in the meantime, give me space. Maybe one day I can get over it enough for us to be friends.”
“You really think that you and I can ever be just friends?” I said as I moved close to her. I swept my thumb over her cheek and despite her anger and hurt, I felt her respond with a shiver. Desire sparked in her blue eyes, but I saw the battle wage within the blue depths.
“No, Grit, you’re probably right. We could probably never be just friends. Which is all the more reason you need to back off and leave me alone. I cannot trust you again.” She would have stepped back, but I put my hand on her waist to hold her to me.
“I’m so unbelievably sorry.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “I’ve been hurt, Abby, and after our experience on the phone, I realized that you could hurt me far more than she ever did. I promised myself after her that I would never feel that strongly about another woman again. Since her, I rotated the women I’ve been with.”
“So, you pushed me away and hurt me to keep yourself from getting too close.”
“Yes.”
“How do I know you won’t do the same thing again? How can I trust you to not hurt me again?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, that’s something you will have to decide, but I’m going to do everything I can to convince you that you can trust me.” Her eyes were closed as she listened to me. I lifted my head and kissed her forehead where mine had been resting. “I’ll wait, because I want you that much. We could be great together and I think you know it, too.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Give it time, honey, you can, and eventually you will. I messed up and I know that I will have to make it up to you.” I kissed her on the forehead one more time, then drew back. “I know you have a lot to do and I have things to do as well, so I’ll see you later. And, Abby, I didn’t sleep with her.” I turned and left so she could think on what I said.
<<<<<>>>>>
I went to my dad’s office. He had called me that morning and told me to come in this afternoon. There was something going on and he wanted to discuss it. “Hello, Ms. Janet,” I greeted his secretary. When we started the Belle chapter, dad’s old secretary decided to go into retirement rather than move with him here. Janet was her replacement and she was just as efficient but a lot sweeter.
“Grit, it’s good to see you,” she said with a smile. Her grey streaked brown hair that was cut short but looked good on her. “Your father is waiting for you.”
“Thanks, have you given any more thought to running away with me?”
She laughed. “I thought about it, but my husband wouldn’t be too happy with me and I think you have another person you are thinking about running away with if the rumor mill is accurate,” she not so subtly questioned.
I just smiled and shook my head. You’ve got to love small town gossip. “Gavel,” I said, walking into his office. He was on his computer looking up something, I couldn’t quite see it, but he quickly exited whatever page he was on.
“Son, have a seat.” The look on his face implied that I was not going to like whatever he was about to tell me. “As you know, I’ve been watching things from Abby’s past and with the business completed from Amarillo, I’ve seen movement. There hasn’t been a lot going on, but enough to cause some concern. However, with the opening of Phoenix, I don’t want to add anything more to her plate. Keep an eye on her, Grit, everything is almost complete as far as her past goes and it’s going to make her have
“You really think that you and I can ever be just friends?” I said as I moved close to her. I swept my thumb over her cheek and despite her anger and hurt, I felt her respond with a shiver. Desire sparked in her blue eyes, but I saw the battle wage within the blue depths.
“No, Grit, you’re probably right. We could probably never be just friends. Which is all the more reason you need to back off and leave me alone. I cannot trust you again.” She would have stepped back, but I put my hand on her waist to hold her to me.
“I’m so unbelievably sorry.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “I’ve been hurt, Abby, and after our experience on the phone, I realized that you could hurt me far more than she ever did. I promised myself after her that I would never feel that strongly about another woman again. Since her, I rotated the women I’ve been with.”
“So, you pushed me away and hurt me to keep yourself from getting too close.”
“Yes.”
“How do I know you won’t do the same thing again? How can I trust you to not hurt me again?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, that’s something you will have to decide, but I’m going to do everything I can to convince you that you can trust me.” Her eyes were closed as she listened to me. I lifted my head and kissed her forehead where mine had been resting. “I’ll wait, because I want you that much. We could be great together and I think you know it, too.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Give it time, honey, you can, and eventually you will. I messed up and I know that I will have to make it up to you.” I kissed her on the forehead one more time, then drew back. “I know you have a lot to do and I have things to do as well, so I’ll see you later. And, Abby, I didn’t sleep with her.” I turned and left so she could think on what I said.
<<<<<>>>>>
I went to my dad’s office. He had called me that morning and told me to come in this afternoon. There was something going on and he wanted to discuss it. “Hello, Ms. Janet,” I greeted his secretary. When we started the Belle chapter, dad’s old secretary decided to go into retirement rather than move with him here. Janet was her replacement and she was just as efficient but a lot sweeter.
“Grit, it’s good to see you,” she said with a smile. Her grey streaked brown hair that was cut short but looked good on her. “Your father is waiting for you.”
“Thanks, have you given any more thought to running away with me?”
She laughed. “I thought about it, but my husband wouldn’t be too happy with me and I think you have another person you are thinking about running away with if the rumor mill is accurate,” she not so subtly questioned.
I just smiled and shook my head. You’ve got to love small town gossip. “Gavel,” I said, walking into his office. He was on his computer looking up something, I couldn’t quite see it, but he quickly exited whatever page he was on.
“Son, have a seat.” The look on his face implied that I was not going to like whatever he was about to tell me. “As you know, I’ve been watching things from Abby’s past and with the business completed from Amarillo, I’ve seen movement. There hasn’t been a lot going on, but enough to cause some concern. However, with the opening of Phoenix, I don’t want to add anything more to her plate. Keep an eye on her, Grit, everything is almost complete as far as her past goes and it’s going to make her have
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