by Sonya Weiss
“That’s in retaliation for humming the wedding march,” Abby said from the side of her mouth.
“I can get it myself,” Ann protested when Eric took her hand in his. “You’re an attorney, not a doctor.”
“Let me help, Ann,” Eric said in a firm voice.
Abby caught the flush on her sister’s face when Eric checked around the spot. Ann could squawk all she wanted to about not being interested in Eric, but Abby didn’t believe it for a second. She’d seen that expression on her own face when she’d looked into the mirror while thinking of Nick. She knew interest when she saw it.
“You wouldn’t happen to be stepping into your grandfather’s shoes and playing matchmaker with your sister, now would you?” Nick asked softly from behind her.
Abby turned. Too close. “Little old me?”
“Eric’s a good guy,” Nick said with a smile. “Not quite the catch I am, though.”
“I always thought you were so modest,” Abby said.
“One of my many great traits,” Nick said. “I had my brother bring out a couple of picnic baskets. Hope you’ve got an appetite for something other than me.”
“You just don’t quit, do you, Nick?”
“Surrender is not in my vocabulary.”
“Speaking of surrender, you might want to surrender on this little bet of yours now.”
He quirked a brow. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you’ll be too busy making the sets for Oscar’s annual Shakespeare production to have the time to put into winning our bet.”
Nick smiled as if he knew something she didn’t. “I’ve never been involved in the amateur community theater, and I don’t intend to start now.”
“Too late. I already signed you up. I know you’re trying to get into Oscar’s good graces, and building the sets will help you to win points with him. I did that for you out of the kindness of my heart.”
Nick crossed his arms. “Wow. That was kind of you. But I already knew about the play. Oscar called me while you working on the porch to thank me.”
“So then you’ll tell him you’re going to be too busy?”
Shaking his head, Nick said, “I would never go back on an obligation, even if I wasn’t the one who set it up. I told him we’d be there.”
“We?”
“I told him that we were dating and you just couldn’t bear to be apart from me. He suggested you come along as my assistant, and I told him what a great idea that was.”
“You… You…” Abby closed her eyes. Opened them. “Do you know what this means?”
“Yep. We’ll be spending even more time together, which deep down is what you really wanted.”
I cannot believe this backfired on me, too.
“This has nothing to do with me wanting to spend time with you, and you know it.”
“Like I told you before, Abby. Denial is an ugly thing.”
Aware that the others were beginning to stare, she said, “This isn’t over.” She moved around him and stepped gingerly down the steps she and her sisters had built.
“We did a great job with the steps,” she said.
“Changing the subject to cover your retreat?” Nick teased.
“Regrouping, not retreating.”
“A rose by any other name…”
Abby looked at him, a retort on the tip of her tongue, but she noticed the look on his face as he watched Elliot gathering up tools and changed her mind.
“How is he?”
Nick swung his gaze back to her. “He’d never admit it, but he’s hurting. He took the separation pretty hard.”
“Relationships can be difficult.”
“Tell me about it,” Nick muttered. “Elliot doesn’t need to go off on a mission with his mind divided. I hope the two of them settle it before he leaves.”
Abby tapped his arm. “The best thing you can do for Elliot is just listen.”
“He doesn’t talk about it.”
“What a novelty. A man who doesn’t want to talk about a relationship,” Abby said.
“Talking gets in the way of…other things.”
“Actually, for a woman, talking is what leads to ‘other things.’”
“Then I’m all ears, sweetheart.”
Abby laughed. “You promised food, and I’m starving. I hope you brought something good.”
“My grandmother packed the picnic baskets, and she’s a pretty good cook.”
“She and Elliot getting along okay?” Abby asked as they headed toward the shade offered by a group of trees.
“They haven’t spent any time together that I know of.” Nick reached into Elliot’s Corvette Stingray and removed two large picnic baskets.
“I’ve got a couple of old blankets in the trunk of my car,” Eric said as he and Ann joined them.
“Splinter free?” Abby asked.
“Yes,” Ann said.
Nick started unloading the basket. “Country ham, deviled eggs, some salad fixings, and slices of pineapple upside down cake.”
“Food is one way to a man’s heart,” Eric joked with a glance at Ann.
“I’m a terrible cook,” she said sweetly as Amelia walked over to join them.
Amelia settled herself on the blanket and said, “That’s not true. I’m the one who’s the terrible cook. Ann makes great desserts, too, which is why her chocolates sell so well.”
Ann shrugged and pointed to her sisters. “We’re a talented bunch.”
“I agree. I’ve got to hand it to you, Abby. You and your sisters did a great job finishing up the porch,” Nick said. He passed her a plate filled with food.
“It wasn’t that difficult,” Abby said, taking a bite of egg to hide the warm glow she felt at Nick’s praise.
“Give yourself credit, Abby. You run a successful diner, you can build things, you raised your sisters. Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Yep. I can’t lose my building.” Abby raised her bottled water at Nick. “Or should I say I won’t lose my building?”
“Keep regrouping, sweetheart,” Nick said with a wink.
“My money’s on Abby,” Elliot said.
“Traitor.” Nick lightly punched his brother’s arm, and Elliot hit him back.
After they finished eating and put away the leftovers, Eric suggested they go for a swim to get a break from the humidity.
Abby got up and stretched leisurely. “Okay, but last one in has to go skinny dipping.” She took off running amid cries of, “No fair!” and, “Get back here, you cheat!”
…
Later that evening, Nick sat on the porch swing, watching as the sun slowly faded. He was tired, but in a good way. Give it a few more weeks and his house would be completed enough for him to be able to move into it. What remained undone on the inside, he could work on it while living there.
He’d liked seeing Abby at the house, had pictured her sitting on the porch long before she’d ever set foot on the property for the first time. He was doing his best to ignore that mental image. He wanted his reputation reformed—not to give his heart to Abby. Somewhere along the way, he’d known that the high school crush he’d had on the studious, always proper Abby Snyder would come back to bite him in the ass. What the hell is wrong with me? Before noticing Abby, the world had stretched out before him, his for the taking. Now all he wanted to do was give it to her like some poor sap playing out a country song. That feeling didn’t translate into casual, and he didn’t like it one bit.
Shifting on the swing, he stretched his legs out before him, crossing them at the ankles. He needed Abby. He wanted her. But love? Impossible. The Fourth of July Festival was approaching, and he hoped spending that time with Abby would help her warm up to him so he could win the bet. Though she was friendlier and he could tell she was more at ease in his company, she still kept a wall up between them, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what the hell he could do to get around it.
The screen door swung open, and Elliot stepped out. Even across the length of
the porch, Nick could read the lines of tension in his brother.
“Trying to escape?”
“Eunice wants to rehash the past.” Elliot shrugged and moved to join his brother on the swing. He jabbed Nick’s leg. “Move over.” When he was settled he twisted the cap off the top of a beer and took a long swallow.
“You hear from Sara?”
Elliot’s lips tightened. “I tried to call her again, ask what time she’d be in town, but got her voicemail. She’s not taking my calls.”
“I’m sorry, man.”
Elliot kept his gaze toward the opposite end of the porch. “It was my fault.”
Nick swallowed. “Did you…”
“Hell, no.” Elliot gave him a hard look. “I’m not John Coleman. I’d no more hit a woman than you would.”
“What happened?”
“I wasn’t there when she needed me and eventually…” A muscle in Elliot’s jaw worked. “Eventually, I guess she stopped needing me.”
Uncomfortable witnessing his brother’s heartache, Nick said, “How’s Jason doing?”
At the mention of his son, Elliot smiled. “Four years old going on forty. That little guy is something else. Wait until you see him again.” He looked at Nick. “Did you tell Mom that Eunice was in town?”
“I don’t want to hear a lecture about choosing sides any more than you do. You’re older. You tell her.”
“I’m also wiser, so I’ll pass on that. I didn’t invite Eunice to stay.”
“I had to do something. She’s getting older and…”
“And you’ve got a good heart, brother.”
“So what are we gonna do?” Nick asked.
“Let the two of them work it out for themselves.”
Nick checked his beer bottle against the side of Elliot’s. “Good idea. I agree with you.”
Elliot gave him a look Nick couldn’t figure out. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “What?”
“You’re gonna get burned.”
Having an inkling of where his brother was headed with the conversation, Nick scowled. “How’s that?”
“You’re wasting your time with Abby.”
“I appreciate you looking out for me, but you don’t know her.”
“And you do?” Elliot asked, his skepticism clearly showing.
“A hell of a lot better than you.”
“Hmmm.” Elliot finished off his beer and turned the bottle around in his hands. “So do you have a game plan for getting that building?”
“It’s under control. Why? Have you heard anything?”
“Not specifically. Heard a couple of women talking down at the diner about Abby and Sue. Their friendship, that sort of thing. Sue’s been like a mother figure to Abby.”
“So? I’m glad Abby has that.”
“Yep. She’s probably saying a lot of good things about Abby. Regardless of what Oscar said about the two of you working out the sale yourselves, what if Sue convinces Oscar to go back on that? What if she gets him to choose Abby?”
“You think Sue will weigh in on this?”
“If she’s any kind of friend to Abby, hell yeah. Wouldn’t you try to help a friend?”
“Damn. I’m the one that introduced Sue to Oscar.”
“Maybe you played right into Abby’s plan.”
That brought Nick up short. “No. Abby’s not that devious.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Could be a whole side to Abby you know nothing about.”
Eunice came outside to join them on the porch, and Nick didn’t get a chance to respond to his brother’s statement.
“I baked some blueberry muffins.”
Nick rose and took a step toward her, but Elliot remained seated.
“They’re just muffins, Elliot, not you agreeing to forgive me,” Eunice said.
“I need to make a phone call,” Elliot said, and after nodding his head, he walked down the steps and out to the sidewalk in front of the house. He headed away from them with swift, sure steps.
“He’ll come around,” Nick said.
Eunice sighed. “I should have believed him when he told me what John was doing. I’ve caused so much damage.”
“It’ll all work out.” Nick slung an arm across her shoulders. “I still like blueberry muffins. I’ll eat his share.”
Chapter Seven
The morning of the Fourth of July Festival greeted Abby with a temperature pushing ninety. She let the bedroom curtain fall back into place after reading the outdoor thermometer.
“Granddaddy! Are you ready?” She knocked on Noah’s door and then poked her head into her grandfather’s room. His bed was neatly made with the multicolored quilt her grandmother had carefully hand-stitched. His slippers peeked haphazardly out from under the edge of the bed.
How he’d managed to leave the house without her hearing him was a miracle. The clock by his bed showed the time was already eleven thirty. The celebration started at noon, and she was running late after oversleeping.
She was supposed to pick up Ann and then be at Amelia’s house by eleven. Abby dashed back up the stairs and gathered the clothes she’d laid out when she’d arrived home in the wee hours of the night. She quickly shed the robe and changed into the blue shorts and white halter top she’d selected.
Foregoing earrings, she pinned the sides of her hair back with sparkling flower clips. Deciding the heat would only make a mess of any makeup she might put on, she added just a touch of lip gloss, then made a dash for the kitchen where she loaded her arms down with the desserts she’d made.
No time for coffee. Hopefully, there’d be some ready at the festival, and she could grab a cup.
Easing outside and down the steps, she juggled the load with one hand while she patted her shorts for the keys with the other. She thought she’d stuck them in there last night to keep from having to do her usual search this morning. Ah. Found them.
She wrestled the door open and deposited everything in the rear of the station wagon. Oversleeping wouldn’t have been an issue had she not been out until three in the morning and finally arrived home to collapse into bed at four, but she didn’t regret a moment of it.
When Oscar had called last night asking her what Sue liked to do, Abby had jumped at the chance to improve her get-the-building odds. She’d suggested a boat ride, rented one at the marina, and drove the older couple around under the stars.
Ha. Take that, Nick Coleman.
Spending that time with Oscar and Sue, cruising around the harbor had been a step in the right direction. She’d been able to elaborate on all her plans for the expanding the diner, and Sue had been a vocal proponent of the plan. She’d seen Oscar nodding right along.
Her cell phone rang as she slid behind the wheel. She used her earpiece so she could talk hands free. “Yes, hey. I promise I’m on the way.” She turned the key, praying that the car wouldn’t give her any of its usual stubbornness.
“You’re running late,” Ann said.
“I overslept. Long story. Did you finish the potato salad and coleslaw?”
“I did. Amelia’s supposed to bring the barbecue chicken and the baked beans. I called her to let her know you were running late, and she said there’s no need to stop by. She’ll meet us there.”
Abby turned right onto the street where Ann’s house was located. Thankfully, she only lived a few streets over. “Okay. Pulling up right now.” She parked and disconnected the call. Tossing aside the earpiece, she got out to help.
Ann’s house was a small bungalow she’d spent months fixing up. With a barn red door and gingerbread trim work all along the porch, the house looked a lot different from the neglected one she’d first purchased.
As soon as Abby knocked, Ann opened the door and loaded her down with containers.
“Umm, you said the barbecue chicken…” Abby shifted her hands to get a better grip.
“Chad cooked it. Or Chad’s kitchen staff did.”
“Oh. Whew.” Abby loaded the food Ann handed her. “Why
don’t we get Ame a gift certificate for cooking classes or something for Christmas?”
“She might like that,” Ann said and slid into the passenger seat. She winced when a spring poked her thigh. She pushed it back down into the seat and said, “You have got to get some duct tape or a new car.”
“I can’t afford a car and the building, too.”
“My business has really picked up. I have some money I could donate to that very worthy cause.”
“I know, sis, and thanks for the thought, but I’m good.” Abby sent her sister a smile and then frowned. “You look worried. What’s up?”
“Nothing, yet. Because of business picking up, I got a pretty big order in, and I don’t know if I can get the candies done and shipped in time. I lost one employee after she got married and another when she returned to college.”
“You know Amelia and I’ll help.”
Ann laughed. “The last time you two helped me, we ended up drinking too much wine and looking at ab porn instead of making candy.”
Abby laughed. “Men with nice-looking abs is not ab porn. It’s a work of art. Besides, even though we had to pull an all nighter, we got that shipment out, didn’t we?”
“We did. You two are always there in a pinch.” Ann reached for her sister’s hand. “I love you, sis.”
“You, too.” Abby squeezed her sister’s hand and steered the car into the lot cordoned off for the festival. After the second go around, she found a parking spot. “Find us some ab porn men to help us unload,” Abby said with a grin.
Ann got out. “Already arranged.” She jerked her head toward the end of the parking lot where Nick, Elliot, and Eric milled about, talking.
“You asked Eric?” Abby asked in a low voice.
“I did. I don’t know what’s wrong with him lately. He’s been acting like he’s annoyed to be around me.”
“Like he’s not interested in you anymore?”
“Seems that way.”
“That upsets you?”
“Not at all.” Ann grabbed a box of desserts and turned. “I don’t give him a second thought.”
“If you say so.” Abby leaned into the car.
“I tried to call you last night,” Nick said right near Abby’s ear.
She took a box and then handed him a second box of desserts. “I was out on a date.”
