backseat and start right then. But she pulled away, grinned at me in a way that drove me absolutely wild and headed toward the casita.
I grabbed my bag, scrambled out of the car and shut the door behind me. “Abby.”
She stopped, nearly to the casita door and turned around. “Yeah?”
I walked up to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Thank you. For pushing me to go and for coming with me. Thank you.”
She smiled at me. “You're welcome. Now let's go have a nice, lazy afternoon.”
Which was all I wanted.
Instead, we got a shitstorm.
TEN
I begged off for a quick shower, needing to rinse the sweat and grime from me before heading to the pool. Standing under the shower head, the water pelting my skin, I replayed every minute of the day. It still felt surreal, more like a dream than real life. Not just being back on the field but the conversations. And then the text.
Abby was being supportive, encouraging me, pushing me along. But I still wasn't sure what the hell I wanted. I'd been coasting for so long—trying to get my shit together, trying to figure out just what the hell was next in my life—that suddenly having a real direction was unnerving.
I leaned my head back, letting the water sluice over my scalp. Who was I kidding? It wasn't unnerving. It scared the shit out of me.
I turned off the water and grabbed a towel, rubbing it hard over my hair, sliding it down over my shoulders and back. I couldn't dwell on it. Not when I knew there was one very real thing that would keep me from moving forward on any of it.
Money.
I wrapped the towel around my waist and opened the bathroom door. The casita was quiet and I felt a surge of anticipation, hoping Abby might be waiting in the bedroom. But the room was empty, a note tossed on the made bed.
I was melting. Come find me.
I smiled at the sight of her slanted script. Her handwriting was damn near illegible but every time I saw something addressed to me, I felt a twinge, a spark.
I pulled on a pair of trunks and ran the towel over my hair one last time. I picked up my phone and sunglasses, slipped my feet into my flips and headed out the door.
The heat had ratcheted up another ten degrees and I was covered in a fine sheet of sweat by the time I made it to the pool gate. There were a couple people in the water—an older couple hanging on pool noodles in the deep end, visors covering their faces. And two girls sitting on the pool steps, their backs to me.
Two identical girls.
I slammed the gate shut and both of them turned to look at me.
Abby smiled, a little hesitantly. Annika smirked.
“What the hell is she doing here?”
Abby stood up. “Shh,” she said, nodding her head toward where her parents sat.
“Hey, West.” Annika's voice was cool.
I glanced at her. She wore a black string bikini, the tiny top barely covering her tits. I didn't respond, just nodded.
I looked back at Abby. “You said she wasn't coming.”
Abby frowned. “Not here.”
“Bullshit not here,” I said, trying to keep my voice low. Abby's eyes shot to her parents but her dad had earbuds in, his eyes closed, and her mom was talking to a woman sitting next to her. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
Annika put her hand to her chest. “Ouch. Last time I checked, I actually belong to this family.”
I ignored her.
“Daddy and Mom wanted me here,” Annika said. “I was able to rework my schedule a little. Looks like you guys have me for the rest of the week.”
“Huh,” I said. “Then it looks like I'm outta here.”
Abby lifted her sunglasses and gave me a pleading look. I just stood there, my arms folded across my chest. There was no way in hell I was staying at the same resort as her evil twin. None. They might have buried the hatchet, but me? I wanted to grab that hatchet and bury it in her skull.
I turned to leave but Abby reached out her hand to stop me. “West...”
I shrugged her arm off and crossed back over the pool deck. The heat
I grabbed my bag, scrambled out of the car and shut the door behind me. “Abby.”
She stopped, nearly to the casita door and turned around. “Yeah?”
I walked up to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Thank you. For pushing me to go and for coming with me. Thank you.”
She smiled at me. “You're welcome. Now let's go have a nice, lazy afternoon.”
Which was all I wanted.
Instead, we got a shitstorm.
TEN
I begged off for a quick shower, needing to rinse the sweat and grime from me before heading to the pool. Standing under the shower head, the water pelting my skin, I replayed every minute of the day. It still felt surreal, more like a dream than real life. Not just being back on the field but the conversations. And then the text.
Abby was being supportive, encouraging me, pushing me along. But I still wasn't sure what the hell I wanted. I'd been coasting for so long—trying to get my shit together, trying to figure out just what the hell was next in my life—that suddenly having a real direction was unnerving.
I leaned my head back, letting the water sluice over my scalp. Who was I kidding? It wasn't unnerving. It scared the shit out of me.
I turned off the water and grabbed a towel, rubbing it hard over my hair, sliding it down over my shoulders and back. I couldn't dwell on it. Not when I knew there was one very real thing that would keep me from moving forward on any of it.
Money.
I wrapped the towel around my waist and opened the bathroom door. The casita was quiet and I felt a surge of anticipation, hoping Abby might be waiting in the bedroom. But the room was empty, a note tossed on the made bed.
I was melting. Come find me.
I smiled at the sight of her slanted script. Her handwriting was damn near illegible but every time I saw something addressed to me, I felt a twinge, a spark.
I pulled on a pair of trunks and ran the towel over my hair one last time. I picked up my phone and sunglasses, slipped my feet into my flips and headed out the door.
The heat had ratcheted up another ten degrees and I was covered in a fine sheet of sweat by the time I made it to the pool gate. There were a couple people in the water—an older couple hanging on pool noodles in the deep end, visors covering their faces. And two girls sitting on the pool steps, their backs to me.
Two identical girls.
I slammed the gate shut and both of them turned to look at me.
Abby smiled, a little hesitantly. Annika smirked.
“What the hell is she doing here?”
Abby stood up. “Shh,” she said, nodding her head toward where her parents sat.
“Hey, West.” Annika's voice was cool.
I glanced at her. She wore a black string bikini, the tiny top barely covering her tits. I didn't respond, just nodded.
I looked back at Abby. “You said she wasn't coming.”
Abby frowned. “Not here.”
“Bullshit not here,” I said, trying to keep my voice low. Abby's eyes shot to her parents but her dad had earbuds in, his eyes closed, and her mom was talking to a woman sitting next to her. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
Annika put her hand to her chest. “Ouch. Last time I checked, I actually belong to this family.”
I ignored her.
“Daddy and Mom wanted me here,” Annika said. “I was able to rework my schedule a little. Looks like you guys have me for the rest of the week.”
“Huh,” I said. “Then it looks like I'm outta here.”
Abby lifted her sunglasses and gave me a pleading look. I just stood there, my arms folded across my chest. There was no way in hell I was staying at the same resort as her evil twin. None. They might have buried the hatchet, but me? I wanted to grab that hatchet and bury it in her skull.
I turned to leave but Abby reached out her hand to stop me. “West...”
I shrugged her arm off and crossed back over the pool deck. The heat
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