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Take a second chance on me...
Avery Montgomery created a hit show about her old neighborhood, but there’s one secret she can’t reveal: the reason she left town. Avery felt like an outsider in Dr. Elwood Jackson’s world, thanks to his brother’s disapproval. Elwood has never forgiven Avery for leaving. But when a crisis lands her in El’s emergency room, passion sparks hotter than before. Will it be too late for another chance at love?
There was never a time when ELLE WRIGHT wasn’t about to start a book, already deep in a book or just finishing one. She grew up believing in the importance of reading, and became a lover of all things romance when her mother gave her her first romance novel. She lives in Southeast Michigan.
Also By Elle Wright
It’s Always Been You
Wherever You Are
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk
Wherever You Are
Elle Wright
www.millsandboon.co.uk
ISBN: 978-1-474-08484-0
WHEREVER YOU ARE
© 2018 Leslie Wright
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk
When her gaze met his, she knew he’d felt the spark, too. It was like a bolt of lightning whenever they were within arm’s reach of each other.
Dr. Elwood Jackson. Still fine as ever.
A sexy smirk flashed across his face before it was replaced with...apathy. “Avery,” he greeted.
“El,” she replied, willing the warmth that had pooled in her belly away. “What are you doing here?” Avery gestured to the guard and waved him away. The burly six-foot-two man stepped back, giving her and El some space.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe I just wanted to come and see for myself if you were real. Or if you were a figment of my imagination.”
The barb hurt, but she didn’t blame him. The last time they’d seen each other hadn’t been pleasant. Massaging her aching temple, she answered, “Touché.”
They stood in silence, each of them taking the other in. His gaze traveled down the length of her body, causing the hairs on her arms to stand on end and her stomach to do the crazy flips it always did when he was near. Like a magnet, he made her want to step forward, right into his arms.
Dear Reader,
Some couples don’t get it right the first time. Wherever You Are explores how a second chance at love can be so much sweeter.
A wise person once told me that “God will find a way to sit you down, to make you rest.” Avery is at that point in her life, forced to rest due to a health crisis, and it’s not easy for her. Dr. Elwood Jackson (El) is the man who helps Avery heal. He’s also her first love. Their relationship didn’t end well, but when she needs him—despite the hurt and betrayal of the past—he is there for her.
Wherever You Are deals with forgiveness and understanding, moving forward while dealing with the past. Most of all, it’s about loving another person unconditionally, being willing to see the best in someone and loving them through the pain.
I hope you enjoy the ride!
Love,
Elle
ElleWright.com
@LWrightAuthor
To my mother, Regina; you are missed.
Acknowledgments
I thank my God for His protection, His provision, His love. I would be nothing without Him.
To Jason; my children, Asante, Kaia, Masai; and the rest of my family, I love you all BIG. There are so many of you, I can’t name everyone. But you know who you are. I learned long ago that you don’t have to be blood to be family, and that couldn’t be more true. I appreciate the time, the talks, the hugs, the tears...everything. I thank you all for your unwavering support.
To my agent, Sara, I thank you for believing in me.
To the Kimani family, thank you for your encouragement.
Hard to believe I’m on this journey. I couldn’t have done it without all of your love and support. Thank you for being #TeamElle! You all mean the world to me!
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
About the Author
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
Dear Reader
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
Extract
About the Publisher
Chapter 1
“Life is full of twists and turns, dips and hills.” Avery Montgomery viewed her audience. Some were smiling; some were crying; some were simply listening. She’d rocked it! Every anecdote, every joke, every story...on point. Who knew she could add public speaking to her already amazing résumé? But... Ooo wee, is this what a hot flash feels like?
Avery pulled at her sweater and took a quick sip of her water. As she viewed some of the hopeful faces in the front row, she thought back on her college graduation many years ago and the view of life she’d had back then. Graduating at the top of her class in molecular biology was no small feat, and she’d dreamed of being invited back one day to encourage young women of color to pursue careers in math and science.
When she was twenty-one—the same age of many of those in front of her—she would have placed a wager that she’d be completing her residency right now and getting ready for a coveted fellowship at Johns Hopkins.
Yet she wasn’t standing before the beautiful, intelligent graduates of the University of Michigan as Dr. Avery Montgomery. Instead, she was standing before them as Avery Montgomery, creator, head writer and executive producer of a top television show.
Giving the keynote address at the Black Celebratory, a program put in place to acknowledge and celebrate the African American experience at her alma mater, meant everything to her. Avery couldn’t help but snicker at the irony, though. No Johns Hopkins. No residency. But she’d still been invited to inspire a room full of hopeful college graduates.
“Never be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to fail. Embrace rejection, not because it’s a part of life, but because it’s a learning tool that will propel you to new heights,” she continued, squeezing the podium.
Avery’s gaze dropped down to her notes. The words blurred in front of her. Her head hurt in a way it had never hurt before. In fact, it was the worst headache of her life. But she pushed herself to keep going, as she did every day. Okay, I got this.
“You already know the standard platitudes given to graduates. Never let your major, your advisors, your parents or your friends prevent you from following your dream. That’s very true. When I started my time here at the University of Michigan, I wasn’t going to let anyone tell me I couldn’t be a scientist, that I wouldn’t become a doctor.”
Glancing up from the podium, she met one of her favorite professors’ eyes and smiled. Then she scanned the audience once again. “I stand before you...”
The word “today” died on her lips when she spotted the familiar silhouette in front of her, at the entrance of the auditorium. The massive Power Center was packed full of proud parents, giddy grandparents, solemn professors and others there to wish the 2018 graduating class much success. The spotlight was on her, but it might as well have been on him. She couldn’t see his face, but there was no mistaking the man who had made her life on campus what she’d deem the best time of her life.
A flash from a camera jerked her thoughts back to the matter at hand. “I...” She covered by clearing her throat and taking another long gulp of water. “Today, I stand before you as someone who thought I knew my destiny—until I didn’t. And that’s okay.” Unable to help herself, she looked at the entrance of the massive space again. He was gone.
“It’s okay to veer off your predetermined road because your future may be off the map altogether. Be open to the possibilities of life,” she said, in closing. “You won’t regret it. Thank you.”
Avery waved, took a quick bow and hugged Professor Bauer before an escort led her off the stage. When she’d accepted the formal invitation to speak, she’d hoped to stay behind and greet some of the students, but a last-minute change to her schedule prevented that.
She wasted no time unhooking the microphone from the lapel of her suit. Thanking her escort, she proceeded toward the waiting limousine with her security following close behind. Avery could hear the cheers from the auditorium as she walked, and she felt a pang of guilt for leaving before she could shake the hands of the graduates.
“Duty calls,” she mumbled to herself with a quick roll of her eyes.
“No time to greet your fans?”
Avery tripped and almost hit the floor. Fortunately for her, that smooth baritone voice belonged to someone whose reflexes were unrivaled. His smell wrapped around her brain while his strong arms snaked around her waist, preventing her fall.
She backed out of his warm grasp quickly and tugged on her suit jacket. When her gaze met his, she knew he’d felt the spark, too. It was like a bolt of lightning whenever they were within arm’s distance of each other.
Dr. Elwood Jackson. Still fine as ever.
A sexy smirk flashed across his face before it was replaced with...apathy. “Avery,” he greeted her.
“El,” she replied, willing the warmth that had pooled in her belly away. “What are you doing here?” Avery gestured to the guard, and waved him off. The burly, six-foot-two man stepped back, giving her and El some space.
“Maybe I just wanted to come and see for myself if you were real. Or if you were a figment of my imagination.”
The barb hurt, but she didn’t blame him. The last time they’d seen each other hadn’t been pleasant. In fact, she’d rate it as one of the worst moments of her life. Three years hadn’t been long enough to erase the hurt or the longing she felt simply being in his presence.
Massaging her aching temple, she answered, “Touché.”
They stood in silence, each of them taking the other in. His gaze traveled down the length of her body, causing the hairs on her arms to stand on end and her stomach to do the crazy flips it always had when he was near. Like a magnet, his pull made her want to step forward, right into his arms. She wouldn’t, of course. Too much had happened between them to ever go there again.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern now shining in his dark orbs. “You look like you don’t feel well.”
“I’m fine,” she lied, knowing he wouldn’t believe her. He’d always been able to see right through her. Except the one time he didn’t.
“Good speech,” he told her.
“Thanks. I was nervous.”
“I couldn’t tell.”
This wasn’t right. Awkward conversation wasn’t something she’d ever have associated with the two of them. Not even on the day they met had their conversation consisted of averted gazes and start–stops.
“Why did you really come, El?”
His tongue darted out to wet his lips and she followed the motion intently. “Honestly, I don’t know. I heard you were asked to give the keynote speech, and I know it’s something you’ve always wanted to do. I guess I was just curious, interested in hearing what you had to say.”
“Well?”
He edged closer to her. “You said exactly what I thought you’d say.”
Avery sucked in a deep breath when he inched even closer. Swallowing, she croaked, “And what’s that?”
He shrugged. “Be open to possibilities. I wonder, though...” He brushed a hair off her forehead. His touch was feather soft, yet Avery felt like he was winding her up, pulling her at all ends.
She wasn’t sure what he was about, but she needed to do something, say something, that would put them back on an even footing. Because right then he was in control and she was...wanting him to be in control—of her body and her mind. The thought was sobering, considering it had been several years since they’d even conversed. El was still the only man who had that effect on her.
“What do you wonder?” she asked, leaning forward against her better judgment.
Sighing, El glanced at his phone. “Nothing.”
Avery knew El well enough to know that whatever he’d been going to say would never be said. And she just had to be okay with that.
She allowed herself another glance at his tall, lean frame, his brown skin and curly mane. Everything about him was still perfect. She glanced at his wrist and her heart swelled.
“You’re wearing the watch I gave you,” she said, changing the subject.
El shrugged. “I’m not even sure why. It’s just a reminder of the time we’ve been apart.”
Avery remembered that Christmas morning, waking up next to him after making love all night. She recalled how excited he’d been when he opened the gift. The Banneker watch was made using luxury wood, but she knew the significance of the timepiece would mean more to El than the watch itself. That was why she’d saved up and purchased it for him. Banneker Inc. was a minority-owned watch and clock company, named after African American scientist Benjamin Banneker. It was also one of the only watch companies operated by people of color. Each watch was original and the packaging included information about Benjamin Banneker’s many accomplishments.
Avery smiled sadly. “El, I guess I understand why you feel the way you do, but can we—”
The loud blare of his phone interrupted her attempt to...what? Talk? Make amends? Start over? At this point, she wasn’t sure what she wanted.
El turned his back on her as he answered his phone. The low, serious tone of his voice told her it was the hospital. Her speculations were confirmed when he turned around and told her, “I have to go.”
Before she could stop him, he disappeared around the corner.
When she arrived back at the hotel, she pulled her suit coat off and kicked her shoes off. Usually there was a flurry of activity around her at all times, but the suite was relatively quiet, which was exactly what she needed. She’d only been in Michigan for a few hours and it already felt like a lifetime.
Although Ann Arbor was her home for most of her life, it had been months since she’d been back. The last visit was incognito. She’d flown in for a family funeral and left again before the day was out. It wasn’t that she hated her city. It was just the opposite. Even though Avery now called Georgia home, as beautiful and happening as Atlanta was, it paled in comparison to her hometown and her home state in her mind. She’d often dreamed of the tree-lined streets, colorful people and Blimpy burgers. But life had taken her in a different direction—away from everything she’d thought she held dear, including El. Her town had been good to her today, though. The temperature was a comfortable seventy-five degrees, with a light wind and blue skies. It was a beautiful May day, one she wished she could have enjoyed.
“Avery?”
The familiar voice of her best friend called to her, jolting her out of her memories. “Jess? You’re here? Yay!” Avery embraced her friend Jessica Brown in a tight hug. “I thought I was going to see you at the graduation.”
“I know. I tried to get there,” Jess said. “My meeting ran longer than I thought it would.”
Avery waved her friend off. “It’s okay. That, I definitely understand.”
Work was always hectic for Avery, and it seemed her life was one big meeting. If she wasn’t implementing last minute script changes with her staff, meeting with network executives or running from one interview to the next, she was writing until the wee hours of the morning.
“No worries,” Avery told Jess. “You can probably watch it on YouTube right now.”
Jess eyed her. “Avery?”
“Huh?” she answered, squeezing her eyes shut. The headache that she’d woken up with that morning had seemed to intensify after her run-in with El. However, there was no time built into her schedule for sickness. Unfortunately, no amount of pain reliever seemed to ease the symptoms. Massaging her temples, she met her friend’s cautious gaze. “I’ve missed you, girlfriend. We all set for the flight? I’m so glad you’re coming to LA with me.”
Jess nodded, concern in her dark-brown eyes. “Yes, but are you okay? You don’t look well.”
“Avery!”
Her attention snapped to Luke, her assistant. So much for quiet. Luke had been with her for the past year, and he’d definitely made the job his own with his exceptional ability to multitask and keep her on time. Avery had a tendency to get so engrossed in work that she forgot to do simple things, like eat or shower or sleep. He’d insisted on traveling with her to Ann Arbor so they could finalize her summer schedule before he left for his month-long vacation back home in Alaska. A last-minute trip to Los Angeles to film a segment on a popular morning talk show was her last appearance. Then Avery was also finally taking some time off. “Yes, Luke.”
Luke was scribbling wildly in his planner, his bald head gleaming. “Walter called. He wants to know if you can squeeze in a—”
“No,” Avery told him. “I told you, I wanted this time to work on something personal for me.”
“I’ll let him know,” Luke grumbled. “Oh, Monique has called several times. I told her you’d get back with her as soon as possible.”
Avery groaned and took a seat on a sofa. Monique was one of her scriptwriters who was more than likely calling about the new changes Avery sent earlier that morning. “I know, Luke. Trust me, I know.”
When Avery submitted the novel she’d written in her spare time during a summer break to a publisher all those years ago, she had no idea the world she’d created would eventually turn into the wildly successful drama series The Preserves. One day she’d been in her fourth year of medical school and finishing a yearlong master’s degree in clinical research, the next she’d been “discovered” and eventually transformed into an overnight celebrity. Who knew a collection of stories based on the neighborhood she’d grown up in would be this popular? So popular that her little book was optioned for a scripted television series that had recently finished its first season a ratings hit. There were chat rooms devoted to her, fan fiction created around her characters and her world.
Luke strutted over and set a piece of paper in front of her. “According to Monique, the network doesn’t like the direction you’re going for next season. They want changes. You may have to rethink the love triangle. The audience is too invested in Robert and Riley. We can’t throw Caleb into the mix.”
Scanning the document Luke handed her—a screen print of the first page of her new script—she frowned at the word “No” in big bold letters across the top of the paper. Damn. “Get Walter on the phone,” she ordered, sighing heavily. “Tell him to handle it. It’s his job to go to bat for me with the network. I can’t do this right now.”
Jess set a tall glass of ice water in front of her, and Avery gulped it down in two-point-two seconds. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Swallowing roughly, she closed her eyes and briefly considered calling her doctor.
“Luke,” Avery called out, without opening her eyes. “Leave. You have a plane to catch. I’ll be fine. Jess is rolling with me while you’re out.”
Avery intended to return to Michigan after her trip to Los Angeles to work on her special project, the Avery Montgomery Foundation. Although Avery was sure she could handle her life without Luke, Jess had agreed to step in and help when she could, if things went left.
Avery’s competent but loud assistant announced a few last-minute changes to her LA itinerary, and within ten minutes he was gone.
Now alone with Jess, Avery let out a slow breath. Peace and quiet was what she needed.
“So, how did the speech go?” Jess asked, joining her on the sofa. “Did you get a chance to meet any of the... Avery?”
Avery couldn’t think. It made her head throb even more.
“Avery,” Jess whispered, pressing a comforting hand to her back. “Maybe you should lie down.”
Avery shook her head. “I’m fine, so stop worrying.”
“But...” Jess shrugged. “I’ll grab you something to eat. Maybe that will help.”
Avery was excited to spend some time with her best friend. She appreciated Jess more than the other woman would probably ever know.
Avery was the youngest of five. Her father had married her mother after a nasty divorce from his first wife. Her siblings were all at least a decade older than she, which had made for a lonely childhood at times. More than that, her older sisters couldn’t stand her because she represented the deterioration of their parents’ relationship. They also couldn’t stand Avery’s mother, Janice, so her sisters had never really tried to have a relationship with her. Despite how often she’d tried to reach out to them, they never reciprocated and she’d eventually given up.
But Jess had filled in the gaps, becoming the sister she’d always dreamed she’d have in her own sisters. Their bond had never dissipated, even though they’d found themselves pulled in different directions. Avery had been hell-bent on becoming a doctor, while Jess had her heart set on becoming an educator. Yet even though they’d run in different school crowds, they’d still managed to stay close. Avery had stood up at Jess’s wedding as her maid of honor. And when Jess lost her husband to a horrible accident mere weeks after her wedding, Avery had dropped everything to support her.