Page 11 of The Unbound Bookshop
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.” Abby tried to sound calm, but Logan heard the quiver in her voice.
He closed the gap between them, standing by her side for support.
Whatever this woman had to say, it wouldn’t be good.
Her gaze darted around the room, confidence wavering. She clearly hadn’t expected an audience. Hesitation flickered in her eyes, but her countenance quickly hardened. Her chin rose an inch, and she shifted her stance, sidestepping in front of the boy as if to shield him from her next move.
“Half of this inn belongs to my son, Tyler.” For the first time since she’d entered the room, she met Abby’s gaze, but Logan couldn’t read the woman’s muddied expression. Anger? Shame? Sadness? They all blended together. “His father is your late husband. Donnie.”
The declaration exploded like a bomb no one saw coming. Abby took the full brunt of the blast, collapsing against him.
Every muscle in his body tensed as he wrapped his arms around her, his mind struggling to regroup in the fallout.
Today was supposed to change their lives forever.
But not like this.
Chapter 6
ABBY
Abby swayed.Shapes and colors melded together. All sounds, save for her own heartbeat, stilled, muffled by the shock. She barely registered the ground beneath her feet as Logan led her and the other woman into the next room.
The other woman and herson.
In the bright light streaming through the sitting room window, she finally focused on the boy’s face. Her heart lurched so forcefully, it set her off-balance.
Logan gripped her hand even tighter. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
Her eyes burned. Pressure pushed against her temples, vicious and throbbing. She shook her head, unable to speak.
The boy looked so much like Donnie. The same blond hair the color of lemon pound cake. The same warm brown eyes. Not chocolate brown. Softer, like toasted pecans. He even shared Donnie’s thick, dark eyebrows and long lashes.
On appearance alone, he could be Donnie’s son. But that was impossible.
Releasing her hand, Logan closed the door to the dining room. The latch clicked into place, echoing in the thick silence. Except for Logan, all the people she loved most in the world sat behind that wall, waiting. What must they think? What did Logan think? Mortification mixed with confusion, making her sick to her stomach. She tried to make sense of the woman’s claim, but she couldn’t.
She had to be lying. There wasn’t any other explanation.
Standing tall by her side, Logan leveled a cold glare on their uninvited guest. “You’ve got a lot of nerve—” His gaze fell to the small boy, and he stopped himself.
“Hey, Ty.” The woman placed a gentle hand on her son’s shoulder. “Why don’t you sit over here for a second.” She settled him on the couch with a tablet and headphones.
As Abby watched the interaction, a sharp pain twisted in her chest. Was he old enough to understand what was happening? Could he feel the tension in the room? She tried to keep her emotions in check and her demeanor calm for his sake, while internally, her world spiraled out of control.
Once her son was happily focused on cartoons, the woman turned back to face them. “Let’s start over. I’m Piper. Piper Sloane. I met Donnie almost six years ago, when I lived in Blessings Bay.”
Abby forced herself to look at the woman—reallylook at her—for the first time.
She was admittedly beautiful, in an understated way. Her long blond hair hung in a loose braid down her back. Dark roots poked through, as if she’d missed a few trips to the salon. Shadows sagged beneath her striking green eyes, which she’d tried to hide with carefully applied concealer. But it was the sadness that struck Abby most—deep and piercing. So palpable, she had to look away.
“How did you two meet?” Logan’s gruff tone held more than a hint of skepticism.
“I tended bar at the Sawmill. Donnie came in for a drink. We got to talking.”
“Donnie didn’t drink.” Abby finally found her voice, grateful for another crack in the woman’s story.
“I know. He told me he usually avoided alcohol because he liked to be in control at all times. But that night, something was different. He said—” Piper hesitated, and the glint of uncertainty in her eyes sent a shiver down Abby’s spine. What was she afraid to say?
