Free Accidentally Hers (Sterling Canyon #1) by Jamie Beck

sunshine, something sharp twisted in Grey’s gut. “Nice meeting you, I think.”
    “My outlook on this little town just got a whole lot better, A-ver-ee.” Trip glanced at Grey. “Where are your manners? First you don’t give her a towel, and now you aren’t walking the lady to the door?”
    “It’s okay. I’m good.” When Avery’s eyes met his, she’d buttoned up all traces of emotion, like the heat that had been building between them today never existed. “See you on Monday.”
    “Thanks for the ride.” Grey waved as she exited his apartment.
    The second the door closed, Trip covered his heart with both hands and collapsed on the sofa. “Now I know why you’re always in such a good mood when you come home from therapy. Even her voice is cute—so feminine. Wonder what it sounds like when it gets low and throaty?”
    “Hands off, Trip. I mean it.” His deadly tone brooked no argument.
    Trip raised his hands. “Oh, this is good.”
    “Just lay off and stay away from her. Your Boomerang remark did enough damage for the rest of the year.”
    “Hey, Grey, you’d better be nice to me. After all, you’re gonna need help getting rid of Kelsey, and I may be the only guy who can do it for you.”
    Grey shook his head. “You’re a man with no shame.”
    “No, I wouldn’t cross any lines. But—”
    “But nothing. Seriously. If you end up hurting her friend, I’ll be doubly screwed.”
    Trip tapped his hands on the arms of his chair. “I haven’t seen you this worked up in . . . well, maybe never. You’ve got it bad for this girl.”
    “I like her enough to protect her from you. And whatever I might feel, I’ve still got my priorities.” Grey held up his hand and ticked off his fingers. “My recovery, for one. Launching summer climbing programs, for another. And then, maybe , if she doesn’t hate me when the dust settles between her brother and me, I’ll figure out what to do about Avery.”
    “Well, looks like you’ve got it all worked out.” Trip stood up and started to walk away, then stopped. “Of course, that’s assuming no one else makes her their first priority.” Then he whistled and wandered into his bedroom.
    Grey filled an ice bag before slumping into the sofa cushions and turning on the television. Sure, someone else might catch her eye while he dealt with the fallout from the accident.
    Time wasn’t on his side, but he had no choice. It would be impossible to get involved with her and stay objective when it came to her brother. Even if he might be willing to risk his heart again, he couldn’t afford to risk his entire future.
    He twisted his bracelet, wondering what Juliette would think of Avery. His phone rang, rescuing him from his cloudy thoughts.
    “ Hello? ”
    “Grey, it’s Warren. Wanted to give you an update. I have some good, if incomplete, news about Randall’s assets. Apparently he and his sister own a house in town. Based on tax records, its market value is now probably somewhere north of five hundred thousand dollars. Once we win at trial and get a judgment, we’ll file a lien against the property to secure payment. If Andy can’t come up with the money, you can foreclose on the house.”
    “You said he and his sister own it, so how is that good? Can we even force him to sell it when she owns half?”
    “The short answer is yes. They own the property as tenants in common, so any judgment lien can be enforced against his share of the house. It looks like their parents transferred the title to them a few years ago, so maybe they made an outright gift. In that case, Andy could get a bank loan or possibly work out some other arrangement with his parents’ help. But that’s his problem, not yours.”
    “If he needs to sell his interest to raise the money, it’s his sister’s problem, too.” Grey scratched his head. “I’m not interested in making her pay for his mistake.” Dammit, his feelings were already affecting his judgment.
    “Grey, you’re