“Go away.” Wyatt shooed the well-intentioned group surrounding him. “Max, Charlie and I will be fine so go dance or something.”
“Wyatt.” Holly hovered, resisting Dwayne’s attempt to distract her.
“Holliday, I happen to enjoy babies and small children. If either of you bothered to have some, you would know that.” He scowled at his sister and Shelby. “I’m hoping Max will inspire you. Then again I might have better luck with you, Abby.” He grinned shamelessly.
“Maybe.” She giggled at the startled looks he received. “Now that you said we’ll have such a willing babysitter, who knows.” She shrugged.
“Any time.” Wyatt winked as Holly gasped.
“What’s the matter, Holliday?” Frank teased. “Too weird for you too?”
“Why is it weird?” Abby asked. “Wyatt explained how he sees infants and little kids as blank slates. I think it would be great to grow up with his influence and encouragement.”
Holly gaped as the others laughed. “I was okay before, but it’s just too much having someone else defending you, Wyatt. You and Abby are starting to remind me of Flynn and Joey. I’m just not used to you being so chatty.”
“I always told you my wife would be amazing.” Jesse beamed.
Wyatt sighed at all of them, wondering why his sister kept making such a big deal over his hanging out with Abby. She was the one who always pushed him to socialize more. Now that he actually was, she seemed almost jealous. She’d been okay when Andie told her she called him occasionally but Andie had been her friend first. Ever since she found out that he had dinner with one of the waitresses who worked with Abby at the local diner, Holly had been staring at him like she didn’t know who he was anymore. Some people just couldn’t make up their minds.
“Look, here come Flynn and Joey. You’ll back me up, won’t you, guys?” Wyatt rolled his eyes in frustration so they would agree without hesitation.
“Flynn has to practice,” Charlie piped up. “So he gets ready for our baby.”
“Charlie!” Flynn tried to shush her.
“Well,” Shane chuckled as he and Alyssa joined them, “we made it through the ceremony at least.” He hugged Alyssa to his side.
“Only sort of,” Alyssa continued. “Abby figured it out yesterday, didn’t you?”
She nodded. “What other reason could there possibly be for you turning down an icing bowl?”
“Yeah, Lyss,” Jesse joined in. “That was a dead giveaway.”
“Oops.” Charlie looked back and forth between her parents and the other adults. “I told the secret.”
“It’s okay, princess,” Shane assured her. “It wasn’t really much of a secret anyway since everyone already guessed. We were only waiting because today is for Brett and Andie but I don’t really think they’ll mind sharing their happiness with us.”
“But you all did a good job acting surprised just then.” Alyssa smiled.
They were surrounded by congratulations until Frank whistled. “Holy shit, I don’t believe it!”
They all turned to see what caused his reaction and saw Brett and Jordan dancing with Milo and Petey. “You know what that means?” Shelby didn’t bother trying to hide her amusement.
“We’re going to be out there soon too,” Frank responded.
“Look at them.” Jesse laughed. “I’ve never seen two more thrilled expressions.”
As Alyssa rushed to capture the dance with her camera so she could send them both a memento, Harry approached, shaking his head. “At least they’re behaving for the most part.”
“Oh, Harry.” Abby giggled. “Let them alone. They’re just having fun. I heard how you vetoed most of the clothes they wanted to bring. I know Brett and Jordan planned this dance to make up for how it seemed when they visited.”
“But you know how they are with a little encouragement.”
“They’re harmless,” Shelby said to pacify him. “And their enthusiasm is contagious. Everyone adores them.”
Jesse’s expression hardened when the police chief approached their group. “Evening, everyone,” Scott said. “I don’t mean to intrude but I was hoping I could have a brief word with you, Mr. and Mrs. Monroe. Privately?”
Abby and Jesse followed him to the edge of the park and waited for him to speak. “First, let me say I know how inappropriate it is of me to drag you away from the festivities. But I figure your opinion of me couldn’t get any worse so I decided this wouldn’t matter all that much.”
“What’s your point, Chief?” Jesse asked flatly.
“Fair enough.” Scott met his suspicious gaze. “Mrs. Monroe, I was honestly pleased last month when I learned you were back. I’d heard that you had gone and Mr. Monroe moved into the house without you. I knew my actions may have had some bearing on that decision.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Jesse glared.
“Jesse, please.” Abby squeezed the hand at her waist. “Let him finish. This is hard enough without you going all fierce. You were saying?”
Scott watched as Jesse’s manner softened. He couldn’t blame the man after the horrendous way he had treated his wife on their first encounter. “Thank you, Mrs. Monroe. I know I’m floundering here but if you’ll just bear with me a moment longer.” Abby nodded. “Apparently my sister Gracie and your cousin Wyatt have noticed each other…”
“Gracie is your sister?” Jesse interrupted.
“Didn’t I mention that?” Abby asked innocently.
“So you already knew?” Scott was surprised. “Gracie’s told me how much she enjoys your company. I remember the night when she talked about meeting you. She brought home some of your brownies home from work with her and gushed about how amazing the new dessert lady at the diner was. That was the first time she honestly smiled without her daughter Chrissy in the room. I don’t know how much she’s told you about herself so forgive me if I’m being repetitive.
“Our parents had Gracie rather late in life and I was already out of the house by the time she was growing up. When she married her high school sweetheart the year after graduation, my life was well established. I thought they were too young and tried to talk them into waiting. I didn’t believe they had any idea of what they were getting into. I had doubts they’d be able to make it work. Her husband, Chris, was on his way home the night of their third anniversary when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and broadsided him. Poor kid never knew what hit him. He died instantly and I was faced with the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. Gracie had cooked a special dinner for Chris, all his favorites. As soon as she saw me, she knew he was gone. Three weeks later, she found out she was pregnant. They didn’t have any insurance to speak of and she had a pretty rough time the whole nine months. My wife and I convinced her to stay with us until she got back on her feet again, however long it took.
“Up until that night, I still thought of my sister as a little girl. It didn’t take long for me to figure out how wrong I was. Somehow she had grown up without me realizing it. She had become a strong woman, proud and determined. No matter how much we protested, Gracie insisted on paying us rent, even the month she gave birth. We practically had to force her to let us help with Chrissy. Still do. Chris has been gone for three years and the sole focus of Gracie’s life has been Chrissy. Not in an obsessive way though. My sister is a great mom. She’s a sweetheart in spite of all she’s gone through. But she’s still so sad all the time. Oh, she hides it pretty well but my wife and I can see it when she doesn’t think we’re watching.
“As I said, for the past three years, Gracie has only smiled for Chrissy. Then she met you and things began to change. Mrs. Monroe, she was so excited. I don’t know what exactly you did that day, but I am eternally grateful. By the time I realized it was you she was talking about, I didn’t know how to tell her we had already met. My wife knows what went on but neither of us said anything to her.”
“I told her we met and had a bad experience,” Abby informed him. “She said she doesn’t need to kn
ow about that if I prefer not to explain. She considers your job yours and said it has nothing to do with her, even though you are her big brother.”
“See? My kid sister is quite a woman,” Scott declared. “Anyway, my point is she thinks of you as her friend, Mrs. Monroe. The second time I saw her smile without Chrissy was two weeks ago. I heard her on the porch after work and got worried when she didn’t come right in. I went out to check on her and couldn’t believe it when I saw her sitting on the swing, holding hands with a man I’d never seen before. Gracie looked so different, smiling at him. I managed to slip back inside without disturbing them. Later she mentioned that your cousin Wyatt had been kind enough to walk her home after her shift.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is we’re very likely to end up in each other’s company. I love my sister and would hate it if my presence ruined anything for her. But I’m too selfish to give up an opportunity to see her happy. Do you think it’s possible for us to find neutral territory for Gracie’s sake?”
Impulsively, Abby reached out and put her hand on his arm. “You’re right, Chief Burns. Your sister is quite a woman. I know she senses there are things I haven’t told her about myself. She accepts me anyway. Ever since I met Jesse, my life has been all about new beginnings and second chances. If his family and friends are willing to give me that, shouldn’t I do the same too? Why don’t we start over? And please call me Abby. Okay, Jesse?”
Jesse didn’t seem surprised by Abby’s words. “Sure, Ab. I’ve heard Shane and Alyssa telling you the chief was acting out of character with you. If you’re willing to put it behind you, I am too.”
“Thank you both. I’d appreciate it if you’d call me Scott.” He extended his hand to them. “Can I ask something else that’s totally inappropriate? As a concerned big brother?”
“If it’s about Wyatt please let me say something first.” Abby silenced him. “When I asked Jesse about his family he described his cousin as a unique individual who lived in his own world and followed his own rules. We talked on the phone before we met in person and, at the time, I wasn’t at my best. In case you don’t know this yet, Wyatt is even more brilliant than Jesse will tell you. He’s spent his life in semi-isolation, not because he chose to but because he has been forced to. People are afraid of him. They know he’s different and treat him like a freak because they don’t understand he’s still just a guy underneath all that intelligence. Did you notice him with all the kids earlier? He likes them because they haven’t learned to judge him yet. To the kids, he’s just an adult who is honestly interested in them. Part of why we get along so well is that I wasn’t capable of having my own opinion on anything when we met. Wyatt treated me just like those kids, someone he could be curious about and talk to without worrying about rejection. I knew somehow that I didn’t have to be afraid when I was with him.
“If your question is whether or not Wyatt is going to use Gracie or intentionally hurt her in any way, the answer is no. Now I have a question too. I want to know whether or not you’re going to give Wyatt a fair chance and spend some time getting to know him before you decide if you’re comfortable with his being with your sister and your niece. Can you overlook the impression the little you managed to find out about him gives and think of him as a man instead of a freaky genius?”
“Let me add that Wyatt is the only person I trust implicitly around my wife. He isn’t your average guy in many ways but he’s a damned good man. Gracie is the first woman he’s openly shown any interest in and he fully understands that Chrissy is the center of her world. They’ve been to our house together several times now and it’s obvious to me Wyatt is as hooked on both of them as they seem to be on him.” Jesse shared Abby’s concern. “I think we’d both like to hear your answer now.”
“I’m doing the best I can to keep an open mind. I admit I’m intimidated. But like you, I’ve seen them together and I believe he’s not playing games with Gracie. I guess I’m just being overprotective. I don’t want her to get hurt the first time she starts to open up. You were right that I ran a check on him.”
“Bet you didn’t find much.” Jesse chuckled.
“No. Which only added to my wanting to protect her,” Scott responded.
“As you know, I have a lot of trouble accepting people on face value,” Abby stated. “Even though you will never find out all there is to know about Wyatt, he’s someone who is what he seems, if that makes any sense.” He nodded. “Scott, I’m going to have to ask you to give me a chance too. I know I’ve come a long way, thanks to Jesse, but I can’t forget that you saw Alyssa’s pictures. You saw what I let happen to me. You saw that I had bruises everywhere. And some part of you judged me. No matter what it was that made you question if Earl was telling the truth and I was as insane as he and my mom said I was, you are still the one who considered the possibility. Even though you knew and trusted Shane and Alyssa and the rest of them, you still had doubts concerning me. Honestly there are many, many days I have doubts too but I have Jesse’s constant support and encouragement to help me overcome them. Do you think you can see me as the woman I’m learning to be instead of the one you first met?”
“You aren’t that woman anymore. Yes, I can still picture you huddled on the ground next to Shane and avoiding the camera lens as Alyssa focused on you but I have trouble associating you then with you now. If I weren’t afraid of how that incident might influence your friendship with Gracie, I don’t think I’d consciously remember it. Not that I’ll ever forget it but…”
“I understand,” Abby said, stopping his explanation. “One more thing. For the past several months, I’ve been talking with someone who went through kind of the same thing a long time ago, and, well, I mean…”
“Abby.” Jesse sensed what was coming.
“Please, Jesse. I think I need to do this,” she pleaded as his arm tightened around her. “You see, Scott, this person, well couple, really, has given me so much. Me and Jesse both and I feel I should at least try to do the same. I’m not sure I can but if you ever find a person like me who you think could use someone to talk to, will you let me know? Will you call me and tell me where to find her? Before you mention me since I don’t really know if I can do it yet. But I’d like the opportunity to try if you think it would help.”
“It’s too soon, Abby,” Jesse cautioned. “Are you sure you could be objective? I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I have to agree with your husband,” Scott said. “I wouldn’t want to cause you to go through anything else…”
“Wait. All I’m asking is that you call me. Give me the chance to think about it when it comes up. If it comes up. I promise to tell you if I have any doubts at that moment, okay? If I do, I won’t let you even suggest it to whoever she is.”
“I love you, Abby,” Jesse told her softly, not caring that he had an audience.
“You’re an incredible woman,” Scott declared, admiration written all over his face. “All right. I’ll call you if something comes up. And I’ll trust you to give me an honest answer over whether or not you’re able to reach out at the time. I think I’ve taken up enough of your time and I can see the others are becoming concerned. Thanks for listening.”
“You too.” Abby smiled when Jesse extended his hand first this time. “I’m sure we’ll speak with you again soon.”
“Everything okay?” Frank asked as they approached before Wyatt had the chance.
“Yes,” Jesse answered for both of them. “Just clearing the air since it seems we’ll be spending more time with the chief in the future. You could have told me Gracie was his sister, Wy.”
“Jesse, I’m the one who suggested we let you find out on your own,” Abby explained. “Please don’t blame Wyatt. I was afraid you would transfer Scott’s faults onto Gracie and I wanted you to get to know her first.”
“And I went along with it because that had been so important to Abby when she met all of us,” Wyatt added.
“I’m sorry.” Abby was shakin
g. “I shouldn’t have doubted you…”
“Shh, Abs.” Jesse stopped her. “I hate to admit it but you were right. I would have been unfair to Gracie. I’m glad you know me so well because I might have hurt her. And you, Wyatt. I’m very lucky you’re close enough to know when to trust Abby’s instincts.”
Wyatt beamed as the stunned expression returned to Holly’s face. “Thanks, Jess. Let’s get back to the matter at hand before Scott interrupted.” Changing the subject before his sister could stick her foot in her mouth, he nodded toward Milo and Petey who were hovering at the edge of the area designated for dancing, casting glances their way. “We’ve all had our turn, including Abby earlier as you well know. You and Frank are the only ones left from our group.”
As the current song ended, Abby nudged Jesse into action even though he groaned. “Come on, Frank,” he said. “Let’s go get our dance out of the way so I can spend the rest of the evening with my wife.”
“Christ,” Frank growled. “The things I do.” Shelby rewarded him with a kiss before he followed his brother.
Abby and Shelby exchanged a glance. “Joey, Flynn, we were hoping we’d get this opportunity.” She smiled sweetly, ignoring the blush that spread over both their faces.
“Since Rose and Danny claimed Max and Charlie and Wyatt no longer needs your assistance, we would be honored if you’d dance with us.” Shelby’s smile was just as sweet.
Both boys agreed and held out their arms as Shane had tutored them earlier. While their husbands danced with the very subdued Milo and Petey, Abby and Shelby spent the song relaxing the two young men. By the time the song ended, both were much less nervous. The kiss on the cheek they each received gave them the courage they needed to approach two girls from their class who had been watching.
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