up.”
Sam’s tight shoulders sloped in relief. Only then did Abby realize she’d been worried about her answer. Abby didn’t know Sam’s whole story but was familiar enough to know that behind her stoic front was a woman who’d been deeply hurt.
Maybe because of Sam’s sexuality, but she wasn’t saying, and Abby wasn’t asking. She loved Sam as a friend and admired her for her work ethic and her skills, and wasn’t that what mattered?
Life wasn’t about money. It was about love.
She said she had to get going and turned to call Minnie to her carrier. A meow caught her attention, Minnie at her feet already. She gazed down at her. “You must be the smartest cat in the world.”
Sam patted Cara’s head then looked at Abby with a twisted smile.
“I think it’s way past time that I should call my old sorority sister.”
“Are you going to ask her to help us?” Abby should be glad that Sam was trying to raise money.... But the thought that it was Holden’s fiancée made her feel sick.
“No.” Sam smiled with her lips together, but her eyes...they were narrowed, with no smile in them at all.
Abby nodded and turned away. As she and Cara walked out of the barn, the sun hit them, bright and hot, but it felt good on her shoulders and face. A small hand slipped into hers. They stopped at the car, and a tug on her hand made Abby turn around.
“What I said about Sam being my mom?” Cara blinked, her little face twisted with worry. “I was being nice. I wish you were my mom.”
Abby knelt once again and hugged her. Maybe Cara was collecting hugs, committing them to memory for when she had to go back to that loveless place she’d come from.
A few moments ago, Abby had thought silence was the responsible thing to do.
But now she thought she’d been wrong.
“Me, too,” she whispered. “Me, too.”
9
In his office, Holden stared at the canvas for long moments until his cell phone rang, three smooth beats. Portia’s ring. He put the canvas in his briefcase then grabbed the phone. Forcing his facial muscles and his jaw to relax, he greeted her.
“Do you mind if I cancel dinner tonight?” she asked.
He tilted back in his chair. “That’s fine. Something else come up?”
“Remember we talked about my old sorority sister? Sam?”
“I met her today.”
“Did you?” Her tone changed, and he imagined her frowning, thinking about their meeting and wondering what it meant.
“I went to the barn and saw their cat furniture.”
“Oh, that’s right. Abby’s your babysitter. I was so excited to hear from Sam again that I forgot about it. She just...disappeared from my life. We were such good friends, too. I never knew why, and it’s bothered me all these years. She wants to meet for dinner tonight, and I said yes. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I’m glad that she called you. You go ahead and enjoy yourself.”
She laughed and sounded giddy, unlike herself. “I plan to. You have a nice dinner with Cara.”
A knock came on his door, then Ryan strode in, as usual not waiting for an invite. Holden sat straight and said goodbye to Portia and hung up, glad that he’d put the painting away and Ryan wouldn’t see it.
“What was that?” Ryan sat on the leather guest chair, one foot slung over his knee. “You got a big order? You’re looking...” His eyes narrowed. “Relieved.”
“That was Portia. She called to cancel dinner for tonight.”
Ryan laughed, though nothing about this situation was funny to Holden. He couldn’t deny his relief, but he didn’t like feeling it.
“Dude, you sure don’t look like a man in love. You should cancel the wedding.”
“Love fades. Compatibility is the key to a good marriage.”
“Bullshit.”
“Since when did you become the expert on relationships? I didn’t ask Portia to marry me on a whim. I put a lot of thought into it.”
“That’s the problem. It’s not thought that you need to put into it.”
“What?” Holden
Sam’s tight shoulders sloped in relief. Only then did Abby realize she’d been worried about her answer. Abby didn’t know Sam’s whole story but was familiar enough to know that behind her stoic front was a woman who’d been deeply hurt.
Maybe because of Sam’s sexuality, but she wasn’t saying, and Abby wasn’t asking. She loved Sam as a friend and admired her for her work ethic and her skills, and wasn’t that what mattered?
Life wasn’t about money. It was about love.
She said she had to get going and turned to call Minnie to her carrier. A meow caught her attention, Minnie at her feet already. She gazed down at her. “You must be the smartest cat in the world.”
Sam patted Cara’s head then looked at Abby with a twisted smile.
“I think it’s way past time that I should call my old sorority sister.”
“Are you going to ask her to help us?” Abby should be glad that Sam was trying to raise money.... But the thought that it was Holden’s fiancée made her feel sick.
“No.” Sam smiled with her lips together, but her eyes...they were narrowed, with no smile in them at all.
Abby nodded and turned away. As she and Cara walked out of the barn, the sun hit them, bright and hot, but it felt good on her shoulders and face. A small hand slipped into hers. They stopped at the car, and a tug on her hand made Abby turn around.
“What I said about Sam being my mom?” Cara blinked, her little face twisted with worry. “I was being nice. I wish you were my mom.”
Abby knelt once again and hugged her. Maybe Cara was collecting hugs, committing them to memory for when she had to go back to that loveless place she’d come from.
A few moments ago, Abby had thought silence was the responsible thing to do.
But now she thought she’d been wrong.
“Me, too,” she whispered. “Me, too.”
9
In his office, Holden stared at the canvas for long moments until his cell phone rang, three smooth beats. Portia’s ring. He put the canvas in his briefcase then grabbed the phone. Forcing his facial muscles and his jaw to relax, he greeted her.
“Do you mind if I cancel dinner tonight?” she asked.
He tilted back in his chair. “That’s fine. Something else come up?”
“Remember we talked about my old sorority sister? Sam?”
“I met her today.”
“Did you?” Her tone changed, and he imagined her frowning, thinking about their meeting and wondering what it meant.
“I went to the barn and saw their cat furniture.”
“Oh, that’s right. Abby’s your babysitter. I was so excited to hear from Sam again that I forgot about it. She just...disappeared from my life. We were such good friends, too. I never knew why, and it’s bothered me all these years. She wants to meet for dinner tonight, and I said yes. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I’m glad that she called you. You go ahead and enjoy yourself.”
She laughed and sounded giddy, unlike herself. “I plan to. You have a nice dinner with Cara.”
A knock came on his door, then Ryan strode in, as usual not waiting for an invite. Holden sat straight and said goodbye to Portia and hung up, glad that he’d put the painting away and Ryan wouldn’t see it.
“What was that?” Ryan sat on the leather guest chair, one foot slung over his knee. “You got a big order? You’re looking...” His eyes narrowed. “Relieved.”
“That was Portia. She called to cancel dinner for tonight.”
Ryan laughed, though nothing about this situation was funny to Holden. He couldn’t deny his relief, but he didn’t like feeling it.
“Dude, you sure don’t look like a man in love. You should cancel the wedding.”
“Love fades. Compatibility is the key to a good marriage.”
“Bullshit.”
“Since when did you become the expert on relationships? I didn’t ask Portia to marry me on a whim. I put a lot of thought into it.”
“That’s the problem. It’s not thought that you need to put into it.”
“What?” Holden
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