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  “But I’m not done yet. And besides you can’t just leave him there. That’s even meaner than everything else you’ve already done.”

  “Is it? The guy dumped a trash can on my head. I think he’s gotten his payback. Besides I can assure you he won’t want me to be the date.” She punched the button on the elevator repeatedly.

  “Jennifer Abigail Jeffries, you get your ass in there and talk to that man! Stop playing around. Think about it, woman. There has to be a reason all this stuff keeps happening—”

  “Yeah, I am too chicken to tell the truth and we both have some very meddlesome friends who just can’t seem to butt out of our lives.”

  Caroline quirked a brow. “Hey, none of us had anything to do with you using that app to meet him. I don’t even know what Justchat is. You did that completely on your own.”

  “Yeah, but the rest … ”

  “The rest was karma, honey. Nature’s way of trying to beat into your thick skulls that the two of you need each other.”

  “Right. Like a pitcher needs a broken arm.”

  Caroline thumped a palm to her head, “Geeze you’re a pain. Come on.” She grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the hallway and into the bar.

  • • •

  Carter took a drag on his beer and slid a glance around the room. She should show any time now. He wished he’d asked what she looked like. He just mentioned the cap because in truth, he didn’t really care. He liked her voice—or at least her written voice—and it hadn’t even occurred to him to ask for descriptors. Not like him to do that. Actually not like any guy. He was losing his touch.

  Oh shit. He whirled around and faced the bar. What the hell is Abby doing here? With her ditzy partner even. He focused on the screen above the bar and the game. Maybe they wouldn’t see him and leave. There were a lot of people around. None of them wearing a stupid Astros cap. He yanked it off and stuffed it in his back pocket.

  “Well, if it isn’t my partner in crime and trash buddy.” Great. So much for not being seen.

  “Oh, hey.” He put the beer to his lips and ignored her. “What are you doing here? Seeking another victim?”

  Abby lifted her head and grabbed the refill beer the bartender brought him. She drank two gulps then wiped her mouth with her hand. “Mmm. Modelo. One of my favorites.” She dropped the glass back in front of him.

  Carter shoved it her way. “Feel free to drink the rest then. Preferably on the other side of the room if you don’t mind. Out in the parking lot would work too.”

  Abby twisted her nose at the fizz from the lime. Guess he should have told her he’d pushed one into the bottle. Although if he’d actually intended her to drink it, he probably wouldn’t have done so. She puckered her lips. “Ooh. Ooh. Aren’t we a little grumpy tonight? What’s a matter? Had a bad day?”

  Was she tipsy? Or just feeling extra nasty for some reason? “My day was great actually. Getting better by the minute. But I kinda have a date so why don’t you and your friend go somewhere else?”

  “A date? Lucky you.” Abby peeked around his backside then smiled into his eyes. Dammit he hated when she did that—he immediately felt the heat and his dick started to betray him. He couldn’t stave off the reaction as much as he wished he could. He watched her glossy lips move. “You forgot to bring the trashcan though. Want me to go get it for you so you can dump it on her too?”

  Carter rolled his eyes and took another drink, glancing in the mirror at the entrance. “Real funny. Tell me something, Abby. Or should I call you Jennifer? Who’d you manage to get fired this month? Or who else are you stringing along like he matters?”

  Her mouth fell open. Thank God he’d finally found a way to silence the sarcasm. Now if he could just get rid of her before his date showed. He glanced at the entrance again as a couple entered. Nope.

  Abby winced and followed his gaze. “Well, I guess I’ll let you get on with your date then. Bye now.” She wiggled her fingers and walked away. He hated himself for watching too. Her hips always had this natural sway that showed off the tightness of her butt and legs. All that running certainly did the trick. Too bad the rest of her was so hard to deal with. Except in bed.

  He closed his eyes tight, trying to dispel the image.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Saturday afternoons were the best. Everyone that came in the shop had a celebration to attend, therefore moods were always good, and it was the day before Abby’s upcoming relaxation break. Sundays were her day off, just as Fridays belonged to Caroline. Both of them worked Saturday since the day tended to be busy and they often had a lot of deliveries beyond just normal store activities.

  Two hours to closing. Then she’d be at home with a Netflix movie, some microwave popcorn, and much-needed peace and quiet. The phone rang and Abby picked it up, acknowledging her mind had already left. Until the voice on the other end spoke.

  “Um, hi, this is Becky Coben’s pharmacist. Do you have a minute?”

  She stared at the display as if it had reached out and slapped her. How did they get her number? Why her and not Carter?

  “Is everything okay? Does Becky need something?”

  “No, that’s not it. Um, we sort of made a mistake here and we need to check on her, make sure she’s doing well. One of those meds is new here and she hasn’t taken it before. Apparently there are a few known drug interactions with something she’s already taking and well, we just want to make sure you’re aware.”

  Holy crap. If they called to check, then it had to be fairly serious. Thoughts of Becky lying out in the tall grass behind her house flitted through Abby’s head. “What kind of interactions?”

  Hesitation made the crackle on the phone sound explosive. “Well, there are a few things she needs to watch out for. Dizziness, high blood pressure, loss of appetite, frequent urination, nausea—”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me! All that and you didn’t even think to mention it?”

  “Well, she already knows about the others and normally her son is here and reads through everything and asks us. Someone else picked them up this time. Our girl didn’t think to check it because she usually has a lengthy visit with Carter.”

  Yeah, I’ll bet she does. A lengthy visit, huh? So, when it’s just some unknown girl from out of town, who cares about the health and safety of the patient? Abby thrust her hand under the counter and yanked out her purse. It caught on the edge, spilling the contents on the floor. She shifted the phone between her shoulder and ear, using both hands to scoop the mess into the bag.

  “Have you told Carter all this?”

  “We called but it kept cutting out. He said he was out of the country and gave us this number to call. Said it was … ”

  “Jackson’s. Yeah, I’ll go check on her. What else do I need to know and how can I reach you if there’s an issue?”

  She should just call Roger and tell him to go. Still, she felt responsible. Besides, Becky was nice. The voice on the other side scrambled off several other minor things and she noted everything, asking for a repeat while she penned it onto a pad then ended the call.

  “Caroline, I have to run out. I know it’s early, but I have a little problem. Sorry. I’ve already forwarded the phone to my cell for the night so it should be quiet.”

  Caroline just waved her off.

  There was no way in hell she intended to be responsible for anything happening to Carter’s mother even if she was on his shit list.

  The drive to the farm was agonizing, but she made the trip without once consulting her GPS or Google maps. When she rolled to a stop behind the house, Becky wasn’t in the yard as before. The house was still. With the sun behind the roof, long shadows engulfed her as she tromped up the steps and knocked on the door. No answer. She stepped to the window, framed her eyes, and peered through the glass. With dusk encroaching, it was too dark to make anything out. Her stomach growled a reminder of the time, but the deeper sting of fear was more threatening than hunger.

  She hated to i
ntrude. Circumstances being what they were, it was probably best. A quick jiggle of the doorknob showed it was unlocked. She stuck her head in and called, “Becky, it’s Jackson’s friend Abby, are you here?” She also cringed at calling herself Jackson’s friend. It was definitely more an insult than a compliment to be on that list of friends.

  The silence was oppressing. No car noises, sirens, people—just big chasms of—nothingness. She clenched her jaw and stepped inside. No lights were on, and her fear heightened. What if she’d had a dizzy spell and passed out? Please don’t let her have fallen and knocked her head on something. Worse, what if her blood pressure spiked and she had—NO, stop thinking that way.

  Abby strode through the main areas then started toward the back. Like many old houses, this one had a lengthy passageway to traverse in order to reach the bedrooms. She opened a closed door and cringed. Steps filtered down to a basement. No. She thrust aside the thought of Becky falling into the darkness. She rushed to another door. An empty bedroom decorated in lavender and green—a girl’s room. Then she heard it.

  A faint moan followed by a stronger one. Oh no. She trudged toward the sound and threw open another door. Becky screamed and jolted upright. Along with a strange person beside her—a strange male person.

  “Oh my God. Becky, are you okay?” Abby wanted to melt into the carpet. This woman wasn’t dying or hurt, if her eyes served her right. In fact, just the opposite.

  “Abby, is that you? What the heck are you doing here this late? It’s nearly dark outside. Did Jackson come too? Or Carter? Is he home now? He said he was coming home.” The woman pulled a robe from the end of the bed, drew it around her, and dropped her tiny feet to the carpet.

  “I’m so sorry. The pharmacy called and said—interactions—someone needed—I came to check on you. Um, I’ll go in the other room.” Her feet came unglued from the floor and she rushed out.

  In the kitchen, Abby shook her head and clamped a hand over her mouth. Well, if Becky’s blood pressure was elevated, Abby was fairly certain it had little to do with the prescriptions. She stifled a giggle. Did Carter have any idea his mother had a boyfriend? Did she? Did women have flings at that age? She frowned at her stupidity. Why not, there was nothing wrong with—

  “Well, I guess you came at a very awkward time, didn’t you?” Becky’s voice was strong. She walked into the room without the walker she’d used on the prior visit. Her shoulders were straight and her back stiff, though her hair could use a comb.

  Abby straightened. “I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just the pharmacy called and said they made a mistake on your prescriptions and there might be some drug interactions. When they started naming everything off, I panicked.”

  Becky raised a brow and shuffled to the counter. She flicked on a light and ran some water into a pot. “You could have just sent Jackson, or had him call. You didn’t need to run all the way out here, honey. You want some tea? I’ll heat the pot up.”

  “You’re fine.” Abby stated the obvious.

  Becky clutched the robe tight and nodded. “Of course I’m fine.”

  Abby shook her head and tilted her head toward Becky’s bare feet. “No, I mean you’re better than fine. You’re walking around.”

  The older lady’s face went six shades of pink before she sighed and set the pot on the stove. “Okay, you caught me. I’m not really sick. Haven’t been for over a year. I get around fine. I take the walker outside for safety, but that’s all.”

  Abby laughed. It was hilarious if she thought it through. This old woman, who had them all thinking she was under the weather and needed constant supervision and visits, had played them all. Her story was the biggest ruse ever, far surpassing anything Abby had done.

  “Why the big farce then? You have everyone worried sick.”

  The teapot hissed. Becky poured two cups then added the bags. She carried them to her dining table and set one down before moving to another spot and settling herself. “I know. I know. It was awful. Sit and get comfortable. I shouldn’t have kept it going like I did. It’s just that after Carter’s sister left us, he barely spoke. We never heard a peep. It broke my heart how little he’d seen his father before we lost him too. Then it was just me, here all day, talking to myself. Sometimes a neighbor came by. The doc stopped in once in a while, being a good friend of the family, but other than that, it was—miserable.”

  Abby sipped the hot liquid. Her eyes watered a bit and she wasn’t sure whether it was from the heat or knowing this woman was so—alone.

  “When I got sick and they called Carter, it was like a new start for me. Us. He kept coming by and we talked. A lot. The doctor came out and checked on me too, so I didn’t really need Carter to be here, but I wanted him. I knew if he didn’t believe me ill, he probably wouldn’t take the time. What with his work and all. Not to mention he still can’t seem to cope with what happened.”

  What exactly had happened? Abby lifted her cup and blew on the steam before taking a sip. She slid her gaze out the window. Fireflies hovered over the darkness of a barely visible manicured lawn. Someone was taking great care of it. Was that someone Carter or the man in the back? Or Becky?

  “Ahem.” A somewhat throaty voice surprised Abby and she turned. The man had the good nature to appear embarrassed as he waved. “Hi.”

  “Abby, this is Gavin Bernard. Doctor Bernard.”

  Abby made sure not to give away any surprise. Oh. So the doctor wasn’t just being nice. He had a vested interest in Carter’s mom. Eeeuw. She glanced at his ring finger, not caring that he noticed.

  “My wife died eight years ago. We were great friends, the four of us. We had to be, it was a horrible thing to lose your child before she even had a chance to live. It was the only way we could get through it.”

  Obviously, there was a lot more to that story and Abby cringed at the thought of hearing it. It was too late at night and she’d already caused enough trouble for one day. Hell, for one year. Still, her curiosity about the length of the relationship was piqued. How long had they been involved? Had Carter known?

  “You were—” She looked from one wrinkled face to the other.

  Becky throttled her head from side to side. “No! Of course not. I loved Carter’s dad and Gavin loved Maggie too. It wasn’t like that. In fact, we spoke very little until my husband went into the hospital with cancer. Gavin came to check on me a lot after I brought him home; we kept up. All of us. We’d been through a lot over the years and … ”

  Dr. Bernard joined her at the table and placed a hand on her shoulder. Abby was unsure what to do. She hardly knew these people and certainly wasn’t on the best footing with Carter, yet they’d just divulged something not even he knew. Too much information, actually.

  “You don’t need to explain to me. It’s none of my business.” Abby stood, set the half-empty cup by the sink and turned. “I’d better get going. I guess I don’t need to tell you what the pharmacist said, do I?”

  Becky glanced at Dr. Bernard and laughed with hesitation. “No, but it’s comforting to know you cared enough to come out. It’s also just past sunset and way too late to make a drive back to the city. You’ll stay in Carter’s room.”

  Huh? What? No way. After several attempts at refusal, Dr. Bernard managed to wrestle her purse and keys away. Before she knew what hit her, Abby was wrapped up in navy sheets with basketballs on them and smelling something that drove her crazy. Him. Odd because he’d been overseas for a month. What did he do—plaster his DNA into the fabric along with the accompanying detergent scent?

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The light of day always seemed to bring clarity to the worst of problems. Abby had not only created the biggest farce of a personality by continuing to communicate with Carter after she knew who he thought her to be, but also by deceiving his mother. And now the doctor too. Today she’d come clean. To everyone: Becky, the doctor, and even Carter if she could track him down and get him to answer her. She’d start with his mom.

&nbs
p; Abby was disappointed when she walked into their kitchen. Her hope to have a good talk with the couple was dashed. The room smelled of cinnamon and toast, yet it was empty. A note sat on the counter by a coffee cup.

  Good morning! We forgot to tell you we were leaving early this morning to attend a craft fair in Fort Bend County. Make yourself comfortable. There should be plenty of things to eat in the fridge and there’s coffee in the pot. We’ll be back this afternoon—hope you can stay long enough to visit then.

  —B

  So much for that talk. Abby picked up the note and ran through it again as if it might change in the re-read. Hmmm. She wasn’t about to snoop through Becky’s fridge but the coffee smelled good. She poured a cup then padded barefoot to the bathroom. A quick wash up and she’d head home. She looked in the mirror and grimaced at the reflection staring back. Frazzled hair, smudged eyes, and wrinkled clothes. Ugh. Why had she decided to drive like a bat out of hell to see a woman she barely knew who parented a guy that now hated her?

  She pulled open a drawer and rummaged for a toothbrush and toothpaste. Thankfully there was a new set waiting there and she took advantage of it.

  “You want to tell me why you’re in my bathroom using a toothbrush—in my mother’s house?”

  Abby jolted around and screamed. Carter leaned against the doorjamb, hand on his hip, staring at her.

  The toothbrush in her mouth fell to the floor. Clank. Toothpaste oozed onto her chin. She couldn’t answer.

  “Well?”

  “Um, you told the pharmacy to call me to check on her.”

  He grabbed a towel from the rod and tossed it at her. “No. I told them to call Jackson. Are you telling me he sent you?”

  Wow, that was harsh. Abby wiped the toothpaste from her chin, leaned over, and slurped water then swirled and spit. She needed a few seconds. What should she say this time? The truth was getting more and more complicated. Would he believe it? Did it even matter? As much as she enjoyed their time together, this was more convoluted than her life needed to be at the moment. It wasn’t worth the strain. Fortunately, she didn’t have to go into details because his mother swooped in behind and grinned.