“Right.” Tristan’s shoulders slumped as Ehron approached.
“Do you mind explaining to me what has changed? When I left last night, you were a permanent resident of your new body and Abby was safely in your house. What is this, post new body stress disorder?”
Tristan glared. “The last words out of her mouth before she fell asleep were I love you.” He flicked his hands down his torso. “The body has changed, the name has changed, but I’m still the same asshole who hurt her.”
Ehron leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “Ah, a pity party. I have to admit, Tristan, I don’t have a whole lot of use for those. “
“What am I supposed to do? She fell asleep in my arms, trusting me with the knowledge that she loves me.”
“How you live with the memory of what you did in another life and your guilt is not something I’m interested in. What matters to me is that you do live with it. There are millions who would love to have the second chance you were given. Are you going to spend your time whining over things you can’t change, or making the most of the rest of your lives together?”
“You don’t think I’m grateful? I realize the extraordinary gift I’ve been given. Every morning, I thank God for giving me another day with her. But that still does not change the fact that I owe her.”
“There are a lot of I and me references in that statement, Tristan. You’ve got the body, the girl is here and you’re going to sit here and pout about it now?”
“Damn it, I’m not pouting.”
“Maybe not. But what you’re doing is wasting those precious moments. Look out that window. Abby is laughing with Alice while you’re in here feeling sorry for yourself. She’s making it past the hurt.” At Tristan’s huff, Ehron narrowed his eyes. “Call it guilt, call it whatever, but get over it. What you owe Abby is a life of happiness, a partner she can depend upon and someone she knows will be by her side. Are you going to cheat again?”
Tristan answered with no hesitation. “No.”
“In that case, consider the price for the cheating paid. You died and the both of you suffered for your infidelity. Now you can make new memories with Abby, or you can sit here and waste the time you’ve been given wallowing in your own guilt. Make your choice.”
Tristan watched Ehron walk out. Nobody could make a man take stock of his life quite like an angel.
A door opened in the distance and feminine laughter filled the air. Footsteps got closer and Abby walked in the office, beaming. “I brought you something.” She walked toward him, holding out a peach in her hand. “They smell so good. I’ll bet they are sweet and just right.”
“Mmm.” Tristan took the fruit and put it on his desk. “I’ll get to that in a minute. Right now, I see something even sweeter that I want to taste.”
“And what would that be?” Abby asked with a wicked little grin.
Tristan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close as he could, lowering his lips to hers for a long, sensuous kiss. “You,” he said. “I have all that I need right here in my arms.”
Abby pushed away from him. “Okay, that’s my cue to get out of your office.”
“What?”
“Tristan, if I stay here one second longer, I’m going to do something completely ridiculous and ask you to come upstairs with me while I take a nap. Which means you won’t get any work done and I won’t get a nap, because I’m going to do my best to talk you out of your clothes. So I need to go.” Abby rushed out of the room before he could stop her.
“Damn it,” Tristan muttered, knowing she was right.
He took a seat at his desk and spent the next hour-and-a-half working studiously. He’d built his company by keeping punishing hours and forsaking a personal life. His marriage had suffered for it and in the end, perhaps his wife had died because of his neglect. It was time to make changes.
He talked to Alice about what he wanted done, asked her advice and then shut his computer down for the afternoon. He could finish later this evening, after Alice was gone. For now, Abby would be waking up from her nap any minute. He had plans for her, and none of them involved her getting out of bed.
Chapter Twenty
Tristan resisted the urge to shout his relief. After nearly a week of dropping hints that Abby should move some of her stuff over, she’d finally agreed. He was helping her pack. Abby had a rather extensive collection of overnight bags and was making good use of them. She had books, pillows, her laptop, notebooks, her favorite blue pen, her favorite black pen. Tristan smiled as she stuffed everything into the bags.
“What’s that look for?” Abby was looking at him with her head cocked to the side, her hands fisted on her hips.
“What look?”
“Like you are trying your very best not to laugh. What am I doing?”
“Besides being completely adorable? Absolutely nothing.”
Abby frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
She took that as a good enough answer and went back to packing. Tristan was suddenly grateful for his SUV.
“I think that’s it. Should we start putting all this in your truck?”
“No. You should sit while I carry the bags. It will be quicker if I’m not worried about you over-exerting yourself.”
Before she could argue, Tristan grabbed three bags in each hand and took them outside. He returned for another load and mentally calculated that he would be done with one more trip inside. The Land Rover wasn’t even close to being full, and if Tristan had his way, they would be bringing all Abby’s belongings back to his mansion. But they had to move on her schedule, not his. He would not rush this.
Abby stood beside the bed with the last two bags in hand.
“Abby...”
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Oh hush. I’m not helpless. Besides, they’re light. It’s just a couple of balls of yarn and my knitting needles.”
What? Abby knits? “Have you been knitting long?”
She took a deep breath. “I started after David died. I wanted to make the baby a blanket.”
“I think that’s fantastic.”
She smiled at the praise. “I’m on my third. Which is silly, I suppose, since we live in Georgia, but I did it anyway.”
Tristan kissed her. “It’s not silly at all to want to keep your child warm. The baby’s very lucky to have you for a mom.”
“You think so?” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“I do. Now, give me those bags and let’s get you some lunch.”
He stood to the side and waited for Abby to turn off the light. He looked down at the bed. His mind was full of memories. Their first night in the house after it was built, the many nights they’d made love, the tears shed over negative pregnancy tests. The smiles and laughter because he’d been lucky enough to marry his best friend. So much had happened here that it hurt Tristan to be in this space. He needed to leave. He needed to get Abby out of there.
“Are you ready?” Abby put her hand on his arm, looking at him in concern.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Abby and Tristan were moving forward, toward a life together. Tristan, Abby and the baby would be a family. Not all days would be perfect, but as long as they had each other, it would be damned close. With every step they took toward to the car, Tristan felt lighter, freer, blessed.
Abby locked the door and set the alarm on her remote. He put the final two bags in the back and closed the lid, just as another car pulled in the driveway. Abby gasped.
“No,” she whispered, and he could hear the despair in her voice.
Tristan reached for her hand and grabbed it, ready to face whatever had her so freaked out. He had never been a violent man, but Abby was stiff and whoever this was would have to face him. He turned, and stopped.
David’s parents stood beside their car, looking pointedly at their joined hands. His father’s nostrils were flared as he glanced away long enough to see the bags in the SUV. David’s mother final
ly spoke.
“Hello, Abigail. Do you have a few moments to invite us into our son’s house?”
Abby’s hand stiffened within his own. Moving forward, it seemed, had bitten them in the ass.
~
Tristan took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. This wasn’t Mom and Dad. In fact, until introductions were made, they weren’t even Tom and Ann Daniels.
Oh, Mom.
She looked...shocked. Hell, for that matter, so was he. Ann—God, treating her as someone other than Mom was going to be difficult—had tears in her eyes and Tristan noticed how much she had aged. She looked ten years older than the last time he had seen her.
Tom, on the other hand, looked like a man ready for a fight. Was this shock over the situation, or had Abby been subjected to the seething looks from his father before?
Regardless of the reason, Tristan sure as hell wasn’t letting anyone intimidate Abby. Even his father.
Abby cleared her throat. “Actually, Ann, we were just leaving, so if we could catch up another time...”
Tom stepped forward, cutting his wife off before she could respond. “Yeah, about that. Maybe we should ask just who this fellow is.”
Tristan turned to Tom and smiled. “My name is Tristan. And you are?”
He tsked and pointed at Abby. “Her father-in-law.”
“Tristan.” Abby tugged on his hand but didn’t let go. “These are David’s parents, Tom and Ann Daniels. Tom and Ann, this is Tristan.”
“Abby, how could you be seeing someone? David hasn’t been gone that long and you’re pregnant with his baby, for God’s sake.” Ann’s lips trembled and her voice dropped to a whisper. “How could you?”
Tristan hated seeing her like this. Since coming back, he’d concentrated on Abby and hadn’t given much thought to the pain his parents were going through. He wanted to save his mom from pain, while keeping Abby safe. “Mrs. Daniels, Abby and I have only been seeing each other for a few weeks. We met at a support group for people who’ve lost spouses. This is a recent development.”
Tom pointed at the vehicle. “Not that recent if you have bags stacked in the back of his SUV. Are you moving in with him?”
“I’m staying with him, but—”
Tristan cut her off by standing in front of her. “I am very sorry for your loss, but nothing is going to be accomplished by tossing accusations at Abby. “
Ann stepped forward, wringing her hands. “We’re not trying to upset Abby. Tom and I just wanted to talk to her, maybe see how things are going with the baby.”
Tristan looked back at Abby, who shook her head. “Another time, perhaps. Right now, we need—”
“Wait a second.” Abby stepped around Tristan. “I’ve called with updates. I emailed ultrasound pictures. I’ve kept you up-to-date on everything, but I haven’t heard anything from you. Until now. Why?”
Tristan felt like he had been hit in the chest. If it wasn’t for Abby’s family, she would have been abandoned.
God, I thought they’d stay in contact with Abby.
“We lost our son,” Ann said, sounding weary.
Abby sighed. “And I lost my husband. I realize you two never really liked me all that much and only put up with me because of David, but I lost him too.”
Never liked her? What the hell?
Tristan was still reeling from that when Tom pointed at Tristan. He hadn’t moved from position beside the driver’s door. His face was red, a telltale sign of anger. “But we haven’t moved on. We can’t replace our son with someone else.”
She jerked back as if Tom had struck her and sucked in a breath. “Neither can I. Nor will I try. But Tristan makes me happy. If that’s a problem for you, I’m sorry. Standing in my driveway trying to make me feel bad will not make me send him away.”
Ann turned to her husband. She looked pale, worried. Tristan knew she wouldn’t have wanted things to escalate. “Tom, maybe we can talk another—”
He held up his hand, cutting his wife off mid-sentence. His eyes were still on Abby, his expression angry. “Young lady, are you aware of grandparents’ rights?”
At this point, Tristan was fuming. The more he observed his father’s behavior, the more convinced he became that the animosity had existed before his death. He would do his very damned best to get to the bottom of the whole not-liking-Abby scenario later. But for now, he wasn’t going to allow her to be bullied. “Mr. Daniels, are you threatening Abby?”
“I’m merely asking a question.”
“Sir, grandparents’ rights shouldn’t even be coming into a discussion at this point. Abby has done nothing to even insinuate a threat, which is what your line of questioning implies to me.”
Tom sneered, and Tristan wanted to hit something. He couldn’t, because he had to remain calm for Abby’s sake. But first thing tomorrow morning, he was putting his legal team to work.
“What, exactly, would you do? Abby is pregnant with our grandchild, our son hasn’t been dead a year and she’s moving in somewhere else, with a man?”
One...two...three... Tristan continued to count so he wouldn’t lose his shit, but he realized the best way to shut Tom up. “What I would do, Mr. Daniels, is trust Abby. Your son trusted her enough to marry and have a baby with her, so why can’t you hold even a small percentage of the trust he gave her? From everything I have heard about David, there isn’t anything he wouldn’t have done for his family. How do you think he would feel about you pressuring the woman he loved?”
Ann covered her mouth and tears flowed. Abby sniffled, but kept her eyes on Tom.
“Ann, get in the car. We’ll talk to her later, when she’s alone and can see some sense.”
Tom sat and slammed his door. Ann stayed in place for a moment, like she wanted to say something to Abby. Tom leaned over and opened his wife’s door, a clear signal for her to hurry up.
After the Daniels pulled away, Abby was shaking. Tristan guided her to her seat and rushed over to the driver’s side so they could get out of there. Inside, Abby was clutching a tissue, and he got on the road quickly. Sitting here was doing nothing to make her feel better, and it was making him madder than hell.
“I’m sorry you went through that.”
She shrugged, looking down at her belly. “I’m used to it, actually.”
Tristan’s fingers tensed on the steering wheel. “They’ve done that before?”
“Yes.”
Damn it! He wanted to scream. “What have they done to you?”
“Ann never really did anything, other than back up Tom. He, however, never hesitated to let me know that there was someone better suited for David.”
Son of a bitch. “I assume he never made those remarks in front of your husband.”
Abby shook her head. “No. Tom never said anything in front of David. He loved his parents so much, I wasn’t about to tell him that his father was making me feel uncomfortable, even in my own home.”
“You put too much on yourself, Abby.” At her surprised glance, Tristan continued. “You should’ve told David about his dad and maybe he could have settled that early on, instead of you being subjected to Tom’s taunting.”
“I didn’t want to hurt him by telling him.”
She went through that for years because she didn’t want to hurt me. Tristan drove, calming by reminding himself of Ehron’s words. ...you can make new memories with Abby, or you can sit here and waste the time you’ve been given wallowing in your own guilt. Make your choice.
So he lifted Abby’s hand to his mouth and tenderly kissed her fingers. She looked over and smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. He vowed then and there that she would never go through that again.
Chapter Twenty-One
Abby had stayed at Tristan’s house for over a week. She sat on the bed, supported by mounds of pillows, returning calls. Her voicemails had built up. The last call was done, and she set her phone down.
Tristan walked in and kissed her.
“Are you done in the o
ffice?”
“I am.” He pointed to the pillows. “You look like you’ve been here a while.”
“I have. My coworkers have left voicemails checking on me. Since it is almost August, they’ll be preparing for the new school year soon.”
“How long do you have off?”
“I don’t plan on going back until after Thanksgiving break. That’s probably a little long for maternity leave but I wanted every day I could get with him.” She rubbed her belly with a wistful smile. “I can’t wait to finally see him. And my feet,” Abby added with a chuckle.
“Oh come on, you are tiny compared to some of the women in the doctor’s office.”
Abby gaped. “Tristan!”
“Admit it. That lady that was in there last week? I was petrified she was going to go into labor and deliver a set of quadruplets in the waiting room.”
Tristan was playing, but the mock look of terror sent her over the edge. “Stop!” Abby playfully smacked at his shoulder as she laughed.
“Laugh all you want, Abby. But that poor woman was going to burst if she so much as sneezed.”
Oh Dear God. She laughed so hard, tears were running down her cheeks. Tristan looked highly amused.
She finally sobered. “Laughing feels so good.”
“And I love hearing your laughter.” His smile lingered, but something about Tristan’s eyes made him seem nervous.
“What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, but there’s something I need to ask you.”
~
Tristan pulled her onto his lap, dismissing her murmurs of being too heavy. Abby’s laughter filled the house like the song of an angel. A joyous noise taking the place of silence. He would be alone, again, if she decided to move back home, which is why she had to accept his offer. He wasn’t above begging.
“Tristan, you look nervous.” Her face was bright pink from the laughter, but her eyes narrowed in concern.
“I am.”
Abby ran her finger along Tristan’s jawline and leaned down for a kiss. “Just ask.”
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