“Here we are.”
Stepping out of his car, I look up. Without any trees, buildings, or clouds to block the sky, I can see more stars than normal.
The small parking lot is empty.
“Can we get in?”
Spencer pulls out a keycard from his wallet and I laugh.
“Did you ever come out here for a field trip?”
My forehead wrinkles with concentration before I nod. “I did, in middle school, I think.”
He grabs our bags and motions for me to follow him to the entrance. Once we’re in, he flips on the lights and puts his keycard back in his wallet.
Then he takes my hand and leads me into the observatory. “This way.”
“Are we going to watch the movie or do I get a guided tour?”
“Maybe a combination of the two,” he replies.
The last time I was here, all I was focused on was trying to sit next to Bobby Knowles. He wanted to sit next to Kim Maree though. Heartbroken as I was, I remember little else from that trip.
We find a couple of seats near the master controls. He types something into them, making the lights dim and a recorded voice come on.
Then he comes to sit next to me. “We’ll do this tour while we eat, and then if you want, I can give you a personal tour.”
“I want,” I reply.
A flash of white in the darkness is all I see of his smile. He pushes the armrest between us up and shifts a little closer. Taking his lead, I move closer as well.
With him so close, I ignore the recorded tour of our galaxy all over again. This time not a heartbreak, but for a heart awakening.
The constellations are pretty though, especially when they draw out the line to show the image each one represents.
Pretty as it is, it is only a backdrop to what I’m truly focused on. Since it’s automated, when the recorded tour ends, the lights slowly come back up.
When they do, Spencer collects all of the wrappers from our sandwiches and throws them away. Once he’s done with that, he takes over the controls.
Me, I lean back in my chair and grin.
12
Spencer
Making my morning trek up the basement stairs, I head to the kitchen for breakfast.
“Are you dating Abby Thompson?”
“Morning mom. How’d you sleep?”
She plants her hands on her hips and looks at my dad. “I know he heard my question.”
My dad looks up from his paper. “I believe he’s ignoring it.”
With Abby’s help, my relationship with my parents has been changing for the better. Now we not only talk, which we never had problems with, but make a point to spend time together as well.
“I’m not ignoring you. I’m only delaying my response to your question until after I’ve had some coffee.”
She fusses for me to sit down. “I’ll get you some.”
Taking my seat, I reach for the sections of the paper my dad has already read.
My mom sets a mug in front of me. “Here’s your coffee. Don’t start reading anything.”
Setting down the paper, I take a drink of my coffee. “Thanks for the coffee Mom.”
She sits down next to me. “Tell me about Abby.”
“Yes, we’re dating.”
She grabs my arm. “She’s so pretty and such a sweet girl.”
“I agree.”
My dad sets another section of the paper down. “You should invite her over for dinner.”
My mom reaches for a piece of toast and starts spreading preserves on it. “Oh, or we can all go out to dinner.”
“We have plans tonight but Thursday night next week would be good.” I figure picking our usual coffee date night would be safe.
“We can go to that new Mongolian grill place. We went to one in Keene and it was delicious.”
“Sounds good Mom.”
“Or maybe that fondue place. Your dad and I have been meaning to go there.”
I get up to toast a bagel. “Wherever you pick will be fine Mom.”
“What are you doing tonight, going somewhere to drink green beer?” My dad asks.
Bringing my now toasted bagel back over to the table, I shake my head. “Between her brothers and their fiancées, her family has like four birthdays this month and they’re celebrating them all tonight.”
“What a fun idea. Are you bringing anything?”
“Abby told me not to but I figured I’d take a nice bottle of wine to be on the safe side.”
My dad nods. “A good bottle of wine is always appreciated.”
“I don’t know how things work these days. Are you boyfriend girlfriend?” My mom asks.
I blink at her. “We haven’t had any conversations around what we should call each other.”
Her eyes widen. “You’re not just Netflix and Chillin’ are you?”
The impulse to bang my head on the kitchen table is strong.
Instead, I place my hand over hers. “Mom, I’ve never watched Netflix with her.”
For some reason, this seems to relax her. “She’s a nice girl and deserves better than that.”
I lift my hands. “I’m not that kind of guy.”
Her face softens. “I know you’re not sweetheart.”
“What if Abby is a heartbreaker?” My dad asks.
My mom tilts her head like a German shepherd. “Do you think so?”
“No, Abby is not a heartbreaker,” I reply.
Time will tell if my words prove true when it comes to my heart.
I stare at the door to her condo. The last time I knocked on this door, I pressed her up against it and kissed her seconds after she opened it.
Without the interruptions of her cat and her roommate, I’m not sure if we would have stopped with kissing.
I want her.
I’ve wanted her for so long I don’t know what it feels like to not want her.
Now knowing that she wants me back is almost indescribable. If I weren’t one hundred percent certain I was awake, I’d think I was dreaming.
It’s Samantha who opens the door and any hope of revisiting our first kiss evaporates. “Hey Spencer, come on in.”
“Hi Samantha. How are you?”
She smiles broadly at me. “You can call me Sam.”
“Thanks.” I hesitate and then add, “Sam.”
She folds her arms over her chest. “You are adorable.”
I blink.
“Don’t listen to her,” Abby shouts from the direction of the bathroom.
Does that mean I’m not adorable?
“I wasn’t saying anything bad,” Sam shouts back at her.
Abby walks out, her hands at her ear as she puts in her earring. “With you I have to assume you’re up to no good. Hey Spencer.”
Sam drapes her arm over Abby’s shoulders. “I told him he’s adorable.”
They both look me over and I stand taller under their scrutiny.
Abby taps her chin. “Adorable is for kittens and puppies. I think he’s dreamy.”
Sam shrugs, dropping her arm. “He’s easy on the eyes, that’s for sure.”
“Ah, thanks,” I reply.
She motions to me. “See, adorable.”
Abby grins, skirting around the couch to come kiss me hello. “Hi.”
I press my lips to hers and only wish this was the way I greeted her since December. “You look gorgeous.”
And, in a tight navy blue dress with an appealing neckline, she does.
“You look pretty good yourself Mr. Hill.”
I don’t teach often, but I am in a rotation to cover classes here and there in my department. Since I’ve been here, I’ve only taught twice. The way she purred my name sends visions of her in that dress crawling across a desk toward me.
She presses closer. “You smell really good too.”
My arms tighten around her. “You still want to go to this party?”
She throws her head back and laughs. “My family would kick both of our butt
s if we missed it.”
I loosen my grip. “In that case.”
She grabs her things and waves to Sam. “See you over there.”
“We can drive her,” I offer.
Sam shakes her head. “Brent is on the way to pick me up.”
“Will you help me carry a couple things?”
“Of course.”
A couple of things turn out to be three gift bags and five wrapped packages. “I thought you said we didn’t have to bring gifts?”
She laughs. “I’m related so I get to ignore rules?”
Once we’re outside, I reach for her hand. When her palm meets mine, it’s amazing how comforting this simple gesture is.
Being with Abby has been a night and day difference to any other physical contact I’ve had with any other woman. Before, I always felt like I was fumbling to feel something that wasn’t there.
With Abby, the need to touch her is intuitive.
She feels it too. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t shift closer every opportunity she has. She wouldn’t make eye contact and hold it. No, she wouldn’t do any of those things.
As we drive to her brother’s house, I realize how much I enjoy something as simple as driving somewhere together as she plays navigator.
As we drive she points out the direction you’d take to get to her old house. “Would you like to live in this area again?”
“Maybe not in the same neighborhood, but yes, I like this part of town.”
Having already been to her parents’ house, it’s not hard to figure out the appeal for her. This area is centrally located between her folk’s house and the brother whose house we’re going to. It’d be a safe bet to assume her other brothers live near here as well.
I don’t ask her how far this area is from the university, I already know. It’s outside of the area Abby’s been searching for properties but not by much.
When we get to her brother’s house, she directs me to park at the dead end.
As I stand, I turn, taking in the wooded street with attractive historic single-family homes. “These houses are great.”
Abby glances at Noah and Finley’s house before looking back at me. “You’ve got to see what this place looked like when they started working on it.”
“Big difference?”
She laughs and I want to kiss her. “Wait till you see. Let’s go inside and say hi. Then we can come back and grab all the gifts.”
Hand in hand, we make our way to the front door. “Does your family know?”
Her brows come together. “Know what?”
I lift our joined hands and recognition washes across her features. “My mom knows.”
My gut tightens. I can’t help but wonder what type of initiation I will face with her brothers.
“Don’t be nervous, at least they already know and like you.”
“I hope you never sprung someone on them all at once.”
She doesn’t knock, just opens the door. “Hello.”
“We’re back here,” someone calls out in response.
As Abby leads me toward the source of the voice, I take in the architecture and interior design. From the front door, there’s a small foyer with rooms on either side and a staircase in front of us. The room to the right is a large dining room, the table made out of a door and the décor something right out of a magazine or one of those home improvement shows my mom watches.
An equally well-appointed home office is on the left.
We move past the stairs and into an open great room, that includes both the kitchen and the den. It’s packed which is no surprise considering the number of cars parked outside.
“Hey Abby,” Finley greets, coming toward us.
She slows her steps when she notices I’m holding her hand.
“You two dating?”
It’s Eli who asks and loud enough that everyone there turns to look at us. Dropping her hand, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and tuck her close. “We are.”
Eli’s eyes widen with surprise. Whether his reaction is to my words, my movements, or both, I don’t know.
Abby rests her palm flat on my abdomen and nods her agreement.
“When did this happen?”
Finley and Paige both rush over and I’m not sure which of them asked.
“It was earlier this week,” Abby replies.
Finley presses her hands together. “Well, what happened? We want details.”
Abby covers her face with her hand. “Well, Spencer doesn’t know this, but Sam played cupid.”
My brows lift. “She did?”
“Uh huh, she knew I had a crush on you and was sure you returned my feelings so she texted you.”
“That wasn’t you?”
She shakes her head. “There’s no way I’d ever be brave enough to do that. Thank God she was right. Otherwise I’d be mortified.”
“You break her heart, I want you to remember Thompson’s has a large inventory of shovels.”
My face blanches at Eli’s words.
“Who needs a shovel, I’ve got a backhoe,” Gideon interjects.
I hope this is one of those times where threatening physical harm is a sign that they like me.
“I’m not going to break her heart.” I don’t add it’ll be more likely that she breaks mine.
Daisy Thompson pushes past Eli. “Hi Spencer. Come here and give me a hug.”
Abby shifts away so I can hug her mom. “I was so happy when Abby told me.”
“You knew about this?” Gideon asks.
She ignores her son, her attention still solely on me. “So handsome and smart. You were worth the wait.”
“Stop being weird Mom.”
Daisy moves to hug Abby. “I’m not being weird.”
“You just called Spencer handsome,” she argues.
Paige raises her hand. “Um, anyone can see he’s handsome.”
“Really handsome,” Finley adds.
Noah offers me his hand. “Ignore them.”
“Mr. Spencer is your boyfriend?” Connie asks.
Abby nods. “He is. Now go find your brothers for me. I need some help bringing birthday presents in.”
“They’re in the backyard playing catch with Uncle Asher.”
Abby turns to me. “Can I see your keys?”
After I hand them to her, she gives them to Connie. “Tell them if you guys bring in all the gifts I’ll give each of you two bucks.”
Connie takes off at the promise of payment. A few minutes later, Aidan returns my keys to me. “We took it for a spin. Hope you don’t mind.”
He’s gone before I can process what he said. “Did he?”
Abby shakes her head. “They’ll eat you alive if they find out you’re so gullible.”
I duck my head and she laughs.
She turns in the direction he disappeared. “Where’d you put the gifts?”
Aidan’s voice echoes in from another room. “The dining room.”
Connie appears at her side. “Did I do good?”
Abby fishes into her wallet and pulls out some bills. “You sure did. Now go split this with the boys.”
Connie takes the cash and races away.
Abby turns back to me. “Child labor rocks.”
I tuck her hair behind her ear and smile down at her.
“Oh, I like this.” Finley elbows Paige. “I really like this.”
Abby’s cheeks redden. “Um, where’s that album of all the work you did to the place? I promised to show it to Spencer.”
Finley smirks at me. “It’s in the office on the bottom shelf by the fireplace.”
Abby grabs my hand and tugs me back toward the front of the house.
Paige pouts. “No fair. We wanted to hang out with Spencer.”
Abby glances back at her. “Oh we’ll be back in ten minutes.”
Once we’re in the office she grabs a thick album from a bookshelf. “Sorry about that. They’re going to be weird.”
I sit on the loveseat and pat the
cushion next to mine. “I don’t mind. My parents want you to come over for dinner. I expect them to give you the third degree.”
Her step falters as she moves toward me. “They what?”
“At least you only have two people to impress, not fourteen.”
She sits, her thigh pressed to mine. “Fourteen?”
“I included Samantha, her boyfriend and your niece and nephews in that total.”
She flips open the album. “You have a point.”
Since she’s looking at me, and not the album, I bring my face closer to hers. I’m not going to maul her in her brother’s house. What I am going to do is find out if she’d like to kiss me.
She takes the bait and closes the distance between our lips.
“They’re kissing,” Connie shouts.
Breaking apart, we both look behind the couch and find her standing there.
Ethan and Aidan run into the room making us both look forward.
Aidan crosses his arms. “We missed it.”
Abby presses the album to her chest. “You wanted to see us kiss?”
“Uncle Asher couldn’t play with us anymore,” Ethan explains.
Finley and Paige burst in behind them. “Are they still kissing?”
Abby covers her face. “You guys.”
Finley looks at Paige. “We missed it.”
Connie giggles. “That’s what Aidan said.”
“Knock, knock,” Samantha says, opening the front door.
She looks at all of us and asks. “Everything okay?”
Connie points at us. “They were kissing.”
The man with Samantha closes the front door behind them. “And they wanted an audience?”
Finley and Paige both go over to say their hellos to Sam and get introduced to Brent.
Since I haven’t met him yet, I stand as well. Abby follows suit, setting the album behind her.
Once those introductions are done, Sam leads him over to us. “You already know Abby, and this is Spencer.”
I offer him my hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Sam’s told me a lot about you. Better be good to our girl.”
Abby lightly punches his arm. “Ditto.”
He wraps his arm around Sam’s waist, holding her close. “Don’t worry about me. I have no intention of screwing things up.”
Sam blushes as she covers his hand with hers, effectively showing all of us that she was holding on as well.
Fix My Fall Page 12
