The House on Sunshine Corner

by Phoebe Mills

  “Oh no,” Pauline said. “We stopped having to deal with your squabbles the day the last of you moved out of the house, and you’re not pulling us back in.”

  Savannah glared, mirroring her brothers’ stances and crossing her own arms. “You’re all the worst. I hope you know that. The absolute worst.”

  Abby could see where Savannah was coming from. It no doubt got old having to deal with the overprotective nature of four older brothers, plus their friends. But still, Abby didn’t think they were the worst at all. She thought they were the best, and she’d give just about anything to create something as equally wonderful with someone she could call her own.

  Chapter Twelve

  A while later, after making the rounds multiple times, Abby had managed to speak to everyone who’d come out to support her at least once. On one of those passes around the bar, she found her grandma at a high-top table surrounded by the Bridge Bunch, the group of them laughing uproariously.

  Hilde snagged her arm as she passed. “Abby! Come here a second.”

  She stepped up to her grandma’s side, grinning. “Hi, Grandma. Ladies. Thanks so much for coming out to support me tonight.”

  Mabel reached out, covered Abby’s hand with her own, and squeezed. “Oh, honey, you couldn’t have kept us from it! We’re all so proud of you.”

  Abby could feel her cheeks heating over the praise, but she tamped that down and smiled. “Thank you.”

  “Did you know this place has sand volleyball down on the beach?” her grandma asked. “And these yummy drinks with the little umbrellas.” She gestured to her now-empty glass that sat among the collection at the table. “I’m not going to get any of that down at the fuddy-duddy senior center. I want my birthday party next month to be right here.”

  Abby laughed. “And you think you’re going to be down there playing sand volleyball, do you?”

  “I don’t need to play to enjoy the show,” Hilde said with a lascivious smile.

  All the ladies in her grandma’s little posse hooted their enjoyment, attracting the attention of the other patrons.

  “True as that might be,” Abby said on a laugh, “I’m not sure how many shirtless men you’re going to find on the beach in April.”

  “I’ll take my chances.”

  “Me too,” Mabel said with the other ladies murmuring their agreement.

  Abby wrapped an arm around her grandma’s shoulders and hugged her tight to her side. “Whatever you want, Grandma. You only turn seventy once, right?”

  She talked with her grandma and the rest of the ladies for a little while longer until loud voices reached her from across the room. Glancing up, she found Gia and Marco obviously in an argument, their heads close together, though that didn’t do much to keep their voices from carrying.

  Excusing herself, she headed their way, her brows drawn together. Carter stood next to the couple, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a bottle of beer. His gaze bounced around the space to anywhere but Gia and Marco, looking like he wished the floor would just swallow him whole.

  She touched the back of his arm to get his attention, and he glanced down at her, his relief at her presence evident. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Before Carter could respond, Gia threw her hands up. “I’ll tell you what’s going on. Marco doesn’t think I can mother our baby right.”

  Marco groaned, tossing his head back in clear frustration. “That’s not what I said, dammit. All I said was that I wanted to help. We just listened to all these parents talk about how hard it is to do midnight feedings by yourself. If you strictly breastfeed, I can’t help with that. I’m not saying you can’t. I’m just saying maybe we look at ways to supplement so I can help.”

  Crossing her arms, Gia said, “You think I can’t do it on my own.”

  “Jesus, Gia. That isn’t what I said.” Marco slid a frustrated hand down his face and took a deep, calming breath. Reaching out, he gently gripped her arms. “You’re getting worked up over nothing, babe. You’re turning this into a fight when it doesn’t need to be.”

  Narrowing her eyes, Gia stepped back from his touch and, without a word, strode past them before disappearing inside the bathroom.

  Marco ran his hands through his hair before dropping his arms to his sides, groaning out his frustration. “What the hell just happened here?”

  Carter only managed a shrug and a bewildered expression. “No idea, man.”

  “I’m going to go check on her,” Abby said.

  Marco didn’t put up an argument, so Abby turned and headed toward the bathroom. Inside, she found Gia at the sink, attempting to save her mascara with a tissue, before she whirled around to see who’d come in.

  Abby held up her hands and walked toward Gia. “Just me.” She ran a hand down her friend’s arm. “What was that all about?”

  Gia shook her head and lifted her gaze toward the ceiling, blinking at the sudden sheen in her eyes. “It normally wouldn’t even be a big deal, but everything just piled on tonight. We had all these well-meaning people coming over to congratulate us, and then every single one of them gave us advice on how we should do this and that. Co-sleeping, epidural or not…and do we really want someone else raising our kids? Hello. I teach classes at a day care!” Gia threw her hands up in clear exasperation.

  “Yeah, they needed to read the room on that one…”

  Gia breathed out a watery laugh before shaking her head. “And then there was talk of discipline, and whether or not it’s cruel to let the baby cry it out. And breastfeeding versus bottle feeding, and how if you don’t breastfeed, you don’t want the best for your child. But how if you do breastfeed, you aren’t interested in allowing your partner bonding time with the baby. How am I supposed to know what’s right, Abby? I don’t know! I don’t know how to do any of this.”

  As Gia started crying again, Abby wrapped her arms around her friend and held her tight. “I don’t know either. But you and Marco have always been a great team. You listen to each other and support each other, and that’s going to trickle down to your baby. You just have to talk to each other with an open mind.”

  “If he doesn’t tell me I’m getting worked up over nothing…”

  “Yeah, he didn’t need to be so dismissive of your concerns.” She grabbed her friend’s hands and stepped back, holding her at arm’s length. “Can I be honest with you about something, even if it makes you upset?”

  Gia laughed through her tears and rolled her eyes, gesturing toward herself. “I think that ship’s already sailed.”

  Abby smiled softly and squeezed Gia’s hands. “I didn’t hear the whole thing, but what I did hear was a husband worried about his wife. Marco would do anything for you, and I’m sure he just wants to make sure he helps out in any way he can. That he pulls his weight so it doesn’t all fall to you.”

  At that, Gia’s tears ran faster, and Abby made a gruff noise in her throat. “Oh, honey, I didn’t make mean to make you cry more.”

  Gia waved a hand in front of her face, blotting at her tears with a tissue. “I cry all the time. All the time. I might as well be a newborn baby.” She blew out a deep breath, her shoulders slumping. “And I’m not upset. I’m crying because you’re right. It’s just…It’s hard, Abby. We’ve never had to deal with something like this before.”

  “That’s not true. You did it when you adopted Ollie and went through the adjustment phase of bringing him into your life.”

  “A dog and a baby are hardly the same thing.”

  “Well, obviously they’re very different, but you still had to discuss what you were going to allow and not, discipline, who would get up in the middle of the night for potty breaks…”

  “I guess.”

  “See? And you got through that just fine. You’ll get through this, too.”

  At Gia’s nod, Abby wrapped her friend in her arms and held her until her tears finally abated before they ventured back into the bar.

  * * *

  Later that night
, after Abby had seen Gia off with Marco, she collected the sign-up sheets from each of the silent auction items. Aaron had been right—each and every item had more than one bid…some plenty more—and her eyes nearly bugged out as she mentally tallied up how much the event had raised. This night alone was enough to cover the long list of equipment she needed for the preschool. Once again, she was overcome with gratitude to the people of Heart’s Hope Bay who came out to support her and her dream.

  “Looks like it was a success.”

  Abby turned at the sound of Carter’s voice, smiling at him and hoping he didn’t catch the sheen of tears in her eyes. Swallowing, she nodded. “It was. I wasn’t anticipating quite this big of a turnout.”

  He stepped up next to her, so close his arm brushed her shoulder, and she barely suppressed a shiver. “I could’ve told you otherwise.”

  “Oh yeah? Since you’re so familiar with the people in town?” she teased.

  “I don’t have to be familiar with them to see how much they love you. Next time don’t sell yourself so short.”

  Instead of responding to that, she asked, “What are you still doing here?”

  Carter glanced around the nearly empty bar and lifted a shoulder. “Thought I’d stick around and see if you needed help with anything. All I have waiting for me at home is a passed out three-year-old and a sister who’s going to grill me on every single detail even though she could’ve just come herself.”

  With a grin, Abby said, “Well, thanks. I think I’ve got everything. I just need to get these baskets out to my car, and that’s it. I was going to wrangle Savannah’s brothers into helping, but it’s a full moon tonight and apparently that’s a good time to risk your life with midnight surfing.”

  Carter laughed. “Shit, they’re still doing that? I figured they’d have outgrown that by now.”

  “They haven’t outgrown a single thing in their entire lives.”

  He made a noise of acknowledgment and said, “Well, I can help you get the baskets to your car. But how about a drink and a game of pool first?”

  Abby’s feet ached and she couldn’t wait to get into her pajamas, but she’d done something great tonight. She deserved to celebrate, and she couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather celebrate it with than Carter.

  “That sounds great.”

  He smiled down at her before guiding her toward the bartender, and she valiantly ignored the way her insides warmed over the affection showcased in his gaze.

  Fortunately, since they were some of the last people left in the bar, they didn’t have to wait for either their drinks or a pool table. Before long they were set up with both.

  Abby stood off to the side with a pool cue in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. She watched Carter rack the balls, the muscles of his biceps bunching against the fitted sleeve of his T-shirt. He must’ve taken off his sweater earlier in the night when the crowded bar had gotten a bit heated, but Abby couldn’t say she minded the view.

  “So…” Carter started with a deceptive casualness to his tone. “Which of Savannah’s brothers was going to help you get everything loaded in your car tonight?”

  “Jackson, probably. I can usually talk him into just about anything.”

  “Is that so? Anything, huh?”

  “Well, I haven’t tested the theory, but I don’t think Jackson’s said no to anything a day in his life.”

  “Even you?”

  Abby’s brows hit her hairline, and she froze with her bottle poised in front of her mouth. She stared at Carter, seeing the lines of tension across his shoulders, and nearly laughed internally. “Is that your way of asking if I’ve dated Jackson?”

  Carter shrugged before leaning over to break. “It makes sense. You guys always got along.”

  Abby snorted at the sheer ridiculousness of the thought of her with any one of Savannah’s brothers. “Got along like siblings…I haven’t had a crush on one of Savannah’s brothers since I was thirteen.”

  Carter narrowed his eyes. “You never told me that.”

  She tossed her head back and laughed at how put out he sounded. “Did you want me to tell you about my teen crush on Chad Michael Murray, too?”

  Carter didn’t seem to be quite as amused with the entire thing as she was. He stood, stone faced, as she grinned. Finally, he said, “So you never explored anything with one of them?”

  “With them? No. But I have been in other relationships, Carter. If I give you their names, do you plan on stopping by and beating up each and every one of them?”

  Seeming to realize how he’d been holding himself, Carter relaxed, letting his shoulders drop as he shook his head on a low laugh. “It’s none of my business.”

  Abby wasn’t so sure about that. Since Carter had been home, it had been easy for them to fall back into the bond they’d once shared. And though it was different, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Besides, she wasn’t so sure that she didn’t want it to be Carter’s business. She’d spent the entirety of his time back here fighting this undercurrent of chemistry that always arced between them. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on.

  “What about you?” she asked. “Any relationships I should know about?”

  “If it didn’t stick with you, Abby, it’s not gonna stick with anyone. You should know that by now.”

  His words floated over her, settling deep in her chest, making her feel buoyant. As their eyes met across the pool table, heat sparked between them, and she was snared in his gaze, unable to look away.

  Carter shook his head and broke their connection, taking a pull from his beer. “Would you rather have whatever you’re thinking appear as thought bubbles above your head, or have your life be live-streamed?”

  Abby laughed at the old game they used to play, forgetting until just then how they’d talk until the early hours of the morning, debating different made-up scenarios.

  “You’re taking me back to high school with that question.”

  “That was the plan. I want to see if your answers have changed that much.”

  “How can you even remember what questions we asked? That was a million years ago.”

  Carter’s eyes, when they met hers, were hot and hungry, a lethal combination, especially when she was starving. The chemistry they shared crackled between them, and heat flickered low in her belly.

  “I remember it all, Abby.”

  At just five simple words from him, she bit her lip and had to work to hold herself up. They weren’t touching—hell, they weren’t even close to touching—but it didn’t matter. They could have been across the room from each other, and Abby still would’ve felt this unrelenting tug. This current pulling her closer and closer to him, not caring in the least how much she fought it.

  She wanted him. She’d wanted him since the day he’d stepped foot in the Sunshine Corner, even though she’d made a valiant effort to ignore it. She was so tired of ignoring it, though.

  “I’d give just about anything to see those thought bubbles now,” Carter murmured, bracing his hands on the pool table as he leaned toward her. His eyes flicked down to her mouth before he licked his own lips. “Let me take you home, Abby.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Having had several drinks that night, neither Abby nor Carter felt it was safe to drive home. Thankfully, Ben, the owner of Last Call, had agreed to store the gift baskets there until the following day when Abby would swing by to pick them up.

  She and Carter left both their cars in the lot, unconcerned about being towed, and walked the short distance to Abby’s house, the full moon and the streetlamps lighting their way.

  Since Heart’s Hope Bay was the size of a postage stamp, they arrived far too quickly. The idea of saying goodbye already filled her with dread. The space around Carter practically glowed, the easy intimacy they’d found together tonight almost addictive. She wasn’t ready to let it go quite yet.

  Fiddling with her keys, she swallowed her nerves and asked, “Do you want to come inside
?”

  “You asking me in for a cup of coffee, Abby?”

  She grinned. “Actually, I was thinking cookies, but if you want coffee, I can put on a pot.”

  Carter stepped into her and reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The featherlight touch of his fingers combined with the heat that poured off his body had her breath catching and her nipples tightening into stiff peaks.

  “I’ll come in for anything you want,” he murmured, his voice low and rough and delicious enough to make her knees weak.

  Unable to respond, her mouth too dry to muster up an answer, Abby spun around and unlocked the door before stepping inside, willing herself to get it together.

  Carter followed, shutting the door behind them. The space was quiet, the only noises the creaky groans of the old house settling.

  “Your grandma’s not going to pop out of one of these rooms, is she?” he asked.

  Abby chuckled softly and shook her head. “After her wild night of too-many umbrella drinks, she must’ve turned in early. She made me promise to throw her birthday party there next month so she can be a voyeur to beach volleyball.”

  Carter’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “She knows it’ll only be April, right?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  He chuckled as they both shrugged out of their jackets and hung them on the coatrack near the front door before they made their way back to the kitchen. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, her entire body humming with awareness at Carter’s proximity.

  Needing some breathing room, Abby went straight for the cookie jar and plucked out a couple cookies for them to share. “You still like chocolate chip, right?”

  He murmured his agreement, and she glanced up to find that he hadn’t yet made it to the table in the breakfast nook. Instead, his attention had been snagged by her grandma’s old record player—a relic from their high school days—that sat in the sunroom just off the kitchen.

  Back then, Carter had pretended to be enthralled with music, and they would spend hours listening to record after record. But she’d learned pretty early on that it hadn’t been the music that kept Carter interested—it’d been the fact that so many of her grandmother’s records were ballads, perfect to dance to, and Carter would use any excuse to have their bodies pressed up against each other.