Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
The big game
He was running out of chances.
Brad had invited Reed, Sadie, and Abby to Chicago for the final football game. It was tradition that he and Reed watch it together. And he wasn’t ready to give up on their friendship.
The ladies spent the last two days shopping for the wedding. He wasn’t sure what all there was to buy, but that was because he normally kept a safe distance from weddings.
He didn’t believe in love. It had only brought misery to his mother’s life. So, why would he set himself up to be hurt or worse to hurt someone else because he couldn’t love them like they wanted to be loved?
It was now Sunday evening, and everyone was at his condo to watch the game on his big screen television. He didn’t know what he expected, but it certainly wasn’t for Sadie and Abby to be cheering—for the wrong team. And at the end of the first quarter, the wrong team was winning.
“I’m going to order food,” Brad said. “What are people in the mood for?”
“Deep dish pizza,” Abby said.
“Chinese,” Sadie said.
After the ladies called out their choices, they stopped and smiled at each other.
Brad turned to Reed. “Looks like you’re the tie breaker.”
“That’s okay,” Abby said. “Chinese sounds good.”
“Are you sure?” Brad asked. “I could order both.”
Abby shook her head. “That would be too much food. Chinese sounds good.”
“Maybe another time.” When Sadie and Reed turned to each other to speak softly, he sent Abby a wink.
Color filled her cheeks, but she didn’t say anything as he got up to go place the dinner order.
It was nice having them over for the game.
He could get used to the four of them hanging out together.
But in order for that to happen, he had to convince Reed and Sadie to move to Chicago.
If they did, he wondered if Abby could be convinced to open a coffeeshop in the city. He would be her biggest customer.
When the game paused for advertisements, Brad turned to Abby and Sadie, who were kicked back on the sectional. “Did you guys have a successful shopping trip?”
Sadie beamed. “It was excellent. I got my wedding party gifts. I think everyone is going to like them.”
“They will,” Abby said confidently.
His attention turned to Abby. “Did you find anything for yourself?”
Abby shook her head and glanced away.
It wasn’t until he’d uttered the words that he realized he’d put her on the spot.
After the episode with the espresso machine, he already knew money was tight for her.
He’d only meant to make conversation with her because ever since they’d kissed, things had changed between them.
She didn’t really talk to him. In fact, she hadn’t called him about wedding plans.
And even his text messages had been met with an overwhelming number of one-word answers.
Surely, she wasn’t still upset about the kiss. It was no big deal—at least that was what he kept telling himself.
Turning his attention away from Abby, he looked at Reed. “Did you see that they have some condo openings in your old building?”
Reed shook his head. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Brad kept going. “I hear they’re creating larger units by combining two units into one.”
Reed took a drink and swallowed. “That will be good for families.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Since the subtle approach wasn’t achieving his objective, he decided on the direct approach. “After the wedding, you and Sadie could purchase a condo and settle down here.”
Both Abby and Sadie frowned at him. He’d have thought after their successful shopping trip that they might have warmed up to Chicago—might have discovered the benefits of living in the city.
Reed shook his head. “Sorry, buddy. Looks like you’re going to have to come to Bayberry next year to watch the big game.”
“It’s a date.” Though he still hadn’t given up hope of bringing Reed back to Chicago. He just hadn’t found the right incentive.
It was half-time when the Chinese takeout was delivered. He began spreading out the various dishes from fried rice and kung pao chicken to shrimp lo mein as well as a few other dishes.
“What can I do?” Abby’s voice came from behind him.
Ding.
He reached for his phone. It was a message from his mother.
I’m home. I’m tired. We’ll talk tomorrow. Love you.
His mother had been at her friend’s house to play cards. He’d asked her to let him know when she got home. He worried about her. She wasn’t as young as she used to be.
After he responded to his mother’s message that he loved her, too, he glanced up to find Abby frowning at him. It seemed like she’d been frowning at him all weekend.
He’d been trying to get her alone all weekend without any luck. They weren’t exactly alone, but they at least had a chance to have a private word.
He smiled at her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’ve been avoiding me.”
She leaned against the counter and stared at him. “Why are you trying to talk Reed into moving back to Chicago?”
“No…” He tried to act innocent. “I was just making conversation.”
She arched a brow as she leaned toward him. “It was more than that and we both know it.”
He turned his back to her as he opened a cupboard and pulled out four white plates with black trim. He could feel her stare boring holes into the back of his head. “And why do you think I’d do that?”
“We aren’t talking about me and what I think. This is about you and why you’re causing trouble for Reed and Sadie.” Her voice rose as she got more worked up.
“Shh... You don’t want them to overhear you.”
She lowered her voice. “Why? Are you afraid they’ll be mad at you?”
She didn’t understand. He was looking out for his best friend. Sure, Reed liked it now in Bayberry, but when the newness of his romance wore away, he was going to regret his decision to move to Nowheresville.
Brad worried that when Reed became restless in Bayberry, and the gossip grated on his last nerve, his marriage would suffer.
And Brad didn’t want that for them. Because he might not have been in favor of this marriage in the beginning, but after witnessing them together, even he had to admit they made a good couple.
Abby crossed her arms and frowned at him. “You’re trying to break them up, aren’t you?”
He shushed her again. “That is absolutely not true.”
“Then stop with all of the comments about how great Chicago is and that Reed should move back here.”
And then it dawned on him that this conversation wasn’t really about him. It was about Abby. She’d found a way to put up a wall between them.
“Abby, if this is about what happened between us at the coffeeshop—”
“What?” Her voice rose again. And then as though she realized she’d said that too loud, she lowered her voice. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He took a step toward her. In a gravelly voice, he said, “Yes, you do.” When she shook her head, he said, “Maybe I should remind you.”
She took a step back. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“No.”
His gaze searched hers. “Abby, why are you putting up this wall between us?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
“If I did, do you think I’d be asking you?”
She was quiet for so long he wasn’t sure she was going to answer him. “I’m not interested in being second best.”
“Second best?” If he was confused before, he was even more so now. “Second best to who?”
She shook her head. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. I saw your phone.”
“Saw what on my phone?” He really didn’t know what she was talking about, but he certainly wanted to get to the bottom of it.
“I can read upside down.” She pressed both hands to her curvy hips. “I can’t believe you’re going to continue to deny what I saw with my own eyes.”
“Abby, just say it.” He wanted to clear this up right now.
She straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin upward until she was looking directly into his eyes. “You told me Linda wasn’t your girlfriend. Has that changed?”
“No.” Were those sparks of jealousy flashing in her eyes?
“Then who is Linda? And don’t lie to me.”
“He didn’t tell you?” At the sound of Reed’s voice, they both turned. Reed opened the fridge and looked inside. Without taking anything out, he closed the door and turned back to them. “Brad, why didn’t you tell her about your mother?”
“Mother?” The surprise was evident in Abby’s voice.
A smile pulled at the corner of his lips as he nodded. “It’s true. Linda is my mother.”
Abby’s gaze narrowed in on him, as though she weren’t sure she believed either of them. “But why do you have her name on your phone instead of it saying Mom?”
Reed stepped forward. “I can answer this one. It was back in college, and his mother used to check in on him daily. Some of the guys started razzing him, so he changed her name on his phone, and no one was the wiser—well, except for me.” Reed’s gaze moved to the plates and the bags of food. “Want me to take that out for you?”
“Sure,” Brad said.
When they were once more alone, he asked, “Are we good again?”
She shrugged. “I suppose. Let’s go join them.”
He wanted to spend some more time alone with her, especially now that she was no longer glaring at him. “Are you that hungry?”
“Not really, but Reed forgot to take any utensils.”
Brad nodded in understanding and grabbed what they needed from the drawer. He followed her back to the living room where food was set up on the over-sized coffee table.
As the conversation picked up while the halftime show played in the background, he was relieved to find Abby smiling and talking to him again.
In fact, he found that he liked it a little too much.
But he assured himself it was only momentary.
Soon she would be back in Bayberry. A safe distance from him.
She’d made a fool of herself.
Late the following afternoon, Abby made her way to the Steaming Brew. She had never been away from her beloved business for an entire weekend.