Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
It was a quiet February day.
Abby decided it was the Arctic blast they were getting from Canada that was keeping a lot of people from venturing out for their morning coffee.
She took advantage of the downtime to restock the condiment station with sweetener packets, coffee stirrers, and napkins.
For a coffeeshop that doesn’t serve food, she was surprised how many napkins they could go through.
It appeared that there was a lot of spilled coffee.
She had just finished tidying up when the door opened. She turned to greet her latest customer, when she noticed it was Sadie. She wasn’t used to seeing her at this time of the morning.
“Hey,” Abby said, “what can I get you?”
Sadie shook her head. “Nothing. Can we talk?”
“Um...yeah. Sure.” She led her friend over to the table where Kate usually had her morning coffee before heading to the candle factory.
Once they were both seated, Abby looked at her friend and could see that there was definitely something wrong—something serious. Oh no. Did Sadie have cold feet about the upcoming wedding? Or did Reed call it off for some reason?
She hoped she was jumping to all of the wrong conclusions. She loved Sadie like a sister that she’d never had. Even though she liked Reed, if it came to taking sides, she was firmly in Sadie’s corner.
The longer Sadie was quiet, the more Abby’s imagination concocted some worrisome scenarios. And yet, Abby sat quietly waiting for her friend to confide in her. She just hoped it was nothing serious.
“I’m worried about Reed,” Abby finally said. “I’m not sure he’s happy in Bayberry.”
Oh no. “If this is about something Brad said...”
“What?” Sadie’s brows scrunched together as she gave her a look. “Why would you say that?”
“I...” Abby’s mind scrambled to come up with an answer. “I just meant with us having visited Chicago and all that, Brad might have said something to make Reed regret his move here.”
Sadie shook her head. “It’s not Brad. It’s Reed. He’s always saying things like in Chicago this or in Chicago that... And it made me realize how much he is sacrificing for us to be together.”
Abby nodded. “And you’re feeling a bit guilty about it?”
“Exactly. But I’ve lived in various places around the world. When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to get away from Bayberry. And now that I’m older, I know this is exactly where I belong. It’s where I want to raise my family.”
“Has Reed said he’s changed his mind about settling down in Bayberry?”
Sadie shook her head. “Not directly.”
“But you’re worried about what he isn’t saying?”
“Yes. What if this wedding is a mistake?” Her breathing came in short gasps. “What if…if he marries me and then realizes that small town life isn’t for him?” Sadie started to hyperventilate.
“Whoa! Calm down. Take a deep breath in and then slowly release it.” When Sadie hesitated, Abby said, “Go ahead. Breathe in. Deeper. Deeper. Hold it. Okay. Now slowly blow it out.” When Sadie was about to speak, Abby held up a finger. “Do it again.” When Sadie rolled her eyes, Abby said, “Again.”
After Sadie took another deep breath and blew it out, she said, “Abby, what am I going to do? I don’t want us to make a mistake.”
“You aren’t. He loves you. Anyone can see that.”
She shook her head. “I know that, but what if love isn’t enough.”
Abby, who considered herself a bit jaded where love was concerned, found herself saying, “Love is everything. And you have that with Reed. Did you ever consider that you’re just having a case of wedding jitters? After all, the ceremony isn’t that far off.”
Sadie hesitated. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t know.”
“Have you asked Reed point blank if he’s sure about moving to Bayberry?”
She nodded. “I did. He said he didn’t have any reservations. Still, I just can’t shake these worries.”
And Abby had a feeling why these doubts were nagging at her friend. Brad. Was he still going on about Reed moving back to Chicago?
At the time, she thought he was just lonely and missing his best friend, but now she was wondering if there was more to it. Was Brad actively trying to convince Reed to move back to Chicago? She didn’t know for sure, but it was definitely a possibility.
“Sadie, everything is going to be okay. You need to trust in Reed’s love for you. And he does love you. It’s in the way he looks at you and the way he talks to you.” She pointed to her diamond ring. “And it’s in the way he proposed to you. That was so romantic.”
Sadie smiled and nodded. “You’re right. I’m just letting my nerves get the best of me. I should get going.”
When Sadie stood, Abby did the same. “It’s okay. All of this wedding stuff is a big deal.” Then Abby had an idea, but she wasn’t sure she should say anything. She didn’t want to add to Sadie’s stress.
“What?” Sadie’s voice drew Abby from her internal debate.
Abby looked at her longtime friend and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Sadie stared directly at her, as though she were trying to read her thoughts. “Abby, just say whatever you’re thinking.”
Abby sighed as she weighed her words. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way—”
“Oh no. Abby, out with it.”
“I just wondered with all of the stress of planning the wedding and stuff if perhaps you’d want to push the wedding back—”
“No. No-no-no. I was just having a case of nerves. It’s passed now.”
“Are you sure?”
Sadie nodded. “I’m positive. Thank you for talking things out with me. I really appreciate it.”
Abby wasn’t sure she should have said anything about delaying the wedding. Sadie had been quick about shooting down the idea. And now Abby couldn’t tell if Sadie was upset with her or not.
“I’m sorry about suggesting that you delay the wedding. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Sadie nodded. “I know.”
“I was just trying to lighten your load. If there’s anything I can do to help you or anything, just say the word. I’m here for you.” Abby stepped forward and gave her friend a hug.
When they pulled apart, Sadie left. Abby let Mia know that she was going to the office to do some work. Once she was in her office, she closed the door and pulled out her phone.
She thought of texting Brad. It was their normal form of communication. But this situation deserved more emotion than she could type.
This was Brad’s fault. She didn’t know if he was pushing Reed to move back to the city intentionally or not. Either way, he had to watch what he was saying before he caused a serious rift between Sadie and Reed.
She pulled up his number and pressed the phone icon. With the phone pressed to her ear, she began to pace. The phone rang once, twice, and a third time.
She was ready for it to kick to voicemail when she heard his voice. “Abby, I was just thinking about you.”
His tone was friendly and warm. But his charm wasn’t going to work on her this time. She was too upset with him.
“We need to talk.” She kept her voice firm.
“I figured that out when you called instead of messaging me.” The flirty tone was gone from his voice.
“I just got done talking to Sadie, and she was pretty worked up.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
“It has everything to do with you. She has it in her head that after her and Reed marry, that he’ll change his mind about living in Bayberry, and he’ll want to move back to Chicago. I wonder where she got that idea.” Abby let the sarcasm drip from her voice.
There was a distinct pause. “Did you ever stop to consider that maybe she has a legitimate reason to worry?”
“No.” Her answer was quick and firm. “You don’t see them together day in and day out. They are happy together. Reed has made a home here. He has friends here. He has work here. And he has the woman he loves here.”
“There’s something you’re forgetting. Before he knew Bayberry existed, he had friends and work right here in Chicago.”
This man was so frustrating. Couldn’t he just accept that his friend was happy in Bayberry?
“I thought you had gotten over all of this,” she said.
“Gotten over what? My best friend making a decision that’s going to impact the rest of his life?”
“Reed already made the decision when he proposed to Sadie, don’t you think?”
There was another distinct pause in the conversation. “Maybe he didn’t think it the whole way through—”
“Whoa! Stop right there. You’re the only one with doubts. Stop sharing them.”
“I didn’t share them. And for the record, I don’t have doubts about them as a couple. I worry about Reed moving to Bayberry. But after talking to you, it sounds like I’m not the only one with doubts. Maybe they should delay the wedding.”
This man could be so aggravating. “I don’t know why I thought calling you would help anything.”
“Listen, I didn’t do anything. I’m sorry your friend is getting wedding jitters, but I had nothing to do with it. Maybe you’re just too stubborn to see what’s right in front of you.”
“They are in love. They have plans for the future. They are going to get married.”
“I hope you’re right. I mean it.”
“Wait. What?” Surely she hadn’t heard him clearly.
“You heard me. I want them both to be happy.”
He did nothing but confuse her. One moment, she thought he was opposed to the wedding. And then in the next, it’s like he’s all for the wedding. Now she didn’t know what to believe.
“Is that all you wanted?” His tone was businesslike.
He was dismissing her. She suppressed a frustrated sigh. “Yes.”
“Okay. I have to get back to a meeting.” And then the line went dead.
She was left to stand there and try to make sense of what was just said. She didn’t know if she should be angry with him or feel bad for jumping all over his case.
Was his friend having second thoughts?
Brad was caught off-guard by that phone call from Abby. He loved Reed like a brother. And that was why the next day, he was already considering flying to Vermont. But he was struggling to come up with a legitimate reason.
Instead, he would have to settle for calling Reed. He wasn’t sure what he’d say. He would have to wing the conversation. Before he could talk himself out of it, he picked up the phone.
On the second ring, Reed picked up. “Hey, Brad, I was just going to send you that report.”
Report? It took him a moment to figure out what his friend was talking about. “I didn’t call about it. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out and catch a hockey game?”
“You mean you’re coming to Bayberry?” There was a definite note of surprise in Reed’s voice.
He was thinking of getting tickets and going to an in-person game. He hadn’t given visiting Bayberry a thought until that moment. But maybe this required a quick visit. “Sure.”
“That’s great. I heard Sadie mention that Abby’s birthday is coming up at the end of this month. Do you think you could make it then?”
“I, uh...” He wasn’t sure what to say. Thinking about how their last conversation hadn’t gone well, he said, “I don’t know if Abby would want me there.”
“Sure, she would.” There was such confidence in Reed’s voice it had Brad wanting to believe him.
“I don’t know. Maybe you should run the idea past Abby.”
“No can do. Sadie wants to surprise her with a little birthday party. I don’t know if it’s the wedding or what, but Sadie is suddenly into wanting to do surprises. And I couldn’t think of a bigger surprise than having you there.”
Wanting to change the subject in order for him to figure out if he should or shouldn’t crash Abby’s birthday, he asked, “So, how are you and Sadie doing? Getting cold feet or anything?”
“Cold feet?” Reed’s tone changed. “Why would I get cold feet? I’m marrying the woman of my dreams.”
A collision of emotions occurred within him. On one hand he was happy for his friend. Everyone should find that someone special. On the other hand, he was disappointed that Reed wasn’t thinking about moving back to Chicago.
Reed was more than a friend to him. He was family. And Brad missed him every day.
“I’m happy for you.” Brad truly meant it.
“Is there a specific reason you asked?”
Brad thought of his conversation with Abby and decided to keep her confidence. Whatever was going on with Sadie was most likely a case of nerves.
“Uh, no. Just checking on the groom and making sure that everything is going well.”
“Couldn’t be happier. Well, that’s not quite true. I’ll be happier when I have an office again. With the winter weather, the rebuilding of the newspaper office has been put off until spring.”
They were building Rumor Quill offices above the Bayberry Gazette. This was all happening whether he liked it or not. Abby was right, he had to get onboard with it.
Brad tried to be as supportive as he knew how. “Spring will be here before you know it.”
“Talk about a busy spring between the build and the wedding. It’s going to keep us on our toes.”
They talked for a little longer—long enough for Brad to be certain that everything was okay between Reed and Sadie.
“So, you’ll come for Abby’s birthday?” Reed asked.
Brad felt as though there was only one right answer; otherwise, he’d never hear the end of it from Reed. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
“Good. I’ll send you details about the party.” Reed’s voice took on a happy tone. “You’ll see. Bayberry will grow on you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Just wait. You’ll see. I’m right.”
Brad rolled his eyes. He was not moving to a small town. No way. No how.
After they said goodbye, Brad realized he was going to have to figure out a birthday gift for Abby. And he had no idea what she would like. This was not going to be easy.