Page 45

By the evening, Abigail was still out with her clients. Donny and Blair had gone out for dinner with their friends. They invited me to come along, but I was beat after working in the yard all morning. So I made myself some leftovers and fed Winston, who only came out once I was ten feet from his dish.

“What? It’s not like I pooped in your shoes,” I said when he shot me a look. After he scarfed his kibble, he gingerly tiptoed my way. I braced myself for a hiss or a scratch. But he just stopped and looked at me for a second, then walked away without a peep. I huffed a little laugh. Progress.

After dinner, I grabbed what looked like an interesting thriller novel from Abigail’s shelf, flipped on the porch light, and sat on the swing. It was one of those warm fall nights. Finally, Abigail’s headlights appeared in the dark as she pulled up the driveway.

She parked and walked up to the house, dressed in one of her smart black blazers, a tight, knee-length skirt, and heels that lengthened her already long legs. “Is the bride tribe still here?”

“Lucky for you, they’re all out at dinner.”

She sat next to me. “And you didn’t go with them?”

“Nah, I wanted some peace and quiet.”

“Tell me about it.” She shot me a look and we shared a laugh. She relaxed on the swing and let out a sigh. “I need to feed Winston.”

“Already done.”

“Really?” she asked. “Even after what he did?”

“C’mon, Abigail. I’m a grown-up. I can take the high road.”

She arched a brow. “You didn’t seem to be taking the high road earlier.”

The glimmer in her eyes told me she was referring to our kiss. The kiss that’d been on my mind all day. I stretched my arm across the back of the porch swing behind her, resting the novel on my knee. “Maybe you don’t have me figured out as well as you think, Abigail.”

There was heat in her gaze, but before she could respond, another set of headlights pulled up the driveway. Donny and Blair had returned. And I got the sense that Blair wasn’t capable of taking the high road around Abigail. I stood up. “Let’s not hang out. We can tell them we’re off to bed.” I offered my hand and she took it.

Donny held Blair by the waist as they walked up the steps. Her legs wobbled beneath her.

“Hey T!” she said with a big grin, then dropped it when she looked at my fake girlfriend. “Abigail, you’re looking professional. That’s a surprise.”

The polite smile Abigail had been wearing morphed into something sharper.

“How was dinner?” I hurried to ask Donny.

“Good. I’ve got some leftover dessert if you guys want some,” he offered.

I wrapped my arm around Abigail’s waist, loving the way she leaned into me so naturally. “No, thanks. We’re off to bed.” I tugged Abigail with me, and she came with little resistance.

“Yeah, we have to hit the hay too.We’re off to DC in the morning.”

“Well, if I don’t see you guys before then, drive safe.” I patted my brother’s shoulder. “Night!”

When we were out of earshot, Abigail let out a sigh. “We’ll get a break from them tomorrow.”

“Thankfully,” I added.

After only a couple of nights, Abigail and I seemed to get into a nighttime routine taking turns with the bathroom, me turning down the sheets and the lights, and her letting the cat out. But tonight was a little different.

Tension thrummed between us, and not the chilly animosity that had filled the bedroom last night.

Now I knew how her lips tasted. And I knew the dazed, dizzy look on her face when we pulled apart couldn’t have been fake.

But she was still my best friend’s little sister, and indulging in this attraction could have major consequences. I could lose Gabe. He was the one person I’d been able to rely on my whole life. The one guy who took care of me as much as I took care of him.

That’s why, as we got into bed, I kept my hands to myself. Curling my arms behind my head, I stared at the ceiling and tried to ignore the rustle of silky fabric against the bedsheets beside me. Every movement brought the perfume of Abigail’s hair and skin toward me, and I forced myself not to turn into her.

Because the expression on her face after we’d kissed hadlookedreal…but what if it wasn’t? What if I was attracted to her and I was projecting? This would be over after my brother and Blair tied the knot, and Abigail could easily walk away from me without looking back. Was that really worth ruining my friendship with her brother?