by Rimmy London
Chapter 11
Abby had rushed off so quickly, she’d hardly said two words to Chase. It was starting to grate on her conscience. But she had no choice, his eyes were painfully easy to read. The love she saw in them was crushing her, leaving her second-guessing her decision to buy the house at Poppyridge Cove and wondering if he was right. He was a very sensible thinker. Usually, she would talk to him for hours about the ins and outs of her decision. In the end, it would leave her certain of her answer.
But this time…
“Your total comes to $226.32, ma’am,”
Abby shook off her thoughts and snatched her credit card from her wallet, musing that free puppies were more expensive than she’d imagined.
She lugged the oversized, overstuffed plastic bag in one hand and a dog crate in the other, carrying them through the parking lot. Nearly out of breath, she managed to push the right button on her keys and pop the trunk of her car. She pushed her hip against the crate, only to have it catch the edge of the car frame and slide off. It clunked to the ground, jarring her shoulder. With a frustrated mumble, she tried again, this time making sure to throw the bag in first.
“Need some help?”
She recognized Vance’s voice immediately, and her already swirling emotions seemed to combust in her chest.
He took the crate and positioned it just right in her car, and then he just stood there staring back at her. Looking into his eyes suddenly felt too intimate—too inviting. She swung her gaze back to her grocery bag instead, arranging the items that had tumbled out. She tied the handle pieces together and finally backed away, allowing him to close the trunk.
“Thanks,” she said, fidgeting with her jeans and not sure what to do with her hands. She rested them on her hips, but a mental picture of Wonder Woman sprang to her thoughts. She let them drop, hanging at her sides.
“You’re welcome,” he said with a smile, grinning through the words. “So, did you get a pet?”
“I did. A puppy.” She wanted to get into her car before he could misread her nerves again. But mostly she thought about how he’d held her hand, and she hadn’t pulled away. She swallowed, wishing she would have.
“Oh, nice,” he nodded through the silence, glancing around them as if admiring the day. “You know, I was thinking.” He took a step closer. “If you wanted to get some paperwork completed now, we could have everything ready by next week when you do your final inspection of the Poppyridge place.” He smiled again, holding her gaze firmly in his. “It might make things go more smoothly.”
Abby felt trapped in his stare, and her throat was becoming dry. “That—” her voice caught, and she cleared her throat, “might be nice. Okay, let's plan on it.” She nodded decisively, wanting to speed things along.
“Great,” Vance nodded, but as he prepared to leave, he rested his hand on her arm.
She suddenly wished she’d worn long sleeves so she couldn’t feel his fingers brush across her bare skin. He seemed to stand there forever, making her cheeks turn hot. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow when I’m in the office.”
“Okay, thanks,” she mumbled, trying desperately to look bored. But as he walked away, she leaned back on her car weakly. Her hands shook, and she doubted she’d fooled him in the least. She couldn’t keep skirting around what he was trying to do. He had to know she wasn’t okay with it. She needed to tell him the very next time she spoke to him.
She pulled the door open and drove out of the parking lot with the strange feeling that he was watching. She checked her rearview mirror, just to be sure.
The sky was getting dark when she pulled up to Chase’s apartment. Her hands had finally stilled, and she was becoming increasingly angry at herself for not speaking up with Vance. It almost seemed like he knew her trigger points and just how hard to push so that she wouldn’t react. She hoped she was wrong about him, but she didn’t want to be taken advantage of, either. If there was one thing her rotten childhood had done, it’d been to give her a healthy suspicion of anyone and everyone.
She stomped up the pretty, stained concrete steps. They were flourished with a cobblestone design, although too glossy and seamless to be authentic. She’d managed to wrangle the crate and overstuffed grocery bag again, and this time she didn’t want anyone’s help. She pushed the doorbell with her toe, hopping on one leg.
Chase opened the door, and a look of surprise crossed his face. “Whoa, hey I can get that for you,”
“No,” she said shortly, wedging herself and all the supplies through the door together. The toe of her shoe caught on the entrance and she tripped forward, setting everything down in a half-fall.
Chase stared back at her, still holding the door open and looking either irritated or confused… or both. She couldn’t tell. “Thanks though,” she finished, hoping to appear normal. But she didn’t feel normal. She felt taken advantage of. Intimidated. It had her going over her conversation with Vance again and again, only to hash out the perfect phrase of words that could have put him in his place.
“Well”—Chase stepped over the large grocery bag—“Champ slept the whole time. I took him out once to kill a nice spot of grass in the backyard, and besides that, he’s just been a big couch potato.”
Abby walked across the room quietly and sat down next to Champ—her puppy. She still couldn’t believe it. It made her feel five years old again and stirred up a bubbling excitement from somewhere deep inside. A place where reality and dreams blurred into a singular thought and everything was beautiful.
She ran her hand along his back, rubbing his silky puppy coat. His eyes squeezed together in a sleeping blink, but he didn’t wake. “Thanks for taking care of him,” she said, without looking up.
“You’re welcome, Abigail.”
Her gaze lifted at his tone. The way he’d said her name felt more like a confession of his feelings than mere conversation.
He crossed the room to sit down next to her. His fragrance was amazing, like sandalwood… and something else she couldn’t pinpoint. It nearly had her eyes closing in the comfort of his presence.
But she reminded herself that she was still irritated with him. Why he was so dead set on her staying in her dingy apartment with her boring job? Why couldn’t he let her dream bigger than that? She eyed him thoughtfully. It seemed to be the cue he was waiting for.
He reached for her hand. “I need to explain myself, I think,” he began, glancing up at her. “There are reasons why I’m not encouraging you to go ahead and buy the house.”
Abby lifted her eyebrow, and he paused.
“Okay, okay, I’m completely against you buying the house.” He smiled a bit. “You know about my Aunt Lynn, right?”
Abby worked hard not to roll her eyes. “Chase, this is nothing like her situation, and I am nothing like Aunt Lynn.” She’d pulled her hand from his and tossed it into the air as she spoke. “Fur coats are completely different from buying a home. And this isn’t just any house, Chase. This could be an incredible opportunity for—me.”
She’d hesitated on that last word, wanting to say us so badly, but he wasn’t partnering with her on this. “Using my degree in design to bring this amazing piece of history back to life, and creating a space for people to come stay, and enjoy not only an inn on the coast but a private strip of sand beyond that, and a protected redwood forest in the backyard.” She stopped, marveling at the thought again and wondering how it had even become possible for her.
Her.
Abigail Tanner. Growing up nearly an orphan and going from designing product labels to this. It was a dream come true. She was lost in her thoughts when he shifted his position, facing her.
“I know that sounds amazing. But you’re leaving a lot out. What about the condition of the house? It’s falling apart.”
“Not on the inside—” she insisted.
“I guarantee you, it’s going to need so much work. The plumbing, the electricity. Things are going on below the surface—there always are!” He shook hi
s head. “But that would be expected in a house like this. What isn’t expected is the strange occurrences there.”
Abby couldn’t help but groan. It was strange, yes. But she had no doubt it would stop, eventually. Someone was just messing around.
“Abigail, it’s serious. It scares me. It’s demented. What on earth could explain it? And why would you walk into a purchase when you have no idea if your life would be in danger because of it?”
A tingle of fear trickled up Abby’s spine, and she looked back soberly, considering Chase’s words.
“I don’t know why you aren’t satisfied with the thought of a normal, productive life. You have a great job and live in a nice area, but it never seems like enough. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m worried that you’re fighting a few demons from your past. You might not be aware of it manifesting itself in this huge, sudden decision.”
“Stop.” Abby held her hand up, feeling almost out of control. She tightened her inner grip on her emotions. “It was rough, that’s for sure. And I’ve trusted you enough to share my past with you. But it’s in the past. It’s finished with. Done. I don’t need you bringing it up every time we disagree about something.”
Her voice trembled, and she could feel her heart picking up its pace. She was losing her grip, but this was important. She needed to say it. She wasn’t going to be intimidated into staying silent. Not again. “Why are you so afraid to dream of more, Chase? You’re content to sit in your pretty house and work at your ordinary job and that’s it! Don’t you want more?”
She looked back at his face, and her heart sunk. He appeared more shocked than she’d realized, his mouth slack and nearly hanging open. It was an expression of someone who felt completely betrayed, and she’d never meant to cause that.
“I just mean…” She wasn’t sure how to finish. She’d said exactly what she meant.
Chase stood, resting his hands on his hips with his back to her. “Well, maybe we just aren’t going in the same direction anymore.”
The silence that followed was excruciating, with the one sentence he’d uttered digging a trench in her heart. He wasn’t really breaking up with her over a house… was he?
“I’m happy to watch Champ, but I think we should take some time to figure out what we both want.” His voice had changed. It was firm. Threatening, like a final ultimatum.
And she wasn’t going to stand for it.
Abby pushed off the couch and brushed past him. “I know what I want.” She pulled the door open and left without another glance.
Her chest burned as she walked down the steps with the fear of what had just happened. She’d been with Chase for so long, and they’d hardly ever argued—and never seriously. Now she has this amazing opportunity, and he ditches her, just like that?
Her vision blurred as she started her car, and the burning in her chest expanded to her throat, sizzling hot like she was going to ignite. She cranked the radio up, hoping to drown out her thoughts as she sped back to her house. Her apartment. Is that where he wanted her to stay? Is that where he thought she belonged?
Her tears couldn’t be restrained any longer, and they streamed down her cheeks as she rushed upstairs to her door. The musty, unkept odor of her apartment seemed more invasive than usual, inviting her in obnoxiously. Like it was a vindictive relative bent on keeping her down. She’d known enough of those, and quietly in her mind, she thanked the heavens that they’d all left this earth long before. No one was around to hold her back or weasel her portions away.
Suddenly she was eight years old again, holding a beautiful locket given to her as a birthday present by a caring teacher. A teacher who probably knew a little about her home life. It was stainless steel and more expensive than anything in her entire house. She’d been in awe of how it shined and reflected images, like a gem in her smudged-mirror life.
And of course, her mother noticed right away. She’d had to tell Mrs. Rainwater that she didn’t wear it to school because she didn’t want to risk losing it, instead of the truth. That her mother had stolen it and likely sold it to pay for her addictions. She’d never seen that locket again.
But this time her mother wasn’t around to suck the hope from her life.
If she wanted to design the most incredible seaside inn the world had ever seen, she was going to do it. And nothing would get in her way. No one would dissuade her. If they tried, she’d walk away, like she should have done when she was little. But now she thanked her mom. Strangely, losing that locket had given her hands the strength to hold on to even larger dreams. Dreams she wasn’t going to let anyone take away.
She fell asleep trying not to think of Chase or everything he’d done for her over the years. The way he’d supported her through college, always available to study through the night for a test. Or bring her lunch at work because he knew she was picking up an extra shift. His smile made its way into her thoughts too. The way it caught her off guard that first day they’d met. His athletic build combined with his smile was almost overwhelming. She’d never understood just what he saw in her, but she hadn’t wanted to push her luck by asking. If for some reason, he’d believed he wanted her above anyone else, she had just wanted to go with it.
But it seemed the magic had worn off. Maybe he’d finally peered through her rebuilt image and right down to the damaged little girl underneath.
Abby’s tears returned, trailing onto her pillow.
Chapter 12
The office was very modern. And clean. Even the handles on the tall glass doors gleamed with her reflection. Abby had every intention of holding her own this time. As she walked down the hallway and arrived at Vance’s door, she reviewed a dozen phrases she’d thought up beforehand. Just in case he found a way to turn her into a bundle of nerves again.
She hesitated in the open doorway, glancing back at the empty desk where his secretary usually sat.
“Come in,” his voice called from inside the office. He sounded pleasant enough. Abby walked through, taking a seat and waiting for him to look up from his computer screen. “Okay.” He still stared at the screen, finally turning to her. “I’ve printed off everything we need, but my secretary had to run home with a sick child, so let me just go get those, and we can begin.”
“Great,” Abby said as he brushed past, whisking down the hall quickly. He didn’t seem at all interested in her as more than a client. Relief flooded through Abby, and she relaxed more fully into her seat.
“So these”—Vance appeared with a large stack of papers—“should be all you need. Don’t worry about the number of pages, you’ll only have to sign a few.” He nodded at her briefly and then went back to organizing the stack of pages he held. After separating the bundle into half a dozen piles, he lifted the first.
“Here we go.”
He detailed each page neatly and clearly, and Abby found herself impressed with the way he was able to explain it all so fully. The stack of pages took them less than an hour to complete, with him asking her questions and ensuring she understood every detail. He was very good at what he did. She’d almost forgotten about her nerves from the day before. Still, she didn’t like the feeling he gave her, as if he knew how to elicit the reactions he wanted. It was just a feeling, but she made sure to remind herself who was working for who.
“And that’s it.” He stacked the papers together and tucked them into a folder. “The only thing left to do is decide on a time to inspect the property.” He lifted his eyebrows and waited.
“Oh.” Abby quickly reviewed her week while trying not to notice how much free time she had if she wasn’t going to be spending it with Chase. “I can do anytime. How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Vance sat back a little in his chair, “Well, okay, if you think you’re ready to decide by then.”
Again, he paused with his eyebrows raised. His eyes weren’t imploring her the way they had before, just blandly gazing like she was a poster on the wall. Maybe that was the way he liked to behave at wor
k. Professional and distant. And if so, she was glad. She’d had enough of his sly advances.
“I will,” she said confidently, although her insides swirled with indecision. If only she could talk to Chase about it, but he’d already made his decision.
Vance gave her nothing more than a curt goodbye, and she breathed a sigh of relief on the way out.
She pictured the house as she drove away. The interior had been breathtaking, with classic indulgences that newer homes just didn’t have. From the heavy, carved railing on the stairs, to the elegant ballroom with its embellished floors, walls, and ceilings. It was incredible. She’d never expected anything like that. It wouldn’t need half the work inside that she’d thought.
But the outside… She cringed. It was bad. And there wasn’t much she knew about remodeling the exterior of buildings. The bones. She knew all about designing the space within, but it was Chase who had all the experience in building.
He’d worked in construction through college for a renowned builder. It was the perfect work experience for a job like this.
She pulled up to his apartment and dug in her purse for the key he’d given her, thankful it was early enough in the afternoon that he’d still be at work, though it hurt just thinking about him like that. She unlocked the door and walked in quietly, listening to the silence for a moment.
“Champ?” she called, wandering into the living room. The dog bed she’d bought had been placed by the back sliding door, where he could look out at the backyard. Champ was snuggled up on it, but his head popped up. At the sight of her, he jumped up and scrambled over. His ears flapped against the side of his head, and Abby laughed, bending down to pet him.
Chase walked out from the hall with steam still rising from his skin. Abby gasped, nearly falling over. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and was rubbing his head with another one, covering his face. But the instant he dropped it, their eyes met.