“The look on your face when you got that text told me otherwise,” Leni challenged.
“In Abby’s defense, how can you build a relationship without expectations?” Cait asked.
“That’s exactly my point,” Leni said with a softer tone. “Relationships take trust, and trust builds expectations.”
Frustrated, Abby pushed to her feet and paced. “But not expectations of a future. It’s not like I’m pining for a wedding ring. We just started seeing each other a little over a week ago.”
“I can’t believe you’ve only been together that long. You guys are so comfortable with each other,” Jules said. “When you looked at each other last night and the other day when I saw you in town, it was like you two could read each other’s minds.”
“That’s exactly how it feels,” Abby confessed. “And I know it makes no sense, but we’re that good together, and I’m happy for the first time in years. He gets me, you guys. He fosters my friendships, he values family as much as I do, and he supports my ideas. Although he pushes, too, like signing me up for the competition when I said I didn’t want to do it.”
Leni raised her index finger toward the ceiling and said, “He gets extra brownie points from me for doing that.”
“Great. I’ll tell him that,” Abby said. “That’s what I mean. His bad thing is a good thing. Is it a crime that I want to enjoy it and not worry about if we’re going to last past these few weeks?”
“No, that’s not a crime.” Leni pushed to her feet, stepping into Abby’s path, and said, “But the fact that you think we don’t realize you’re lying to us about not being worried is ridiculous.”
“I am not lying,” Abby said as a kernel of guilt lodged in her chest.
Leni crossed her arms and arched a brow, and Abby couldn’t keep a straight face. Laughter bubbled out, and they all laughed with her. She stalked around Leni and plopped into a chair with a heavy sigh. “I’m screwed, aren’t I?”
“If the panties and bra on the stairs this morning were any indication,” Cait said sassily, “I’d say you got good and screwed last night.”
“What?” Leni shrieked.
Daphne giggled, and Jules popped to her feet and began singing to the tune of “Hot in Herre” by Nelly. “He got a whole lotta, ah, uh . . .” She accentuated the last two sounds with hip thrusts. “She got a whole lotta, ah, ah.”
“Nooo! Stop!” Leni covered her ears.
The next few hours flew by with old-school girl talk, which was exactly what Abby needed. Jules and Daphne left midafternoon, but Leni stayed all day. She lectured Abby about trying to manage her expectations with Aiden, but she also raved about him again and reminded her that her cousin thought the world of him. She invited them to spend Mother’s Day with their family, but Abby secretly had plans to make Cait and Aiden a delicious brunch, and she hoped to go through more of her mother’s things. By the time Leni left, Abby realized once again that she’d made the right decision by coming home to rebuild her life. With Leni’s and the rest of her friends’ support, she would always have a shoulder to lean on.
As she and Cait locked up the restaurant, the late-afternoon sun shone down on them, and the sounds of the waves kissing the shore was music to Abby’s ears. “Ready for your surprise?”
“My surprise?” Cait looked skeptical. “I should clue you in to the fact that I’m not big on surprises.”
She draped an arm over Cait’s shoulder and said, “You survived finding out you had two sisters. I think you can survive this.”
They walked around the side of the Bistro, heading for the parking lot. Abby’s heart skipped at the sight of Aiden with his Silver Island hat on and three sets of skates in his hands. That skipping warred with her earlier disappointment, which she’d all but forgotten about until now. It gnawed at her like a rat stuck in a maze.
Conflicting emotions swam in Abby’s eyes, and Aiden knew it was because he’d been running late. He could only imagine how she’d feel when he told her he was leaving Monday morning. He had been having a great day until he’d received a call from George Pennington, the founder of Pennington Development Group, one of his father’s old clients. His grandson Damon had taken over last year, and they were expanding the business in a new direction. Aiden had already invested heavily in the company, and now they needed more capital. Although Aiden believed in the company’s potential, he preferred to keep his portfolio diverse and had already invested all he was willing to. George was taking his financial team on a road show—hitting four cities in five days, pitching to groups of potential investors to sell additional interests in the business—and they had a better chance of winning over other investors with Aiden on board for the presentations. Aiden had known about the road show two months ago, but while he’d suggested he go with them, they had initially turned down his offer. He wasn’t surprised at their last-minute reality check. It was a much smarter business move to bring him along, even if the last thing he wanted to do was leave Abby.
“Hey there, stranger,” Abby said.
“Hi, babe. Are you ladies ready for our roller derby?” Aiden asked lightly, though he felt anything but light.
“We’re really doing this?” Cait asked as he handed her a pair of skates.
“Hell yes. You can’t go your whole life not knowing how to skate.” He pointed to the open trunk of his rental car and said, “Helmets and knee pads are in there.”
“If I break an arm, Tank is going to be pretty upset,” Cait said as they retrieved the rest of their gear.
Cait sat down on the grass to put on her skates, and Aiden kissed Abby’s cheek, guiding her a few feet away. As they sat down to put them on, he said, “I’m sorry for running so late.”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay, Abs, but it couldn’t be avoided. I am sorry.”
She focused on putting on her skates, but his chatty girl had gone reticent.
“Talk to me, Abs.”
“I hate the way I feel right now,” she said in a hushed and anguished tone. “I was disappointed because I was so excited to surprise Cait, and you knew that. But it’s not like you canceled, and it’s not like we have some great commitment. Not to mention that this is your vacation. You’re supposed to be out having fun, not only doing things for me. I feel stupid for even being disappointed in the first place, but I was.”
“You have every right to feel slighted, and I am so very sorry. Hell, I was disappointed in myself, but the delay couldn’t be avoided. I had to get a few things done, and they took longer than I anticipated. I texted the second I realized I’d be late.”
“I thought you were out sailing with Brant all day.”
“That was the plan, but you know what they say about best-laid plans.” He pulled on kneepads and put on his skates. As he laced them up, he said, “I also got some bad news today. One of my father’s old buddies—a client of his—needs my help next week. He’s in a pretty dire situation. I’m taking a five o’clock flight Monday morning to New York so I have time to swing by my place, change into a suit, and pack. I’m meeting my client in Manhattan at ten, and we’ve got meetings in New York, Chicago, LA, and Boston. I’ll be gone until late Friday evening.”