“Well, I appreciate your concern, but it’s all good. I think Abby agrees, but you’d have to ask her to find out for sure.”
“Let me just ask you one more thing and then I’ll butt out,” Luke promised. “What happens if this all blows up? Have you given a single thought to that? It’s not as if you can get lost or simply move on in a town the size of Seaview Key. You’ll be running into each other everywhere you look.”
Seth hesitated, aware that Luke was right. Still, he managed to keep a carefree note in his voice when he claimed, “We’re adults. We can deal with it.”
His answer clearly didn’t appease Luke.
“You’re delusional, if you believe that, pal. Seems to me the only question will be which one of you takes off. I’d hate for this community to lose either one of you.”
Before Seth could utter what could only be another upbeat lie not even he believed, Luke took the champagne and went in search of his wife and Abby. Seth gulped down his own champagne, refilled the glass and then followed.
When he found the group again, Abby gave him a questioning look. He forced a smile, but he had a hunch it didn’t go very far in convincing anyone that his mood hadn’t turned decidedly sour and that Luke was more than likely the one responsible.
* * *
When the last of the guests has left, Abby kicked off her shoes and padded barefoot into the kitchen, where she found Seth up to his elbows in sudsy dishwater.
“So this is where you disappeared to,” she said, nudging him aside with a hip while she tried to take over. “You dry,” she said.
He leveled a forbidding look into her eyes. “You sit. I’ll wash and dry. You’ve been working for days to make this party a success. Seems to me you must have exceeded your wildest expectations. I think everyone from Seaview Key was here at one time or another. There’s not a single crumb of food left and the recycling bin is filled with empty champagne and wine bottles.”
Abby smiled as she settled onto a chair and put her feet onto the seat of another chair. “It was a pretty great party, if I do say so myself. I had fun. How about you? You seemed to be having fun, too, at least until you and Luke got into it about something. What was that about?”
Seth winced. “You noticed, huh? I was hoping you hadn’t.”
“I’m nothing if not observant, particularly when two men I know pretty well come back from fetching drinks with matching scowls in place. What was the argument about?”
“I wouldn’t describe it as an argument,” Seth said, clearly choosing his words a little too carefully. “Luke’s worried we’re not thinking clearly.”
“About what?”
“Us.”
Abby stared at him. “What do you think?” she asked eventually.
“I think we both know what we’re doing.” He frowned. “How about you? You don’t look quite as certain of that as I thought you would.”
“No, no,” she said quickly, “I like where we are, too. We agreed—”
Seth cut her off. “Maybe what we agreed to no longer applies. At least for you.”
Abby hesitated, not willing to risk starting an argument of their own. Nor did she want to reveal feelings that might destroy what they currently had.
“Abby, it’s okay if you’ve changed your mind,” Seth said, evidently interpreting her silence as an indication that he was right. “I may not have a lot of experience, but I do know relationships are fluid.”
“But things haven’t changed for you, have they?” she asked. “You’re still not ready for anything serious, am I right?”
“Are you ready for serious?” he asked, turning the tables on her.
Abby recognized the tactic as one he’d likely use if he honestly wasn’t sure how he felt these days. That uncertainty meant it would be wise to hedge her own bets.
“Casual’s been fun,” she admitted, trying to keep any hint of longing from her voice. “It’s easy. I’m okay with it. It would be crazy to expect anything more so soon.” She rambled on with similar disclaimers, hoping to reassure him. She had a hunch she’d gone a little overboard, especially with Seth watching her so intently.
Abby could tell how badly Seth wanted to believe her. That expression convinced her she was right to skirt the truth, though she probably should have done it with one convincing lie.
“That’s quite a defense of the casual fling,” he commented dryly.
“I meant every word,” she insisted.
“And we both know that serious is something else entirely,” he responded, watching her closely, his gaze intense. “It can lead to heartbreak.”
“And neither one of us wants that,” she said more firmly. Who could possibly argue with that?
“Absolutely not.”
She nodded. “Then it’s all good.”
He tossed aside the dish towel and moved toward her. “It’s all good,” he agreed.
Abby stood and moved into his open arms. For now—for this minute—she had everything she needed. Hopefully she could continue to convince herself that it was enough.
* * *
“What is going on between those two?” Luke asked Hannah over a light snack after leaving Abby’s open house. Neither of them were interested in an actual meal after all the hors d’oeuvres they’d consumed. “They certainly were behaving as if they were a couple at the party. They were practically finishing each other’s sentences.”
Hannah chuckled. “You sound as if that’s a crime. We do it all the time.”
“But we are a couple,” he said. “Seth claims they’re keeping things light. He swears neither of them has any expectations, as if that’s even humanly possible. Have you spoken to Abby? What’s she saying?”
“That she’s having the time of her life, that she’s never been happier,” Hannah said. “I’m taking that at face value. Why can’t you?”
“Because it’s wrong,” Luke grumbled. “That’s not who they are. Abby should be with someone who respects and loves her, who’s ready to make a commitment.”
Hannah frowned at him. “You seem awfully concerned about her.”
“She’s our friend. Of course I’m concerned. Aren’t you?”
“I’m thinking she knows her own mind,” Hannah said. “She told me she’s not ready for anything more serious.”
“And you believed her?”
“No reason not to,” she said.
“I thought you of all people would be eager to see this thing between her and Seth get to the next level,” he said.
Hannah stilled. She knew exactly what he was implying. “So I won’t feel insecure anymore?” she asked.
Luke looked as if he regretted going there, but he nodded. “I thought you’d be reassured by now, but I can still see how tense you are whenever we’re all together.”
“I’m handling it,” she said tightly, wishing she were completely free of doubts. Mostly she was, but every once in a while one stray bit of insecurity would creep into her head. She had no idea how to turn off her mind and keep it from giving in to fear. “Abby and I are getting close again. I have to trust her. And I’m not going to disrespect what you and I have by doubting you, either.”
Luke actually grinned at that. “Brave words. Are you there yet?”
She frowned at him. “I’m working on it. And the last thing I want is to see Abby jump into something she’s not ready for just to keep me from freaking out.”
“What about Seth? Have you given any thought to his feelings? This limbo isn’t good for him. When Cara died, you weren’t around. I was still in rehab, but I could hear the pain in his voice. Even after he came here, that pain was still visible whenever I looked into his eyes. For a while there, he was a shadow of the man I’d known in Iraq. I worried about him, Hannah. I know in my gut that one of the reasons he decided
to settle here was because he didn’t expect to find anyone to take her place. He figured Seaview Key would be the ideal place to put his heart on ice.”
Hannah frowned. “If you knew that, I’m surprised you encouraged him to stay. Why didn’t you push him to find someone who could make him happy?”
“Because men don’t butt in like that,” he claimed.
She laughed. “As if,” she commented wryly. “You’ve done plenty of butting in. You just didn’t expect him to fall for Abby,” she said. “Your old girlfriend.”
“That is not what I’m worried about,” Luke insisted. “I’m worried because they’re lying to themselves and to each other. He’s falling in love with her.”
Hannah’s spirits perked up. “You really think so?”
“Of course he is,” Luke said with certainty. “But she’s keeping him at arm’s length because she thinks it’s what he wants. He’s trying to go along with it, claiming it’s what he wants, too. If one of them doesn’t break the stalemate, they’re both going to be miserable. That seems like a crying shame to me.”
“Maybe they’re telling the truth,” Hannah argued. “Maybe it only seemed like they had this instantaneous deep connection. Maybe they’re smart to accept what they have as some kind of temporary chemistry, a part of the healing process they both need to go through.”
Luke shook his head. “I thought women were supposed to be the romantics. Come on, Hannah. You know better.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I do. And I feel bad for him. For her, too, for that matter.”
“Then talk to Abby. If she’s not serious about him, encourage her to end it.”
“Absolutely not. If you feel that strongly that they’re messing it up, talk to Seth.”
“I did talk to Seth,” he said in frustration. “He wasn’t listening.”
“Then leave it alone,” she advised. “Otherwise the one who loses might be you.”
Luke sighed. “They’re our friends. I can’t just ignore what I see happening. I’ll talk to Abby myself. Maybe I can get through to her. She’s not half as hardheaded as Seth is.”
Hannah smiled. “That’s what you think, but fine. Go for it. Just don’t be surprised if she tells you to mind your own business. That’s what I’d do if I were in her shoes.”
22
Christmas day dawned bright and clear with a slight nip in the air. Abby snuggled more deeply under the covers and a little closer to the man in bed next to her.
“Merry Christmas,” Seth whispered in her ear.
She smiled and rolled over. “Merry Christmas to you, too. What time is it? We’re supposed to be at Seaview Inn early if we want to see Isabella open her presents.”
“You do realize she’s just going to be tearing at paper and playing with the boxes, right? She’s not old enough to understand all the commotion.”
She nudged him with an elbow. “I want to be there. She may not be big enough to understand about Santa or the true meaning of Christmas, but she’s going to look so cute when she sees all the presents and the lights on the tree.”
“And you need to be a part of that, don’t you?” he said knowingly.
“Sure,” she said, seeing no reason to pretend otherwise. “I may never experience it with a child or grandchild of my own.”
“Then let’s get moving. I happen to know for a fact that Isabella never sleeps much past seven in the morning and it’s almost that now. Jenny will probably have a batch of cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven any minute to tide us over till after the presents are opened.”
They showered and dressed quickly, then headed for the inn. Luke and Hannah arrived at the same time, laden down with even more brightly wrapped packages than Abby.
“Thank you so much for including me this morning,” Abby said, giving Hannah a hug. “I think I may be more excited than I used to be as a kid.”
“I doubt that,” Hannah replied. “Even as a teenager, I think you stayed up half the night watching out the window for Santa.”
“I did not,” Abby protested, but she was grinning. “I stayed awake watching old Christmas movies. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Hannah turned to Seth. “I’m telling you, she never gave up on Santa.”
“No, what I’ve never given up on is the magic of the season,” Abby corrected. “Now let’s go inside before we miss Isabella’s reaction to everything.”
She didn’t have to say that twice. Luke held the door and they all trooped inside just in time to see Kelsey and Jeff coming down the stairs with Isabella in Jeff’s arms. She was wearing Christmas pajamas with feet and had a red bow in her tousled hair. Her eyes were bright with excitement, but no more so than Kelsey’s.
“Jeff, let me have her,” Kelsey said. “You go in and turn on the lights on the tree.”
“I’ve already done that,” Jenny announced, coming out of the kitchen with a plate piled high with fragrant cinnamon buns. “Coffee’s ready if anyone wants it. I’ve set the pot up in the living room. Cups are there, too.”
Hannah hurried into the living room to add the gifts she and Luke had brought to the pile under the tree. Abby followed with hers. Then Kelsey brought Isabella into the room, while Jeff snapped pictures as her eyes widened with delight.
“Me, me, me,” she shouted with glee, pointing at all the packages.
Kelsey laughed. “No, my little princess. Not all of them are for you.”
“Just most of them,” Jeff said, shaking his head. “We need to have another baby before we spoil her rotten.”
Kelsey gave him a withering look. “I’m still getting used to the fact that we have Isabella. Let’s not rush things.”
Jeff grinned at her. “I’m just saying it’s the smart thing to do for our daughter’s sake.”
Abby chuckled at his tactics and leaned over to Seth. “Want to bet Kelsey’s at least pregnant by this time next year? Jeff is a very persuasive guy and she clearly adores him.”
Seth studied her with a surprisingly concerned expression. “Are you envious?”
“Of course not,” she insisted, then sighed. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“One of these days we probably need to talk about that,” he said.
Unsettled by the offhand remark, Abby was about to reply, when he squeezed her shoulder. “Not today.” He nodded toward Luke who was watching them a little too intently, worry etched on his face.
“I’ll talk to him,” Abby offered. “I’ll get him to back off.”
“But not today,” Seth said again. “The show’s about to begin.”
Jeff set Isabella down amid a sea of packages. He and Kelsey sat beside her.
“Which one first, baby girl?” Kelsey asked. She picked up a large box wrapped in bright red paper with Santa figures all over it. “How about this one?”
She put Isabella’s tiny hand on an edge of the paper and showed her how to tear it. One good rip exposed the doll inside. “Baby?” Isabella said excitedly, getting into the spirit of it and ripping at the paper with more determination. Kelsey helped her to get the doll from the box and put it in her arms.
“That doll is almost as big as she is,” Jenny said, laughing.
“It’s the one she wanted,” Kelsey said defensively.
“No, it’s the one you wanted,” Jeff corrected, chuckling. “I was with you at the store, remember? You couldn’t take your eyes off of it. Isabella wasn’t even with us.”
“Oh, so what if it is?” Kelsey grumbled. “I didn’t have dolls when I was little.”
Hannah regarded her with amusement. “And why was that?”
Kelsey shrugged. “I had a thing for fire engines,” she admitted.
“And?” Hannah coached.
“I shoved the one doll Mom gave me down the stairwe
ll in our apartment building in her baby carriage. Mom concluded I wasn’t interested.”
“Fortunately you’ve turned into a much better mother these days,” Hannah teased her.
With her new doll in her arms, Isabella lost interest in the rest of her presents, so Kelsey and Jeff passed out packages to everyone else in the room.
Ignoring her own presents, Abby waited expectantly as the others opened the gifts she’d chosen for them. She’d tried so hard to get it exactly right. She’d found a soft cashmere throw for Jenny to use on the porch on cool nights, a first-edition copy of Little Women for Hannah, fishing tackle for Luke who’d been claiming that he wanted to spend more time out on the water in his old rowboat, and for Seth a fancy waterproof watch.
“Do you like it?” she asked worriedly when he didn’t say anything.
“It’s incredible,” he said slowly. He lifted a troubled gaze to meet hers. “But I can’t accept this, Abby. It’s too much.”
Everyone in the room had fallen silent at the comment. Luke looked on, his expression concerned, as they all sat silently awaiting her response.
“Seth, you’ve done so much for me,” she said quietly, her heart in her throat. “I just wanted to get you something special.”
If anything, his expression seemed even more miserable. “And you did. The watch is amazing.”
“Then please, keep it,” she said.
He shook his head, closed the box and handed it back. “I can’t.”
He stood up and left the room, leaving her feeling humiliated in front of their friends. She looked to Hannah.
“I don’t understand. What did I do wrong?”
It was Jenny who came to sit beside her. She gave her hand a squeeze. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said firmly. “It’s his pride.”
“What does his pride have to do with me giving him something special for Christmas?”
“Admittedly, I have no idea what a watch like that costs,” Jenny began.
“A couple of thousand,” Jeff chimed in, oblivious to the glare Kelsey directed his way.
Abby winced at the accuracy of the statement. “So what? It’s a watch. It’s practical.”
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