“Yeah, she is. I used to be married to her, but we got in a really big fight and broke up.”
Ashely frowned. “Is that why you only like Mommy as a friend?”
I looked up at Jax. She smiled.
Focusing back on Ashley, I nodded. “Yes. I don’t want to go back on a promise, Ashley, especially to you. But if I go with you and your mommy right now, Abby’s feelings will be hurt, and I really don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
“Cause you love her?” Ashley asked.
Jax put her hands on Ashley’s shoulders and kissed her on top of the head.
A bubble of sadness filled my lungs, and I had a hard time breathing. “Yeah, sweetheart. I love her a whole lot.”
A wide smile grew over Ashley’s face. “Can we make s’mores when we come back to Boggy Creek in the spring?”
Relief washed through me, and I brought Ashley in for a quick hug. “Yeah, we for sure can.”
Standing, I gave Jax another apologetic look. “I’m sorry about this.”
“It’s okay, I understand. I think Ashley and I will head on out of town and get into Boston early to surprise my folks.”
Ashley jumped up and down, forgetting all about the marshmallows. “Yes, let’s do that!”
Jax held out her hand, and I shook it. “It was fun, Bishop. I hope everything works out for you and Abby.”
“Thanks, Jax. You guys have a safe trip back to Boston.”
I watched as they got into Jax’s car and then headed down the driveway.
Once the car was down the hill, I turned and headed back into the house.
One quick look around told me Abby had cleared off the table. The food was still out, but covered, and Abby was nowhere to be found.
“Abby?” I called out as I looked around. Rushing through the house, I yelled her name again before a thought hit me. Had she waited for me to come back inside before she left? I rushed back through the kitchen and into the mudroom. Her coat was gone. “Fuck!”
I opened the door to the garage and grabbed the keys to my newer truck; I couldn’t afford breaking down on the side of the road if I was going after Abby. I needed to bring her back.
As soon as the garage doors opened, I stopped and stared at Abby’s car, still parked there. I spun around. Where in the hell had she gone?
Hitting the button, I closed the garage again and went back into the house. “Okay, she’s gotta be outside somewhere.”
Then it hit me. The greenhouse. Abby would have gone to her greenhouse.
I walked out the back door. Sure enough, I saw her footprints trailing off in the distance, heading toward the greenhouse.
I hadn’t set foot in the greenhouse since Abby left, and had no idea if Ken or Bryce had been tending to the flowers in there or not. I’d gotten drunk once and told them both to stay out. Whether they’d heeded my drunken command, I wasn’t sure.
My heartbeat kicked up the closer I got. You couldn’t see the greenhouse from the house, and that was part of the reason I was able to forget about it. When I finally got close enough to see inside, I froze.
Abby was sitting on the floor of the greenhouse, her back to me.
“Oh, Abby,” I whispered, looking at all the dead plants through the glass. Stepping inside, I softly shut the door.
She didn’t move a muscle, though I was positive she’d heard me come in. It was fucking freezing inside. Ken or Bryce must have turned off the heater. I worked at the lump in my throat and tried like hell to say something, but nothing would come out.
After a minute or two, I finally managed to speak. “Why are you on the floor?”
She jumped and looked back at me. She clearly hadn’t heard me come in. “Where are Jax and Ashley?”
I frowned. “You didn’t really think I was going to leave you to go roast marshmallows with them, did you?”
The corner of her mouth rose slightly, and she chuckled softly. “I did, as a matter of fact.”
“Well, I didn’t.”
“Was Ashley upset?” Abby asked, worry etched on her face.
I shook my head and took a few steps closer. It was then I saw she was holding something. A pot with a flowering plant in it. I focused on the green stem plants with a white flower that seemed to be dangling off of it.
As I stared at the plant, I said, “No, she wasn’t. Not after I explained a few things to her.” I looked back at Abby. “Why are you sitting on the ground in here, and where did you get that plant?”
She looked at it. When she spoke, she sounded so far away. “It’s root-bound and needs to be repotted.” Then she lifted her head and let her gaze travel around the greenhouse. “You let them all die.”
I exhaled, following her gaze. “It was too hard to come in here after you left…and honestly, it’s been out of sight, out of mind.”
Her head wobbled with what I thought was a nod.
“Was that plant in here?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said softly. Then she stood and headed toward the back of the greenhouse. She put the plant down, opened a cabinet door, and pulled out a larger pot.
“It’s lived in here the whole time?”
Abby cleared her throat. “I planted it the day I found out I was pregnant. From some bulbs I’d ordered. I wasn’t sure they would take, since they tend to grow in Asia and Eastern Europe. But…it looks like it’s done well.”
She got to work opening a bag of soil. As she started to transplant the flower, I sat down on a stool at the workbench.
“What does the flower mean?” I asked.
Her hands paused for a moment before she reached for the smaller pot and gently worked the flower out. I knew Abby, and I knew she knew the meaning of every flower she’d planted and loved.
Her chin trembled for the briefest of moments before she spoke. “It’s called a Galanthus nivalis. Or a snowdrop. The first flower blooms at the end of winter, beginning of spring, and it’s a symbol of hope.”
She filled in the pot and made sure the plant was straight. “There, that should give her some room to grow. Maybe you could have Ken come in and water her. She’s made it this far. I’d hate to see her die.”
I stood and walked closer to her, and when I touched her hand, she froze. Closing her eyes, she stood perfectly still.
Leaning down, I brushed my lips across her ear and whispered, “Breathe, Abs.”
She drew in a shaking breath, then spun around to face me.
Tears streamed down her face. “I left because I was afraid to get pregnant again. I knew you wanted to have another baby, and the idea of it scared me to death. I was so, so lost, and I had no idea how to make you feel better when I couldn’t even figure out what in the hell was wrong with me. Looking back now, I don’t know why I couldn’t talk to you about it. I was just too messed up in the head to even think clearly.”
She wiped her tears away. “I reasoned with myself that if I left, if I gave you a chance to just forget about me, you’d be able to have the family you wanted so much, because at the time I…I wasn’t sure I could. I was so afraid to go through that hurt again. I’d never felt so lost!”
I took a step closer and cupped her face in my hands. “Abby, all I wanted was you.”
Sobs ripped from deep within her, and she collapsed into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry. After a minute or two, she drew back.
“I know that now. I knew that the day of our divorce hearing, and I wanted to beg you to forgive me. I nearly dropped to my knees outside of that damn courtroom when you said we didn’t have anything to talk about. All those times you called or texted…I was so afraid to tell you how scared I was. How messed up my head was, and how ashamed I was for walking away from you…from everyone. I felt so ashamed.”
She sucked in a shaky breath and went on. “I was a coward for hiding, for being too damn afraid to simply talk to you and tell you how I felt. I blamed myself for the loss of the baby, and I needed to punish myself for disappointing you.”
“What?” I gasped as I placed my finger under her chin, lifting it until our eyes met. “Abby, it was not your fault! You never disappointed me by losing the baby. Never.”
Her chin trembled. “I know that now, Bishop. But in my head then…I didn’t know anything. All I knew was sadness and anger and fear. By the time I got my head straight, it had been a year since I’d left. You wouldn’t take my calls, so I came back to Boggy Creek to talk to you. I came by the house, but you weren’t here. A kid named Jack said you went out with Kyle and Hunter. That I would most likely find you at Brew’s Place.”
Abby stepped away from me and wiped away more tears. “I went there to look for you. I needed to talk to you, to tell you everything. To beg you to forgive me.”
A sickness started in the pit of my stomach and slowly made its way up, burning at the back of my throat. I knew exactly what she was going to say.
She’d seen me with another woman.
“When I walked in, I saw Kyle and Hunter both dancing with some girls who looked like tourists. I didn’t know them. I kept out of sight and made my way back toward the bathrooms. There was a dark corner, so I started for it, thinking I could wait there until I saw you.”
“Stop,” I whispered. “Please, Abby.”
Her eyes filled with tears again, but she held them back as she went on. “You wanted to know the truth, Bishop, and I have to tell you everything. The reason I stopped coming home to Boggy Creek was because I saw you with someone…and I didn’t need to look for very long to see what was happening. I turned and ran for the bathroom and threw up. Then I slipped out the back door, got in my car and drove back to Boston.”
I reached for Abby and pulled her to me. Closing my eyes, I dropped my head down until my forehead rested on hers.
Christ Almighty. What had we done to each other?
Abby
The look of horror on Bishop’s face before he rested his forehead on mine nearly broke me. I knew telling him about that night would be hard, but he needed to know everything.
I reached up and grabbed his arms. “It’s okay,” I whispered when I heard him let out a soft sob.
“I never knew you were there, Abby,” Bishop said as he cried. “I never knew you came to see me…I’m so sorry, Abs.”
I shook my head and placed my hands on the sides of his face, like he’d done to me only moments ago. “You don’t need to say anything, especially that you’re sorry. I’m the one who left you. I needed to tell you that, Bishop, so you’d understand why I never came back. I knew deep in my heart you would move on.”
His brows pulled in tight. “That’s where you’re wrong, Abby. I never moved on. I might have had sex with other women, but none of it meant anything. It was a poor attempt at trying to get you out of my mind. And you didn’t…you didn’t—”
His voice cracked, and I wrapped my arms around his neck while he wrapped his around my waist.
“I’m not mad, Bishop. You didn’t do anything wrong, and I don’t blame you.”
He buried his face in my neck and drew in a deep breath. “Rose and vanilla.”
I stilled. “What?”
“You’ve always smelled like roses and vanilla. Ever since the first day I met you. I thought it was because you were in the garden so much, but now I think it’s just you.”
Smiling, I threaded my fingers through his soft hair as we stood in each other’s arms.
“I hated myself afterward,” he said. “Every time, I fucking hated myself and felt worse. I know I have a reputation for sleeping around, but there weren’t that many, Abs. I swear.”
“Shhh. I don’t want to talk about what happened when we were apart. All I need is for you to understand that I was so broken, Bishop. And I had no idea how to fix myself, until I realized a few months ago that I couldn’t fix myself, because a part of me was missing. If I’d been in my right mind, I hope you know I would have never left you. Ever.”
He let go of me, and I reluctantly did the same, though it felt so damn good to be in his arms.
“I don’t know what will happen now with us. I do know I need you in my life.” I worked my lips together and then drew in a deep breath and let it out. I lost the battle to hold back my tears as I said, “I miss my best friend, and I want…I want him back. If you can’t forgive me then—”
My words were cut off when Bishop’s mouth captured mine.
The kiss took me by surprise, but it didn’t take me long to open to him. It was both heaven and torture. I wanted more. Needed more. My body burned to be closer to him.
Bishop’s hands came up to my face again, and he held me tight as he deepened the kiss. We both moaned, and before I knew what was happening, he swept me up into his arms and started to head out of the greenhouse.
“Wait—I didn’t water the plant.”
“We can come back,” Bishop said as he nearly ran to the house. Still carrying me, he walked through the back door and into the living room where he set me down.
I was about to tell him we needed to slow down, but then his mouth was on mine again. His kisses left me senseless.
“We should…we should stop and talk,” I gasped as his mouth moved to my neck. He placed more of those heated kisses on my skin while he pushed my coat off and let it fall to the floor.
He pulled away just long enough to remove his own coat. His eyes met mine, and he smiled. “We should,” he agreed, right before he lifted my sweater over my head.
He stopped for a moment and simply stared at me reverently. Then he reached behind his back and pulled his own shirt off, tossing it to the floor.
He ran his fingertip lightly over my exposed cleavage, and I heard myself groan.
“Or, we can keep—” He paused and kissed down my neck. “We can keep doing this and talk later.”
When he sucked my nipple through the lace of my bra, I felt my knees weaken. Bishop wrapped his arms around me to hold me up.
“Which would you rather do, Abs?” he asked, licking my nipple again through the bra. It had been so long since my body felt this way. So, so long.
“Later. Talk later,” I whimpered as he pulled the lace away and took my nipple into his mouth.
After a few seconds, he looked up at me and grinned. “I thought so,” he said before reaching behind my back and unclasping my bra.
I reached for his jeans. I needed to feel him in my hands. It had been ages, and my body physically hurt, I ached for him so badly. With shaking hands, I attempted to undo the buttons on his jeans. “I hate buttons…on…jeans. Why do you wear these?”
Bishop laughed as he pulled me toward him and pressed his mouth to mine, knocking my hands out of the way. He unbuttoned his jeans, then went to work on mine. When he finally had my pants undone, he ran his fingers along the outside of my panties and pressed lightly on my clit. I sucked in a breath.
He pulled his mouth from mine and slowly pushed my pants down with both of his hands. I held onto his shoulders as he pulled each sneaker off, then removed my jeans. He slowly moved his hands back up my legs, inch by inch, until he stood in front of me again. I shivered.
He frowned. “Are you cold?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He smiled softly, running his finger along the edge of my panties. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears, I could hardly hear myself speak.
“Touch me, Bishop, please.”
With a wicked grin, he shook his head. “Not yet. I want to taste you first, Abs.”
I swallowed hard.
He kissed my mouth, then moved his lips to my jawline and over to my ear, gently biting on my lobe. I felt his hot breath against my skin. “Can I taste you?”
“Yes!” I nearly shouted. Taking in a deep breath, I tried to repeat it without sounding like a desperate woman. “Yes,” I managed to say, but it sounded more like a breath.
Bishop cupped my face again and kissed me as he walked us backward. When my legs hit the sofa, I sat and Bishop followed me down, never once breaking the k
iss.
His hand cupped my breast, and I arched my body to fill his palm with more of me. The last two years, my dreams had been filled with Bishop touching me, but that was nothing compared to the real thing.
God, I needed more. So. Much. More.
Bishop tore his mouth from mine and went to the breast he had just been playing with. He teased one nipple with his fingertips while he licked and sucked the other. I felt the tingle start to build, and I squirmed under him. Was I honestly going to orgasm from him playing with my nipples?
“Bishop, please!” I urged as I pushed his head, trying to guide him to where I needed him most.
His hooded eyes met mine. “I haven’t touched you in two years, Abby. I plan on going slow and taking my time.”
I dragged in one breath after the next and panted, “I need…I need more!” I dug my hands into the cushions of the couch.
Bishop drew back and looked at me with the sexiest smile I had ever seen on his face. “Do you need to come, sweetheart?”
All I could do was nod. My entire body was so wound up, I could feel myself trembling. A small part of me warned that we should stop. We needed to go slow. But the rest of me waited with bated breath for his touch.
With another wicked grin, Bishop began to slowly explore my body with his mouth. He placed a gentle kiss on my neck. Then he moved back to my breasts and down my stomach, where he spent time teasing me by dipping his tongue into my belly button. I let out a strangled moan.
He softly chuckled and moved down.
Down.
I sucked in a breath when he blew on the sensitive bud of my sex. “Bishop, please!” I begged.
“Abby.”
That one word caused me to snap my eyes open and meet his gaze.
“I want you to watch me make you come. I want to see you fall apart.”
I nodded. “I…I won’t look away. I swear.”
A slow, crooked smile appeared on his face before he buried his head between my legs.
“Oh God!” I cried out when he ran his tongue between my folds and sucked on my clit.
I wanted desperately to drop my head back, to close my eyes and give in to the pressure that was already building. But I also couldn’t pull my gaze away from Bishop. He looked up, staring into my eyes intensely as he slipped his fingers inside of me and flicked my clit with his tongue.
She's the One (Boggy Creek Valley Book 3) Page 18