved to the bed where they began to slowly remove each others clothing, kissing and caressing one another along the way.

It was as if time stood still and they spent the night discovering one another. Both of them felt as if they'd known each other forever. Instinctively, they each knew how to fulfil the other, emotionally and physically... or maybe, they just didn't care because it was enough just to be together. Particularly for Josh, who had waited so patiently for her to discover her true feelings. Much later, they lay in each other's arms feeling as if they were the only two people on earth.

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Early the next morning, Rod and Mac entered the Residence, home from their trip earlier than expected. Exhausted from the quick trip and the long plane ride, they collapsed on the plush sofa together.

Rod was the first to survey the room. " Look at this mess," he said, gesturing with his head towards the books and junk food left on the coffee table.

"Oh Rod... come on. We're old, but not so old that we can't remember what it was like back in college. Junk food and books went hand in hand." She smirked and then pointed a playful finger at his chest. "And you... you were always the messiest studier."

"Me? I think you're confused. You were the messy one. I was the distracting one." As a pleasant reminder, he nuzzled her neck.

"Oh yeah... I remember now." Mac grinned as he pulled her closer to him. "Every time we made it through a chapter you felt you needed a reward."

"Uh huh... and you always came through. So how about a little reward right now?"

Mac looked up and met his lips with her own. They kissed intensely for a few seconds before she broke the kiss.

"Hmm... don't get to carried away, honey, we're not completely alone remember. What if you give me a head start and join me in the bedroom in a few?"

Rod grinned impatiently. "Get out of here. I'll go check to see if there are any messages from the kids."

She kissed him once more, before disapearing down the hall.

Rod checked the messages and started to head to their room when he heard a loud thud coming from Avery's room. Worried he knocked on the door. "Avery is everything okay in there?" Getting no answer from her, he opened the door.

Josh had been standing by Avery's book shelf putting on his pants when he bumped into it and knocked over a stack of books. He finished putting on his pants and bent down to pick them up in the instant Rod walked in.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rod was shocked and outraged.

Josh, too, was stunned by the sudden, unexpected appearance of Avery's father.

Rod pointed a finger at the young doctor. "What are you doing here... and where is my daughter?"