feet.
Chelsie pushed at his chest. “Let me down, you ass,” she grumbled, but he walked toward the truck.
Looking back over his shoulder, he flashed his dimples at Abby again. “Tomorrow, right? Don’t forget.”
Nodding, she pushed his bicycle to him so he could put it in the bed. “Sure you won’t come over later?” he asked in a low voice, stroking the back of Abby’s hand with his thumb.
She pecked his cheek. “Positive. You need your rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With a deep sigh, Jason folded himself into the cab of the truck and shut the door, beeping as he drove away.
Maneuvering past the hanging door and trying to tug it back into place as she passed, Abby entered the house through the front door to find Sarah lounging in her chair and flipping through a magazine. She set it aside as Abby closed the door. Lacing her fingers over her chest, she stared. Abby shook her head and went into the kitchen for a bottle of water. Returning and dropping onto her chair, she spun the top off and took a swallow before looking at Sarah again. Sarah smiled thinly. “Spill,” she demanded.
“What?” Abby asked, raising the bottle to her lips again and sipping.
“‘Tired,’ Abby? Really? I seem to remember that you didn’t get up until noon today, and the most strenuous thing you did was get dragged around a hardware store for a few minutes.”
“I was up late last night, finishing a book. And I hauled a bratty six-year-old to her mother’s car.”
Sarah blew a raspberry. “So what? You stay up all night reading or writing grants for your museum all the time and walk the hell out of me the next day. And how about that ‘my night to cook’? When did we institute that little gem? I seem to remember that dinner lately has consisted of salad and whatever cold thing we could scrounge up because it’s so freakin’ hot outside.”
Abby shrugged.
“Trouble in paradise? ’Cause otherwise I can see no reason that you wouldn’t be hittin’ that hard and often, woman. No commitments, no drama, no baggage, just twenty-four seven lovin’.”
Abby rubbed her palms on her legs. “I don’t know. I like Jason, and he’s a great guy. Funny, smart, great kisser…but it’s not there, you know? Is there something wrong with wanting…more?”
“If you can say he’s a great kisser, he obviously doesn’t repulse you. Or are we on that ‘perfect man’ thing again?” They crossed themselves without thinking. “Enjoy what you have today, because we’re going home sooner than you think.” She thought for a minute and then giggled. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the birthday boy, would it? He looks at you like you’re a cupcake and he’d like to take a bite.”
“Be serious,” Abby said. “I haven’t seen Matt since that night, except in passing. I barely know him. And remember, I don’t want a man at all.” She rose from her seat and headed for the kitchen. “Since I did say that I’d cook, how about some Ahi and rice with our salads?”
With the subject changed, Sarah set about deciding on a wine while Abby made dinner. They spent the evening settled into their outside chairs while they watched the sunset and discussed their jobs; Abby’s behavior with Jason was forgotten.
Or so she thought—until they were heading up the stairs to bed. Sarah turned in her doorway and leveled a glance at her friend. “Abby, seriously…don’t be hasty in writing Jason off. He’s a nice guy, way good-looking, and he’s into you. This is just a summer fling—it doesn’t have to be a luuuve connection.”
Abby looked askance; casual hookups weren’t exactly her personal style. But then again, “her style” had stuck her with Eric for two years.
Sarah seemed to read Abby’s mind, and she grinned. “Change is good, baby.”
“I thought you said ‘change sucks’?”
“Change sucks for me. Because I’m an idiot. It works for you.” Sarah looked Abby over in satisfaction. “I
Chelsie pushed at his chest. “Let me down, you ass,” she grumbled, but he walked toward the truck.
Looking back over his shoulder, he flashed his dimples at Abby again. “Tomorrow, right? Don’t forget.”
Nodding, she pushed his bicycle to him so he could put it in the bed. “Sure you won’t come over later?” he asked in a low voice, stroking the back of Abby’s hand with his thumb.
She pecked his cheek. “Positive. You need your rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With a deep sigh, Jason folded himself into the cab of the truck and shut the door, beeping as he drove away.
Maneuvering past the hanging door and trying to tug it back into place as she passed, Abby entered the house through the front door to find Sarah lounging in her chair and flipping through a magazine. She set it aside as Abby closed the door. Lacing her fingers over her chest, she stared. Abby shook her head and went into the kitchen for a bottle of water. Returning and dropping onto her chair, she spun the top off and took a swallow before looking at Sarah again. Sarah smiled thinly. “Spill,” she demanded.
“What?” Abby asked, raising the bottle to her lips again and sipping.
“‘Tired,’ Abby? Really? I seem to remember that you didn’t get up until noon today, and the most strenuous thing you did was get dragged around a hardware store for a few minutes.”
“I was up late last night, finishing a book. And I hauled a bratty six-year-old to her mother’s car.”
Sarah blew a raspberry. “So what? You stay up all night reading or writing grants for your museum all the time and walk the hell out of me the next day. And how about that ‘my night to cook’? When did we institute that little gem? I seem to remember that dinner lately has consisted of salad and whatever cold thing we could scrounge up because it’s so freakin’ hot outside.”
Abby shrugged.
“Trouble in paradise? ’Cause otherwise I can see no reason that you wouldn’t be hittin’ that hard and often, woman. No commitments, no drama, no baggage, just twenty-four seven lovin’.”
Abby rubbed her palms on her legs. “I don’t know. I like Jason, and he’s a great guy. Funny, smart, great kisser…but it’s not there, you know? Is there something wrong with wanting…more?”
“If you can say he’s a great kisser, he obviously doesn’t repulse you. Or are we on that ‘perfect man’ thing again?” They crossed themselves without thinking. “Enjoy what you have today, because we’re going home sooner than you think.” She thought for a minute and then giggled. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the birthday boy, would it? He looks at you like you’re a cupcake and he’d like to take a bite.”
“Be serious,” Abby said. “I haven’t seen Matt since that night, except in passing. I barely know him. And remember, I don’t want a man at all.” She rose from her seat and headed for the kitchen. “Since I did say that I’d cook, how about some Ahi and rice with our salads?”
With the subject changed, Sarah set about deciding on a wine while Abby made dinner. They spent the evening settled into their outside chairs while they watched the sunset and discussed their jobs; Abby’s behavior with Jason was forgotten.
Or so she thought—until they were heading up the stairs to bed. Sarah turned in her doorway and leveled a glance at her friend. “Abby, seriously…don’t be hasty in writing Jason off. He’s a nice guy, way good-looking, and he’s into you. This is just a summer fling—it doesn’t have to be a luuuve connection.”
Abby looked askance; casual hookups weren’t exactly her personal style. But then again, “her style” had stuck her with Eric for two years.
Sarah seemed to read Abby’s mind, and she grinned. “Change is good, baby.”
“I thought you said ‘change sucks’?”
“Change sucks for me. Because I’m an idiot. It works for you.” Sarah looked Abby over in satisfaction. “I
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