Perfect, Walker thought. That was all he needed.
“I need to leave. Tonight. Right now.” Avery couldn’t stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. After everything that had happened this year—after all the days spent in Walker’s company, longing for his touch—pining for evidence that he loved her as much as she loved him—it had all come to nothing. Worse than nothing. He’d known all along this beautiful woman was waiting in the wings to marry him.
“Avery, slow down.” Riley had followed Avery up the stairs to one of the manor’s guest rooms, where Avery paced back and forth, too distraught to sit.
“I can’t compete with her. Did you see her? She’s gorgeous. She’s probably brilliant. Sue loves her—”
“But Walker doesn’t. He loves you.”
“Does he? Because he’s known me for nearly a year, and obviously he’s done nothing to break off his relationship with her! He had plenty of chances just now to tell her he’s marrying me, and he didn’t.” She hated how her voice was rising. How trapped and betrayed and devastated she felt. He’d told her he was going to propose tomorrow, and she’d believed him.
Didn’t she ever learn from her mistakes?
“Of course he loves you. Didn’t you hear how angry he was? He doesn’t want this Elizabeth person. He just didn’t want to make a scene.”
“But you said it yourself before—Sue is a formidable woman. What she wants, she gets.”
“Walker won’t marry a woman he doesn’t love—”
“Yes, he will. If he thinks it’s the honorable thing to do! He always listens to Sue,” Avery burst out.
“Not always. At least, he didn’t when I knew him as a kid. There’s more to this than we know,” Riley said reasonably. “You’re upset and rightly so, but don’t fly off the handle. Give it time. Besides, you can’t leave Base Camp. We need you here.” She hugged Avery.
“I can’t stay if she does.” Avery pulled back, even though she appreciated Riley’s intentions. She still felt uncomfortable around all her friends—they hadn’t believed her when Clem framed her for the theft of Walker’s fan. “I just can’t.”
“Then I’ll make sure she doesn’t. You stay here. I’ll go see what’s happening.” She sat Avery down on the bed, slipped out of the room and shut the door behind her. As soon as she did, Avery was back on her feet pacing again. She couldn’t kid herself; she’d always known this moment would come, ever since Sue had announced to them Walker was promised to someone. All this time she’d managed to keep her hopes in check—until this morning, when Walker had declared his intentions. Then she’d let them run wild.
Here was her punishment, right on time.
All Elizabeth had to do was crook her little finger, and Walker had folded. Maybe it was because Sue was there. Maybe Riley was right, and he didn’t want to spoil Win and Angus’s wedding.
All Avery knew was that he hadn’t stood up for her. Hadn’t said, “I’m marrying Avery.”
Hadn’t said anything to her at all.
She was so stupid, hitching her cart to a man who wasn’t free to be with her. Riley was right; he’d seemed angry at Elizabeth’s arrival and stunned when she demanded that he marry her, but he’d known this was coming, and he hadn’t stopped it.
A new thought occurred to her, and Avery sat down, the fight going out of her. Had Walker wanted to marry Elizabeth all this time? Had he been afraid Elizabeth might not show up at the last minute?
Maybe she was nothing but a backup bride.
Avery hugged her arms across her stomach, afraid she might be sick. Stayed there until she heard Riley returning.
“Sue and Elizabeth are leaving.” Riley said. She sat next to Avery on the bed and took her hand. “They both look mad as hell.”
At least that was something.
“Do you think you can pull yourself together and come back to the reception? I’m serious, Avery, you can’t leave Base Camp. Not with my baby coming. Not ever. No matter what happens.” She patted her belly as if it trumped everything.
Avery let out a gusty breath. At one time it would have, but her friendship with Riley wasn’t as strong as it once was. Neither Riley nor any of the others had defended her when Clem had accused her of stealing Walker’s treasured ceremonial fan. Why should she stay here when everyone she cared about had let her down?
“Avery.” Riley’s eyebrows knotted. “Avery, you know we’re all so sorry we ever doubted you, and we’d do anything to take it back. You know how bad Clem made it look. We shouldn’t have been fooled, but we were. I wish I could go back in time and change everything.”
None of them could do that. If she could go back in time, she’d erase this whole year—
No.
That wasn’t true. It had been the best year of her life even if Walker had strung her along and her friends had been tricked by a conman into blaming her for something she didn’t do.
“I love you.” Riley held her hand even tighter. “You know I do. You know how much I’d hate being here if you left.”
“How can I stay?”
“If anyone leaves, it should be Walker!” Riley cried, and Avery found herself softening—a little.
“Then everyone would have to leave,” she said reasonably. The only way for any of them to keep Base Camp was for all ten of the original founding men to marry and stay here—at least until June first.
“You can’t quit now,” Riley said. “Walker loves you. Nothing can persuade me I’m wrong about that. Give him twenty-four hours to straighten it all out, at least. I can’t believe he would marry anyone other than you.”
One more day.
Avery sighed, raw with pain. She supposed she could hang around for another twenty-four hours. To leave now meant ruining Angus and Win’s wedding, and
