He’d missed her. He’d been gone just over forty-eight hours and he’d missed her. He wasn’t sure how that was possible or what it meant but the need to see her and talk to her urged him to drive faster so he could get there sooner.
He couldn’t wait to have her smile at him and tell her about his weekend with his brother. He’d always assumed he and Davis had nothing in common, but he’d been wrong. Maybe when they’d been younger, their life experiences had been so different they couldn’t relate to each other, but that wasn’t true now. They were both successful in their chosen careers, they both liked baseball more than football. They’d had a great time at the game on Saturday, cheering the Giants on to their win. Conversation had rarely ebbed. Joaquin had even been interested in the talk about the wedding and where Davis was taking Melissa for their honeymoon.
The detailed description of the beachfront resort on Maui had gotten him to thinking about a vacation...with Abby. He would love to go snorkeling with her, try off-roading, ride bikes down from Haleakala at sunrise. He could imagine her laughing next to him as they explored the tropical paradise together. Or maybe they should go to Aspen. They could snowboard, then spend their evenings in front of a fire. Later, in bed, he would touch her and taste her and please her and—
He returned his attention to the highway. No more thoughts of Abby, he told himself. Not until he was safely back in Fool’s Gold.
But as he saw the sign telling him he was only thirty miles from his destination, he felt a flicker of apprehension. Simon’s words were ever present. He was going to have to tell Abby why he’d come here in the first place. He was going to have to convince her that those reasons weren’t why he stayed and trying to do that was what had him hesitating.
He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to make her feel she wasn’t special, because she was. She needed to know she was important to him and he didn’t know how to tell her the truth without shattering whatever it was between them. But he would figure it out. He had to.
He’d tried to practice by telling Davis, only he’d never quite gotten the words out. The second time he’d tried, his brother had told him he was pleased that Joaquin was finally taking time off work. As if Joaquin had gone to Fool’s Gold to rest up. Guilt had assaulted him, making him unable to speak the truth.
He wanted to have decided to visit for a different reason, only he hadn’t and there was no going back. He knew there was no way he would have simply visited anywhere. He wasn’t that type of person—or he hadn’t been.
He arrived in town and drove directly to Abby’s house. When he parked, he realized he shouldn’t just show up—that he should have texted her he was on his way. What if she wasn’t home? What if she had plans? What if she was with someone else?
That latter thought had him out of his car and heading for the front door. Abby opened it before he reached the porch. She grinned at him, then raced toward him and flung herself at him. He grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close before kissing her.
She tasted sweet and tempting and he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a woman. This wasn’t about a biological need for release—this was about Abby specifically.
But her recent confession of her virginity meant he was going to have to go more slowly, so he could earn his place in her life. He released her, then cupped her face.
“I’m back.”
She smiled up at him. “I can see that. You missed Melissa by about an hour, which is too bad, but to make up for that, I’m going to take you to the Dog Days of Summer festival. It goes until sundown so we have a few hours.”
“I’ve never been to a festival.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. “Seriously?”
He’d never wanted to go, but that was hardly the point. “I know,” he said, his voice teasing. “How sad is that?”
“Terribly sad. Let me put on some shoes and we can go right now.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house. He followed her upstairs, not sure of their destination, then was startled when they entered what was obviously her bedroom.
The room was large, with a big window. There was a full-size bed, a dresser, a bookshelf and a desk. The walls, the bedspread and the throw rugs were all different shades of pink. There were posters on the wall, big fuzzy throw pillows in the shape of hearts and stars, and books piled everywhere. Not just textbooks, but novels and travel books.
“I’ll just be a second,” she said, ducking into her closet. She pulled the door half-closed behind her. “I mean, this is the Dog Days of Summer festival and your first time, so I have to look nice.”
His gaze slid toward the bed. He jerked his attention away, turning so he was staring into the dresser mirror, which was a huge mistake because now he could see into the half-open door and watch Abby change her clothes.
She’d already pulled off her shorts and T-shirt. She stood in front of a rack of dresses. She was wearing a bra and panties and nothing else.
She was perfection, he thought, hunger burning inside of him. Strong and curved in all the right places. She reached for a dress and pulled it over her head, then slipped into flat sandals.
He quickly turned away, studying the bottles and brushes on the dresser itself. She stepped out of the closet and fluffed her hair, then moved next to him.
“Don’t judge the pink,” she said with a smile.
“I love the pink. It’s very you.”
“Traditionally girlie. I can’t help it. I like the other colors, too, just to be fair, but pink has stolen my heart.” She leaned against him. “I’m a terrible person. I convinced Melissa to have pink bridesmaid dresses just to make me happy. I was very selfish.”
He kissed the top of her head. “That’s not true.”
“It is but I like that you won’t believe it.” She took his hand again and pulled him toward the door. “Okay, so this is the festival that celebrates that it’s nearly the end of summer. It’s silly and fun.”
“And there are dogs?”
They went outside and started for the center of town. “Not just dogs. All kinds of animals. You’ll see.”
They joined the huge crowds filling the blocked-off streets. There were dogs—most in costumes—along with every other kind of pet imaginable. Cats and hamsters, cages with mice, lizards and snakes. People led goats and pigs on leashes. In the shade of the large trees in the park, there was an elephant.
“That’s not possible,” he said, staring at the massive creature and the small pony next to it.
“Her name is Priscilla and that’s her pony, Reno. They’re a thing. She lives out on the Castle Ranch with the goats and horses. It’s nice. At the holidays she takes part in the Christmas parade. She even has a costume.”
He looked at Abby. “How do you get a costume on an elephant?”
“With a ladder and lots of hook and loop closures. The women in town made it for her. She’s also in the live nativity, which is so great.” Abby grinned. “One year they used a toy poodle to represent the Baby Jesus. I thought it was charming, but some people were offended so that didn’t happen again.”
They explored the booths selling everything from lavender soap to jewelry to local honey.
“Tell me about your weekend,” Abby said as they waited in line to get lemonade.
“It was good. We went to a Giants game and they won. We walked around down by the wharf.”
“So you had a good time?”
“We did.” He glanced at her. “I can’t remember the last time Davis and I did anything together. Even when we were kids. We weren’t into the same things and I was gone a lot. I never knew what to say to him.”
“You were lonely.”
“Some.”
“It’s easy to forget how to be friends with the people you care about,” she told him. “Now that you’ve remembered, you can st
ay in touch more. Melissa’s not just my sister, she’s my best friend, and I wouldn’t—”
Without warning, she dropped his hand and took off at a run. She launched herself at a tall, dark-haired guy and laughed as he swung her around. Joaquin felt a strong kick in the gut and had no idea what to do. Beating up the other guy seemed inappropriate—nor was he sure he had the skill set. But the need was still damned powerful.
Abby pulled the man toward him, dancing and smiling the whole way. “Joaquin, you’ll never guess. This is Percy and his girlfriend, GraceAnn. This is Joaquin. He’s Davis’s brother and the best man.”
She dropped Percy’s hand and returned to Joaquin’s side. “Percy was Melissa’s first boyfriend. They were very cute together but sadly not as cute as Percy and GraceAnn.”
GraceAnn, a beautiful young woman with dark hair and skin, shook her head. “I think Melissa’s cuter than me.”
“She’s not,” Percy and Abby said together, then laughed.
“Percy has family in the area,” Abby said. “It’s complicated, as many relationships are. So he’s home visiting but also for the wedding.” She hugged GraceAnn. “Wait until you see the bridesmaid dresses.”
GraceAnn leaned against Percy. “Did you talk her into pink?”
“You know I did.”
The women laughed.
The four of them talked for a few more minutes, then Percy and GraceAnn excused themselves. Joaquin watched them go, still dealing with what could only be described as jealousy. He’d never felt that before, so wasn’t sure, but it was the word that came to mind.
“What?” Abby asked as he handed her a lemonade. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. No.” He drew her away from the crowd to a quiet area by the park. “It was hard to watch you throw yourself at another guy.”
“Throw myself.” Her eyes brightened with humor. “Were you jealous?”
“Yes.”
“Really?” She smiled up at him. “That makes me happy.” She set her lemonade on the ground and pressed her hands against his chest. “There’s no one else, Joaquin. There hasn’t been for a while. I don’t know what exactly is happening here, but I like being with you.”
He put his drink next to hers, then wrapped his arms around her. “I like you, as well. Very much.”
She stared into his eyes. “Good to know.”
There was more he wanted to say—more he should say—but instead of speaking he kissed her. She melted into his embrace and parted her lips. He swept his tongue inside, already anticipating how good kissing her would feel. There was something about touching her, being touched by her, that was better than being with anyone else. A combination of who she was and how comfortable he was around her, he supposed.
The kiss went on longer than it should have, given that they were out in public. Reluctantly, he drew back.
She was flushed and her gaze was unfocused.
“You’re a really good kisser,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. “It’s the doctor thing, right? You’re probably so sexy in your white coat that you’ve dated a zillion women so you’re just better at kissing than most guys.”
Her assessment of him was so at odds with his actual life that he started to laugh. “Abby, I’m socially awkward. There have been women, but not many.”
“I’m not sure I believe you. I think there are hordes of women.”
“Not even close.”
“Then they’re really stupid, but I’m okay with that. More for me.”
She picked up their drinks and handed him his. He took it, then put his arm around her. He didn’t know if Abby was teasing or not and he didn’t care. Right now he felt as if he could take on the world.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“AFTER ALL THIS PLANNING, I can’t believe the wedding is only a few days away,” Liz said as they looked at the ballroom up at the resort.
“I know. It’s happening so fast,” Abby said.
Saturday Melissa and Davis would be married. Sunday morning they would drive to San Francisco for their flight to Hawaii. More significant to her, Joaquin would be heading back to Los Angeles.
Although they’d spent every day together since his return from visiting his brother, they never talked about what would happen after the wedding. Were they going to stay in touch, continue to see each other? She knew what she wanted, but was less sure about him. Obviously he liked her, liked being with her, but was she a fling or something more?
Abby didn’t like feeling unsure and she certainly didn’t want to be one of those women who wondered rather than asked. She’d always been fairly straightforward when it came to the guys in her life. But this time, she couldn’t seem to form the words—mostly because she was afraid he would say something she didn’t want to hear.
“Abby?” Liz asked.
“Sorry. Did you say something?”
Her mom smiled at her. “I think we’re done here. We’ve delivered the votives and place cards. We’ve gone over everything on the checklist. Now we just have to wait for Melissa to come home Wednesday night, and then we’re going to have a wedding.”
Less than a week, Abby thought glumly. She had less than a week until Joaquin went back to being a gifted surgeon and she stayed here, getting ready for the school year to start.
“Are you all right?” Liz asked as they walked back to her car for the drive to town.
“Just thinking about stuff.”
“Joaquin?” Liz unlocked the car. “I couldn’t help noticing how much you two have been hanging out. It’s more than just being polite to a future family member.”
“I know.” Abby slid onto the passenger seat. “I wasn’t sure what to expect with him, but he’s really nice and fun and I like him.”
“But?”
“But when the wedding’s over, he’s going back to LA and I have no idea what happens after that. I know I should ask, but I can’t.” She bit her lower lip. “I’m scared.”
“Because you’re falling in love with him?”
The gentle question caught Abby by surprise. “What? Love? No. It’s too soon. I’ve never been in love. I probably should have been but I didn’t ever feel that way and it would be ridiculous for me to fall for him.”
Liz drove out of the parking lot without saying anything.
Abby sighed. “You really think I’m falling in love with him?”
“I can’t answer that question, honey. You have to.”
Love Joaquin? Could she? Did she? It would explain a lot. How she thought about him all the time and couldn’t wait to be with him and how she was worried about him leaving.
“He lives in Los Angeles. I have a teaching job here.”
“People make long-distance relationships work all the time. It’s...what? A seven-hour drive or less than an hour by plane. He’s not moving to Mars.”
“Mars would be more difficult,” Abby said. “I should talk to him, huh? Ask him what he expects after the wedding.”
“That would be a good start.”
“Right. The mature decision.” She looked at her mom. “What if he doesn’t like me?”
Liz smiled. “You know he does. It’s not a matter of if but how much. And what his expectations are. You might also want to think about what you want. He’s going to ask you.”
What did she want? “I want to keep seeing him. I want us to be exclusive. I want to see where this goes.”
She wanted to let her feelings grow and then she wanted to make love with him, she thought. She wanted him to be her first one and maybe, just maybe, her only one.
“Then tell him that. Tell him you think he’s special and that the two of you have potential.”
“Which takes me back to what if he doesn’t want that? I don’t want to get my heart broken.”
“It’s too late for that. Whether or not he says
the words, if he’s not interested in you past the wedding, then you’re going to find out one way or the other. You’re already in too deep.”
“You couldn’t just say everything will be fine?”
Liz smiled. “Everything will be fine.”
“Like I believe that now.” She leaned her head against the seat back. “All right. I’ll work on being brave and mature. I won’t like it, but I’ll work on it.”
“That’s my girl.”
* * *
JOAQUIN HURRIED THROUGH Fool’s Gold. He was meeting Abby at the bridal shop for the final fitting of her bridesmaid dress. He wasn’t sure what that meant exactly. Why wouldn’t the dress just fit because they ordered the right size? And how could a store only sell bridal stuff and stay in business? Were that many people getting married?
Not that he cared, he thought as he spotted the storefront for Paper Moon from across the street. He only wanted to spend time with Abby. He didn’t mind if she was getting fitted or they were painting fences or watching cricket on BBC. As long as he was with her, he was happy.
That state of being was new to him. He was more a “content” kind of person. He wasn’t given to emotions like happy or sad. The middle of the road was a much easier place to live.
But around Abby, he couldn’t help himself. Just knowing he was going to see her was enough to make him practically giddy. He thought about her all the time and counted the hours until he could see her again. Looming in the background was the fact that he still had to tell her why he’d originally come to Fool’s Gold, but he had time. The wedding wasn’t until Saturday.
He walked into the store and immediately found himself in a foreign land. It wasn’t just the displays of wedding gowns and accessories—it was the plush carpeting, the ornate furniture and the general air of being part of something he could not understand.
He came to stop just inside the door, not sure what to do. Should he go back outside and text Abby that he would join her later or should he suck it up and try to find her?
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