by Jill Sanders
“The woman who just had the twins?”
He nodded. “Nearly killed her mother who was inside. Ally pulled her out before we got there.” He shook his head, remembering the day. “Iian had rushed in to look for her mother.” He smiled. “Considering the man’s deaf, he was lucky Ally found him before he stayed in there too long.”
“How horrible.” She felt herself shiver at the thought.
“Of course, most of our calls are easier. Since I’ve been in the house, we’ve only had seven major fires.”
“You love it.” She smiled up at him.
He nodded and looked around. “What do you say I follow you someplace so we can grab some food. I’m starved.”
She smiled. “Sounds good.” She tossed her key up and caught it. Then smiled at him. “I can’t believe I own a car.”
Chapter Six
When he parked in front of his house that evening, he instantly felt an empty spot in his chest. Even when Lady had run out and greeted him when he’d picked her up from his mom’s house earlier, he’d still felt like something was missing.
He’d bought the house along the shoreline almost two years ago. He’d used up most of his inheritance from when his father had died on the old place and had spent the first year remodeling it. He still had some work to do upstairs, but since he’d taken the bedroom downstairs, he never really got up there much. He had only finished a bedroom and bathroom upstairs for when his sister stayed with him.
Lady followed him into the house and walked over to sniff her bed near the fireplace. He wondered if she thought some other dog had snuck in and used it while she’d been gone.
“Did you miss me?” he asked, while walking towards the kitchen.
She followed him to the back and sat near the drawer that held her treats. “Sure, why not.” He pulled one out and gave it to her. “Mom said you were a good girl while I was gone.”
The dog looked up at him and he could have sworn she nodded. He tossed her another treat since he’d missed her.
When he settled down to watch a ball game on his big screen, he realized what he was missing. Her. Abby.
Picking up his phone, he texted her a quick message.
– Missing your smile
He had to wait less than five minutes before he got a reply.
– Missing yours too. Did you get home safe?
– Yeah, Lady is happy I’m back.
He clicked a picture of the dog snuggling in his lap and sent it.
– Awe, what a sweet girl.
He smiled at that.
– Well, heading to bed now that the game’s over.
– Ducks won!
He smiled and felt himself grow even fonder of her.
– You watched the game?
– LOL. Wouldn’t miss it. Dad’s a big fan and often tests me.
– Man after my own heart.
– He’s helping me move down there in two weeks.
He smiled, hoping she was asking him to meet her folks. Funny, he’d heard all the guys in the house talk about hating taking that step with women, but he actually liked meeting a woman’s parents. It was almost like getting an insider view on what made her tick.
– Let me know the details and I’ll have a dozen guys there to help.
– I’ll take them. Not that I have much to move.
– There’s an apartment above Patty’s Grocery store, I can talk to her sometime this week if you’re interested. Of course, she’ll want to meet you first.
– Yes, that would be great. I plan on being down there on Tuesday to check out a few places.
– Wanna do lunch then? I know this great place to eat.
– It’s a date. Well, I’d better go. Night.
He carried Lady into his room, set her down on the bed, stripped, and crawled in next to her.
His mind instantly replayed the dreams he’d had about Abby. Her long red hair, flowing around his face as she kissed him. Her long fingernails trailing over his chest as she licked her way down his stomach.
It had been years since he’d wanted someone as badly as he wanted her. She was funny, smart, sexy, everything he’d ever found attractive in a woman. The fact that she was moving to Pride was the icing on the cake.
The next day was a day from hell. He’d been gone for four days and his chief decided to pay him back by making him run drills. By the end of the day, his back hurt, his lungs ached, and he was pretty sure he’d jammed two of his fingers.
When he dragged himself into his house just after six, he was so focused on getting to a hot shower, he almost walked right past his sister, sleeping on his sofa.
“Ang?” He sat beside her and smiled when he saw Lady snuggled up at her feet.
Angie’s blue eyes opened and blinked a few times. “You okay?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair.
She nodded a little and smiled up at him.
“Laney.” She jumped up and hugged him like a four-year-old. Knowing her mind would stay locked in its youthful mentality her entire life only made each hug count more.
“Did Mom drop you off?” he asked, pulling back a little.
She nodded again. “Lady kept me company.”
He smiled. “She’s a good dog.”
“She’s the best. Do you have cookies?” She jumped up from his sofa.
“Sure do. You know where they are.” He smiled as he watched Lady follow his sister into the kitchen. Pulling out his phone, he saw that he’d missed a few calls from his mom.
Dialing, he listened to her ask if he could watch Angie tonight since she had a town meeting to attend and Angie liked staying at his house better than sitting in the library alone.
Then he smiled when he heard Abby’s voice.
“Hi. Lane. Abby here. I got a call from Mrs. O’Neil. She says that the apartment should be ready for me to look at on Tuesday. The place sounds perfect. Not to mention cheaper than the apartment complex outside of town. Well, I hope your day is going great. Talk to you later. Thinking about you.”
He played the message a few times before getting up and walking into the kitchen.
“What do you say to eating pizza?” he asked as he placed a kiss on his twenty-year-old sister’s head.
“Yeah!” She jumped up and down in the seat. She had cookie crumbs all over her chin and a milk mustache over her lips.
He knew his mom would kill him if he didn’t give her something better to eat than Oreos and milk.
Pulling out the fixings, he got to work making a veggie pizza on the frozen pie-crust his mom had made for him. There wasn’t much he couldn’t cook, but his mom’s pizza crust was something of legend. Several times, he’d joked with her about selling them in Patty O’Neil’s grocery store in town.
By the time his mother showed up around nine that night, Angie and he had eaten the entire pie and the rest of his Oreos. They were watching Frozen, Angie’s favorite movie of all time, for the millionth time.
He could probably sing and say every line in the movie in his sleep.
“Was she okay?” His mother walked in and kissed him on the cheek.
“Perfect as always.” He smiled and hugged her close. “How was your meeting?”
She sighed and glanced over to make sure Angie was into her movie.
“So, so. The town’s getting a new gas station on the edge of town.” She sighed and then sat next to him. “Angie’s school is wanting more money than last year.” He watched her rub her forehead and knew that it was a sign she had been fighting a headache.
“How much more?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes. “Almost double.”
“What?” He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why?”
“Well, they say she’s moved to the next level of classes.”
“So?”
“They want her to take two more next year.”
“And?”
His mother smiled. “This is a good thing, but…” Her smile faltered
. “The money.” She bit her bottom lip in a move he’d seen too many times when she’d been talking about his special needs sister.
“Don’t worry about the money now. Sign her up.” He glanced over at Angie as she sang along with the snowman. “She’s worth it.” His mother smiled and nodded her head, then moved over into his arms.
Chapter Seven
Abby tried to take in everything about the small town. When she got off the highway, she drove slowly enough that she could make note of every detail.
The houses were all well maintained. Their yards were almost she drove driven by. When she stopped in front of O’Neil’s Grocery, she almost couldn’t contain her excitement. Glancing up, she smiled at the large windows above the store.
She noticed the bakery across the street and got excited at the thought of fresh coffee and a muffin every morning as she walked the three blocks to work. Walking over and pushing open the doors, she groaned when the wonderful scents hit her.
“Welcome to Sara’s Nook.” The light brown haired woman behind the counter smiled at her before she went back to helping the customers that were waiting at the display case.
Abby walked around and felt her stomach growl when she saw the items behind the glass. Deciding she had enough time before her meeting with Patty O’Neil, she ordered a chocolate muffin with a latte.
Half way through eating her muffin, an older woman walked in, followed slowly by a younger one. She could tell instantly that the younger woman was special and felt a little sadness as she thought about the older brother she’d lost to muscular Dystrophy shortly after her fifth birthday. This girl¸ however, seemed to be autistic. She looked healthy enough, but by the way she was dressed and the way she moved and acted, Abby could tell she would always be a child in her mind.
“Hi, who are you?” The girl walked over to her table and sat next to her.
Abby smiled. “I’m Abby. What’s your name?”
“Today I’m Wonder Woman.”
“Oh?” She smiled when the girl pulled her shirt a little to show the symbol on it.
“Don’t you mean”—she leaned closer and whispered—“Diana Prince?”
“Right!” she whispered back, as she glanced around.
“I haven’t seen you before.”
“Angie, don’t bother the nice lady,” the woman who had walked in with her said.
“She’s no bother,” Abby said, smiling at the woman, who turned around and started talking to the lady behind the counter.
“Angie? That’s a nice name.”
The girl nodded and frowned. “I suppose. I like Abby better. I’ll be Abby today.”
Abby smiled. “You’re welcome to use my name anytime.” She glanced at her watch and realized she’d better head over to the store to meet Patty.
“I’d better go. It was nice meeting you… Abby.”
The girl smiled and held up her chin a little. “Nice meeting you too, Abby.”
As Abby jogged across the street, she saw an older woman standing at the bottom of the stairs on the side of the white building. The woman’s gray hair was cut short in a newer fashion. She wore a bright pair of flowered boots along with a pair of gray pants and a bright yellow button-up shirt. The brightness of colors instantly told Abby almost everything there was to know about the woman.
“Morning,” she called out. “You must be Abby.”
“Yes. Mrs.…”
“Call me Patty.” The woman held out her hand and Abby took it easily.
“Patty.” She nodded. “You have a nice place here.” She nodded towards the store.
“Well, thank you, dear.” The woman blushed a little. She fluffed her silver hair and waved as someone honked as they drove by. “You won’t find a better place to settle.” She smiled and then started walking up the stairs. “I don’t usually rent this place out to strangers.” She glanced at her, her smile getting bigger. “But, Lane has told me so much about you, I feel like you’re already family. Besides, I owe that boy.” She stopped at the top of the stairs and reached for the door. “He stopped a small fire that broke out behind the store last year.” She rolled her eyes. “Kids. They decided to set off some fireworks in the dumpster.”
Abby nodded as the woman pushed open the door.
“Well, here it is.” She waved Abby into the apartment. “It’s been empty for a few months, so I had it freshened up for you. We checked the water heater and made sure everything’s in working order.”
Abby walked in and smiled. Huge windows lined the front of the building. The view alone would be worth moving out of the city for. There were buildings across the street, but since this building was higher than those, and they were on the second floor, her view of the ocean was undisturbed.
She walked closer to the windows and watched a few older men sitting outside a small barbershop down the street. They were laughing at something and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Turning around, she took a good look around the larger living room. There was a high bar separating the kitchen from the rest of the room.
She could just imagine the new sofa she’d purchased yesterday sitting in the middle of the floor, facing the windows and her new big screen television in the corner.
Walking into the kitchen, she smiled when she saw the newer appliances.
“Everything’s new. I had it all upgraded just last year,” Patty said, leaning against the bar. “The bedroom and bathroom are back there.” She nodded towards the hallway.
Abby walked down the hall and smiled when she saw the extra-large glass shower and garden tub. There was a huge closet with built-in shelves that she knew she’d love. The bedroom was a little on the smaller side but would easily hold her new bedroom set.
“It’s perfect.” She walked out of the bedroom and smiled at Patty. “If you’ll have me, I’d love to take it.”
Patty smiled. “It’s all yours, sweetie.”
By the time she met Lane at the local restaurant called The Golden Oar, she was almost floating. So much was coming together, she was beginning to wonder why she’d even questioned the move to Pride.
When she walked through the large double doors, she was instantly reminded that she hadn’t even finished her muffin that morning before her meeting.
One hundred percent positive that everyone in the room had heard her stomach growl, she blushed a little when the short woman she had seen at the fireman’s auction walked up to her.
“Hi, you must be Abby.” The woman was even prettier up close. Prettier, and much shorter. “I’m Lacey Stevens. My brother Iian and I own this place. Lane’s back here, chatting with my brother.” She rolled her eyes and motioned for her to follow her. “Is this your first time at the Oar?”
“Hmm, oh, yes.” She shook her head clear. There were so many wonderful things to look at in the dining area, from the beautiful oil paintings to the nautical items decorating the other walls. The place screamed class and family.
“Well, you’ll have the best seat in the house for lunch. Not to mention the best food along the Oregon shore.” She smiled and stepped aside to allow Abby to sit across from Lane, who had stood when he’d noticed them walking towards them.
The table was against a huge wall of windows that overlooked the small docks of Pride. Over two dozen small boats were docked outside, swaying with the current as the water lapped against the shore.
The sky was crystal clear that day, giving them a view of the entire coastline. She just bet that they could see all the way to California, if they tried.
“It’s wonderful.” She smiled and nodded towards Lacey. “Thank you.”
Lacey smiled and nodded. “Enjoy. I’ll give you two a few minutes to decide,” she said before disappearing, along with her much taller brother, who just nodded to Lane and quickly walked away.
“Sorry, Iian isn’t much of a talker.” He nodded to the dark-haired man who had disappeared into a door along the back wall.
She smiled. “That’s okay. His sister does
n’t seem to have that problem.”
Lane chuckled. “Lacey has always been very open.” She watched his eyes move to the doorway. “Especially after her brother lost his hearing.”
“Oh!” She moved her own eyes to the closed doors.
Lane smiled over at her. “It didn’t really slow him down though.” He reached over and took her hand in his. “He was eighteen. It took a while for some of us to learn sign language to keep up with him.”
Her eyebrows shot up. Then she dropped his hand and motioned to him in sign language. “It must have been one of the reasons his brother hired me.”
He smiled and signed back. “That, and you look damn good in a skirt.”
She chuckled and crossed her legs. “Fair enough,” she said, reaching for his hand again. She glanced down at the menu sitting in front of her. “So, what’s good here?”
He chuckled. “Everything. If you enjoyed the food at the auction, you’ll love everything Iian makes.”
Her eyebrows shot up again. “He’s the one that cooked for the auction? For some reason, I was the only one that night who was focused on the food instead of…” She dropped off and felt herself blush as he laughed. “Never mind.” She glanced down at the menu, hoping her hair would hide the rest of her embarrassment.
When he reached across the small table and pulled her chin up with his fingers, she met his eyes.
“You look absolutely stunning when you blush.” He smiled and she felt her cheeks flame even more. “Now, tell me what Patty said.”
She was thankful that he’d changed the subject as she talked about meeting the woman and signing the lease. He seemed to hang on every word she said, and he even asked her about moving and buying new furniture.
They only stopped talking long enough to order their food. Abby ordered the tuna steak, while Lane got the shrimp and steak. When the food arrived, there was another lull in the conversation while they both enjoyed their meals.
“I swear, this is the best tuna I’ve ever had.” She closed her eyes and let the meat melt in her mouth. When she opened her eyes again, she felt her face heat as his eyes watched her. She hadn’t meant to excite him, but seeing the blue of his eyes burn, she felt herself beginning to heat as well.