Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 96833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“It’s clear why.” Phil snickered.
My father-in-law looked for any opportunity to bust balls, and I couldn’t blame him for putting me through the wringer. I deserved every second of it. I was just glad they didn’t seem angry.
“Oh, stop, Phil.” Kate smacked him. “It’s none of our business.”
I looked over at Abby, who was quiet but noticeably blushing. I suspected I might also be red in the face—or maybe green, based on how my stomach felt.
Kate looked down at Abby’s baby bump and reached out. “May I?”
Abby rubbed her stomach and breathed out, likely relieved at the distraction. “Of course.”
“How are you feeling?” Kate asked as she settled her hand on the bump.
“Really good, actually.”
“Glad to see Sig’s taking care of you,” Phil cracked.
Kate stepped back and smacked her husband’s arm again. “I know this has been hard for you with everything going on with your father, Abby. We’ve felt terribly guilty being down in Florida tending to Marjorie, but things should be easier now that she’s in a good home. We’ll be able to help.”
“Were you headed out somewhere?” Phil asked.
Abby looked at me guiltily. “Just going to get donuts.”
Phil clapped his hands together. “I could go for a good cup of Dunkin’ coffee and a glazed donut. We haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“Why don’t the three of us go and bring back breakfast for Abby and Roland?” I suggested. “I’d like to talk to them alone, if you don’t mind,” I added softly.
“Of course.” Abby nodded.
It wasn’t like I had anything to say to my in-laws that Abby shouldn’t have heard, but I didn’t want her to be uncomfortable as I explained myself. I needed to do that in private. And I blamed myself for this entire predicament. Abby shouldn’t have to explain anything. It wasn’t good for her to be stressed in her condition.
Phil threw his keys into the air and caught them. “I’ll drive.”
I got into the backseat of their car, feeling almost like a child about to be punished—or at least one who deserved to be.
“Do you secretly want to wring my neck?” I asked as we drove away.
“Not at all.” Kate turned to face me from the passenger seat. “I’m a little shocked, maybe, but perhaps I shouldn’t be.”
Phil chimed in, “I’m not.”
“As much as you think you have me pegged, Phil, this is not like any other situation I’ve gotten myself into.” I cleared my throat. “Abby is special, and we’ve connected in a way I hadn’t anticipated. There’s been no one else since the day I met her, if you’re wondering about that. This isn’t a game to me.”
“How long has it been going on?” Kate asked.
“It started shortly before she came out here when Roland had the heart attack. We’d been slowly growing closer before that.” I rubbed my temples. “Neither of us knows what the future holds. I’ve told her I think she’s better off without me, and I don’t want to tie her down in any way. She needs to be able to walk away from this situation after the baby comes, but…”
“But you care about her.” She completed my sentence.
I nodded. “I have no desire to end things right now. We’re both a bit confused by this turn of events and what it’s going to mean for the future.” I sighed. “I really don’t know much more than I’m telling you now, except to say I’m a better person when I’m around her. I feel alive. And I haven’t been able to say that in a very long time.”
“Well, no need for further explanation, then. Obviously, we don’t want to see Abby get hurt, but we care about you just as much.” Kate shrugged. “You’re adults. That’s the bottom line. And we want you both to be happy.”
“But clearly I’ve screwed up the plan.”
“We’ll figure it out,” she said.
Exhaling, I sat back in my seat. “I’m strangely relieved that you ran into us today. Because I had no idea how to tell you. I might have continued putting it off.”
“I’m not sure why I didn’t foresee this,” Kate said.
“I certainly didn’t. Abby and I didn’t get along very well in the beginning. It was never my intention to fall for her, to complicate things.”
Phil eyed me through the rearview mirror. “Some of the best things in life are complicated. Complicated makes life interesting.”
I put my hands on the backs of their seats and leaned in. “Anyway, all this to say…don’t hate me, alright?”
Kate reached back to pat me on the shoulder. “We love you too much for that.”
CHAPTER 40
* * *
Sig
Track 40: “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” by Meatloaf
That evening, Kate and Phil offered to keep Roland company while Abby and I went out. It was a much-needed reprieve. Even though I liked her father a lot, it had felt a little claustrophobic in that house.