by SJ McCoy
“Fresh drinks, ladies?” Kenzie grinned at them from behind the bar. “What can I get you?”
“Whatever they want, it’s on me,” said Neil.
“Actually,” said Cassie. “I still have mine. I’ll go get it.” She winked at Abbie and left her standing there with Neil.
Chapter Four
Ivan pulled his hat farther down over his ears. Coming out for a run this morning was probably a bad idea. It was too damned cold! But it was still a better idea than sitting in the house staring out at the lake and stewing about Abbie and Neil.
He’d choked on his drink last night when he’d seen the two of them standing at the bar talking. Neil was a nice enough guy. He was personable, friendly. Ivan set his jaw and started jogging down the driveway. Hell, Ivan himself had told him just the other week at work that he was a great guy who one day would find himself a great girl.
He hadn’t suspected at the time that Neil might find the very girl who Ivan was interested in. And by the way it had looked last night, Neil was having much more success with her. There’d been no sign of the defeated, cynical chick Ivan had had a drink with last week. Around Neil, she’d been animated and flirty, flicking her long dark hair back over her shoulders and laughing at whatever Neil said.
He sprinted the last hundred yards to the gate, then huffed and panted to himself while he tapped in the code to unlock it and let himself out. Even in his current agitated state, he was still amazed and thankful that he lived in such a great place. He wasn’t a newbie when it came to electronic gates and security systems and beautiful houses in the best part of town. But this was the first time that it was his own house. He’d lived like that previously in the guest house of Mr. D’s place. Now his very own home was something he would never have dreamed about not so long ago.
He forced himself to smile as he locked the gate and started jogging toward the end of Main Street. He was lucky that he got to live this life. He wasn’t going to spoil his Sunday morning run just because a girl he was interested in preferred his colleague, the accountant.
He smiled as he saw a figure appear a little farther along the street. He lengthened his stride and ran faster to catch up.
“Morning, Dan.”
Dan turned and nodded. “Hey, Ivan. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Ivan chuckled. “I’m not a fan of the cold. I’ve been hitting the gym more instead of running.”
“And yet you chose one of the frostiest mornings to come out?”
Ivan shrugged. Dan was like that. He noticed little details. He wasn’t calling you out on your bullshit, but sometimes it felt that way. “I need to clear my head. Fresh air helps with that in a way that the gym never seems able to.”
“I can see that. I’m on my five-mile route this morning. Want to join me?”
Ivan nodded. He’d only planned to run three, but he’d skipped too much lately, and besides, Dan was good company. “Sure, if you don’t mind?”
Dan smiled. “Do you have much to talk about?”
“I might blow off steam about a chick if you can stand it?”
Dan held up a pair of earbuds. “I have these if it gets too much.”
Ivan laughed. Dan was one of those guys who didn’t say too much, but when he spoke, it was worth paying attention. He was one of the smartest people Ivan had ever met. “You can just tell me if I get too annoying.”
Dan stretched his quads and nodded. “Okay.” He set off at a jog toward the park at the end of the street.
Ivan jogged after him. Maybe he didn’t need to talk at all. Maybe he should just follow Dan’s example and run in silence, focus on moving his body instead of agitating his mind.
He was still working on that when they reached the other side of the park.
“Want to take the old road?” asked Dan.
“Yep.”
Once they reached the top of the rise, Dan glanced over at him. “Did you change your mind?”
Ivan raised an eyebrow.
“About bending my ear?”
“No, I just figured you were only being polite.”
“No. My version of polite would have been to tell you that I needed to run by myself. I find it easier to speak the truth—and it’s much more polite.”
“Sometimes, I forget that you’re more straightforward than most people.”
Dan smiled. “I think the preferred term for people like me is socially awkward.”
Ivan laughed. “I’d say it’s more like socially advanced—you’re so far above the usual bullshit that you don’t lower yourself to take part in it.”
Dan’s lips quirked up in the hint of a smile. “I like to help when I can. You sounded as though you needed to let off some steam. Often all that’s needed is someone to listen. I don’t mind doing that.”
“Thanks.” Ivan felt dumb. It wasn’t as though there was anything going on between him and Abbie. She’d made it clear that there wouldn’t ever be.
“Can I ask who she is?” Dan didn’t even turn to look at him as they ran down the other side of the rise.
“Abbie.”
“I see.”
“Do you? Do you know her?”
“She works at Michael’s office? Grew up here?”
“Yeah. That’s her.”
“And what’s the problem?”
“There really isn’t one. I’m being an idiot. She doesn’t like me. Well, she admitted that she does, but told me that she wouldn’t ever go out with me.”
Dan frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does when you know a bit more. She …” He thought about it for a few moments. It wasn’t his place to share her story with anyone, not even Dan, who he knew wouldn’t breathe a word of it. “She’s only into nice guys now.”
“You’re a nice guy.”
“Thanks. I think so, too. But I don’t mean like that. I mean more … I don’t know. To use her own words, sensible, dependable. She wants someone she can marry and have two-point-four children with and live a respectable little life.”
“And you don’t want that?”
“That’s not who I am.”
Dan shot him a puzzled look. “So, you’re incompatible. It’s sad, but it happens. You wouldn’t be happy if you had to compromise who you are to be who she wants. And vice versa.”
“I know, but it’s not that straightforward.”
“It isn’t?”
“No. Because that’s not who she really is, and it’s not what she really wants. It’s who she thinks she should be. She wants to be a good girl and live a good life, but she’s not like that.”
Dan ran on in silence for a while. For so long that Ivan started to wonder if he wasn’t going to comment. Eventually, he turned and met Ivan’s eye. “The way I see it, if she’s trying to be someone she isn’t, and trying to live a life that doesn’t really suit her, it’ll all fall apart at some point. You have two choices. You can try to convince her that she’s wrong—and a word of advice—a woman will never thank you for doing that. Or you can wait until she figures it out for herself and help her pick up the pieces when she does.”
Ivan mulled it over. Dan was right, of course. He already knew that himself. He couldn’t convince her that the way she was going about her life was all wrong. He’d already offered to be her friend when the going got tough. What he hadn’t expected was that it would bother him so much when she met a guy who fit the picture of what she said she wanted. Of course, it didn’t help that Ivan worked with that guy every day.
“I know you’re right.”
“So, why are you having a hard time accepting it?”
“Because last night she met a guy who fits the bill. A guy who is sensible and dependable, and I’m sure he would be very happy to settle down with her and live a nice little life with two-point-four children.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah.”
“But if that isn’t who she is, it will all fall apart.”
“I know. But I don’t want to see her—or h
im—get hurt in the process. And besides, I’m jumping the gun. I don’t know what will happen between them.”
“But it’s eating you up inside that something might?”
Ivan blew out a sigh. “Yeah. It is.”
“In that case, I see a third option for you.”
“You do? What is it?” Ivan knew he sounded too eager, but he couldn’t help it.
“You need to show her that you’re what she really wants and that life with you would suit her better than whatever she might build with this other guy.”
“But …”
“I know. That wouldn’t be an easy thing to accomplish, but it’s an option.”
They ran on in silence. Dan seemed to have spoken his piece, and Ivan had a lot of thinking to do.
When they finally entered the park again on their way back, Dan slowed to a walk and checked his watch before looking at Ivan. “Are you any clearer?”
Ivan shrugged. “I’m clearer about my options—thanks to you. But I’m no clearer on which I should choose.”
“Well, you know where I am if I can be of help.”
“Thanks, you’ve done enough. I’ll figure it out.”
“I’m sure you will. Miss and I are going to the Boathouse for breakfast in a little while. Do you want to come?”
“Thanks, but I need to shower, and I have some work to do.”
“Okay. I’ll see you around.” Dan lifted a hand and jogged toward the other side of the park, headed home.
Ivan walked the rest of the way back. He was toying with the option of stepping up and showing Abbie who he was in the hopes that she would recognize he was a better match for her than Neil. It might save her from herself and her idea that she had to be someone she wasn’t. On the other hand, it would mean going against Neil—competing with him—and he didn’t like that idea one bit.
By the time he got home, he’d almost convinced himself that he should just forget about her. That might be better for everyone—including himself. After all, there was no guarantee that she’d want him even if he did put himself out there and make a play for her.
~ ~ ~
“What do you think, should I make us a roast this afternoon?”
“I told you, I can pick us something up from the resort. That’d be cheaper than doing a roast, and it’ll mean that you don’t have to stand in the kitchen cooking for hours.”
“I don’t mind. I enjoy it.” Abbie’s mom smiled at her and pushed the cart toward the produce aisle. “I can do mashed potatoes and roast and make some of that gravy you like.”
Abbie sighed. There was no point in arguing. Just because she thought her mom would be better off putting her feet up and watching a movie on a Sunday afternoon, it didn’t matter. Her mom loved to make a full roast dinner. It reminded Abbie too much of her dad. In the old days, when she was still in high school, she and her dad would watch the game on TV while her mom cooked. Now, she felt as though she should be the one cooking, taking care of her mom instead of lounging around watching TV. But she wasn’t much of a cook, and her mom wouldn’t hear of it anyway.
They carried on, making their way up and down every aisle. Her mom liked to do it that way because she spotted all the deals on the end caps that she might miss otherwise. It drove Abbie nuts—she wished that they didn’t need to search for deals, and she wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Grocery shopping was not her idea of fun, but it was her mom’s. So, she tried to make her smile as genuine as possible when her mom held up a can of tomato soup.
“Look. They’re two for one. We can have them with grilled cheese in the week.”
“Great.” Abbie wished she could afford to get them takeout from the Boathouse for dinner. But that wasn’t in the budget. To be fair, their budget was a lot less limited now than it had been when she first came home. Her mom had been drowning in debt. But Abbie had worked her butt off to set up payment plans and to make the money to meet them. Things were better now that she was working for Michael. Her salary was a lot more than she’d been making in the two jobs she’d worked before. One day, in the not too distant future, some of the smaller debts would be paid off, then she’d be able to make bigger payments to the other ones and still have a little more left over.
“Abbie?” Her mom’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“What?”
“Did you even hear me? Do you know him?”
“Who?” She looked up to see Ivan standing at the end of the aisle, smiling at her. “Oh. Yeah.” She raised a hand and gave him a brief nod before turning to her mom. “He’s just a guy from the gym.”
Her mom waggled her eyebrows. “I wouldn’t mind seeing him work out!”
“Mom!”
“What? He’s sexy. You can’t tell me you don’t think so.”
Abbie shrugged. “He’s okay. I suppose.”
“I know you better than that, young lady. You like him, don’t you? Is he the one who walked you home last night? Don’t think I didn’t hear you.”
Shit! She’d hoped that her mom was fast asleep when Neil had walked her to the front door last night. He hadn’t kissed her or anything. She still wasn’t sure why.
“Here he comes. Don’t worry. I won’t tell him that I heard you.”
“It wasn’t him!”
“Oh!” Her mom made a face that Abbie knew meant she was disappointed. “That’s a shame.”
“Hey, Abbie.”
“Hi, Ivan.” She hoped that he might keep on walking. No such luck.
He turned to her mom and held out his hand. “You must be Abbie’s mom. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Ivan.”
Her mom, God bless her, batted her eyelashes at him as she shook his hand. “It’s lovely to meet you. I’m her mom. You call me Nina.”
Abbie rolled her eyes. She wanted this to be over. She didn’t want her mom taking a liking to him. That wouldn’t do at all. Abbie already liked him more than she should, but he wasn’t the kind of guy she needed in her life. She needed someone more … she didn’t even know what the right words were. Sensible and dependable were the words she’d said to him, but she had no proof that he wasn’t either of those. He was too sexy; he’d taken a walk on the dark side. He wasn’t … she sucked in a deep breath. He wasn’t an accountant who was looking to settle down. That was what she needed, and she’d met one of those just last night. All right, so he might not melt her insides the way Ivan was doing right now, but he was more … more … suitable.
“Did you have a good time last night?”
Abbie’s head snapped around to meet his gaze. She hadn’t expected him to ask about that.
“I did, thanks. Did you?”
His blue eyes seemed to darken as he nodded. “It was all right.”
Abbie was acutely aware of her mom watching them. The silence lengthened. She wished he’d just continue on his way, but he was still looking into her eyes, and for some reason, she couldn’t drag hers away.
“Are you going out tonight?” Her mom’s question broke the spell, and Abbie turned to look at her.
“No. You know that.”
“You should.” She smiled at Ivan. “You two should go out for a drink. You’d be doing me a favor. I have a whole pile of sewing I want to get to, but I take up the whole living room when I get my machine out, and Abbie doesn’t like it.”
“I don’t mind!”
Her mom smiled at her. “You should go out.”
To Abbie’s surprise, Ivan nodded. “I’m game, if you are. I can come and pick you up around seven.”
Abbie stared at him then looked back at her mom, who was nodding happily. “That’ll be perfect. It’ll give me a few hours to get some work done.”
“Okay.” Ivan raised an eyebrow at Abbie. “I’ll see you at seven?”
She nodded. She didn’t know how to say no without turning it into a big deal. “Okay.”
“Well, we’d better get done with our shopping. It was lovely to meet you, Ivan. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.�
� With that, her mom pushed the cart away down the aisle.
Abbie scowled at Ivan, but he just smiled. “I’ll see you later,” he said before turning on his heel and going back the way he came.
“Mom!” Abbie scolded when she caught up with her. “What do you think you’re playing at?”
Her mom smiled happily. “Getting myself some good sewing time—and getting you a night out with Ivan. It’s obvious he likes you, and it’s obvious you like him. What’s the problem?”
“The problem … the problem is …” How could she explain it? The problem was that Ivan was far too attractive for her own good. He was the kind of guy who she’d wanted to party with, to stay up talking till dawn with. The kind of guy she’d like to take off with for the weekend and see where the road led them. He was not the kind of guy who would want to set up home with her and stay here at the lake. He wasn’t the kind of guy who her mom would be happy to see her with—or at least she hadn’t thought so.
“Is what?” asked her mom, innocently.
Abbie blew out a sigh. “The guy who walked me home last night is an accountant. He just moved here not long ago. He’s looking to settle down and make a life here.”
“And?”
“And that’s the kind of guy I need.”
Her mom scowled. “The kind of guy you need is one who looks at you the way Ivan does. No matter who you choose, you’ll settle down together at some point. If you start with fireworks, you’ll settle down to glowing embers that will keep your hearts warm forever. But if you start with only mild enthusiasm, you’ll end up with cold ashes that will darken your heart.”
Abbie stared at her for a long moment. She had no idea that her mom saw things that way. She had so many questions, but she only asked the most important one. “Did you and Dad start with fireworks?”
Her smile said it all. Her eyes glistened as she nodded. “We did. And we kept those embers pretty hot, too. I know that’s too much information about your parents, but it’s important, Abbie. I’ve been worried about you lately. You’ve turned into this dutiful dowdy daughter, and I know it’s my fault. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I won’t let you give up your whole life just to make mine better. I know I fell apart for a while after your dad, but I have to find my own way in life now. You do, too. You have to find your path—and it should be one that makes you happy.”