by Kahlen Aymes
Even after a full year of stories about Abigail each time he chatted with his grandmother, he wasn’t prepared for Abigail in the flesh. Yes, being around her was enough to make him reconsider his thoughts on several topics.
Chapter Three
Abigail felt it the moment she slipped past Dylan to sit in the passenger seat. Dylan looked even better than before, if that was even a possibility. Without the worries from the day plaguing her mind, Abigail took him all in. He had a strong look to him. A firm chiseled jaw with angular features to match. Then his eyes, one moment they looked hazel, but then when the light hit them just the right way she swore she saw flecks of green.
When Marvel insisted on having a formal meal, Abigail made an excuse to go back home. She needed time to get her emotions in check. After all, she just buried her dog this morning, then the almost scare with Marvel. That had to be it. Why else would she find herself gravitating toward this man? Dylan, God even his name matched that sexy face of his.
The ride back down the road to Abigail’s was eerily quiet. Sensing this, Dylan attempted to ward off the awkward vibe with small talk.
“I feel like I’ve met you already, Abigail, you’re all my grandmother talks about. She sure does love you.” He looked over at her, happy to see the comment brought a smile to her face.
That made him smile too. “I care a lot about your grandmother too.”
“I’m so glad she has someone like you around. I worry about her being all the way out here. It wasn’t until my grandfather died four years ago, that I quit coming so regularly.” It was the truth, but something about admitting that out loud made him sound like an asshole. He corrected himself, “I know it doesn’t make sense but after he died, I took on more work to make sure she had everything provided for her. I knew it would be what my grandfather would expect of me.”
Dylan messed up again, he didn’t want her to think taking care of his grandmother was merely out of obligation. God, what was it about Abigail that seemed to twist his words around so they came out backwards. He rolled his eyes in disgust with himself, “That’s not how I meant it. I’d do anything for her.”
“I appreciate everything your grandmother did for me when I first moved in. She didn’t think it was much, but her friendship meant the world.” Abigail leaned down to touch his hand. “She knows how hard you work and wishes that you didn’t worry about her so much.” They were back in front of her house, but she made no effort to move.
Dylan let the motor run and turned to face her. “Thanks for that, sometimes I don’t think that I do enough. I feel guilty. I don’t know if she told you or not, but I lost both of my parents before I finished high school. I was an unruly mess. But that woman stuck to her guns. She told me that if I was living in her house that I would take my schooling seriously and that after graduation she expected me to go to college and make something of myself.
“My grandfather was a hard worker who taught me the rewards of having a good work ethic, and between the two of them they helped me pay for college. Even when I was ready to give up on myself, they never did. I’ll never forget that.”
Abigail was at a loss for words. She understood first-hand how loss made people react in different ways. In her case, the loss of her family made her run away. Maybe it was the moment, or the mood she was in, but she wanted to share the words of comfort that were shared with her.
“The hardest thing to do is to remember to keep on living while you’re sorting everything out.”
When Dylan looked at her, really looked deep into her eyes, she knew that he got it. Yes, those were definitely flecks of green in his eyes. Then he leaned in just an inch. One inch closer to her than he was before, then he moved another. She could tell from the expression on Dylan’s face that he intended to kiss her.
He was the kind of man that dreams were made of. If he wanted, he could easily be on the cover of one of those magazines like GQ. It thrilled her inside to look at him. She couldn’t let him kiss her. Abigail knew that a kiss no matter how glorious would only last for the moment. She’d let herself feel like she owned a small piece of him no matter how brief, but then in the light of day she would remember that she was still alone.
Abigail’s cheeks felt warm. In an attempt to hide the affect he was having on her she tried to pull away. It was too late. He’d noticed. Dylan tightened his grip slightly.
“Don’t be embarrassed, I’m quite flattered that I could make the most beautiful woman in the world blush. Gram says all the time that you are filled with wisdom beyond your years.”
Abigail gave him a puzzled look. “Marvel talks to you about me?”
“Of course she does, you mean to tell me she’s never mentioned me to you?”
“I have to admit I wondered about this mysterious grandson in Louisiana that she doesn’t get to see near enough, but he calls hers twice a week to check up on her.”
That statement hit Dylan hard. He pulled his eyes away from Abigail. Even his body recoiled. “I know that I’m not here doing more for her. She’s everything to me, all that I have left. After my folks died she was grandmother, mother, counselor, and best friend. I send her money, and do what I can to make sure she has all of her needs taken care of.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you by what I said.” And this was the reason why it was better for Dylan or any man to stay far away from her. She was always opening her mouth to say the wrong things.
“I know you didn’t say anything wrong. I would imagine my grandmother’s reason for telling me all about the beautiful neighbor she has was a way of getting me to come home for a visit. She likes to play matchmaker. She is so worried that I will not settle down and start a family before she dies.”
She likes to play matchmaker. Those were Dylan’s exact words. Is that what dinner was actually about? Abigail needed her space now.
“Well, I better get cleaned up so we can head back over. Come in and make yourself comfortable.” All of her nerves were on edge. She held the door open for him and waited.
Dylan walked into the house and headed straight to the right side of the couch in her sitting room. That was her favorite spot. From that cushion she not only had the view of that room and the next, but she also could peer out the huge bay window into the garden.
“Won’t take me long, I promise.” Abigail dashed up the stairs to the bathroom. First examination in the mirror said what she had already suspected. Abigail eyed the reflection in the mirror of the woman with a dirt-covered shirt that was marked with dark spots from where her tears blended with the dirt.
Oh God, her hair. It was pulled back in a very disheveled ponytail. No longer neat, unruly strands of hair were all askew. Deciding to tackle that first, she pulled the holder loose and let her hair fall down to her shoulders.
Instead of concentrating on the idea of Marvel playing matchmaker, she thought about the things that Dylan said. Leaning in closer to the mirror, she noted that since she moved, she had let certain things about her appearance go. Despite her haggard appearance, he said she was beautiful. Hearing him say that word, beautiful, about her had meant so much.
Never in her twenty-three years had a guy told her she was beautiful. In the shower, she lathered shampoo through her hair and washed it down over her whole body. During the final rinse, she closed her eyes and imagined what it would feel like to have Dylan tell her she was beautiful as he planted kisses all over her body. Following the same path the water had taken.
Now that she was clean, she had the difficult task of finding something to wear that wasn’t covered in stains or holes. She put her hand on a yellow sundress. It had been a while since she had worn it.
Abigail decided a more natural look was best for tonight. Leaving the curls and ringlets in her hair to air dry. She grabbed a jacket to ward off the evening chill if she stayed that long.
When she arrived downstairs, Dylan was no longer where she left him. She walked through the kitchen and into the study in the back of the house b
efore she found him. She didn’t mind, as she told him to make himself at home.
His back was to her as he studied a picture on the wall. Dylan took it off the hook and brought it to his face to examine closer. Even as a young girl, Abigail was beautiful. In his mind, he imagined any children she had would look the same way.
Dylan turned when he heard Abigail’s steps as she got closer to him. She knew which picture he had. It was her favorite childhood memory. This man held her past in his hands, it gave her a slight uneasy feeling. She had built a wall around herself and wasn’t used to letting people in. Yet he found a crack in her wall and was slipping through her defenses.
“I told you it wouldn’t take me long.” Abigail gently pulled the picture from his hands and returned it to its place.
“How old were you in that picture?” She was surprised he recognized her, she was only two years old in that photo so many things about her had changed since then.
“We better get going, before Marvel comes looking for us.” Not wanting to share that piece of her past, she made her way first to the door.
Old habits died hard, especially where Abigail was concerned. So used to her routine, she grabbed the leash that hung by the door. Realizing her mistake, she quickly dropped it from her hand like it was a hot poker burning her flesh. Now the tears were back again.
Before she could say a word in protest, Dylan wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “Abigail, it’s ok, just let it out. I’m so sorry.” He meant it. He would take on every bit of her heartache if he were able.
Abigail fought against her better judgement, but she was ready to explode inside. As much as she needed to have the ache in her heart stop, letting Dylan be the one to give her that comfort was a dangerous move. In Dylan’s warm embrace she breathed in the heady scent of him. It was a mixture of cologne and man. She wanted to stay there forever. But forever’s didn’t always end well.
“I’m good, Dylan, thank you.”
“You’re quite welcome, Abigail. I only wish there was more I could do. I hate that you had to bury him alone.” This morning when he interrupted her he had tunnel vision. Getting help for his grandmother was of primary concern.
Abigail thanked Dylan again for the hug and promised there wouldn’t be any other outbursts for the remainder of the evening.
Like any gentleman would, he opened her door for her. This time he stood close enough that she had to brush against him to get into the car. Even now, Dylan’s pulse quickened and his thoughts raced of how to get her in his arms again.
Chapter Four
When Dylan and Abigail pulled up to Marvel’s house, she was waiting for them on the old front porch swing.
The most delicious smells of Marvel’s time in the kitchen filled the air. Fresh baked bread, lasagna and pecan pie for dessert. Every bite was delicious. “Please eat some more, Abigail,” Marvel insisted.
“Oh, no thank you, I don’t have room for a single pecan.” Abigail smiled.
“Well, if no one else wants it, I’d love to have another piece of your pecan pie.” It was obvious from the angelic smile he gave his grandmother that Dylan was a charmer.
“Oh, you’ve been giving me that face all your life. You know I can’t say no to it,” Marvel said then served another piece of pie to Dylan in the great room. They each took the seats they sat in earlier that day.
The room came alive with laughter. Marvel was always great at spinning a story. Abigail ate up every story Marvel shared of when Dylan was little. There were inside jokes that they laughed about. She could see so much mutual love between them. Abigail just sat back in her corner of the loveseat, content to take it all in.
When Marvel handed her the photo album, Abigail stopped to stare at the page titled third birthday. She looked at the smiles on the faces of each person in the picture. There was little Dylan blowing out three candles on his birthday cake. On his left were his grandparents and on his right were his mom and dad. Now the only one left was his grandmother. Something about that hard realization reminded Abigail how Marvel was the glue. She gave Abigail a sense of family too. Her mind went a step further, without Marvel she would be completely alone.
Not wanting to ruin the mood, she took Dylan’s empty plate to the kitchen to help clean up. There was so much history and love in this house, she missed that. It seemed so long ago since she had shared a meal with her family. She thought about the last time they were all together.
“Let me give you a hand with that.” Dylan’s deep voice jolted her back into the present. If it was his intension to scare her, he did a good job. Abigail fumbled the plate in her hand, almost dropping it.
”Must you sneak around?” she shouted at him, her heart still racing from being startled.
Dylan’s face had a wide grin painted across it, obviously pleased with himself. Abigail knew she shouldn’t but damn, he looked so damn delicious. The way those faded jeans fit him perfectly in all the right places. He left his shirt untucked, which seemed to suit him, then she looked down and saw him standing in his bare feet.
“Well, it would be sneaking around if it wasn’t my house.”
“Technically, this is your Gram’s house. And second, it’s rude to sneak around and scare people.” Abigail shook her soapy finger at him.
“I apologize. You are right, I shouldn’t have snuck up on you. I should’ve just continued to stand here staring at you while you do dishes. And, figuring out the best way to kiss you.”
As if on cue, Marvel made her way to the kitchen. “You know, it’s so early, why don’t you two get out of here. I can do this.”
Dylan elbowed Abigail in the side. ”See, I told you so.”
Looking confused, Marvel asked, “Told her what?”
“Just was telling Abigail here there was no need to do the dishes, you would be out any minute to run her out of the kitchen.”
Just then she twisted the dishtowel and snapped it across Dylan’s ass. He deserved it, not only because he startled her, but because the way he was dressed and moved around her made her mind drift off into dangerous territory. So, she flung the towel and snapped at him again.
“Shit! That hurt!” Dylan yelled and started to rub his cheeks. He caught hold of the towel, pulled her two steps closer to him. If Abigail’s nerves weren’t on edge before, they were now. The look on his face was one of unabashed lust.
Abigail was now treading in dangerous territory, Dylan wanted to kiss her. Kissing never lead to anything good.
“I think a walk home would do me good. I need to get going before it gets dark. Thank you again for having me over, Marvel. And it was nice to finally meet you, Dylan.”
Abigail didn’t just hurry a little, she ran. Was the idea of being kissed by Dylan so bad that she had to run off like she did? He didn’t think so.
“Dylan, Dylan what did you do?” Marvel asked, arms folded.
“Me?” Dylan tried to feign innocence. “What makes you think I did something?” After years of seeing that face, he couldn’t fool her.
“I know, you’re too big to talk about girls with your old grandmother.” Something about the way she said it made him feel bad. He didn’t want her to be left out of his life.
“I know what you’re trying to do. I appreciate it, but I don’t need help from my grandmother to find a woman.” She knew that Abigail could make him happier than any other woman he had met. There had to be a way to make her stubborn grandson see the wisdom in her logic.
“Maybe you do, Dylan.” She spoke to him from her heart. “I know you think that love would be a hindrance in your life right now, but coming from someone who had a wonderful love story, it made my life better in so many ways.” There wasn’t a day that went by without Marvel missing her beloved Franklin. If he were here surely he would know what to say to reason with their stubborn grandson.
“That’s easy for you to say, you met Grandpa and that was it for you.” His grandparents were from a different time. Modern dating was more t
han simple pleasantries and asking deep questions when getting to know someone on a long series of dates before taking things to the next level.
“Who says? I’ll have you know at the time I met your grandfather I wasn’t ready to settle down. What if there was someone better out there I hadn’t met yet? He wasn’t the only boy who wanted to date me.”
“Is there a point to this?” He felt like his parents weren’t happy and they claimed to be in love at one time. Not everyone gets to have the eternal happiness like his grandparents. What if he wasn’t fated to be that lucky?
“Yes, it came down to the only thing that mattered. Your grandfather could do something that no one else could. And because I knew that he would love me in a way that no one else could, I knew he had to be mine forever. Quality over quantity, Dylan. Abigail is a quality woman.” She was right Abigail was unlike any woman he had ever met. With her she had the total package of looks, charm, and heart.
“Ok, what do you suggest I do? I’ve already run her off as you pointed out.” Yes he was an idiot. He had perfection within his grasps and he let it go.
“Try a different approach, those macho alpha men are great to read about, but in real life we want a man who is going to love us like nobody else. Lead with your heart and the rest will follow. You could start by asking her to go for a moonlight ride, those always worked on me.” What was his grandmother talking about? Maybe in her day that was how things were done, but what did he know about the thrill of the chase?
“Love isn’t about the moment when the bulb flashes in front of you, telling you this person is the one for you. It took a while for me to realize that your grandfather was the right person. It was more than just seeing him as someone that I felt I’d be sexually compatible with. He turned into the soulmate I had longed for. Being with him opened my eyes and showed me what it meant to live and love. Isn’t having that worth taking the time to do a little coaxing with Abigail.”
That was more information than he wanted to hear from his grandmother, but she had a point. He was an attractive, grown man after all, and that meant he never had to persuade a woman to go to bed with him.
