by Rimmy London
Abby doubted that. They seemed to be so whimsical that they were nearly pointless. But if Abby was being forced to spoil herself for a day, she knew just how to do it.
Her wetsuit kept her warm enough to feel truly relaxed, even if the bay water was always frigid. The temperature outside hovered in the high 80s, making for a glorious day on the water. Her paddleboard had been stored in the garage for far too long as it was, and it felt good to have a breeze ruffling through her curls. The water was smooth and deep, always communicating with her, like a living creature, the way it moved and swelled in a constant state of change.
Her day had started with breakfast at a little café she’d always loved, in a quaint part of town with a beautiful view of the Bay Bridge. But the portions were so small she’d never gone there with Chase. She was sure he’d have to order a few breakfasts at least to fill up. But now that she’d enjoyed such a wonderful start to her day, she thought maybe he’d like it after all. Why hadn’t she ever asked?
The water rippled to one side, sending a small wave passing by. She was panicked only for a moment before a dolphin's dorsal fin appeared, and then she relaxed again, watching the creature tilt its head to investigate. Its dark eye seemed unusually intelligent, and she held her hand out, skimming the water between them. It’s long bottle-nose tipped up quickly, tapping her palm before diving down again. The glossy curve of its body followed before sinking deep with a swish of its strong tail.
Abby laid back on her board and closed her eyes as the sun’s rays slowly sank through her wetsuit. Her mind quieted with only of the sound of water interrupted by rocks and the distant sloshing of waves against the shore. The breeze could be heard ruffling through trees somewhere up in the hills. Cars beyond that, and the noise of the city.
She let her perspective shallow and enjoyed the way the water slapped her board and grazed her toes. It filled her with an inner peace that strengthened her core clear to her bones. A commitment to visit the ocean regularly echoed in her mind, like the calls of a lonely relative. It had always been part of her, but for some reason, she’d let life pull her away. She resolved to make time for the things that filled her with this feeling—the euphoric bliss of being truly content. Plus, she couldn’t have picked a better day for it. With her remodeling crew scheduled to begin in two days, she needed this moment of self-care.
Her board dipped and something brushed her hand. Jolting upright, she held on to the sides as it rocked in the wake of a ski boat. She’d drifted farther away from shore than she wanted, and the seaweed was getting thick.
She dipped her paddle in and pushed at the tangled strands, working to free herself from the patch of green so she could return to shore. But it was hard work. She pulled her legs from the water and tried again, digging her paddle in. Finally, her board slid over the network of bulbs and strands, and she kept her arms moving, plowing through it slowly.
A tiny dark creature appeared to her side, lifting its head from the water. Its fur was ruffled and scraggly, but its dark eyes and small nose were adorable. A sea otter with no fear. It paddled forward and held on to her oar, sniffing it and nibbling for a second before flipping back into the water. Abby waited and paid close attention to the ripples, picking out three more otters. They were right next to her, and she hadn’t even noticed. She made sure to paddle more carefully until she was free of the seaweed and finally skimming back to shore.
Challenge two… complete.
The sun was already beginning to lose its strength, and she knew how to fill the last few hours of the day. She sent a text message to Emily, hoping she’d be free at the last minute to go to dinner.
Yes!! I’d love to!!! Emily replied with more exclamation points than was necessary, but it definitely got her point across.
Abby smiled, admiring the way her friend was so abundant with her feelings. Either it was all exuberance and joy or a lightning-and-thunder kind of day, where it was wisest for anyone nearby to seek refuge elsewhere. She was glad today wasn’t a stormy one for her friend. Because if she was going to be selfish, she wanted her oldest bestie to be part of it.
They didn’t need to discuss a location. It was always the same place. As they entered, a beautiful Italian-village style building with lanterns and flowering trees lined the sidewalk. It felt like good karma when they even got their favorite table. A secluded corner booth with windows looking out on a private lake. There were always groups of swans floating serenely by, and Abby smiled at the beautiful snowy white pair of birds as they glided past the window.
When she turned back to Emily, a smile was on her friend’s face, but her eyes were inquisitory. Abby could tell her friend had some questions, and if she was honest with herself, it made her a little nervous. She wasn’t ready to tell anyone that she and Chase had broken up. He was still hers in her mind. She knew it was completely backward for her to think that way, but she still didn’t want to admit to anyone that they’d separated over something so pointless. At least, she worried that was how others would see it.
Why did she need this house so badly? She thought back to the few times she’d visited and knew immediately why. It was because the building spoke to her. It communicated a sense of community… family… wholeness. A lifestyle that, to her, had always been a fairy tale. Something she’d never glimpsed before that was suddenly one hundred percent possible. Even when she was with Chase, she could always tell when he was judging her actions based on what he knew of her past. But with this building, it was a completely new life. One that could leave the past where it belonged.
“So, you’re just hungry for some world-class pasta tonight?” Emily asked, picking up a menu. “Not that it’s not a great idea. I could eat here every night. But I get the feeling you have a reason for inviting me… Do you?”
Abby considered Emily’s question and nodded her head slowly a few times as she picked up her menu.
“I’m surprised Chase didn’t jump at the chance,” Emily continued, “or is he working late tonight? We haven’t spoken in such a long time. Not since you set me up with your obnoxious friend.”
Abby’s eyes flew up from the menu. “Ryan?” she asked, wondering if she perhaps was talking about some other setup. Emily and Ryan had seemed to be getting along so well at the end of their first date. “I thought you had a good time.”
Emily brushed at her short hair, tucking one side behind her ear. “Well, the date wasn’t so bad toward the end there, but we met for lunch later and he just couldn’t stop talking. It drove me crazy. I was glad he didn’t call after that. I’m sure he could tell I wasn’t interested.”
“Oh.” Abby tried to imagine Ryan as the overly chatting type, but it didn’t seem to fit at all. He just seemed like a lot of fun. She had been so sure he would hit it off with Emily. “Maybe he wanted to get to know you quickly.”
“Get to know me? Oh no, he wasn’t interested in that. He was too busy talking about himself. I could name every book he’s read and class he’s taken and dream he’s ever had.” She shook her head with a frustrated grunt, and Abby decided to change the subject.
“Well, you were right about tonight. I had to be selfish today, and you get to be included in that.” She winked at Emily’s unimpressed face. “You remember me mentioning my long-lost Aunt Sharalyn?”
“Yes!” Emily’s eyes glittered with excitement. “Oh my gosh, what did she want with you? Did you fly to England? I just can’t even believe this.”
“I did.” Abby laughed. “It was amazing.” She couldn’t help thinking back to Chase and his help on her trip. He was always so sensible and intelligent. She missed having his opinion around to calm her craziness. “I’m sorry I was so mysterious before. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on myself. But she really does have an inheritance for me. The only catch is, I need to earn it by completing these challenges she created.”
“Oooh, how mysterious,” Emily crooned.
Abby shrugged, “Well, yeah. Only, so far, it’s been strange. It
seems too easy, like she just had an idea one day and scribbled down these challenges. At first, I thought they were going to be hard.”
The waiter arrived, and they both ordered. But the moment he left their table, Emily clasped her hands together. “I know what she’s doing,” she whispered, glancing around at the other tables. “She’s stringing you along, letting you think you’ve got this in the bag. And then wham!” She slapped her hand on the table. “She asks you to donate an organ. Secretly she’s still alive, and you’re the only match.” Her eyes were glowing with intrigue, and Abby burst out laughing.
“Oh my gosh, you’re right! How did I not realize this? It must be a kidney.”
“Must be.” Emily winked, grinning her wicked “gotcha” smile.
But for a moment there, she’d had Abby nervous. What if Emily was right, and there was some trick coming? Sharalyn didn’t seem the type to do that, from the small bits of information Abby knew about her. But the feeling wouldn’t leave her stomach. All through dinner, she couldn’t dismiss the possibility that something big was coming. Something she wasn’t ready for.
Chapter 14
Chase watched out the window as Abby drove away. She’d run from the apartment like it was on fire, but he couldn’t nail down why. When he’d first seen her in his bedroom, it had been a strike of lightning directly to his heart. Plus, she was looking at the picture he loved more than anything… or cleaning up the pieces on the floor. It was a strange similarity to their relationship.
He’d wanted to reach out and touch her soft hair. Hold her delicate frame in his arms. But she’d already made her choice. A choice that had seemed to cost her hardly any effort. It had shaken him more than he would ever let her know, even if he’d been waiting for it to happen. He’d assumed it would be that realtor friend of hers, Vance. But the fact that she left him for a house was somehow more crushing. And she hadn’t looked back. He always feared it would ruin them, her propensity to escape a happily ever after in an oblivious, self-sabotaging kind of way.
Champ bounded across the room and sniffed at his legs, waking him from his vigil at the window. He patted the soft head and floppy ears and walked down the hall, into his bedroom. The curtains were drawn, making the light dim and almost as soft as her skin. He swallowed and pulled open his dresser drawer. She’d been standing right next to it. A small velvet box he’d nearly paid off.
He lifted the tiny lid and touched the delicate, glittering ring inside. The white gold was brilliant and pale with a deep diamond set in, scattering facets of light in a gorgeous display. It was set on a band more slender and graceful than any ring he’d ever seen, which was appropriate for a delicate beauty like Abby’s.
She’d had tears in her eyes.
She’d tried to brush it away, but the light reflected off the wetness on her cheeks. What did that mean? His heart had nearly exploded in his chest as he’d stood there wondering, wanting so badly to tell her how he felt, but knowing that she already made her decision. And then, instead of explaining himself and perhaps making her feel welcome so she might stay, he’d stood there silently, likely driving her off.
He snapped the ring box shut and tossed it in the drawer, slamming it closed. He’d thought of selling the ring or returning it. But he couldn’t, not when she was still part of his life. And that was only due to Champ, which was why he couldn’t let the little dog go with her. Sure, his apartment had been scratched up a fair amount, but everything about the puppy reminded him of Abigail. His intelligence was astounding for one, and he was so loving and cheerful.
But soon he would lose both of them, and he had to be ready for that. He had to steel his nerves and quit hiding everything away at the gym. He nearly lived there now. Work, gym, eat, sleep… repeat. It was barely enough distraction to keep him from thinking about her every second of the day. Now she only tortured his thoughts when he slept, visiting every dream with her intoxicating beauty and delicate touch.
He rubbed a weary hand across his face, forcing himself to think about dinner. It was the next item on his list. Eat, then sleep. The only problem was, he could do almost anything and still think about her. It was only by wrestling his thoughts into focus that he could drive her out.
Like a sandwich.
He layered on his favorites—salami and provolone, avocado and tomato, lots of lettuce. And then he thought about his mouth while he ate. About the different textures and tastes. He became a robot, ignoring his heart completely and simply checking off tasks.
His dreams, though, he couldn’t control. And they always returned to her. She would be standing in the redwood forest, near the tallest tree, just like every night before. As much as he yelled, she couldn’t hear him and only stood searching into the trees like there was something she couldn’t quite make out. Then the daylight would flicker, and suddenly, she was standing in front of him, so close they were touching. Her hands grazed his arms and slid around his back, holding him against her tightly. He fought the urge to take her in his arms, but he never knew why. Why couldn’t he just let go and hold her the way he wanted to?
But it was a battle with himself, and he would lose, either way. Because no matter what happened in the dream, he would wake up. And she wouldn’t be there.
So, he kept his schedule. His seamless movement from one task to the next, like he was made of pure, relentless dedication instead of the truth… that he hardly felt human anymore.
But ignoring his heart had made things easier, in a muted, lifeless way. It made things easier when Abigail showed up the next week and picked up Champ, taking his crate and food and all his things with her. It made things easier when he finally got that raise; the one that would have paid for their house together. The one he never told her about. It was supposed to be a surprise, but she’d fallen in love with another dream. One that didn’t live in a cozy neighborhood with a steady job. A dream that was more than he’d ever imagined, which was likely why they weren’t together anymore. Because he couldn’t imagine the way she could.
But one week after Champ had gone to live with Abigail, he woke up and something had changed. His dream had been about work. Abigail hadn’t appeared once. He sat at the kitchen table, stirring his cereal but never taking a bite. Did it mean he was moving on? Getting over her? Because his heart didn’t seem to be getting with the program. It cramped and ached and threatened to make him more emotional than he’d been since he was a child. Like she’d stepped out of the dream and was standing next to him instead.
And he was done aching.
He ignored his breakfast and rushed to the garage where he kept his tools. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was how to build houses. And since Abigail was torturing his thoughts day and night anyway, he was going to embrace the hurt and make himself useful at the same time. So what if he didn’t agree with what she was doing? The huge risk and unknowns she would face wasn’t really his problem. But what was his problem was the fact that his life had turned to ashes. Maybe this final act of helping out someone he loved with his whole being would rid him of her ghost. Because anything was better than living with the torture of loving something you didn’t have.
In hardly twenty minutes, he was speeding across the Bay Bridge, eyeing the deep green hills of the redwoods and forcing his emotions into check. He was going to work on a house. That was it.
When he finally pulled up to Poppyridge Cove, his mouth dropped open. It looked like a completely different place. Foliage and dead trees had all been cleared away, leaving a smooth, clean worksite with an even more incredible view. Instead of feeling closed in like before, it was sprawling and open, perched atop the world with the ocean at its feet. A few trees had been left to grow, and with the way they’d lived their lives bunched in, it had created artistic winding patterns in the branches and trunks, leaving them posed in graceful arches and bows, somehow perfectly placed.
A work trailer was close by, with a few men standing around it, sipping coffee. They eyed Chase curiously.
After another sweep of the site, he spotted a smaller trailer, modern and clean, placed closer to the forest. He recognized Abigail’s slippers on the step and a leash hung next to the door. His heart throbbed until he nearly snarled, forcing it to stop. He snatched up his toolbelt from the backseat and stepped out.
The afternoon sun was strong and warm, and a cool breeze blew off the ocean. Mixed in with the heavy pine smell of the redwoods, it was a beautiful harmony. Chase strapped on his tools and walked up to the work trailer. “How’re things going?” he asked, ready to jump in and start working. He waited through the awkward pause he’d known was coming. These men had no idea who he was, after all. They no doubt thought he was some greenhorn neighbor who got an early Christmas present from Home Depot. “Has demolition been completed?”
One of the men stepped forward. He had a hardhat on with a symbol on it like he might be someone in charge.
“It has,” he said shortly. “Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of the owner. I haven’t had time away until now, but I’m ready to get to work.” Chase eyed the house again, spotting some siding that was rotted and needed to be stripped away. “I can start on the outside if you want. Looks like there are some rot and damaged areas.”
The in-charge man held his hand up. “Hold on now, let’s just have you work with a partner for a while here.” He clapped Chase on the shoulder. “We’re on break, just give us a few minutes.”
Chase ground his teeth together, holding back his irritation. “All right,” he grumbled, “I’ll just take a look around.”