Page 40 of One Good Puck
My throat tightens. “Yeah. It was awful.”
“Those feelings don’t just go away. They’re with you forever.”
I nod. “Yeah, exactly.” She really does get it.
“And just for the record, I’m sorry you got arrested for going after her ex. You should have gotten a medal for what you did.”
I blink at her, surprised at what she said.
“Every woman I know would have wanted their husband or boyfriend to react that way,” she says.
That warm feeling burrows deeper inside my chest hearing her say that.
“You really think that?” I ask.
She holds my gaze. “Yes.” She says it without missing abeat, without a single shred of doubt. Like she’s never been more sure.
“There’s just something about a man who would burn the world down for the woman he loves.”
Her words make my skin go hot. For a second, I’m confused as to why I feel this way. But then I realize that it’s hot to hear Abby say that—to hear her say that she’s drawn to me because of what I did.
I notice her cheeks flush pink as she looks at me.
My heart thuds in my chest despite the strange mix of feelings whirring through me. I’m feeling this intense attraction to Abby while we’re talking about a memory involving my late wife.
It’s been over a decade since I lost Nicole. I still love her with my whole heart—I always will. It took a handful of years before I was ready to even think about dating after I lost her. When I finally did, nothing stuck. The few women I dated were kind and attractive, but nothing lasted long term.
Abby is the first person I’ve felt a connection with. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this kind of attraction, this kind of pull to be with another person.
I swallow hard as I stare at her. “Abby…”
“Everyone! It’s time for a toast!” Ingrid’s cheery voice pulls our attention toward the center of the wine bar, where she and Del are standing.
“We want to say thank you all so much for coming to our engagement party tonight,” Ingrid says.
“I know we’ve got a lot of these to attend in the coming months,” Del says while looking over at Xander, Sam, and Blomdahl, who are all also engaged. They all raise their glasses to him. Everyone chuckles.
“It means the world to share this special moment withyou all,” Ingrid says. “We just want to take a moment and toast our families. We love you all so much.”
“And our friends,” Del says. “You’re the family we choose. We love you guys.”
Everyone follows them when they raise their glasses in a toast.
Abby looks at me, a shy smile playing on her lips. “To friends.”
“To friends,” I repeat.
We take a sip of our wine and get pulled into separate conversations. But the whole time, all I can think about is Abby.
I should know better than to think of her as anything more than my friend. But the more I get to know her, it’s getting harder to convince myself that’s enough for me to be just her friend.
Chapter 17
Abby
“Mom, Gavin is so funny. Remember when he made that funny face with the pickles and cucumbers and tomatoes for girl dinner?”
I smile so hard, my cheeks hurt. Last week, Gavin made girl dinner for Emma every time she asked for it, which was a total of four times.
