by Donna Alward
Jess’s cheeks colored. “Well, um…”
“You and Aunt Meggie and Sarah, right? God, when will you three start minding your own business?”
Jess lifted her chin. “This feud between you two is ridiculous. It made sense that if he saw you moving on, maybe he’d stop being so angry about it.”
Once again they were talking like Abby wasn’t even there. She cleared her throat. “Know what? A heads-up would have been nice. Thanks a lot. Both of you.”
Before either of them could answer, she strode off in the direction of Tom’s truck.
He followed behind her, and she was already inside with her seat belt on when Tom climbed in behind the wheel. “Abby, I—”
“Just take me home,” she interrupted coldly.
“But I want to explain.”
She turned her head and stared at him as he pulled away from the curb. “Explain? You don’t need to explain. The broken heart you nurse so well? It was because of your cousin’s wife. And rather than let me in on what was going on and perhaps ask for a friend to go with you tonight for moral support, you played me. You acted like it was a date, being all nice and holding my hand and showing me the rosebushes—” Her voice broke off as she realized how foolish she sounded. She inhaled sharply. “When it was really just you rubbing me in your cousin’s face.”
He rested his hands on the wheel as he faced her. She’d never seen his face so dark and angry, not even the time he’d shoved his foot through her veranda floor. “So what’s really bugging you, huh? That I used you or that it wasn’t really a date?”
If they hadn’t been sitting in a moving vehicle she might have slugged him herself. Had she wanted it to be a real date? Perhaps on some level she had. Otherwise she wouldn’t have fussed so much with her clothes and she wouldn’t have felt this queer curling through her stomach every time he touched her at the barbecue, even casually.
But that paled in comparison to this. “Don’t take that tack with me, Tom Arseneault. I was set up and you damn well know it! You used me.”
“Look,” he tried to explain as they left the town behind them. “I didn’t know Josh was still that angry. I know Jess is a meddler but I can’t be mad at her. I had the same thought, which is why I went along with it. If you went with me, it would show Josh that I…” His fingers gripped the wheel tightly. “You know. That I’ve moved on.”
“You can’t even say it without hesitating because you know it would be a lie. You haven’t moved on at all, have you? I’m not your girlfriend. You just wanted it to look that way.” She made a sound of disgust in her throat. “‘Meet new people,’ my ass. You’re just as bad as Jess. I thought you were my friends.”
Oh, how pathetic and high schoolish that sounded but it was true. Since coming to Jewell Cove she’d made a few connections but it was Jess and Tom with whom she’d clicked.
“We are.”
“No you’re not.” She stared out the window. “You’re my contractor. A friend would have explained what I would be walking into, would have asked for a wingman. A friend would have been honest and given me the choice.”
And that, she realized, was the thing with Tom. If he’d just come out and said what he wanted, what he meant, it would have been fine. It was like when he wanted the job. Once he’d explained that working on the house would be a dream come true, she’d been convinced.
But that wasn’t his way. He didn’t like showing his hand and she didn’t like being manipulated.
“You can let me out here,” she stated, as he slowed and turned the corner onto Foster Lane.
“I’ll drive you in,” he answered.
“No, really. I want to walk. Stop the truck, Tom.”
For once he did exactly what she asked, stopping and putting it in park.
“Abby, I am sorry. Whether you believe me or not, I am.”
She swallowed thickly. “Okay. Fine.”
“Are we okay?”
There was no “we.” The kiss the other night—had he been thinking about Erin then, too? Was he still grieving for her? He must be. His words hadn’t been devoid of emotion tonight. She’d heard the voice crack. Wrong or right, the woman he’d loved had died. She felt herself start to soften just a little bit. But only a little. She was still really angry. And disappointed, she realized. In him. She truly hadn’t realized how much she’d started to trust him until he’d given her a reason not to. And that was her mistake, wasn’t it?
“Yeah, we’re okay,” she relented, her hand on the door handle.
There was a minute of uncomfortable silence. Abby opened the door and grabbed her purse, moving to get out.
“Look,” he said, “I’m going to start stripping all the downstairs floors on Monday. It’s going to get really dusty for a few days. I just wanted to give you the heads-up.”
So that was it, then. No more explanation about Erin. No more anything. Back to the house again. Their one safe topic of conversation. For some reason it made her want to cry, but she wouldn’t. She’d learned her lesson.
She made a quick decision. “I think I’ll head back to Halifax, then. It’ll be hard to move through the house when the entire downstairs is unusable, and I don’t want to stay at the motel again.”
“How long will you be gone?”
The truck idled and she felt Tom’s gaze on her face. He actually sounded a little panicked at the thought of her leaving. How long? There was no question of her not coming back; there were too many questions she wanted answered.
But getting away for a few days sounded like a good idea, too. She wasn’t running away, she told herself. It was just breathing room to let the dust settle. To put a little distance between her and Tom and let her get her head on right again.
“A week. Maybe two. You have my cell number if you need anything with regard to the house.”
Which made it perfectly clear that their relationship—for lack of a better word—was back on strictly business terms.
“Abby … don’t go because you’re mad. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what you were getting into. We are friends. I made a mistake, that’s all.”
“I’m going because I have business to tend to.” Which was a lie and they both knew it. She hadn’t had any plans to leave until the last five minutes. And he had to go and make it even harder than it already was. When had she started to get so attached to this place?
She got out and slammed the truck door shut. He rolled down the window. “Hey, Abby?”
She looked up into the cab and felt that same little jolt of electricity she felt every time their eyes met. She hated that feeling. It made her feel weak and vulnerable.
“Will you text me when you get there? It’s a really long drive. Just so I know you got there okay.”
She nodded and turned away quickly, taking one step and then another away from the truck so he wouldn’t see the sudden tears in her eyes before she resolutely blinked them away.
Tom had disappointed her tonight. Bitterly. So damn him. Damn him for doing that and then acting like he cared. There hadn’t been anyone to care whether she came or went for so long. And she didn’t want to rely on him. If there’d been any doubts, tonight had erased them all. He wasn’t over Erin. And she couldn’t have feelings for a man who didn’t respect her enough to shoot straight and be honest. It wasn’t much to ask.
Putting some distance between them was the best idea she’d had all week.
CHAPTER 13
It didn’t make sense that a rundown mansion that she’d occupied for less than a month should feel like home, but it did. Abby braked her car partway up the drive and simply looked, marveling at the changes only a few weeks had wrought. The white exterior seemed whiter somehow, perhaps because of the roof, the new black shingles shining in the June sun. The trim around the windows had been painted a creamy tan that mimicked the original colors, and the front columns had been treated to white paint while a darker stain had been applied to the porch floor. Even the overgrown ivy had been trimmed back, and alre
ady it looked far healthier. All in all the house was looking rather grand and even a bit welcoming.
Abby let off the brake and drove the remainder of the way to the house, anxious to get inside and see what other changes had taken place while she was gone.
The front lawn was freshly mowed, and as she parked and got out of the car she saw a huge urn of spiky grass, begonias, and trailing lobelia taking up one corner of the floor of the veranda. Climbing the steps, she spied a plastic stake in the planter holding a card. Curious, she plucked it from the holder and opened the tiny envelope.
Welcome home.
That was all it said but Abby knew in an instant who’d put it there. Tom. The realization sent something strange curling through her. She hated what he’d done. She’d told herself a hundred times that any fanciful thoughts she’d had about him were over. She supposed the urn was his way of apologizing for the party. A garden planter wasn’t exactly romantic, but it was thoughtful and suited the corner perfectly. It was better than flowers. It was … personal. What was more disconcerting was that he’d somehow known she’d prefer it. She stared at the card again before tucking it into her pocket, where it rested warmly against the denim of her jeans. He was making it hard for her to stay mad at him.
She’d texted Tom to say she’d be back today, just to make sure that there wasn’t any renovation going on that required her to be out of the house. In a way she’d half expected him to be here when she arrived, but this was better.
It gave her time to just be alone with the house. To allow herself to feel whatever it was she felt about it. Fear? No. Even with the unexplained occurrences, there was no fear. There was a sense of restlessness—no surprise there. She usually felt like she had one foot out the door no matter where she lived. She didn’t want to stay anywhere too long, or get too attached. At least now she recognized why. She’d had a chance to think about it during her trip home. It was too easy to get emotionally invested. It wasn’t worth the heartbreak in the end when things went sideways, which they always did. How many times had she heard promises that this was the last time they’d move, and how many times had she been let down? The simple fact was, throughout her life, the people she’d loved had left her in one way or another. And each time that happened, they took a bit of her with them. She couldn’t afford to lose too many pieces.
The time away had reinforced that gut feeling she’d had ever since leaving Halifax. The city simply wasn’t home anymore because there was nothing—no one—keeping her there. The whole time she was packing up her apartment, she’d wanted to be back here in Jewell Cove. Even with the mess of feelings she had for Tom, she’d been itching to return. To finish going through the boxes in the attic. To clean out the rose garden and see the flowers blooming again.
This house—the one she’d resented when she’d first arrived, the symbol of the family who’d cast her off—was starting to feel like a home. And she had no idea what she was going to do about that.
She slid the key into the lock and opened the door.
Tom and his crew had been busy.
The floors were absolutely stunning. The richly colored stain was varnished and shone like brand-new, leading into the drawing room and dining room before continuing through the great hall toward the library. The furniture had all been cleaned and placed back in the rooms. It was going to look fabulous when the rugs were back from the cleaners, and with things so close to perfect Abby realized that she’d have hurry up and order new draperies for the windows. With everything being spruced up, the old ones looked shabby now.
One of the tables from the library had been placed in the hall and on the top was a cordless phone sitting on its base. There was a label on the handset with the number written on it. If the phone was hooked up, Abby wondered if she now had Internet. It would be great not to have to use her cell phone for everything or drive into town for Wi-Fi. The data package charges for using her phone were so prohibitive. Not that she had to worry about money right now, but it still seemed exorbitant. She wasn’t used to living with disregard for dollars and cents and didn’t want to ever be that way, either. Having lots of it didn’t mean she should be wasteful.
She took a few minutes to peek through the rest of the downstairs. The chandelier was missing from the hall, but a note beside the phone explained. Found a guy who can convert the light. It’s going to be great!
Smiling, she tucked the note in her pocket with the floral card and moved on. The new pedestal sink had been installed in the downstairs half bath, the silver-and-gold faucet gleaming beneath a new light fixture. Best of all was the mirror, a rectangle of glass framed by an elegant swirl of what looked like distressed brass. There was a sticky note on the mirror and she leaned closer. If you don’t like it, it said, we can take it out.
She wished she didn’t like it, but she did. The old-fashioned elegance fit with the décor perfectly. More than that, the little notes Tom had left behind made it feel like he was right there, giving her a tour. They weren’t love notes, but they felt intimate. Damn him. Just when she was determined to steel her heart, he had to go and do something endearing.
The kitchen was a mess; she’d packed everything in boxes and the cupboards had been uninstalled in preparation for the new ones. On the fridge was another sticky: Sorry for all the mess. It’ll be worth it. Promise.
She crossed the hall to the library, an inexplicable warmth filling her as she stood in the doorway, anxious to see if there was another note for her. Maybe Tom wasn’t here this evening but his presence was. It was in everything he’d accomplished in her absence. And he’d made sure of it by leaving his little missives in each room, making it impossible for her to forget that he’d been here, every day, wandering through her rooms and bringing to life the plans they’d come up with together. If it was an apology, it was a damn good one. Better than meaningless words. Tom backed it up with action. It was hard to resist that.
She swallowed against a lump in her throat. It was odd. She’d never felt closer to someone, and still so far away, too. No matter how hard she’d tried, she couldn’t rid herself of the knowledge that Tom and Josh had been in love with the same woman. Erin must have been some woman to inspire such devotion—such passion—in both men.
Abby wondered what it would be like to have that sort of female power. She couldn’t compete with that, even if she wanted to. The cold truth was that no one had ever wanted her that much. No one had fought for her because she hadn’t been worth fighting for.
There was one last note in the library, a folded paper on the sewing table she’d liked so much that very first day.
This room isn’t finished. I have a surprise for you.
A surprise? She spun in a circle, taking in the gleaming floor and polished furniture. It really needed a proper sofa, something that fit the décor but was functional, too. But what kind of surprise could he mean? They hadn’t talked about anything else.
Well, it wasn’t for her to figure out tonight. Right now she just wanted to crawl into a pair of sleep pants and a T-shirt and scrounge for something to eat.
She’d changed and shoved her hair into a messy bun when the phone rang, startling her in the silence. When she answered it, Jess was on the line.
“You’re home,” she said. “Tom said you were due back today.”
“I just got back a half hour ago.” Abby knew her voice held a touch of reserve. The last she’d spoken to Jess was the night of the party. They hadn’t left things on nice terms.
“Have you eaten?”
It was nearly eight o’clock at night and she could hear her stomach growling. “Not yet,” she admitted.
“Great. How about pizza?” Jess seemed like her usual self, as if nothing awkward had happened at all.
“Jessica, I—”
“If you’re calling me Jessica, you’re still mad.” In contrast to Tom’s inability to speak plainly, Jess was incredibly blunt. She was also perfectly sincere. “Honestly, Abby, I’m really sorry. We knew
Josh was having a hard time but we had no idea he’d still be so angry. He and Tom were super close growing up. We just thought it would help mend fences. Promise.”
“You still should have told me. I was so blindsided.”
“I know. You’re right. We were absolutely wrong to keep you in the dark.”
Abby wanted to stay angry, but she knew Jess meant every word. Jess didn’t feel the need to babble on, and her quiet agreement acknowledged Abby’s rights to her feelings. Abby’s hostility melted away. “Thanks for that. But as for pizza, I’m not really up to going out. I’m already in my pajamas. I’m just going to grab something from the freezer.”
“No you’re not, that’s gross.” Jess’s voice was loud and clear. “Have you got wine?”
“There’s probably a bottle kicking around here somewhere.”
“I’m bringing pizza to you. Is there anything you don’t like?”
“Anchovies,” she answered easily, knowing steamroller Jess wasn’t going to pay attention to any protests.
“Yuck,” Jess answered. “No worries there. Give me half an hour. And don’t eat.”
She hung up.
Abby went around all the rooms and made sure she had all the notes, tucking them into her purse for safekeeping. The last thing she needed was Jess seeing those bits of paper in Tom’s writing. She’d be sure to make something of it. Abby knew she should throw them out, but she secretly wanted to hold on to them. They were the closest thing to love notes she’d ever received. She was still mad at Tom, but the notes had gone a long way toward ameliorating her feelings. She would just have to keep a “fool me once, fool me twice” attitude about it and be smarter, that’s all. No more confidences. Definitely no more kisses in the foyer. Or anywhere else.
She found a bottle of pinot noir that she’d stored in the fridge before the crew removed the cupboards. If she took it out now, it would have time to lose some of the chill before they were ready to drink it. Then she wandered for a few minutes, wondering if and when she’d see Edith again. The house had had a face-lift, but there was still a weird feeling as she walked through the rooms. Like someone was waiting.