Waiting for Love

by Marie Force

  “How’d you get all wet?” Linda asked.

  “We went for a walk on the beach and Abby tripped.”

  Linda eyed him shrewdly, no doubt picking over his every word and seeing his story for the lie that it was.

  “We were about to have a drink in the bar,” Big Mac said. “Join us.”

  When was the last time his father had ordered him to do anything? And when was the last time Adam had refused a direct order from his dad? Um, never?

  “I need to grab a quick shower,” Abby said, gesturing to her wet hair.

  “We’ll save you a seat,” Big Mac said.

  Adam smiled encouragingly at Abby, noting the heated flush of her cheeks. She was clearly mortified and probably dying for a moment alone. “Meet you in the bar?”

  “Sure,” she said hesitantly. “I’ll be fast.” She scurried up the stairs and disappeared.

  Adam followed his parents into the bar, where they found a table in the back where they were almost certain to be undisturbed. Great…

  Chelsea waved to them from the bar. “I’ll be right with you.”

  “What in the world are you doing with Abby,” Linda said, cutting right to the chase.

  “Hanging out. Having some fun. Nursing our broken hearts.”

  “Broken hearts?”

  “Her breakup with Cal was messy, and I… I recently ended something that was equally messy. Maybe even more so.”

  “Tell her, son,” Big Mac said.

  The last thing Adam felt like doing was reliving Sasha’s betrayal again, but he couldn’t exactly refuse to tell his mother what had happened in New York. When he was done, she stared at him agog.

  “You never said a word about her. When did you hear about this?” she asked her husband.

  “Only last night.”

  “You were with her for how long?” Linda said to Adam.

  “A couple of years.”

  “A couple of years? Why would you keep that from us, Adam?”

  “I don’t know. It just seemed easier that way.”

  “And she wasn’t at all curious about your family? Your home?”

  “She was. We’d talked about coming here together this summer. I’d even thought, fleetingly, about asking her to marry me. But none of that is happening now.”

  Chelsea arrived with beers for him and his dad and a glass of white wine for his mom. How comforting was it to be in a place where the bartender knew exactly what they wanted?

  “Thanks, sweetheart,” Big Mac said to Chelsea. “You can start us a tab. We’re going to be here awhile.”

  Adam bit back a groan when he realized his dad was taking a certain pleasure in watching him squirm.

  “Sure thing, Mr. McCarthy. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “What about your company?” Linda continued when they were alone. “Surely, you’re not going to let her steal it from you?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Is that right?” Big Mac said. “You’ve changed your tune since last night.”

  “I did some thinking, talked to my lawyer and made a plan. It’s all in the works as we speak.”

  “Good,” Big Mac said. “You’ve saved me from having a big, fat come-to-Jesus conversation with you about that.”

  “Thank you, Jesus, for small favors,” Adam said, drawing a grunt of laughter from his dad.

  “So let’s have a come-to-Jesus conversation about what you’re doing hanging all over your brother’s ex-girlfriend,” Linda said.

  “I told you. We’re hanging out. Having fun. Helping each other through a rough time.”

  “Have you given any thought at all to what Grant will think of this? He’s fragile enough right now after the accident—”

  “I talked to Grant about it earlier today.”

  “You…you talked to him about dating his ex-girlfriend?” Linda said.

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “What can he say, exactly, Mother? It’s been over between them for a very long time. He’s engaged to Stephanie now. What’s it to him?”

  “Adam… My goodness! I’ve always thought of you as positively brilliant, but can’t you see the potential for real trouble with your brother over this?”

  “No, I can’t. He’s happy with Stephanie. Things between him and Abby were over years ago because he treated her like a piece of furniture in his life. He’d tell you that himself. I like her. She likes me. We make each other laugh. How is that wrong?”

  “One of the things I’m most proud of,” Big Mac said, “is how close the five of you are to each other. I’m going to tell you right now that I won’t stand for you doing anything to risk a falling-out with your brother. Especially now when things with him are so unsettled. You’ll find me right smack in the middle of that.”

  “So I’m supposed to put my life on hold while he works out his shit? He won’t tell anyone what’s bothering him. How are we supposed to help him if we don’t know what’s wrong?”

  “We wait and we remain patient and we don’t do anything to make it worse,” Big Mac said.

  “There’re a lot of single women on this island,” Linda said. “Take Chelsea, for example. You’ve always been friends. And then there’s our friend Jenny, the lighthouse keeper. She lived in New York for years. You two probably have a lot in common. And then—”

  “Mom! Stop. Don’t even think about playing matchmaker for me. I’m enjoying the time I’m spending with Abby. Being with her makes me feel better after what happened with Sasha. I’m not giving that up just because it might give Grant a few minutes of disquiet. He had his chance with her, and he totally blew it. He’s said as much himself.”

  “Is this where you were last night when you didn’t come home? With her?”

  “We were talking and fell asleep. Nothing to get wound up about.”

  “You’re playing with fire, son,” Big Mac said, his expression grave.

  “I’m thirty-five years old, Dad. You know I love you both, and I love Grant, too. But this really has nothing at all to do with him—or with you. I’m sorry if that sounds disrespectful, because I don’t mean it that way. I’m asking you not to make it into something it isn’t. We’re hanging out together. That’s all it is so far. She’s not looking for anything serious, and neither am I.”

  “If that’s the case, you’d be a fool to let it come between you and your brother,” Linda said. “I can see risking your relationship with him if it were serious between the two of you, but to just ‘hang out,’ it doesn’t seem worth the risk.”

  “Let me decide that. I’m asking you to stay out of it and let me figure this out for myself. And please, give me a little credit where Grant is concerned. I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt him, and I’d never let anything come between us. Ever.”

  A flash of red caught his eye, and Adam turned to see Abby come into the bar in a formfitting red dress with a neckline that left very little to the imagination. Her dark hair was shiny under the lights, her lips glossy and red, her smile wide as she recognized one of the men she’d flirted with the night before and accepted a hug from him.

  Adam gripped the back of his chair tighter to keep from getting up and making another scene that she wouldn’t appreciate. He knew a tiny bit of relief when she pointed at the table where he sat with his parents and disentangled from the octopus.

  “I still can’t believe you’ve got six kids,” the guy said in a booming voice that could be heard throughout the crowded bar. “You’re one smoking-hot mama!”

  On that, he and Adam agreed.

  Only when she started toward their corner table was Adam able to tear his gaze off her and close his mouth, which had fallen open when she made her entrance. He glanced over to find his parents watching him very closely.

  “Just hanging out, my ass,” his dad muttered the second before Abby arrived at their table.

  The dress was way too much for drinks with the McCarthys. Abby had come to this conclusion about halfway d
own the stairs to the lobby. She’d known a moment of hesitation when she put it on, but after the time she’d spent with Tiffany today, she was determined to be a newer, better version of her old self. Even though the dress was too much, Adam’s reaction to it had been absolutely perfect and worth every cent she’d spent at Naughty & Nice.

  “Self-confidence is the key,” Tiffany had said. “If you feel confident, you’ll project that to others.”

  The red dress made Abby feel confident about walking into that bar to meet Adam and his parents, who must be wondering what they were doing together. Would they disapprove? And if they did? Would she care? Would he?

  Stop it. That’s not helping your confidence.

  What did wonders for her self-confidence was the greeting she received from Les—or was it Len?—one of the guys she’d met the night before who made a big deal out of her when she walked into the bar. He greeted her with a hug and a suggestive smile.

  “You look amazing, baby. Are you sure you’re married?”

  “Afraid so,” Abby said, relieved to rely on the cover story Adam had concocted for her. “My husband is right over there with his parents, and he’s the jealous sort.”

  “If I had a wife who looked like you, I’d be the jealous sort, too.”

  “That’s kind of you to say. It was nice to see you again, but I’d better go join my family.” Thinking of the McCarthys as her family reminded Abby that she’d once expected to be a McCarthy, but that hadn’t happened.

  As she walked away, Les—or Len—called after her. “Still can’t believe you’ve got six kids. You’re one smoking-hot mama!”

  When she realized the McCarthys had heard what he said, her face got very warm as Adam stood and held a chair for her. Big Mac also stood in a show of respect that Abby found charming. She’d always had a great big crush on him.

  “You look gorgeous,” Adam said when he returned to his own chair.

  “Thank you. I went shopping today. Time for something new.”

  “I saw something just like that dress in Tiffany’s store,” Linda said.

  “That’s where I got it. She’s done a wonderful job with the store, and she’s exceptionally good at getting her customers to part with their money.”

  “That she is,” Linda agreed.

  “What the heck have you bought there, Mom?”

  “None of your business, honey.”

  “Oh my God,” Adam muttered.

  “Just because there’s snow on the roof doesn’t mean the fire’s out, son,” Big Mac said with a wide grin, making Adam groan.

  Abby couldn’t help but laugh at his distress.

  “So you’ve got six kids now?” Linda asked, winking at Abby. “You work fast.”

  Abby glanced at Adam, uncertain how she should respond.

  “That guy was hassling her last night,” he said, “so we made up a little story.”

  “Is that right?” Big Mac said, eyebrow raised in inquiry as he studied his son.

  Chelsea came over to take Abby’s order.

  “Saved by the bartender,” Adam said. “I’ve never been so happy to see you, Chelsea.”

  “Well, that’s nice to hear. What can I get you, Abby?”

  “White wine, please.” She’d learned her lesson with tequila. While it supposedly made some women take their clothes off, apparently it made her confess her deepest darkest secrets. She still couldn’t think about the things she’d told Adam last night without wanting to die, so she didn’t allow her brain to go there.

  “What’s your pleasure? Pinot? Chardonnay?”

  “I’ll try Pinot, please.” Truth be told, she had no idea what the difference was between the various types of wine, so she’d have to experiment and find one she liked. She used to drink Chardonnay once in a while, mostly to be sociable when she was with Grant, but she’d never really tried anything else. Well, until she started swilling tequila.

  “Coming right up.”

  “Another round for us, too, please, sweetheart,” Big Mac said.

  Chelsea seemed to melt a little when Big Mac called her sweetheart, but then again, she was only human.

  “It’s so nice to see you, Abby,” Linda said. “We’re sorry to hear things didn’t work out with Cal.”

  “I was sorry, too.” She hesitated to say more but could tell from the earnest expressions on the faces of Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy that they were interested in what’d happened. “It was different in Texas. We didn’t… It didn’t work there.”

  “That’s too bad,” Linda said. “But better to find out now than after the ‘I dos.’”

  “Yes, that’s true.” Anxious to turn the conversation away from her sorry love life, Abby tried to think of something else they could talk about. “You must be excited about being grandparents again. Congratulations.”

  “We’re thrilled for Janey and Joe,” Big Mac said. “Can’t wait for August.”

  “She’ll have a lot on her plate with the baby and school,” Abby said.

  “If anyone can handle it, she sure can,” Linda said.

  “That is so true,” Abby said.

  The conversation seemed to lag a bit, making Abby wonder why Adam was being so quiet. Couldn’t he contribute something? But no, he sat there fiddling with his beer bottle and sneaking looks at her as she talked to his parents. And why did he keep looking at her? Was there something on her dress? She glanced down to find nothing other than a little more breast than she normally showed, but nothing obscene.

  She looked up, met his gaze and tried to challenge him to look elsewhere, but he kept his eyes locked on her, almost daring her to look away.

  Chelsea arrived with their drinks, which gave Adam something else to focus on besides her chest.

  It wasn’t lost on Abby that her entrance had bowled him over. That was ridiculously flattering and did amazing things for her self-confidence. If only his parents weren’t watching their every move, she might be able to enjoy his reaction a little more.

  As she took a sip of her wine and pondered the deeper meaning of their attraction to each other, his hand landed on her thigh—under her dress. She choked on her wine, which somehow ended up in her windpipe. The coughing fit that followed was almost as embarrassing as telling Adam her sex secrets.

  He patted her on the back until she’d coughed the wine out of her windpipe.

  “Sorry about that,” she croaked, mortified as she dabbed at her eyes.

  Linda pushed a glass of ice water toward Abby. “Have a drink.”

  As she drank from the cool glass of water, she caught Adam giving her a smug smile and wanted to smack him. He knew exactly what he’d done to her—for the second time that day—and wasn’t the slightest bit sorry. Between that and stealing her clothes at the beach, he was batting a thousand today.

  “They told me I might find you in here, darlin’.”

  Abby froze at the sound of the familiar voice. This could not be happening. She looked up to find Cal gazing down at her, seeming perplexed by the glass of wine sitting in front of her.

  His eyes slid over the front of her dress, stopping at her chest and then moving back up to her face. He greeted the McCarthys and shook hands with Big Mac and Adam. “Could you spare me a minute or two?” he said to Abby. “I came all the way from Texas to see you.”

  She had no idea what to say. Was she on a date with Adam? Would he understand if she left to talk to Cal? “I…um… We’re—”

  “Go ahead,” Adam said. “We’ll wait for you.”

  Only the tight set of his mouth told her he was unhappy with the turn of events. And was it wrong of her to be so glad that he was clearly dismayed by the appearance of her ex-fiancé? “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said to Adam, loud enough for Cal to hear.

  “We’ll be here.”

  “Excuse me,” she said to Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy, who seemed intrigued by the drama playing out before them. She hated playing the starring role. She hoped they knew that. When had her life turned in
to such a three-ring circus?

  With that question foremost on her mind, Abby got up on trembling legs and let Cal guide her from the bar with a hand on her back. She wanted to tell him not to do that. She wanted to remind him that he no longer had a right to touch her in that proprietary way, but she was more concerned about getting out of there without making another scene.

  “Better watch out, pal,” Les or Len said. “Her husband won’t take kindly to you touching her.”

  Cal’s normally amiable expression turned hostile in an instant. “Her husband won’t, will he?”

  “Come on, Cal,” Abby said, pushing him from the bar into the lobby. She headed toward a somewhat secluded arrangement of chairs in front of the fireplace and took a seat. Her stomach ached as Cal’s reappearance reminded her of all the hopes she’d once pinned on him—hopes that had been dashed when she saw him with his ex-girlfriend and discovered they still had significant feelings for one another. Don’t forget that.

  Rather than sit in the chair next to hers as she’d expected him to, he stood, hands on hips, fuming. “What the hell is going on here, Abby? What was that guy talking about? What husband?”

  “It’s something I told him to get him to leave me alone.”

  “Why’re you all cozy with the McCarthys?”

  Grant had been a sore subject between them from day one. “They’re my friends.” She glanced around the lobby, worried about the formidable Gansett Island gossip machine. As Cal had once been the island’s only doctor, everyone knew him—and her. “Would you please sit down?”

  “I don’t want to sit. I’ve been sitting all day trying to get here on three different airplanes.”

  “People are looking at us, Cal. I’m asking you to please sit and have a civilized conversation with me.”

  “Let’s go to your room.”

  “No.”

  “I don’t understand what’s happened to you.” He ran his fingers through his blond hair in a frustrated gesture that further ramped up her anxiety. “That dress… It’s not you, and were you drinking? You don’t drink.”

  “I do now, and this dress is me. It’s the new me.”

  He took a second closer look at the dress, his gaze lowering to fixate on the new tattoo on her ankle. “Are you kidding me? You’re gone one day and now you have a tattoo? You’re hanging out with your ex-boyfriend’s family, drinking and wearing low-cut dresses?”