What Might Have Been: Daniels Brother #4 (Daniels Brothers)

by Sherri Hayes

  She wrinkled her nose in the most adorable way. “Why?”

  He clutched his chest in mock pain. “Ouch. That hurts.”

  Abby gave him a playful shove. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  Not able to wait any longer, Trent pulled her against him.

  “What are you doing?” She glanced around, nervous.

  He pretended he didn’t notice. “I’m answering your question.”

  Without any further discussion, Trent covered her mouth with his. He kept it chaste. They were, after all, outside her place of employment.

  “I want you to have dinner with me tonight,” he murmured against her lips, not letting her go.

  “Okay,” she said with a hint of confusion.

  He clarified. “At my place.”

  “Oh.”

  Trent cocked his head to the side. “Everything all right?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine. It’s just been a long day.”

  He leaned back against the hood of his truck and situated her between his legs. Abby scanned their surroundings again, but no one was paying them any attention. They were all too busy rushing to their vehicles.

  When she realized he was waiting for her to elaborate, she sagged against him. “Max and his family got bad news about his dad. The cancer has spread even more than they thought. They aren’t expecting him to make it much longer.”

  Trent ran his hands along her back. “I’m sorry. You said you were close to them.”

  She nodded again and looked down.

  “Is there something else?” he asked.

  “Chris,” she whispered, not meeting his gaze.

  “What about him?”

  “I sent him the flight information today.”

  Trent knew there had to be more to it than that. “Did you talk to him? Did he say something?”

  Abby gave him a half smile. “No. It wasn’t anything he said. I’m just . . . I’m dreading this weekend.”

  Placing one finger under her chin, he tilted her face up so he could look into her eyes. “I can still go with you. It wouldn’t take that much to move my schedule around. The hardest part would be getting the plane tickets.”

  She shook her head. “No. I need to do this on my own.”

  He frowned.

  “I appreciate you offering, though.” The halfhearted grin she wore told him more than her words. He knew she was unsure how the trip with his brother would go.

  Trent brushed the back of his fingers down the side of her face. She was so precious to him and more than anything he wanted to support her.

  Abby leaned into his touch, nuzzling her face into his hand.

  “I’d do anything for you, Abby. All you have to do is ask.”

  She released a breathy sigh. “I know. I don’t deserve you.”

  “Yes, you do.” He ghosted his lips over hers once more. “Are you hungry?”

  Abby shrugged. “I could eat.”

  “Good,” he said, standing to his full height and guiding her around to the passenger side of the truck. “I’m starving.”

  She giggled when he opened the door with a flourish and helped her inside.

  It didn’t take long to reach his house. He was able to take some back roads and avoid most of the rush hour traffic. Throughout the drive, he kept glancing over at Abby. If Trent was being completely honest, he was slightly nervous about showing her his home. He wanted her to like it.

  He pulled into the driveway and put the truck in park. Before he could turn the vehicle off, she was getting out. She stood a few feet away, taking in the three-bedroom ranch he called home.

  Abby started up the brick walkway that led to his front door. He hurried to join her. She hadn’t bolted yet. That had to be a good sign.

  Trent unlocked the door and motioned for her to go first.

  She took a tentative step through his front door, took a quick look around, and then whirled back to face him. “It’s so clean.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Were you expecting to walk into a pigsty?”

  Abby pursed her lips. “Maybe. I do remember what your room used to look like.”

  Trent snorted. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”

  The tour didn’t take long. They were already in the living room and it opened into the dining room and kitchen. He’d converted one bedroom into a home office, although he rarely used it. The second bedroom had a full-sized bed and a few boxes. Trent couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in there.

  He skipped showing her his bedroom, figuring she’d get to see it later, and led her into the kitchen. She skimmed her fingertips along the edge of his counter while he removed the steaks he’d picked up earlier from the refrigerator.

  “I’m not all that talented in the kitchen, but I can grill with the best of them.”

  “Works for me.” Abby grinned and leaned back against the counter. “Need some help?”

  Trent shook his head. “I took the easy way out and bought some salads at the grocery store. You could keep me company while I fire up the grill, though.”

  As soon as they walked out onto his deck, he heard her gasp. His backyard was pretty amazing, if he did say so himself. He’d worked hard to make it perfect. Every tree and flower had been handpicked by him and placed exactly where he wanted it.

  He started up the grill and placed the steaks off to the side, allowing them to come to room temperature while the grill was warming up. “Do you like it?”

  “It’s beautiful.” She kicked off her shoes and headed down the steps of his deck and onto the lawn. “You did it all yourself?”

  “Yep.”

  Abby continued to stroll around his backyard while he cooked the steaks. She took her time looking at all the different elements he’d incorporated into his landscape. When she came to the small water feature he’d had specially designed for the space, she knelt down, dipped her fingers into the soft waves, and let the water trickle back down into the fountain.

  A vision of her with a small child squatting beside her, playing in the water, hit him like a punch to the gut. She glanced up at him and he tried to smile back even though his throat was so tight it was difficult to swallow. He averted his eyes and focused on the steaks.

  Trent heard her come up the steps, but he didn’t look away from the meat. He still didn’t trust himself.

  Abby came to stand behind him and circled her arms around his waist. “What were you thinking just now?”

  He shrugged, trying to brush it off.

  She rubbed her lips along the back of his shirt, distracting him from his task. “Do I need to tickle it out of you like I did when we were kids?”

  Trent released a sound that was somewhere between a snort and a laugh.

  “Come on. Tell me what’s wrong. You’ve listened to all my problems lately. Turnabout is only fair,” she said, pressing her lips against the back of his neck, making him question if they needed to eat dinner at all.

  He double-checked to make sure the steaks weren’t going to burn, then twisted around to face her. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything is right. You’re here with me.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “Then why did you look as if your mom had just made you eat an entire plate of broccoli?”

  He chuckled. “I did, huh?”

  She gave him a gentle slap on the chest. “Yes. And stop trying to change the subject.”

  Trent sighed. “I was watching you play in the water.”

  “And?”

  “And I was picturing a child beside you.” He paused. “Our child.”

  Her eyes went wide.

  “Did I scare you?”

  It was her turn to swallow hard. “Yes. A little.”

  Trent kissed her forehead and turned to flip the steaks, giving her time to process everything. He didn’t want to scare her away, but he also needed her to know this wasn’t a short-term fling for him.

  “I’ll go get the salads,” she said, heading back inside. He wondered w
hat was going through her mind.

  She hadn’t returned by the time the steaks were ready, so he piled them onto the clean plate he’d brought out with him and went to find her.

  When he pushed open the sliding glass door, he found Abby had set the table. She was in the process of pouring them each a glass of iced tea.

  He placed the steaks down in the center of the table and reached for her. Abby melted into his arms and burrowed her face into his chest.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “That’s really what you want? With me? Even after everything?” she asked.

  Trent lifted her chin and waited until she was gazing up at him. “I’ve always known what I want, baby. I’ve just been waiting on you.”

  Chapter 20

  On Friday morning, Abby was still trying to come to terms with all that had happened in the last week. She’d gone from telling one brother that years ago she’d had—and lost—his child, to having another declare that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Granted, Trent hadn’t come out and asked her to marry him or anything, but the implication had been clear.

  She was at her desk going through her e-mails when Max popped his head out of his office. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Sure.” Abby made sure any sensitive items were put away, and then headed into his office.

  “Close the door,” he said as soon as she entered.

  Abby did as he requested, his tone causing her anxiety to skyrocket. “What’s going on?”

  “I just hung up with my mother.”

  Over the last two days, Jacob Collins’ health had declined rapidly. He’d gone from talking and laughing to coughing and stuttering. It had been such a drastic change that Abby had backed out on her plans with Trent the night before so she could go see Max’s father.

  “He didn’t want to get out of bed this morning, so she called the nurse,” Max said.

  “And?” From Max’s expression, Abby knew it hadn’t been good news.

  “She thinks his body is shutting itself down.”

  Max’s eyes filled with moisture and Abby rushed across the room to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist in a vise grip. A wave of emotion vibrated through his body as he clung to her.

  “Do you want me to cancel my flight? I can stay if you need me.” As much as she wanted to do right by Chris, Max needed her. If he wanted her to stay . . .

  Max sat up and straightened his shoulders. If Abby hadn’t known him as well as she did, she might have been fooled. “I appreciate the offer, but you need to go.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

  “There’s nothing you can do here. All we’re going to be doing is sitting beside his bed and keeping him company.”

  Abby knew what he said was true, but she was filled with guilt. Max had been there for her in her darkest time. “Are you sure? I think Chris would understand.”

  “No.” He shook his head and stood. “You go. Do what you need to do. All this will be here when you get back.”

  She shot him a quizzical look. When she’d first brought up her impending trip with Chris to New York, Max hadn’t exactly been jumping for joy.

  Max must have realized the direction of her thoughts. He sighed and walked over to the window, something he did when he was stressed. “I’m still not a fan of the guy, but I figure if you’re going to continue to see his brother, you two are going to have to work through your issues.”

  “Yes.”

  He removed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and slipped it on, pulling at the cuffs of his shirt. “I’ll have my cell on me if you need anything today, or even this weekend.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” He needed to be focused on his family right now.

  Max grinned but it didn’t reach his eyes. She knew he was hurting.

  He gave her a swift hug, picked up his briefcase, and strolled toward the door as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

  Abby wished there was something else she could do, some way she could make this easier for her friend, but she knew there wasn’t. She knew what it was like to lose a parent.

  After Max left, she was inundated with phone calls. It was as if someone had sent out a memo or something. Everyone wanted to talk to Mr. Collins as soon as possible. She must have told at least two dozen people that he had a family emergency and would be out of the office for the rest of the day.

  By the time lunch rolled around, Abby was ready to get out of the office. She made sure all the phones were forwarded and that everything was locked up tight before making her way downstairs. They were still going through all the paperwork the previous assistant had left. Either she’d been skimming money, or she was extremely bad at math. Max had enlisted the help of an independent accounting firm to help make sense of everything, but even they were having issues. Most of her records were paper, so they had to match everything up one by one. It was taking time.

  The drive back to her apartment took less time than usual. Since it was the middle of the day, she hadn’t had to worry about rush hour traffic. She was still getting used to driving everywhere again. Living in New York for so long, she didn’t drive regularly anymore. It was easier to take the subway.

  She didn’t waste any time once she arrived home. Chris would be on her doorstep in two hours and she needed to be ready to go.

  As she packed a small suitcase with enough clothes for the weekend, Abby realized that something had shifted within her over the last two months. New York no longer felt like home. This was a trip—her home was in Ohio.

  The reason for the shift was at the forefront of her mind. Trent had assured her that he understood why she couldn’t see him last night, saying they would have plenty of time when she got back. She thought he’d be upset, or at least unhappy, if for no other reason than because her plans involved Max. He hadn’t.

  She zipped up the suitcase and set it by the door. No, Trent had been wonderful about it, like he’d been about her trip this weekend.

  Sighing, she ambled into the kitchen. They wouldn’t land in New York until dinnertime, so Abby needed to eat something. She only hoped she would be able to keep it down. The closer it came to the time Chris was to arrive, the more nervous she became.

  By the time he knocked on her door at one fifty-five, she’d managed to choke down most of the sandwich she’d made. She threw the rest of it away and went to get the door.

  Chris stood on the other side in jeans and a T-shirt. His hair was sticking up in all different directions as if he’d been running his fingers through it. He looked nervous yet determined.

  “Hi.”

  He cleared his throat. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes.” She grabbed her suitcase and stepped outside. When she set her luggage down on the sidewalk to lock up, Chris reached for it. “You don’t have to do that. I can get it.”

  Chris ignored her and loaded her suitcase into the backseat of his truck.

  She shook her head but didn’t argue. If he wanted to get her bag, then she’d let him.

  Neither said anything as Chris drove them south toward the airport. He parked the truck in long-term parking and they took the shuttle to the terminal. This time he let her carry her own bag.

  It took them almost forty minutes to get their tickets and go through security. Once that was done, they found their gate and waited for their flight. They had roughly an hour before takeoff and Chris hadn’t said anything to her since they’d left her apartment.

  His silence unnerved her, but she knew she had to deal with it. If all he did all weekend was stand stoically beside her, then so be it.

  As it turned out, Chris waited until they were thirty thousand feet in the air to say anything else. “Are you staying in Ohio?”

  It had been so long since he’d spoken that she jerked at the sound of his voice.

  “Once your assi
gnment or whatever is done.”

  Abby closed the magazine she’d been pretending to read. “I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet.”

  He nodded and looked out the window again.

  It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why he’d wanted to know, but she didn’t. Abby was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

  Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to think about pleasant things. Her mind floated back to the last night she’d spent at Trent’s house. They’d finished their dinner, and then searched his movie collection.

  A smile tugged at her lips when she remembered how little of the movie they’d actually watched.

  She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew the flight attendant was waking her up. “Could you bring your seat into the upright position? We’re preparing to land.”

  “Sure,” Abby mumbled.

  She righted her seat and looked over to where Chris was sitting next to her. He hadn’t moved. He was still staring out the window.

  “We can take a cab to the hotel,” she said as the plane came to a stop on the runway.

  “Don’t you have an apartment here?”

  “I do, but I’m subleasing it since I’m in Ohio for an extended period of time.”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything more.

  With their luggage in tow, they weaved their way through the airport and out to the passenger pickup area. There were people everywhere, coming and going. It took them a while to get a taxi, but eventually they made it to the front of the line. While Chris put the luggage in the trunk, Abby gave the cab driver the address to the hotel. Even though it had cost more, Abby had chosen a hotel in Brooklyn. It would be an easier commute to the gravesite that way.

  Abby had booked them rooms on the same floor of the hotel to make it more convenient. She’d considered getting them connecting rooms, but thought better of it. Chris wasn’t exactly her biggest fan right now, and he might want a little more distance between them.

  They came to her room first. He paused when she stopped in front of her door.

  “This is me.”

  Chris looked at the door, and then down at her. His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t say anything. He’d said maybe ten words to her since they’d left the airport.