by Anne Kemp
Before she knew it, Andrew was kissing her passionately. She, in turn, was melting into his arms, her mind spinning, not sure if she should trust this man or run screaming. She wasn’t off and running yet, but she still felt like something was holding her back.
Abby pulled away. “Andrew, I can’t give you an answer. I’m literally at a crossroads in my life. At a time when I should know what I’m doing, or at least at an age when the world thinks I should be settled and making money and getting married . . . I just have baggage right now.” She took his hand. “I’m not saying no, I’m saying I don’t know. Can that be good enough for right now? Please?”
Andrew looked crestfallen. “Because I’m younger?”
“No, of course not.” She was shaking her head from side to side. “It’s me. Me and right now.”
“Is this a case of ‘It’s not you, it’s me’?” Andrew was watching her thoughtfully. “You don’t lie as well as the rest of your family, Abby. I’m okay with you being older, how come you’re freaked out that I’m younger?”
Abby was getting a little anxious. Why the hell are we talking about this right now? “Andrew, please, let’s just enjoy today and not go there anymore right now. Okay?” She was officially pleading.
Andrew shook his head. “Abby, I’m leaving soon.” He took her hand again. “I’ll drop it, but I need you to know, I’m willing if you are.”
Abby laughed. “Andrew, this is fun, and it’s a whirlwind, and you’re so ridiculously sexy and amazing. I just can’t say what we do next, at least not right now. Besides, I couldn’t ask you to commit to a long-distance relationship so soon. That’s crazy.”
Andrew snatched his hand away from Abby’s grasp just as his phone signaled an incoming text. “Saved by the bell.”
She watched him as he scanned his phone, reading the incoming text, making a face when he was done with it. “Well, that’s that. My boss wants to meet tomorrow so he can show me a property he’s purchased. Then he needs me to head back to London to get a jump-start on this particular project.”
Abby nodded thoughtfully. “Okay.”
“But this conversation isn’t over.”
Abby nodded. “Fair enough.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “You’re getting red from the sun and I’m sure Ziggy will be looking for his car soon, anyway. Ready?”
It was with an air of sadness that the new couple walked down the hill from the fortress, hand in hand.
#
Abby had pulled in at just the right moment. Maria was sending Ziggy out on errands. “Mon, I need to go! Let me in dat car, girl.” Ziggy was mumbling something about a menu change and needing to pick up some of the guests at Port Zante.
Abby and Andrew walked into the sitting room and found Leigh in there on her computer.
“How was Brimstone?” Leigh asked, more distractedly than really caring.
“Good. Why’s Ziggy muttering something about another menu?”
“Oh, well, the dinner tonight has now become just apps and cocktails tomorrow night for Jack, one of his guys and me. All the details will be finalized then so they can start moving the money.” Leigh was excited. In fact, she was close to jubilant.
“Congrats!” Andrew exclaimed.
“Thank you! It is good news. Once the sale is finalized, I can put more money in Ben’s account, and he can pay off some more on his loans.”
Abby had a nagging question that she needed to ask. “Leigh, why can’t we keep the inn?”
Leigh looked over her glasses at Abby. “Why would you ask that?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Seems logical.”
Andrew, in his practiced art of exiting a room quickly, found a way to slip out and disappeared.
Leigh took her glasses off and motioned for Abby to sit down.
“Leigh, I know this place inside and out now. I know what other repairs need to happen, and I also know I can personally tend to ninety percent of them with Ziggy or Buddy’s help. We implement some marketing and promotions and I bet we will be turning folks away!” She smiled at Leigh. “Seriously, I can do this.”
“Really, Abby? Do you think that you of all people could handle this responsibility? It seems to me that you can barely take care of yourself. No savings, no job, no -- ”
“I can’t help that I was laid off, Leigh. As for not being able to take care of myself, let’s look at the fact that I can and have for a long time, you just don’t notice. Mom knew I could, that’s why she let me go to Europe before college.”
“And then you dropped out.”
Abby threw up her hands in mock surrender. “You got me. I took a job and shirked off school. But it was my choice, Leigh. I can’t live the life you want me to have, I have to live my own.” Abby’s eyes were pleading. “You even said yourself you needed to grow up more, not see me as your immature, irresponsible little sister.”
Leigh shook her head and pursed her lips ruefully. “Abby, you told me yourself that you have not saved anything since -- ”
“Since what, Leigh? Since Matt left me for another woman, thus leaving me holding the bag for the whole wedding and the reception?” Again she threw up her hands in mock surrender. “You’re right. It’s time I got over that part of my life and moved on. Hell, at least let me get some distance from it!”
Abby looked pleadingly into her sister’s eyes. “Leigh, I love this place and I love it here. I love these people. I have nothing else to go home to. I’m a third of this inn and I feel like I should get a shot at making a go of it.”
Leigh sat for a half-second before giving her clipped answer. “No.”
Abby shook her head. “I don’t understand, Leigh. Why not?”
“Because I don’t think you can do it.”
Abby stared at the table, the words still echoing in her head as Leigh went on. “You need to go back, Abby. Get to work, rebuild. Finish school. Do something. I don’t know . . . maybe contribute to society?”
“Wow. That’s harsh and uncalled for.”
“Really? You don’t think you taking over an inn is just a little bit crazy? Do you really think you could run a business like this? All by yourself? You’re the perpetual assistant, Abby!” Leigh’s voice had reached an octave of impatience never heard before by humans. “Get it? Now just drop it, quit with the questions and let me work.” As soon as she had vented, she regretted it.
Abby was stunned and had to bite her tongue. She kind of heard, as if in a dream, Leigh’s apology. “Leigh, it’s fine. I know you’re under a lot of pressure. I just wish you could see five feet in front of you and know I’m not out to get you. I’m here to assist you.”
Leigh stood up, closing her laptop. Her face was a canvas for apology. “I’m sorry. You of all people did not deserve that. I owe you more than that.”
Abby’s feelings were hurt. She nodded curtly at her sister, excusing herself to go lie down. After that discussion, hot on the heels of her tense afternoon discussion with Andrew, all she could see in her immediate future was a good, long nap.
She entered the pool house, in tears. She looked around to see if Andrew was there to see her so vulnerable. Since she didn’t see him, she sat down on her air mattress and let it all loose. She began to tick down her internal list of loss.
I lost my job, I left my home, now my dad and this Carla woman? Abby’s thoughts were like a NASCAR race. Then I find out about Ben, I meet Andrew, and Leigh can only scream at me when she feels like she needs to let off steam that is normally reserved for someone else. I need to take control of this. Of all of this.
It was all piling up on Abby. She had opened her floodgates, and they didn’t want to be closed. All she knew was that if she didn’t stand up for herself in life, then who would?
She was crying so hard it didn’t register at first that someone was there, holding her hand and petting her head. Andrew had quietly joined her, not saying a word but just sitting with her. Eventually she had fallen into his lap, crying harder, yet letting him tak
e care of her. It was then she realized this man who was holding her didn’t need to be here and yet here he was. Telling her she was going to be okay and telling her how great she was, and good for being so strong for her family and those around her. It was as if he could see things others didn’t. Or wouldn’t.
Abby sat up suddenly and looked at Andrew. She wasn’t sure what came over her, but she grabbed his face and kissed him. It was harder than she had ever kissed anyone. It was reaching, searching. Like she wanted him to answer her kiss and tell her she was going to be all right as long as they found a way to be together. Abby really wasn’t sure what she wanted for her future, but she knew that right now, she wanted Andrew.
Andrew could tell that she was pushing for more than their usual make-out session. He pulled back, holding her face in his hands. “Abby, are you sure you want to . . . ?”
She decided to answer his question by taking off her shirt.
Andrew nodded. “Okay, then. I guess you do.”
And he answered her right back by walking over to the door to the pool house and locking and bolting it shut to ensure their privacy.
#
Abby and Andrew emerged from the pool house, completely entwined in each other’s arms. She still wasn’t sure where her head was, but she did know that she had just had the best sex of her thirties with this hot young man. And she was damned proud.
They were freshly showered and sitting with their feet in the pool when Leigh emerged from the main house dressed like a local in her long skirt and tank top. “Andrew, may I have a moment with my sister?”
Nodding, he stood and kissed Abby’s head. “Sure thing.”
Not wanting to cast Andrew aside, nor be left alone with her sister yet, Abby tugged on his arm. “Are you sure?”
“I need to prepare for my meeting.” He leaned down into Abby’s ear, whispering “Good luck,” then headed back inside.
Abby sat swirling her feet in the pool water, waiting for Leigh to speak. Leigh in turn sat down next to her sister, slowly lowering her feet in next to hers, and took up mimicking how Abby was moving her feet, creating a small current.
Abby heard Leigh take a big breath. “Do you know I’m jealous of you sometimes, Abby?”
Not what I was expecting to hear. Not at all. “No, I actually would never have thought that at all.”
“Well, I can be. I’m sorry for all the terrible things I said in there. That was not about you. That was me being a crazy bitch.”
Abby kept her feet moving, willing Leigh to keep talking. Abby was worried that if she opened her mouth she might cry.
“It’s stupid, but I am,” Leigh went on. “Not all the time, like when Matt left you . . . ” Abby swatted her sister on the arm. “But seriously. I called you a perpetual assistant and I didn’t mean it. You had the balls to leave school and do something different. Something I would never do, and instead of supporting you . . . well. I’ve always tried to tear you down somehow or build you up. Character-building to make sure you knew ‘your place.’ So stupid and so immature. And I’m supposed to be the older sister.”
“Leigh, it’s fine.” Abby began to let it go, then thought twice. “Actually, it isn’t fine, but it’s not like I’m an angel, either. I have done some stupid things and God knows I’ve made bad decisions, but I feel like I learn from all of them.” Abby was swallowing her tears now. “I really want a chance to take care of the inn, to be an owner. I want to make us money -- or maybe I’ll fail miserably. I’ll never know unless I try. I just need a chance.”
Leigh was looking at Abby with what could have been pride in her eyes, but Abby wasn’t quite sure.
“Tell you what, Abs. Let me think about it, okay? I’m not going to say no yet, but I need to really take a moment to think about this. I’m supposed to be signing it over to someone else tomorrow night.”
“I know.” Abby was polite but firm. “But meetings can be canceled. Offers can be pulled off the table.”
Leigh started to rise from her spot poolside. Abby stood with her.
“I get jealous of you, too, you know. You have it all, Leigh. Husband that loves you, kids that are amazing, good job.” Sniffing back her tears, Abby reached out and grabbed her sister, pulling her into a big hug. “You took care of me when Mom couldn’t do it and Dad was gone. Then you continued with Ben. People say I’m strong, smart, capable . . . all of these wonderful compliments. Some of that’s because you helped raise me.”
Leigh stepped back, eyeing her little sister adoringly. “Abby . . . stop . . . ”
Abby held her hand up, copying Leigh’s signature move. “Mm-mm.” She shook her head. “I get to say thank you and I love you.”
Abby helped Leigh brush away her tears and soaked in the smile that her sister gave her. For the first time in a long time, Abby felt the one thing she had needed all these years.
Acceptance.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The lobby of the Royal Palms was bustling with activity. It was filled with tourists checking in and out, casino-goers, locals and some students sneaking in to go to the pool to study. And Abby.
Abby spotted her morning meeting sitting at the bar, shoulders slumped as if beaten, and wearing an old T-shirt (which was not his style). She got up and made her way over.
Abby took the barstool next to the handsome man. “I’ve always wanted to say, ‘Fancy meeting you here,’” she said. “But since you texted me that you made it without any issues . . . ”
Daryl turned to Abby, his face lighting up, grabbing her in a big hug. “Abby!”
“How are you?” She laughed in his ear as she hugged her brother-in-law.
His face was sheepish. “I guess we’ll see. How are you doing with everything?”
Abby shot him a look. “Which part? The part about my hidden brother or the part where my family owns an inn?”
Daryl smiled, just a tiny bit. “A little hard to swallow, huh?”
Abby just shrugged. “If I got mad at her every time she left out important information, I would be mad a lot. Like ninety percent of the time. I think I just gave up or just decided to finally play by my rules.”
“You didn’t tell her I was coming, right?”
Abby shook her head. “No. This just needs to happen.”
Daryl stared at his beer. “Do you think she’s ready for me?”
“Of course she’s ready for you. The question is, are you ready for her?” Abby stood up, motioning to Daryl to follow her. “Come on, let’s go.”
Daryl looked at Abby, who was oozing a confidence and purpose like she had never shown before. “Okay, but only because this whole ‘Zen-like Abby’ is kind of freaking me out right now.”
Abby winked at him, then made her way through the lobby to the concierge. Before they knew it, they were cruising over the island roads at lightning speed to La Cantina.
Abby was the first to walk through the kitchen door, finding Leigh at the table, working silently at her computer. She looked up as Abby entered the room.
“You were up early this morning. Where’d you go?”
“Errands. Nothing exciting.” Abby watched as he sister tapped away on her keyboard.
Leigh was also watching Abby out of the corner of her eye. She stopped typing and blew out an irritated huff of air when she noticed a figure outside the screen door behind Abby. “You bring home a stray?”
Instead of answering, Abby opened the door so that Daryl could walk in. Leigh’s face froze, sending a plethora of mixed emotions screaming across it. She stood up, silently walked up to her husband and stood before him.
“I can’t apologize . . . ” she began.
“I don’t want any more apologies, Leigh. I want you.” Leigh threw herself into Daryl’s arms. As they were holding on tightly to each other, Abby slowly backed out of the kitchen and headed to the pool house.
Andrew was in a heated conversation on his mobile when she entered. He did find a moment to give her a look that asked how things went
. She gave him a thumbs-up and headed up to Ben’s room to see if he was there.
To her surprise, he and Tracey were both there. Ben was packing his things, and Tracey was quizzing him for the midterms. Abby went and curled up on the bed next to Tracey, watching Ben sort through items that might be worth keeping and set aside the ones he really wanted. She waited until they came to a break in the quizzing before she filled him in on her conversation with Leigh from the day before, regarding her wanting to keep the inn.
When she was all done, Ben paced the room. “It’s brilliant, Abs. Like you were meant to stay here. I think you should run the inn.”
“I know, right?” She grinned at her brother, pleased, but then her expression returned to somber once more. “Don’t you find it odd that all of those pictures of your parents -- of my dad -- seem to have been taken here? On St. Kitts?”
Ben stared into the box in front of him, mulling over Abby’s question. “I mean, I never really thought about it. But yeah, it does seem a little weird.”
Abby’s wheels were turning. “I know I’m supposed to go to Carla, Ben, and I will. I promise you. My gut tells me that there is so much more to this: to our parents, to La Cantina, to those photos you have.” She shook her head as she stared into space. “I can’t put my finger on it, but something is still off.”
Ben smiled and leaned over to lovingly slug his sister in her arm. “Take a break and relax for a second. Hell, you’re about to become a business owner.”
Abby was absentmindedly playing with a string that was loose on her T-shirt. “At least I have your vote of confidence. I’m hoping I get Leigh’s as well.”
“Well, we are the two-thirds majority vote,” Ben reminded her.
Abby nodded in agreement. “True, but I need to do this with all of us on the same page. It’s the only way.”
“She’s got a point,” Tracey chimed in. “Best to be all for one and one for all right now.”
“And if she doesn’t say yes?” Ben asked.
Abby stared at the wall. “I can’t think about that. All I know is that the first step for all of us is to be in agreement.”