Twice Smitten (A Modern Fairy Tale) (18 page)

“Nice dress,” Sasha said. “But I think you’ve got something on the hemline.”

Emma tapped her lips. “What color is that? It looks—”

“Don’t you dare finish that statement,” Abigail said.

“She’s blushing.” Emma grabbed another cake bite and handed it to Sasha. “Have we ever seen her blush?”

“Never.” At Sasha’s scandalized tone Abigail could only laugh.

“Shut up, both of you.” She moved to the island and was handed a napkin too. “I’m here to celebrate the nuptials of my best friend and her groom-to-be.”

“Good counter-move.” Emma bounced. “We’re getting married. I’m sickening every time I talk about it, but I can’t shut up.”

Abigail hid her smile by wiping her mouth with the napkin. “It makes me nauseated to see you like this.”

“I would say the same, but nothing kills my appetite.” Another bite disappeared in Sasha’s mouth. She frowned then. “Where’s Drew?” A pained expression replaced the frown. “Oh.”

“Uh-oh,” Emma murmured.

Abigail turned around to see Drew and her mother still arm in arm as they rounded into the kitchen. The sight made the cake turn into lead in her stomach. Her mother no longer smiled. Drew had his blanket expression of not giving a damn and having a grand time. What had happened in the two-point-five minutes they’d been alone?

“I’m going to make sure Grams is ok.” Pamela headed out the screen door.

All three women watched the door slap shut in shocked silence. There was no drama, no threats, just an easy slide out the door. Drew took his forefinger and closed Abigail’s mouth. He’d earned the cocky smile he wore.

“Huh.” She hooked her arm in his.

Sasha made a face of approval. “Well, ok then.”

Emma handed him a napkin with a bite-sized cake. “Go mingle so I can watch from the kitchen window.”

“I’m guessing it’s good to see me again.” Drew laughed softly. “Come on, Ms. Johnson. You can shower me with praise later.”

Abigail planned to ask him right away what happened, but they got sucked in a whirlwind of introductions. Harder to actually explain their relationship, Abigail let people assume what they were, so he was simply Drew Carter as they made their way to the wet bar at the end of the porch deck.

Once they both had champagne glasses, he beat her to the question and answer phase. “These people are obsessed with the fact you’ve handled ads for erectile dysfunction.”

She sipped at the champagne. “Some people feel it’s a built in punch line.”

“It bothers you,” Drew said.

He was looking at the crowd of people. Most were family and friends of Emma. Tobias had invited a few cousins, but that was about it. Abigail hadn’t found her mother or Grams yet, but she’d spotted Sasha’s father and mother. Sasha was a big daddy’s little girl so she’d probably already said hi. The backyard was filled with their shared lives and it was no wonder Drew couldn’t tear his gaze away. This was an insight into her life. One he hadn’t been privy to before.

“I’m more than the sum of my parts,” she said in answer to his non-question.

“That’s what I told your mother.” He glanced down at her with a smirk. “Since you were dying to know.”

She fought back the smile. “Was not.”

“You were waiting for the right moment to ask nonchalantly.”

She sighed. “I was.”

“Abby, I want to be with you now and for
a while
after that.” He took another sip of champagne. “Since you were dying to know the answer to that too.”

Still, the answer didn’t ease the knot in her stomach. No one knew what could happen in the next moment, much less the next twenty or fifty years. People changed.

She spotted her father. “Speaking of the devil.”

Abigail sighed. There was no after-sex glow to be found. Not even if the feeling were knitted into a scarf and place around Where’s Waldo’s neck.

“What is it?” Drew asked.

Abigail finished the rest of her glass and muttered, “My father.”

Sans second wife, he lounged under one of the oak trees. The woman’s absence was both a relief and a disappointment. She actually liked her step-mother. Tia didn’t hold a dramatic bone in her body, but she could poke holes in tension with jokes. They made their way over to him under a string of fairy lights.

“There you are,” Eli’s voice rasped, deep and slow.

Like he always did, her father wrapped her in those former-football-playing wide arms into his barrel chest and squeezed. She let out a small, playful gasp.

“One of these days I’m going to pass out,” she said.

He settled one arm around her shoulder so that her head had only a chest to lie on. If it was any other night, in front of any other man, she would have rested her head there. They weren’t close, close so she enjoyed moments like this where it didn’t matter they would have stilted conversations soon after. She was Daddy’s Little Girl.

And…Abigail had caught her father’s look before the hug. This did not bode well.

“Drew Carter, Greg’s cousin, right?” Her father had steel in his voice and didn’t offer his hand.

She saw the small lift of Drew’s brows, but he covered it with an easy smile. “That’s correct. Eli?”

“Good with faces, too?”

“And names. It goes with the job.”

“What do you do, Drew?” Her father didn’t bother to beat around the bush.

“Daddy,” Abigail said and both men ignored her.

“Consultant for ad agencies. Currently I’m doing some work at Abby’s job.”

“Are you now.” Eli didn’t bother to mask it as a question. Her father glanced down at her. His brows furrowed with interest.

“He is and he’s good at it, too.” Abigail managed to squirm out of the possessive hold, but didn’t dare go back to Drew’s embrace. She was not going to participate in this pissing match. “We’re also, currently, seeing each other. Yes, even though I was once engaged to his cousin. Where’s Tia?”

“Home and sick, but she sends her congratulations and regards,” Eli said to Abigail but uttered the next to Drew, “You’ve met her before. The first time I saw you, I believe.”

What didn’t need to be said is that Drew had another woman plastered against him. The type of woman where you didn’t have to question the nature of the relationship.

“Tia. Polite, funny and beautiful,” Drew said.

Her father grunted with displeasure, and of course there would be nothing Drew could say to change the fact. Though, Drew kept up the cool appearance, she could tell how uncomfortable he was. His innate confidence wasn’t a shell or a sham, but he leaned on it heavily in situations like this.

Drew cleared his throat. “Economics professor?”

“You have a really good memory.” It wasn’t stated as a compliment.

“It serves me well in what I do. So, this question won’t bond us, but it’ll definitely make Abigail stop looking like she wants the earth to swallow her.” He paused. “What do you think about the economy right now?”

Eli laughed and finally relaxed. “She’s my only girl. Can’t give her brothers’ dates hell.

“It’s appreciated but unnecessary,” Abigail said. “And I didn’t want the earth to swallow me. I wanted to hit you both over the head. I’m going to get a refill. You guys talk money.” She added, “And behave.”

Pamela must have been watching Abigail like a hawk, because the older woman was on her the moment she stopped at the porch’s stairs. The bar felt miles away.

“I don’t like him,” Pamela announced. “He’s a little too slick for my taste. I mean look at him. He’s over there wooing your dad, no less. I’m sure he asked about the current economic status of the country. I loved your father, but once you got him talking about the economy anyone will be praying for a bolt of lightning to strike them dead.”

Abigail paused on the porch deck steps. Pamela had on heels so high it made Abigail’s arches hurt in sympathy. The canary-yellow dress had a ’60s vibe, but it was skin tight. The bone-straight hair, so much like her own, was pinned up all but for the swoop on the left side. It was definitely her mother.

“What did he say to you?”

“He did that sandwich thing where you layer two complimentary statements with a criticism. You look lovely and you raised a lovely daughter, yada, yada. All the while telling me to butt out of your business, because it’s a relationship between the two of you. It’s in a fragile state, yada, yada. He then sandwiched that by telling me how he was falling for you.”

Abigail swallowed and made her way to the bar again. Her mother followed and kept right on talking.

“I’m a little put off, but I like a man who lays down the boundaries and is polite about it. I’m sure he’s doing the same with your father. It’s excellent ground work for in-laws.”

Her mother beat her to the bar and had already swigged a good amount of champagne before Abigail could even get a good grip on her glass. All the while continuing to dig a deeper pit in Abigail’s stomach. Her mother was a talented woman.

“I don’t like him, but don’t mess this one up, Abigail.”

She didn’t even wait to feel the coolness of the glass before finishing half of it in one gulp. “Mess it up?”

“Your last boyfriend didn’t last long in the scheme of things. You had him moved in with you and then you broke his heart. If I didn’t know you better, I think you reel them in just to throw them back.”

She finished all of her drink. “That’s not what I do.”

“I haven’t been the greatest example.” Pamela motioned to the bartender for another round. She plucked the glass out of Abigail’s hand and replaced it. “But your Grams is one. Your father’s another.”

“Where’s Grams?” Abigail asked in hopes of distracting her mother.

Pamela waved a hand in the general direction of the entire back yard. “In a corner somewhere, still sipping on her first glass. I must be adopted.” She sighed, and turned to the crowd. “Anyway, he’s smart. He’s sexy. Your friends seem to like him too. If your feet starts to get cold put them in some warm water.”

Abigail’s palms dampened the glass instead of the other way around as the old doubts crept in. “Don’t you care whether or not I like him? What I think about him?”

Pamela let out a heavy sigh. “You wouldn’t have brought him if you didn’t. You knew we’d be here. Plus, you look like you rolled around in bed with him recently.”

Abigail would have knocked back the rest of her glass, but her head had already started to feel woozy from the first two. “Can you at least act like a mother who wouldn’t say those things to a daughter?”

“Why? I’m this type of mom and you turned out ok.” Pamela frowned at her half-empty glass. “Other than your need to implode every relationship you have.”

“I don’t sabotage relationships.” Exasperated, she rolled her shoulders. “They’re relationships that don’t work. I think there is a huge difference. I don’t make up drama to have a reason to end it.”

“So what exactly is the problem with these men you date? They treat you well. They’re gaga over you. What more could you want?”

Abigail gave the champagne flute a dubious eye and took a sip. “A guarantee it’ll last. An untenable gut feeling I’m doing the right thing and it’ll be the right thing for the rest of my life. A sign. Something. Anything.”

On a roll now, she continued, “Compatibility. Passion. Love. Lust. The
it
factor.”

Her mother finished her glass and took Abigail’s. “You must be blitzed to think for one second any relationship comes with a guarantee. If someone would have told me that within five years of meeting your dad we’d be divorced, I’d have taken them straight to the crazy house. We were in
love
.” Her mother scoffed with an edge of bitterness.

“And you know what, I still love him and that is a guarantee. He gave me you. Every ounce of my soul will adore him forever for that alone, but love is simply the foundation you build something solid on.”

“I know.” Abigail’s heart wrenched inside her chest and took the empty glass from her mother’s fingers.

“Good, now know the rest will be blood, sweat and tears. You do it every day. Some days are easier and you can’t even remember why you wanted to call it quits.”

Abigail rubbed at the pounding spot between her brows. Her mother finished off the drink and went on, “There’s a reason fairy tales end at the beginning of the true relationship. There will be days the Beast wants to set fire to Belle’s library and dance in the ashes.”

Abigail sought out Drew and found him still next to her father. Drew’s brows were knitted together, but she could tell he was enjoying the conversation. He didn’t look up to check to see if she was making her way back. He didn’t need rescuing. He’d be fine with or without her, and that knowledge not only scared Abigail blind it created a stab of fear right in her chest that made her feel numb.

How could she go out on a limb not knowing for sure what they had would last? What was she to do when there was no sign or surefire way to know if he was the one? Or, to know they were compatible enough not to drive each other insane on a daily basis. She looked forlornly at the empty glass in her hand and then her mother’s hand.

“Mom, sometimes I really hate talking to you,” Abigail said.

“It’s how I feel about my mother sometimes. Must run in the family.” Her mother put an arm around her. “Come on, let’s find Grams so she can meet your man too.”

Abigail got another glass of the bubbly before they left the porch. “Might as well go for broke.”

*****

If nerves were electricity then Abigail’s could light Las Vegas’ strip. Drew motioned for her to come inside his home. The buzz from the champagne had lessened once dinner had been served and she’d switched to water. Yet, the frisson of crossing the threshold punched up the feeling.

She took in the flat screen, the enormous couch, surround-sound speakers, and the family photos on the coffee table. All of it surprised her. It shouldn’t have. His home looked like a home instead of a den of sin or bachelor pad.

“You look surprised.” Drew watched her, looking amused.

“I’m withholding judgment until I see your room,” Abigail said to counteract the nerves. “Mirrors might be on the ceiling. Velvet plush covers. Heart-shaped bed.”