The House on Sunshine Corner

by Phoebe Mills

  “I assume,” Gia cut in, “if you’re so well read, that you’ll know if we give the baby a bottle too early, they could develop nipple confusion. Is that what you want? Do you want the baby to not take my nipple?”

  Well, this was swiftly moving into uncomfortable territory. Abby exchanged a look with Savannah, the other woman’s eyebrows raised as if to say shit was getting real. If Abby was at all concerned with paying Carter any attention, she would have glanced his way to see what his reaction was to this conversation. Since she couldn’t possibly care less, she forced herself to stay focused on the couple, only vaguely aware of Carter’s stiff shoulders.

  Marco reached for Gia’s hand. “Are you seriously talking about your nipples in the middle of Last Call in front of every resident of Heart’s Hope Bay?”

  Gia jerked her hand out of Marco’s grasp. “That’s what you’re worried about? We’re discussing something serious about our baby, and you’re worried about people hearing that I have nipples? Newsflash,” she yelled to the room, “I have nipples!”

  Okay, maybe it was time for Abby to step in. She had no problems cutting off her friends when they’d had a few too many drinks, and this was no different. Gia had just been shot with pregnancy hormones instead of liquor. “Do you think—”

  “Oh, that’s great. That’s very mature, Gia,” Marco said, his voice hushed. “You act like I’m saying I want to give the baby a sippy cup of milk on the first day. All I’m suggesting is that you pump and let me supplement with a middle-of-the-night bottle.”

  “And all I’m asking for is that you trust me and the research I’ve done on this. I don’t want to introduce a bottle too early on.”

  “Yeah, well, I want to have some bonding time with my kid. Is that so wrong? You’re being ridiculous again.”

  Gia stood perfectly still for three seconds, her gaze never wavering from Marco’s, and then she spun on her heel and stormed out of the bar without sparing Marco a backward glance. He groaned and jogged after her, not paying them any attention.

  Abby turned to Savannah. “I’m gonna check and make sure she’s okay. Can you just…” Abby gestured around the space.

  With a nod, Savannah said, “Yeah, go ahead. I’ll make sure everything runs smooth. Give her a hug for me.”

  Abby strode after her friend with a single-minded focus to make sure she was okay. Which was the only logical reason she didn’t realize Carter had joined her until suddenly the door opened in front of her. He stood next to her, his arm outstretched over her head as he held the door open for her.

  She jerked her gaze away from his, not wanting to get snared by his eyes. “Thank you,” she said stiffly, and strode outside. The streetlights had just come on, the fading sun casting a soft glow over the nearly full parking lot.

  Her rushing was all for naught as Abby watched Marco and Gia both climb into their separate cars, Gia having driven over straight from work. Their departures were quiet. No roar of engines or squealing tires. But she knew there might as well have been for what was no doubt awaiting the couple when they arrived at home.

  Abby blew out a long breath and tucked her hair behind her ear, wanting desperately to turn around and stroll straight back into Last Call but also knowing that was the childish way out. Regardless of any lingering embarrassment she still felt, she didn’t want Carter to leave again—maybe for another ten years—with their last conversation having been a fight.

  He cleared his throat, and she braced herself before turning to look at him. He stood there, his elbow bent and hand cupping the back of his neck, as he studied her out of the corner of his eye, looking delicious and a little bit ragged at the same time. Good, it wasn’t just her, then. “Think they’ve got us beat on the fight?”

  A smile quirked up the side of her mouth. “Maybe if we were scoring solely on awkward points.”

  With a laugh, he shook his head and dropped his hand, tucking it into the front pocket of his jeans. “I never thought I’d have to say this, but I don’t ever want to hear Gia talk about her nipples again.”

  Abby’s shoulders loosened from the stiff posture she’d been holding, and she laughed along with him. “I’m pretty sure everyone in Last Call would say the same thing. And if I know Gia, she’s going to be completely mortified tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, well…sometimes stupid things are said in the heat of the moment that you wish you could take back.”

  She met his eyes in the fading light of the setting sun and read the sincerity in his gaze. “I may also be familiar with that…”

  He blew out a deep breath and turned to face her fully. “I know this probably isn’t the best time since it’s your grandma’s birthday party, but I was hoping we could talk.”

  Her stomach soared and plummeted at once, hope and dread clashing inside her. But instead of running away, she metaphorically pulled up her big girl pants and nodded, steeling herself for what was to come.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Carter hadn’t realized just how much tension he’d been holding over the past week until Abby had agreed to talk. A talk that would be bittersweet at best. But even though none of the circumstances surrounding their fight had changed, that didn’t mean he wanted to leave on bad terms. He’d spent the past ten years completely cut off from someone who’d once been his best friend. He didn’t want to spend the next ten facing the same fate.

  After watching Gia and Marco drive off, he and Abby had stayed at Last Call for another half hour, letting the party wind down naturally until Abby had felt comfortable enough to leave early. As for Hilde, from the looks she’d been shooting his way all night, it was crystal clear that he hadn’t been welcome there in the first place, so he was all too ready to make his departure.

  After they’d said their goodbyes—separately—he followed Abby home, reminding himself why this conversation was necessary, and why, despite how much he wished otherwise, they needed to figure out what they were doing, was it making a clean break…or not.

  He parked behind her in the driveway, pulling into Hilde’s spot—his own personal insurance so he wouldn’t chicken out and end up back in Abby’s bed again.

  She didn’t so much as glance back to make sure he was following her, and he’d give just about anything to know what she was thinking in that moment. Was she trying to find a way to make this work with them like he’d been doing? Or was she ready to throw in the towel, having no interest in being with a man—just a man—who wouldn’t give her the family she so wanted?

  She stepped into the quiet, empty house, flipping on a light before she hung her keys on the hook by the back door. Tension hung heavy in the air, but he ignored it as best he could as he followed her inside and shut the door behind him. As easy as it’d be to bury his head in the sand, to ignore their fight and go about his life as if nothing had ever happened, their relationship—their friendship—meant too much to him to leave it broken.

  Abby shrugged out of her cardigan, leaving her in a dark green sleeveless dress, making her fair skin glow even under the harsh kitchen lights and awakening parts of himself that he’d just as soon stay sleeping. He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets to keep from reaching for her, his body aching to feel her silky smooth skin under his fingertips, even just once more. But he knew nothing good would come from them sleeping together again. Nothing good besides the obvious, anyway. And as amazing as the obvious was, it wasn’t nearly enough to jeopardize whatever friendship they could salvage.

  “Do you want something to drink?” she asked.

  The formal question only reminded him exactly how far they’d fallen. Had it really only been a little over a week ago when he’d pressed her against the counter and feasted on her neck while her grandma had been out with her friends? They’d spent the evening working upstairs, and before they’d known it, it had been nearly nine and they’d missed dinner. They were both exhausted and starving, but it’d been too late to order takeout from anywhere, so they’d scavenged. He’d wowed her w
ith the one dish he’d managed to perfect while he’d been staying at Becca’s—grilled cheese, Sofia’s actual favorite. And then, when there was nothing left on their plates but crumbs, he’d wowed her with something else entirely.

  Even though that night hadn’t been that long ago, it felt like a lifetime. Now it seemed like they were back exactly where they’d been when he’d arrived, all avoidance and stilted conversation, and he hated it. He wanted to laugh and joke with her, wanted to vent to her about the constant edits from Redmond, wanted to hear about whatever hilarious thing Sofia or one of the other kids did at day care that day. He wanted to carry her upstairs, lose himself inside her body until they both saw stars, and then hold her in his arms as they drifted off to sleep.

  But that was no longer in the cards for them.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m good, thanks.”

  Abby nodded, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she studied him with apprehension. An expected expression, even if he hated it.

  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, knowing this wasn’t going to get any easier, so he might as well get it over with. Rip it off like a Band-Aid so they could move forward with the next aspect of their relationship…whatever that looked like.

  “I wanted to talk to you about last week. Look, Abby, the things I said…the way I spoke to you—it wasn’t okay.” He put as much sincerity as he could in the words, desperate for her to believe every ounce of his remorse. There’d been many times in his life where he’d wanted to go back and do things over, but none as much as that argument between them.

  She pressed her lips together and gave him a small nod. “You weren’t the only one…I said some pretty hurtful things, too, and I’m sorry.”

  Shrugging, he pretended as if her words—so much like his dad’s—hadn’t affected him as much as they had. “Hurtful, maybe, but not untrue.”

  He had bailed—on his family, on his friendships, and on this town. But back then, he hadn’t been able to picture a way to heal, to grow, without fleeing. Hell, he still couldn’t.

  “I suppose this was coming all along,” she said. “There’s no way we could’ve ever made this work…right?” The longing in the last word, like she was hoping he’d tell her otherwise, nearly had him reconsidering everything he thought he wanted. Was a career really all that important to him? After all, like she’d said, his job wouldn’t keep him warm at night.

  But he’d spent his entire adult life working toward this goal, and he didn’t want to abandon it. Without achieving that goal, what would he be?

  “Yeah,” he said quietly, and hated himself a little more when her eyes lost a bit of their sparkle.

  Tentatively, he walked toward her, not stopping until he was close enough that he could reach out and touch her. Despite their nearness, he held back, unsure of the reception he’d receive and knowing how much it’d crush him if she pulled away. “This is going to sound pretty shitty of me, but I’m really glad Becca broke her ankle.”

  Abby breathed out a laugh, her smile brightening her eyes in a way that made them shine. “I’ll deny it if you ever repeat this to her, but I am, too.”

  Slow enough so she could push him away if she wanted, he reached out and cupped her face, sighing in relief when she allowed his hands to touch her skin. He brushed his thumbs against her cheeks, trying to memorize every bit of her he could in their nearness. How silky her skin was under his hands, the wispy flyaways at her hairline that just kissed her forehead, and the tiny flecks of gray in her eyes.

  “I’ve loved spending this time with you, and I wouldn’t change it for anything,” he said, meaning every word. It didn’t matter that his goal had been pushed back. That he’d have to bust his ass even harder to have everything ready in time to take on Franken’s project, assuming their meeting went well. He was just grateful they’d had this time together. “Getting to know the woman you are now, layered on top of the girl you used to be…the girl I fell in love with…is something I never knew I needed.”

  Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she exhaled sharply. “Me too,” she whispered as she reached out and rested her hands on his waist. Their eyes locked, hers searching for something he wasn’t sure he could give her. Finally, she gave him a sad smile. “But no matter how much we’ve enjoyed these past two months, it doesn’t change anything.”

  Even though she didn’t ask it like a question, he answered anyhow, shaking his head as regret sat heavy in his stomach. “Right. Our paths are just too incompatible. We want different things, Abby, and I couldn’t live with myself if you ended up resenting me for not giving you what you need.”

  Since their fight, he’d turned over a hundred different possibilities in his head, trying to find a way they could make this work. He had no intention of ever moving back to Heart’s Hope Bay, and he knew it’d take an act of God to get her to move to Vegas. But people successfully did long-distance relationships all the time. Why couldn’t they be one of those couples?

  But no matter how he worked it out in his mind, he always got hung up when he imagined what their life would look like five or ten or twenty years down the line. When it was just the two of them, living in separate cities, not married, Abby never realizing her dream of having a family and kids of her own. All because he was a selfish bastard who couldn’t give her what she needed. Who wouldn’t give her those things.

  She nodded, the soft smile on her face doing nothing to mask the sheen of tears in her eyes, and if he hadn’t already broken his own heart with his choice, that would’ve done it. “At least this time we can stay friends, right?”

  He gripped her tighter and pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers. Closing his eyes, he whispered, “Always.”

  And then he did what he promised himself he wouldn’t. He tilted her face up to meet his and pressed his lips to hers, attempting to memorize every second. Instead of leaving it at that…instead of backing away after a quick, chaste kiss, he took it a step further than he should have and swiped his tongue against her bottom lip. He swallowed her soft moan, memorizing the exact cadence as he tasted her for what he knew would be the last time.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  A couple days later, Carter met Marco at Last Call for a beer. It was later than they originally planned to meet, but seeing as how this was Carter’s last night in Heart’s Hope Bay, he hadn’t wanted to miss a second with Sofia, so he’d waited to leave until she was in bed for the night.

  They hadn’t been there more than five minutes before Marco had talked him into a game of pool. Carter tried to block out the last time he’d been there, doing that very thing, but it was no use. The memories from that night with Abby were too fresh, too overwhelming for him to have any hope of doing anything but be lost in them. Had that really only been five weeks ago? It felt like a lifetime had passed since the night they’d stumbled upstairs into Abby’s room and had finally given in to the irresistible connection between them.

  But thinking about Abby wasn’t going to do him any good, as he’d proven to himself over the past week. He was leaving tomorrow, and no amount of wishing or hoping was going to change that. He had plans and goals, and he had to prioritize them right now.

  As much as he was tempted to draw this out…to stay another day or two if only to soak up time with the people he loved, it wasn’t an option. His meeting with Franken was first thing Monday morning, and he wanted to get back to Vegas with a couple days’ cushion so he could get in the right mindset and prepare for what would ultimately be the most important interview of his life. If he nailed it, he wouldn’t need that final promotion he’d had his eye on and could skip straight to his ultimate goal.

  “So you’re really leaving, huh?” Marco asked, standing off to the side as Carter took a shot.

  Carter glanced at him and stood to his full height, raising an eyebrow. “Did you think I was lying when I said I was only here temporarily?”

  Marco laughed, the booming sound something Carter hadn’t even r
ealized he’d missed in the time he’d been gone. “Nah, man. It just looked like maybe some things had changed.”

  “Nope, no changes here.” Unless he was talking about the invisible vise around Carter’s heart that he couldn’t seem to shake. “Still have a job waiting for me in Vegas. I actually have a meeting scheduled with a heavy hitter on Monday. He’s got a project that could put my own firm on the map.”

  “No shit! That’s fantastic. I’m happy for you. Well, as happy as I can be since now I definitely won’t be able to lure you over to our side.”

  Carter chuckled and shook his head, bending to line up another shot. “You’re relentless, you know that?”

  “Or as my wife likes to call it, a pain in the ass.”

  He missed and stood, letting Marco have the table. “Speaking of your wife…how are things?”

  Marco blew out a heavy breath as he leaned over the table, pool cue drawn. “I don’t know, man. It’s weird. We’re fighting all the time, and it’s about stupid shit, you know? I mean, we’ve always fought hard, but we make up hard, too, and the fights never last for more than a day. But now it feels like we’ve been in a never-ending one for months.”

  Carter cringed. “I’m no expert on women—certainly not wives—but could it be that what you think isn’t a big deal is a big deal to her?” He scratched his jaw and lifted a shoulder. “If there’s one thing I learned growing up with a sister it’s that she and I ultimately care about different things.”

  After missing his next shot, Marco stood and wrapped both hands around the top of his pool cue. “You’re probably right. I just…I get so frustrated. When I try to talk to her about this, she doesn’t want to hear anything I have to say. I get where she’s coming from, but there’s got to be a compromise there somewhere. I don’t want our family to be a carbon copy of the one I grew up in.” Marco seemed to anticipate Carter’s rebuke before he could speak a word, and he held up a hand. “You don’t have to remind me—I know my family’s great, and I love them. They’ve always supported me and provided for me. Some may even say they smothered me a little too much with love.”