by Iris Abbott
Abigail watched Mason follow the children to their old bedrooms and begin the supervision of their bedtime rituals. When they disappeared out of sight, she went back to her sister’s childhood bedroom. She stripped off her clothes and threw everything in the trash except the borrowed t-shirt. She folded it and put it back in the dresser just in case Aubrey looked for it on her next visit.
Abigail went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She stood and waited for the water to heat up. She wanted it as hot as she could possibly stand without burning herself. When it was ready she stepped under the spray and let it rinse her body clean. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the shower wall. She could feel Roger’s hands on her body. She could see his face leering at her. She jumped when she heard the door open. She looked up to see Mason standing there.
“The children are in bed. And they are no worse for wear. As usual you took the brunt of that man’s poison.” He stepped closer to Abigail and cupped her cheek with his hand. “I know you probably want to be alone, but I needed to make sure you were all right. I’ll leave you to finish your shower.”
Abigail heard the concern and caring in his voice and wondered how she could have ever doubted the character of this man. She knew she could share her innermost thoughts with him and they’d be safe. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him into the shower, clothes and all. “I’m not okay. I keep seeing his face and feeling his hands on my body.” She suddenly realized he was getting soaked and turned the shower off. “Mason I need you to make love to me. Please.”
Mason hesitated. “Are you sure Abigail? I don’t want you to be able to say I took advantage of you later on if you regret making love with me.”
Abigail was surer than she’d ever been in her life. “I need you,” she whispered. “When you make love to me I can’t think about anything or anyone else. Everything fades into the background until all that’s left is you and me. That’s what I need right now. Please Mason.”
Mason would be hard pressed to deny Abigail anything. He found it especially hard after what she’d just been through. He wrapped Abigail’s towel around her slender body. Then he picked her up and carried her to the double bed with its pale rose and lavender quilt. The feminine colors were so like Abigail, soft silky warm and inviting. They made his gut clinch at what might have happened if he and Jonathan had arrived even just five minutes later than they had.
“Abigail,” he whispered while laying her on the cool cotton sheets. “I know we didn’t get married for the right reasons, but I do love you. The past few days have been hell without you. Please come back home. I need you back home in my bed and in my arms, forever. I love you, Abigail.”
The nightmare was already fading away as Abigail concentrated on her husband and the love they shared. Abigail not only felt the warmth building in her body from physical chemistry, but also from her heart. It seemed like she’d wanted to hear those words from Mason for a long time. Now that he was actually saying the words she almost couldn’t believe them.
“Mason I love you so much. I can’t imagine living my life without you. But if you’re only saying you love me because of my near miss tonight, please don’t. It will only make things harder for me in the future when you take it back.”
Mason rained kisses across her neck and then pressed his lips against hers. He moved one hand to cradle her neck and tilt her head to deepen the kiss. Finally he pulled away. “There’s no taking it back. I love you Abigail and I always will. If I was a little distant at the beginning of our marriage it was because I was unsure of your feelings for me and I knew you needed time. I knew you had trust issues and I was so afraid I’d do something to ruin our tentative relationship. I was also worried you might decide you didn’t need me anymore, especially after the judge made a ruling in your favor.”
Abigail found herself crying again, but unlike the harsh sobs of before, these were quiet tears of joy. She gave him a kiss that lingered and promised and whispered of the passions to come. Then she broke away to speak the words of her heart that needed to be said. “I will always need you Mason. Even now with Roger most assuredly out of the picture as far as the children are concerned, I still need you, I still want you, and yes I still love you. We are a family. Jay, Emily, you and me. I finally believe in us and I’m never letting go!”
Epilogue
Abigail rushed out of the shower and threw on a sundress and thin sweater. She’d tried to tell Mason they didn’t have time to make love before their guests began to arrive, but one look and they were in each other’s arms and the rest of the world was forgotten. She heard the doorbell chime and was thankful that Mason was already downstairs. Men were so lucky. They didn’t have to take time for makeup and hair. Speaking of hair, she didn’t have time to dry her thick below the shoulder tresses so she twisted her hair into a French braid and tied off the end with a ponytail band.
The frantic beat of her heart eased when she recognized the voice of her best friend Caroline, who was telling Mason she’d come early to help with any last minute preparations for the barbeque. Abigail ran back to the master bathroom and checked her makeup and final appearance one more time. No smudges or flyaway tresses. She was ready to face the masses. The rest of her family would be arriving any second along with Mason’s brother and a few of his co-workers. Even Jay had invited a friend, a girl from his biology class, no less.
Abigail’s friend Caroline was Jay’s biology teacher this year and Abigail had wanted to get the scoop on Jay’s new friend earlier, but Caroline was being uncharacteristically closemouthed. It was almost like when she’d first moved to the area a little over a year ago. Since then she’d been adopted by all the members of the Montgomery family and was more than comfortable with them. Something was going on and Abigail was determined to get to the bottom of it at this barbeque.
Abigail spied Caroline in the kitchen putting the glazed icing on her homemade sour cream pound cake. She hugged her best friend. “I’m glad you’re early. It gives us time to catch up. You’ve been awfully quiet since the new school year started,” Abigail accused. “No one is giving you a hard time are they? If there’s anything I need Mason to check into just let me know,” Abigail offered.
Caroline made a lame attempt at a smile. She knew it was time to come clean with Abigail. “I’m being haunted by a ghost from the past, that’s all. It wouldn’t really be work related except as it turns out his daughter is in one of my classes.”
“I hope it’s not Sarah,” Abigail half joked. “Because Jay invited her to the barbeque, so I called and invited her father Kyle….” Abigail trailed off and her eyes widened until the green of her irises seemed to be taking over her face.
“Kyle Wakefield is your Kyle isn’t he?”
“He’s not my anything, at least he hasn’t been for about four years now,” Caroline bitterly reminded her friend.
“Oh no!!! I didn’t make the connection and since Jay invited Sarah I extended an invitation to her dad and he accepted. He’s going to be here Caroline.”
Caroline shrugged her shoulders as if it didn’t matter, but Abigail knew better. “He does know you’re living here and that you’re his daughter’s teacher right,” Abigail asked.
“He knows. He saw me at Parent Night and we’ve spoken a few times.”
“Really,” the excitement in Abigail’s voice was evident. “Anything you need to tell me about that?” Abigail insisted.
Caroline thought for a minute and then gave her friend the first genuine smile of the afternoon. “Oh yeah, he’s still a jerk! Don’t get any ideas about matchmaking. It would take a lot to help me forget the pain he caused me before. I’m not likely to want a repeat.”
“Have I ever mentioned how alike you and Annabel are?”
“Several times,” Caroline reminded her friend. “I mean it Abigail. You’re the closest thing to a sister I’ve got, but please just stay out of it,” Caroline begged.
“All right,” for now anyway
, Abigail mentally added.
“Good!” The doorbell rang and several voices filled the foyer of Mason and Abigail’s magnificent house.
“It sounds like several people have arrived at the same time. Isn’t that the way it always is when one’s hosting a get together. I guess we’ll let this conversation drop for now, but I expect to see you outside mingling with everyone else and not hiding in the kitchen. Mason and I have a big announcement to make and you won’t want to miss it!” Before her friend could question her further, Abigail grabbed a large dish of baked beans and headed for the back door. “Bring your delicious cake. All the food is set out on tables by the new water garden we’ve been working on.”
They walked outside and Caroline stopped to take a deep breath. “Wow! You guys finally finished the water garden. It’s gorgeous, Abigail. It’s so beautiful here. I almost envy you. You’ve got it all,” Caroline wistfully stated. “A gorgeous husband who loves you, two wonderful kids, a fantastic family, and your own backyard paradise, what more could a woman want?”
Abigail beamed at her friend. “Well it looks like everyone is here and you’re about to find out the answer to that question,” Abigail mysteriously promised.
Mason looked around the crowd of family and friends gathered in the backyard. His eyes immediately zeroed in on his lovely wife. He excused himself from Jonathan, Matthew, and his brother Brian who’d made the trip from Texas. He headed toward his wife’s side. He brushed her lips with his and took the baked beans from her. “Here let me carry those. Your mom’s potato salad is already on the table. Let’s put these down then we can make our announcement.”
Caroline nodded her understanding and then went to stand next to Joyce Montgomery, who just happened to be about as far from Kyle as was possible at the intimate gathering of family and friends. That suited Caroline just fine. She greeted the Montgomery matriarch with a warm hug. She felt Kyle’s whiskey colored eyes follow her every move, but she ignored him. Luckily it wasn’t long before Mason and Abigail stole the show.
Mason with his arm possessively wrapped around his wife led her to the middle of the circle of family and friends. “About this time last year Abigail and I agreed to turn our friendship into something deeper and embarked on a marriage that has been everything a man could hope for and more.” He glanced over at Joyce and Caroline who’d been joined by the other Montgomery sisters and their spouses. “I married into a wonderful family full of love and passion and Abigail and I are proud to announce that we’re going to be adding to that family!”
The crowd broke out in applause and smiles from all corners. Caroline glanced toward Kyle. His brown eyes met her blue eyes straight on and didn’t waver. The thought of Kyle and babies in the same breath was enough to knock her for a loop. She needed to get out of there. She waited her turn to hug and congratulate Abigail who was currently surrounded by her mom and sisters. “I’m really happy for you and Mason. Both of you are fantastic parents. I’ve got to go,” she rushed out. “I’ll call you later before the weekend is over!”
Abigail watched her friend disappear through the house and undoubtedly out the front door and to her car. Then she glared at Kyle just to make herself feel better. She decided she could blame it on pregnancy hormones later if she needed to apologize.
Annabel and Aubrey watched Caroline disappear. “What’s wrong with Caroline,” Annabel wanted to know. Then she followed Abigail’s glare.
“Another suitor strike out?” Aubrey inquired with a grin. “Too bad, that’s one’s gorgeous. I might be tempted if I were still single.” The sisters laughed. They couldn’t imagine their younger sibling with anyone other than the charismatic, yet dark and mysterious rocker Matthew Hampton. “Who is he anyway and why’s he at a small gathering for family and friends?” Aubrey asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Jay invited his daughter. They’re in a couple of classes together. His name is Kyle Wakefield.”
Aubrey sputtered on the drink she’d just swallowed. “Kyle, the Kyle?” her eyes got big. “You mean the jerk that dumped Caroline back in Atlanta?”
“Yep, that would be the one,” Abigail verified, a look of determination covering her face.
“Oh boy, I know that look,” Annabel and Aubrey said in unison.
“Looks like Caroline and Kyle are in for an interesting reunion if the Montgomery’s have anything to say about it,” Aubrey declared.
Abigail lifted the apple juice she was drinking in the place of wine. “We do have a way with romance don’t we. “To Caroline, the Montgomery sister of our heart may she be as happy and lucky in love as the three of us!” Annabel and Aubrey raised their wine glasses and joined the toast. “To Caroline,” they agreed, just before they were joined by their husbands.
Table of Contents
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Epilogue