“Have you climbed the Harbour Bridge before? People tell me that the view is spectacular from above.”
“No. I’m afraid of heights. Never had the courage to do so.”
“Look at that. You’re afraid of heights, and I’m scared of flying. Maybe we can conquer our fears together and climb the bridge together.”
“Well I don’t know about climbing the Harbour Bridge, but I will make you a suggestion. Don’t feel obliged to say yes either.”
“OK. Shoot.”
“I’ll go with you to Luna Park, and we’ll conquer our fears together that way. There are some scary rides there.”
“You’re on.”
Had she just agreed to become Sam’s tour guide of Sydney?
It was mind baffling to her to even offer to show Sam around but it was out there now and there was no taking it back. Sam had already accepted her proposal.
“Are they open now?”
Abby shook her head. “I haven’t been there for a really long time but I’m fairly certain that their opening hours are 10am to 6pm. We’d have to go another day. My offer would still be valid.”
A few minutes later, Jessica and Justin returned to the table and Abby could sense that Jessica was obviously surprised that she and Sam were making small talk with each other.
After everything that happened between the two, Abby was beginning to think that Sam wasn’t as bad as first thought.
“So what are we talking about?” Justin asked as he set a beer down in front of his brother.
“Abby just offered to become my unofficial tour guide around Sydney,” Sam exclaimed with a smile.
Justin raised his eyebrows. “Oh yeah? Where are you going?”
“Luna Park.”
“Luna Park? Well I haven’t been there since I was fourteen,” Jessica said. She turned to Abby. “Can you remember that day?”
“How could I forget? Steven thought he was invincible and could go on every ride possible until he barfed up on one of the rides. He smelt like vomit for the rest of the day.”
“And he taunted us with the smell the entire ride home because he refused to buy a souvenir t-shirt to wear,” Jessica said, scrunching up her nose.
“So Luna Park sounds like fun and I’ve never been there either. We should make it a family affair. It might be fun and we could use it as a last hooray before we get married,” Justin said as he took a mouthful of beer.
Abby watched her sister clasp her hands together excitedly.
“Ooh, I like that idea a lot.” She turned to Justin with a smile. “It’s a good thing that we’re getting married. We are so in sync with each other.”
Abby crossed one leg over the other, choosing to change the subject and ignore her sister making smooching faces at Justin. “So if it’s going to be a family thing then I suppose we have no choice but to invite Steven as well.”
“Oh, do we have to?” Jessica asked, trying to sound disappointed through giggles.
“Well, he is our brother. If we don’t invite him then, he’s going to think that we don’t like him.”
“But he already knows that we don’t like him,” Jessica joked. “I tell him all the time.”
“Do you always make fun of your brother?” Sam asked.
Abby and Jessica turned to each other and laughed.
“We do. This is what happens when he only has sisters. We like to annoy him. And although he’ll never admit it, he loves it when we annoy him,” Jessica said. “It’s our way of knowing that we love each other and that we are always here for each other.”
Justin wrapped an arm around Jessica and she sunk into his embrace. “Then it’s a good thing that I’m joining your family. Steven doesn’t have to be the only guy in the household now. We can be allies. Brother in Laws for life.”
“Watch it,” Jessica said with a playful smile. “You’re marrying me. You still have to take my side when the situation calls for it.”
“So do you think your parents will want to come too? You know like one big family affair.” Abby asked, changing the subject so that she didn’t have to be subdued to another showing of Jessica and Justin being all loved up with each other. She swore Sam was also thankful for the change in conversation because he grinned at her when he took a mouthful of his beer.
Justin shook his head. “No. They won’t be coming. We can ask, but they won’t say yes. Walking around an amusement park all day with their adult children isn’t their idea of fun.”
“Justin’s right. Our mother’s idea of fun is lunch or coffee with friends and Dad’s idea is playing golf,” Sam added. “It will just be the four of us plus your brother.”
Abby couldn’t help but shudder a little knowing she was going to be spending one full day with Sam. It was one thing to offer to be his tour guide when it was just him and her. But this time, it wasn’t just going to be the two of them. Their siblings would accompany them, and Abby couldn’t very well say no to the day out. Jessica would be crushed. It was evident that she was very much looking forward to the idea of spending the day at Luna Park with her family, Justin and Sam.
Abby was just going to have to bite the bullet and spend a long day with Sam.
Just maybe it would give her the chance to find out if her feelings for Sam were real or not.
The following morning around eleven, Abby was downstairs at Jess and Steven’s townhouse, seizing the opportunity to get some writing done on her computer while she was alone. Jessica and Justin were out ordering the flower arrangements for the wedding. Steven wasn’t yet home from the night before. With her hair piled up high into a messy ponytail and her glasses on, she was ready to get some work done.
Despite much to think about in the fictional world of her characters, Abby couldn’t help but continue to glance at her watch. She wondered when Steven would come home. She knew he couldn’t stay out all day. He had to work. And for as long as Steven had been a firefighter, he had never been one to call in sick.
Last night hadn’t been as bad as Abby had thought it would be after Steven had ditched them for a good time out with his friends. Although she would never admit it to Sam, Jessica and Justin, she enjoyed herself. It was good to get out at night, considering it was something she didn’t often do. New York City was the city that never sleeps, but Abby liked her eight hours. Besides, with deadlines looming and many book ideas to write, hitting a club was usually not on her list of things to do. The night club scene was never her idea of fun anyway. She left that to Steven and Jessica.
Abby placed her earbuds in and got lost in her favourite playlist and the romantic first-kiss scene of her work in progress when the front door opened.
It was Jessica. The grin splashed across her face said that her morning choosing flowers had gone well.
“Good morning?” Abby asked her sister as she popped out her earbuds, focusing her all her attention on Jessica.
Jessica collapsed onto the lounge chair opposite Abby. She slipped her ballet flats off her feet, hanging her legs over one side of the armchair. “You could say that. It went better and was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.
“So picking flowers isn’t as hard as you imagined?”
“Not for Justin and me. It turns out, we had the same kind of ideas. And his mother wasn’t there.” Jess lowered her voice and confided, “You know, it’s great that Justin’s parents are footing the bill for most of this wedding. I’m grateful for that. But honestly, things would go a lot smoother if Andrea wasn’t always there with her opinion on everything.”
Abby raised her eyebrows. “You better not spill that little bit of information to your fiancé.”
“I don’t have to worry about that,” Jessica sighed. “Justin said it first. I’m reciting his words, not mine.”
Abby’s focus turned back to her laptop. She was trying hard to crank some more words out onto the screen. She didn’t need her editor breathing down her neck as the book deadline approached.
“So how is the wr
iting coming along?” Jessica asked. “Are you making progress on the next bestseller?”
“Well, I don’t know whether it’s going to be a bestseller or not. No one knows that until the book is out. You’re sweet to say it, though. And it’s getting there—though it would be nice to have no distractions.”
“Nonsense! You’re my sister. Of course, this book is going to be just as successful as your other books. You’re a great writer.”
“And you’re not biased at all,” Abby commented with a laugh.
Jessica shook her head with a grin. “Nope, not at all. So has Steven been home yet?”
“Not yet.”
Then as though he had known his sisters were talking about him, Steven breezed through the door in a rush. He let it slam shut behind him then headed directly upstairs, saying a quick “Hello” before he disappeared out of sight.
“I guess I don’t need to ask if you had fun,” Jessica called out to him.
Ten minutes later, Steven descended the stairs after having changed into his work clothes. He sat down on the lounge next to Abby.
Abby peeled her eyes away from her computer screen to make eye contact with her brother who was lacing up the black boots he wore to work.
“What?” Steven asked without looking up.
“So how was your night?” Abby asked.
“You know how my night was. You were there.”
“We weren’t present for your entire night. Where did you go?” Jessica asked.
“Out to dinner.” His answers were short and straightforward.
“Where did you go after dinner? Where did you sleep last night?” Jessica probed him for more details. She had a nasty habit of not knowing when to quit.
“Do you want me to tell you more? I recall getting chewed out by you two last night for telling you more than you wanted to know. So which is it?” Jess and Abby looked at each other with raised brows. “It’s none of your business anyway,” Steven grumbled. “I had a lot of fun. That’s all I am going to tell you.” He stood up; his backpack strapped over one shoulder as he headed out the door and left for work.
Abby retreated to her laptop as Jessica watched her with an intensity that was distracting. “You know he makes a good point.” Abby heard her sister make a popping sound with her mouth for emphasis.
“Steven? What point did he make?” She peered at Jessica over the top of her glasses.
“I’m talking about the fact that he’s having fun.” Jessica sat up, crossing her legs underneath her. “Okay, so he doesn’t have a girlfriend. And he’s not in a relationship. But at least he’s getting out there. Are you doing the same?”
Gulp.
“I am.” It wasn’t the truth, but Abby hoped her sister believed her.
“Are you?” Jessica narrowed her eyes.
Abby straightened defensively. She was getting out there. She had fun. She just didn’t have as much fun as Steven. Unlike Steven, she wanted more than just mindless sex.
Jess didn’t wait for her to respond and blurted, “I know someone who would be perfect for you.”
Uh-oh! Abby could see where this was going. “Jess, I don’t need you to play matchmaker. I can find my dates, you know.”
“You’re not doing a good job of it.”
Jessica’s comment got her a stare and a playful whack on the leg by Abby.
Jessica raised her hands in the air. “Sorry. Don’t shoot me. It’s just my opinion. Please hear me out? Then you can decide if you want to take me up on my offer.”
“Um, okay,” Abby hesitated for a moment. Did she want to hear what her sister had to say?
Abby got that Jessica was just looking out for her, but she and Abby had completely different tastes in men. Abby wasn’t afraid to admit she liked her men a little rough around the edges compared to Jessica.
The men Abby tended to be attracted to sported tattoos and piercings. They weren’t exactly the clean-cut types you brought home to meet your family. Maybe that was why Abby was now having such a hard time meeting Mr Right. Her taste in men made finding the right one an almost impossible task.
Jessica’s face lit up like all her Christmases were coming at once. “Okay, so his name is Levi, and he’s in one of my lectures at the university. He’s a sweet guy. He’s not my type because I love Justin, but I think you’d hit it off with him.”
Abby scoffed. “How desperate do you think I am? How old is he? I don’t want to be one of those women who date men a lot younger than them.”
“They’re called cougars, Abby, and he’s older than me but not that much younger than you if you want to be particular. He’s 27. Please? If you want, Justin and I can come along too, like a double date. It will be fun.”
A double date? And a blind one at that? The prospect didn’t thrill Abby, but Jessica was so excited to be playing matchmaker. “I suppose. If it makes you happy then I’ll go out with Levi on one date—” Abby showed one finger, emphasising her words. “But there will be no double date. I’m a big girl. I think I can handle a blind date alone. Tell me what he looks like and I’m good to go.”
Jessica jumped off the chair, squealing, and came around the back of the lounge where Abby was sitting, draping her arms around Abby’s shoulders and giving her a hug.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m so happy that you said yes because you’re going out with him next Saturday.”
And just like that, Jessica had once again wiggled her way into organising Abby’s life whether Abby liked it or not. When she left the room, Abby returned her focus back to the computer screen. She just hoped the night didn’t turn out to be a bust or worse—the best night of her life.
That scared the shit out of her even more.
One week later, it was date night. Abby had been a ball of nerves all week.
She didn’t know why she was so antsy. There had been other times in her life when she should have been a hell of a lot more nervous than tonight. Meeting her book editor and publicist was one of them and attending her first book signing was another. But neither of those made her as nervy as she was now. Those had been frightening moments for Abby, but she was in her element when she was talking about her books. When she was on a date, she had no control of what was going to happen.
Of course, she went out, but she didn’t date as much as some women did. If she was out with a friend and there was a guy there who enjoyed her company, it would turn into a couple of drinks with each other. That was it. Only a handful of those nights eventuated into going out on a real date. And nothing had come from those times other than casual sex. It was why she’d become pretty disillusioned with the whole dating scene.
As she sat alone at a restaurant near the harbour and waited for Levi to show, she found herself anticipating the worst. Maybe he wouldn’t turn up at all, or worse, make awkward small talk and then come up with an excuse to cut out early. She knew she was negative and insecure, but she couldn’t help it.
Questions kept plaguing her mind. Why did it seem men didn’t like her beyond a one-night stand? Did she have bad breath? Was she a bad kisser? Was she just a good fuck, but an undatable person?
“So we have got to stop running into each other like this.”
The voice was familiar and almost sexy. Abby knew that voice. When she turned around on the stool she was sitting on, she found Sam smiling at her. His eyes were as blue as the sky. Those eyes had haunted her dreams lately, but of course, she would never admit to dreaming about the gorgeous doctor.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Abby calmed herself and flashed her most confident smile. “I’m on a date. I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“A date?” Sam scanned the room. “So where is he? Did you scare him off already?”
“Very funny. He hasn’t arrived yet.”
Sam grew serious. “Hey, you know I didn’t mean that. You look fantastic. He’ll take one look at you and think how lucky he is to be going out with you.”
Abby wasn’t expectin
g the compliment, but she was grateful for it. When Jessica had insisted on the black mesh insert shorts and spaghetti strap top, Abby wasn’t sure. But maybe Jessica was right in saying she could pull the look off well because of her toned and tanned legs. She’d left her long hair down and tousled.
She gave Sam a smile and felt her cheeks warm. “Thank you.”
Out of the blue, Sam pulled a card from his pocket and slipped it into her hand. His hand was warm to touch. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “My card if you need to use me as an excuse.”
His voice was as warm and smooth as his touch on her skin. It was almost like silk. Then he departed, his words lingering through her head as she watched him walk away. His card was still in her hands, her fingers grazing each word on the card as she read his official title.
Dr Sam Collins. PhD. Harvard University.
Impressive. Much more so than the card she handed out at book signings and conventions: Abby Carter. Contemporary Romance Bestselling Author. It wasn’t a competition, but if it were then Sam would win by leaps and bounds.
Another voice sounded behind her. This time, it wasn’t Sam.
Abby turned around to face a man a little taller than her, though not as tall and sturdy as Sam, still good looking with his dark hair cut into a buzz cut and piercing blue eyes.
“Abby?” He extended his hand out towards her and Abby took it. His voice was pleasant, but not as smooth and sexy as Sam’s.
Fuck! Why was she comparing her date to Sam? What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she get the handsome doctor out of her head? It was like she was obsessing over him, and she didn’t like it one bit.
Abby nodded her head and smiled. “I am, and you must be Levi.”
“Yes. Jessica has told me a lot about you.”
“I hope all good things.”
“Of course! She told me how you live in New York City now and that you’re a writer. That’s cool!”
Abby made a mental note to thank her sister later for praising her as a writer. She wasn’t aware if her brother and sister had even read her books, let alone told other people about them. Of course, Jessica was always raving on the phone about how proud she was that her big sister was following her dreams as an author. But she got the impression that Jessica only had a rough idea of what her books were about. She didn’t like to read as often as Abby did.
Back to Me without you (Sibling Love Book 1) Page 10