* * *
Seth realized that Luke was studying him curiously. “What?” he demanded. “Did I forget to shave or something?”
Luke shook his head. “You told Abby about Cara.”
“Just the basics,” Seth said. “How’d you find out?”
“She came to me to see if I’d fill in the blanks,” Luke told him.
Seth sighed. “I probably should be furious about that, but I guess I’m not surprised. I told her how Cara’s death affected me, then I clammed up.”
“What surprises me is that you got into it at all,” Luke told him. “You usually avoid any reference to Cara.”
“It was fair warning,” Seth said. “I owed Abby that.”
“Because the two of you are getting serious or because you’re not and she is?”
Seth sorted through the options Luke had suggested, then shrugged. “It’s not that easy to explain.”
“Okay, maybe this is none of my business, but since Abby came to me and since you’re my friend, I’m making it my business. Be careful, Seth. I don’t want to see either one of you get hurt.”
“That’s certainly the goal,” Seth agreed.
“But emotions have a way of getting out of hand before you know it and then things can get messy in a hurry.”
Seth frowned at him. “I thought you were all for Abby and me hanging out. You are the one who pushed us together and then pushed me to stop obsessing about the whole money thing. The more time I spend with her, the better I like her. You were right. Having money doesn’t define her. She’s an incredible woman.”
Luke flushed. “Pushing you together might not have been one of my wisest moments,” he conceded. “I was thinking a casual fling. Seems now that things are getting a lot more complicated.”
“You were advocating a fling between me and your old girlfriend?” Seth asked incredulously. “That’s a little weird, don’t you think? Shouldn’t you have more respect for her? Or was that just a convenient way for you to get Hannah off your case?”
“I have plenty of respect for Abby and, yes, I figured it would calm Hannah down to know Abby was involved with you. I just didn’t give it much thought beyond that. Now I have.”
“And?”
“I’m worried.”
“You don’t need to worry about me.”
“And Abby? Do I need to worry about her?”
“Abby and I have been honest with each other from the beginning,” Seth said defensively.
Luke actually smiled at that. “I hate to tell you this, pal, but as important as honesty is in a relationship, it can only accomplish so much. After that, you have to own any emotional damage you might unintentionally cause.”
Seth sighed. Down deep he knew that.
“Abby and I are on the same page,” he insisted.
“I guess I’ll have to take your word for that,” Luke responded, but there was no mistaking the worry that continued to darken his eyes.
Unfortunately Seth didn’t have anything more to say that might reassure him. He wasn’t even a hundred percent convinced himself.
14
The house was filled with all the familiar scents of Thanksgiving. The turkey was roasting in the oven. The celery and onions for the stuffing were being sautéed in butter on the stove. Two pumpkin pies were cooling on the counter. Hannah looked around and sighed. It was all coming together nicely.
“You’re looking mighty pleased with yourself,” Grandma Jenny commented.
“I have a lot to be thankful for this year,” Hannah told her. “I got word late yesterday that I passed all those tests with flying colors. My editor loves the new book. My husband loves me. And I have my whole family coming here today to celebrate the holiday.”
“Where does Abby fit in? Are you counting her being back in Seaview Key as one of those blessings?”
Hannah sighed. “That’s still a work in progress,” she said, then admitted, “I had a setback the other day.”
“Kelsey told me,” her grandmother said. “She was furious with herself for causing you unnecessary worry.”
“She wouldn’t have been able to do that if I’d truly gotten past all of my insecurities and suspicions,” Hannah said. “But today is all about being thankful, and I am going to focus on that. I’m going to be especially grateful that my husband isn’t fed up with my doubts.”
Just then Luke’s children, Nate and Gracie, bounded into the kitchen. Smiling at their exuberance, Hannah added, “And that these two are spending a little time with us.”
Gracie immediately sidled closer and gave her a hug.
“I’m starving,” Nate announced. “When do we get to eat?”
Hannah grinned. Nate was always starving, and he knew very well that Grandma Jenny almost always had cookies to offer.
“Not for another couple of hours,” Hannah told him. “And you are not spoiling that appetite of yours with cookies.” She aimed a warning look at her grandmother to make sure she got that message, too.
“I told him that,” Gracie said.
Nate’s gaze landed on the pies. “What about pie? I love pumpkin pie.” He looked pleadingly at Grandma Jenny. “They smell really good. I bet you baked them.”
“I did,” she confirmed. “And you’ll enjoy the pie all the more after dinner.”
Gracie grinned, clearly pleased that her little brother’s attempts to wheedle pie from Grandma Jenny had been thwarted.
“Is the table set?” Hannah asked her.
Gracie rolled her eyes. “I did my part,” she said. “Then I fixed everything Nate did wrong.”
“Well, there are going to be a lot of people here,” Nate complained. “I got confused with all those forks and spoons. And how come everybody has two glasses? What’s that for?”
“Water for everyone. Wine for the adults,” Hannah explained.
“But there were two glasses at every place,” he said. “That’s what Hannah said.”
“I thought you kids might want soda for this special occasion,” Hannah told him.
Nate’s eyes widened. Sodas were a rare treat, at least when they were visiting their health-conscious dad. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Hannah confirmed, fighting a smile. “And I appreciate that you tried to get everything set up right in the dining room. Why don’t you find your dad? I think he’s got the parade on TV. Maybe he’ll go outside and throw a football around with you.”
“Cool!” Nate said, scampering off after taking one last longing look at the pie.
“What can I do?” Gracie asked. “I want to help.”
“Then come over here with me,” Grandma Jenny told her. “You can help me put the marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes.”
Gracie’s eyes lit up. “Yum! That’s my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Mine, too,” Hannah said. “And I still can’t make the sweet potatoes the way Grandma Jenny does. Maybe you’ll learn her secret and then they can be your specialty every year.”
“I can do that,” Gracie said confidently.
Hannah smiled at the two of them, side by side at the counter. Gracie was almost as tall as Grandma Jenny and every bit as talkative. She marveled at how well they got along and how Gracie had finally adapted to this new family that had evolved after her parents’ divorce. She was no longer the sullen, difficult, resentful girl who’d first come to Seaview Key. She was back to that sunny disposition Luke had despaired of ever seeing again.
Luke stuck his head in the kitchen, observed the incredibly domestic scene and smiled. “I’m going outside with Nate. Shout if you need me.”
“Everything’s under control thanks to Grandma Jenny and Gracie,” Hannah assured him.
“I see Abby parking,” he reported from
the doorway. “Should I send her inside?”
Hannah took a deep breath. “Absolutely. She’s bringing pecan pies. See if she needs any help with them.”
She noted that her grandmother was watching her closely. “You have to stop doing that,” she warned. “I’m fine.”
To prove it, she plastered a warm smile on her face and went to the door to greet Abby. As she neared, Hannah reached for the pies.
“It’s okay,” Abby said. “I have hot pads to carry them. They’re just out of the oven. I got a later start today than I’d planned.”
“Ooh, that aroma is amazing,” Hannah said. “You’ve obviously mastered your mom’s recipe.”
Grandma Jenny turned with her own welcoming smile. “Those pecan pies of hers were always the hit of the Christmas bazaar at church. I can’t wait to taste yours.”
“I can’t promise they’ll live up to hers, but they’re close, I think,” Abby said. “She had a knack with the crusts that I’m still working on.”
“Well, these look perfect,” Jenny told her. “But if you need any more coaching, come over one day. I bake pies every few days at the inn.”
Abby looked startled by the offer. A pleased smile spread across her face. “If you really mean that, I’ll take you up on it.”
She set the pecan pies on the racks that Hannah had set out, then caught sight of Gracie. “Well, hello, there. You must be Gracie. Your dad has told me about you. I’m Abby.”
“She’s a very old friend of your dad’s and mine,” Hannah said. “She’s just moved back to Seaview Key.”
Interest sparked in Gracie’s eyes. “You knew my dad when he was little?”
“Sure, but we got to be good friends when we were in high school,” Abby said. “He, Hannah and I were together all the time.”
Gracie frowned. “Hannah says they didn’t date back then. Did you date him?”
Abby glanced at Hannah, then nodded.
Gracie seemed to be absorbing that news, but to Hannah’s relief she didn’t ask any more probing questions. To be sure that the topic died, she glanced at Abby. “You said you got a late start. Any particular reason, a late night for example?”
“Not the way you’re thinking,” Abby replied, laughing.
Before Hannah could probe any further, there was a tap on the back door that caught their attention. A blush immediately tinted Abby’s cheeks with a telltale glow. Though she started to take a step in Seth’s direction, Gracie was already racing for the door. Abby stood back and watched.
“Seth!” Gracie exclaimed, throwing herself at him. “I missed you.”
A grin spread across his face as he lifted her in the air. “Hey, short stuff. How are you doing?” He gave an exaggerated groan as he set her down. “You’re almost too big for me to keep doing that.”
“I’ve grown another inch since I was here last summer,” she announced excitedly. “I’m almost as tall as my mom. And it’s only fourteen more months till I’m a teenager.”
That particular countdown had begun a full two years before her thirteenth birthday, Hannah recalled. Shortly after she’d set eyes on Seth, as a matter of fact. The child had suddenly been determined to grow up fast.
Seth shook his head at Gracie’s announcement. “Not possible,” he insisted.
“Really,” Gracie said.
“Don’t be too anxious to grow up,” he advised. “You’ll have a lot more responsibilities.”
“But I’ll be able to date,” she reported excitedly. “Mom said.”
“And what did your dad say?” Seth asked.
Gracie hesitated before responding to Seth. “I don’t think he liked the idea.”
A massive understatement, Hannah thought, recalling Luke’s vehement reaction. Fortunately he’d held off on his tirade until after Gracie had gone to bed, so his daughter had missed the profanity. Though Hannah hadn’t been around when he’d spoken to his ex-wife, she imagined the woman had gotten an earful about allowing a thirteen-year-old to date.
Hannah glanced at Abby and noted that she was fascinated by the exchange, or maybe it was just Seth’s arrival that had captivated her. At just that moment, he glanced over Gracie’s head and gave Abby a wink.
“Hello to you, too.”
“Where’s your contribution to dinner?” she teased. “I brought pies.”
“I brought myself,” he said as if she were crazy to suggest anything more was needed. “Oh, and there are bottles of wine in the car,” he added, as if they were an afterthought.
He held Abby’s gaze. “I forgot all about them. Want to give me a hand?”
“Sure,” she said eagerly.
Hannah watched them go, amused by Seth’s clever maneuvering to get Abby to himself. She had a hunch that wine had been deliberately left behind.
Unfortunately his best attempt was thwarted when Gracie bounced out the door after them.
“Oh, boy,” Grandma Jenny said. “Those two are going to be in competition for his attention all day.”
“Seth knows Gracie has a crush on him,” Hannah said. “He’ll be careful not to hurt her feelings. I give him a lot of credit for how sweet he is with her.”
“Do you think Abby will mind sharing his affections?”
Hannah laughed. “I don’t think she’s going to feel threatened, if that’s what you’re asking.” She hesitated, thinking about something she thought she’d seen on Abby’s face just now. “Did you notice anything when she was watching Seth with Gracie?”
“You mean that longing in her expression?” Jenny asked perceptively.
“Exactly. I think she really missed out on having kids.”
“Which makes you luckier than she is,” her grandmother commented. “Something else for you to remember.”
Hannah laughed at the pointed reminder. “Yes, ma’am. Today is all about gratitude.”
Her grandmother nodded, looking satisfied. “I’m just saying.”
* * *
Seth gave Abby a frustrated look as they collected the bottles of wine from the car, Gracie right there to give them a hand. Though he adored Luke’s daughter and would never do a thing to hurt her feelings, he’d hoped for a moment alone with Abby.
Maybe it was just as well, though. He was likely to bring up the incident in Luke’s office, and today definitely wasn’t the day to insert Cara into the conversation.
Back in the kitchen, Hannah apparently sensed his frustration, though, because she sent Gracie outside with a message for Luke. Seth doubted it would be a long reprieve, but it did allow him to pull Abby aside for a moment.
“Everything going okay?” he asked. “With you and Hannah?”
“Almost like old times,” she said, a hint of amazement in her voice. “After the other day, I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
Seth was surprised that she’d introduced the subject. “You mean your visit to Luke’s office?”
Her expression turned rueful. “I figured you’d already heard about it. Luke’s the kind of up-front guy who’d be into full disclosure.”
“Actually I heard it from several directions,” he said. “Kelsey gave me her side of the story, too. And, as you might imagine, Jenny had an opinion, as well.”
“I’m sorry for trying to pry,” she told him. “If I had questions about you and Cara, I should have come to you.”
“I didn’t exactly leave the door open,” he admitted. “How about this? One of these days we’ll spend a quiet evening at your place and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
She looked surprised by the offer. “But I know how hard it is for you to talk about her,” she protested.
“Maybe it’s time I did, though,” he admitted. “Sometimes keeping things bottled up inside is the worst thing you can possibly do.”
&n
bsp; “Do you talk about her with Luke?”
“Not if I can help it, at least not since my first calls to him after she died,” he said. “And believe me, he hasn’t been shy about trying to get me to spill my guts since I got here. I just didn’t see the point. Talk’s not going to change what happened.”
“But you will talk to me?” she said, clearly confused. “Why?”
“Because I’m the one who made what happened this huge barrier between us and the future. You probably deserve to hear the whole story.”
“Only if and when you’re ready to tell me.”
He could see that she really meant that, that she would wait as long as it took. Amazingly, that made it easier for him to face the prospect of opening up an old wound, one that had changed his life, quite possibly forever.
* * *
With the arrival of Kelsey, Jeff and their precious baby girl, along with Hannah’s father and his family, the house was as crowded and chaotic as Hannah had predicted. Abby stood on the sidelines and watched the dynamics of all these people who shared so much history—good and bad—as they interacted on such an important family occasion.
As usual, she found herself gravitating toward the baby. “She’s so beautiful,” she told Kelsey.
“Isabella is gorgeous, but she’s a real handful,” Kelsey responded. “I don’t suppose you’d want to hold her so I can help Mom in the kitchen.”
Abby could feel the smile spreading across her face. It wasn’t all about the prospect of holding the baby, but Kelsey’s trusting overture. She sensed that fences really were being mended.
“I’d love to,” she told her eagerly.
Abby found an empty chair, no mean feat in the crowded house, and settled down with Isabella in her arms. In moments, Seth was by her side.
“There you are again with another borrowed baby,” he teased.
“I can’t seem to resist,” she said.
His expression sobered. “You’re such a natural, I’m surprised you never had a houseful of kids of your own.”
She considered blowing off the comment with an innocuous response, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. If she was expecting candor from him, then she had to be willing to expose her own emotions and the painful events that had shaped her life.
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