Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was over.
It was for the best.
But if that was the case, why did it bother her so much?
Later Saturday evening, Abby ran the soapy rag over the wall behind the sink. She’d spent most of the morning in the kitchen of the Steaming Brew. She was avoiding the sympathetic looks and the probing questions.
Gossip about her and Brad was running hot and heavy around town. Some were saying that Brad dumped her. Others were saying she’d ended things with him.
She just wanted to avoid the prying eyes of gossips and the pity looks from her well-meaning friends.
She rinsed the rag and then went over the wall again.
The kitchen hadn’t been this clean since she’d opened the place.
When she was upset, she cleaned. In fact, when the coffeeshop closed in a little bit, she might even deep clean the seating area.
While she worked, she thought of her latest trip to Chicago. She’d thought that things between them had changed. They’d confided in each other. There had been looks and touches. And the kisses.
She rinsed out the cloth and started scrubbing the counter. She stopped to move all of the items on the counter to the prep table in the middle of the room.
How could she have been so foolish? She let herself fall for him. After she’d promised herself that she would never do another long-distance relationship, she’d still fallen head over heels for him.
“Abby?”
She froze. Abby recognized the female voice. When she turned, Sadie stood in the doorway leading to the front of the coffeeshop.
Abby didn’t say anything and instead went back to work. She could hear Sadie approaching her.
“I came to thank you for the amazing wedding shower.”
Abby guessed that she also stopped by for another reason because Sadie had already thanked her about a dozen times at the shower. “You’re welcome. But I’m a little busy now.”
There was an awkward pause. “What’s going on with you and Brad?”
“Nothing.” It was the truth. “Absolutely nothing.” She leaned in and scrubbed harder at the non-existent dirt.
“I heard you met his mother.”
Abby nodded because she knew if she opened her mouth that her frustration, disappointment, and hurt would come spewing out. And that wouldn’t be good for either of them.
“What happened?” Sadie gently pushed. “Did you not hit it off with his mother?”
“No. I mean, yes, we got along after a bumpy start.”
Sadie leaned against the countertop that Abby was trying to clean and crossed her arms. Her gaze narrowed in on Abby. “What bumpy start?”
Abby sighed as she threw the cloth into the sink full of soapy water. While she rinsed her hands, she thought about Sadie being a trained reporter. She wasn’t going to give up until she had the full story.
After drying her hands, she pulled a couple of stools over to the prep table. Then, realizing that this conversation would be better with something to drink and stir, she got them two cups of coffee.
Once they were both seated, Sadie said, “Tell me what has you so worked up.”
Abby’s thoughts rewound to the first moment she’d seen Brad walk through the door of Wright’s Eatery. She remembered how her heart had pounded—how she’d resisted the urge to run into his arms. She’d tried to play it cool and not let him know that she had missed him terribly.
But Sadie didn’t know about that part of the story. So, she skipped to the heart of the tale. “We were kissing when his mother walked in on us.”
“Oh no!” A smile lifted the corners of Sadie’s glossy lips. “Surely his mother couldn’t have been offended about that.”
Abby shook her head. “She took it okay. She was shocked at first. I was utterly mortified. It was not how I envisioned meeting the woman. But it was Brad that ruined everything.”
The smile fell from Sadie’s face as her brows drew together, and concern shone in her eyes. “What exactly did he do?”
“Long story short, he shut down. He didn’t even introduce us.”
“Ouch! I’m sorry.” Sadie reached out and gently squeezed her forearm.
Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She blinked repeatedly. “I know it’s ridiculous with us living in two different states. But I thought when I was in Chicago that things between us...that they’d changed.” Under her breath, she said, “I’m such a fool.”
“You’re not a fool.” When Abby didn’t respond, Sadie said, “You aren’t. But I’m starting to wonder if he is.”
“I know he is.” Abby lifted her chin. “I’m the best thing that ever happened to him.”
“Did he say anything at all? Did he try to apologize?”
Abby hesitated, but then she nodded. “Eventually… It just felt like it was too little too late. If he truly cared about me, he would have mentioned me to his mother. He would have wanted to introduce me to her.”
“Wait. Didn’t you say that she busted you kissing?”
Abby’s cheeks pinkened as she nodded her head.
“Then does it even matter what he said? His mother obviously knows that you two are more than friends, right?”
Abby never stopped and thought of it that way. She’d just been so hurt by Brad’s silence. “I... I just don’t think this thing with Brad...that’s it’s going anywhere. He certainly doesn’t seem that invested.”
Sadie arched a brow. “Are you sure?”
“I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”
“I’m always on your side. Don’t ever doubt that. But let me play devil’s advocate for just a moment.”
Abby sighed. “Do you have to?”
Sadie nodded. “Just listen. Haven’t you been in constant contact with him since Christmas?
” When Abby grudgingly nodded, Abby said, “And didn’t he get you that fabulous espresso machine that makes delicious lattes?
” Abby sighed again and nodded. “And doesn’t he blow up your phone every day with messages that have you walking around with that huge grin on your face? ”
Instead of agreeing...again, Abby asked, “Just say what you’re getting at.”
“What I’m getting at is that if he isn’t crazy about you, he wouldn’t go to that much effort. Either he’s denying his feelings to himself, or he panicked when he got caught making out in front of his mother.”
“Hey, we weren’t making out.”
“Uh-huh.” Sadie grinned. “Maybe you should go talk to him.”
“Why should I go to him?”
“Because you gave him the cold shoulder at the shower. It was so cold that I wonder if he has frostbite.”
Abby shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Sadie lowered her voice. “Come on. You don’t want to let him go without talking this out. It would be a big mistake.”
Was she right? Maybe she had overreacted. She’d been so worked up about meeting his mother and wanting it to go well. Other than her pride, was there any legitimate reason not to give him another chance?
She couldn’t think of one.
He’d ruined everything.
Brad sat in Mel’s Grille, nursing a cup of coffee that couldn’t hold a candle to the brew at Abby’s coffeeshop. He didn’t dare go to the coffeeshop. He worried that he’d be wearing another cup of coffee like the first time they’d met.
His thoughts rolled back in time. How was it that it seemed like forever since he’d first visited Bayberry—since he’d walked into the Steaming Brew for the very first time.
“Are you just going to sit there and frown all evening?” Reed asked.
“I’m not frowning.” Was he?
“How bad are things between you and Abby?”
Brad shrugged. “This was a mistake. I never should have gotten involved with her.”
“Whoa! Slow down. How did we go from you making a jerk of yourself in front of your mother and Abby to you thinking that your relationship was a mistake?”
Brad was quiet for a moment as he sorted his jumbled thoughts. He decided to turn things around.
He looked directly at Reed. “When did you know that Sadie was the one for you?”
Reed grinned. “I fell for her the first moment I saw her. Of course, I didn’t know who she was at the time.
Things were going great, and then bam, it blew up in my face.
” He paused as though he were lost in his memories.
A moment later, he said, “I could have walked away when things got rough for us. It would have been the easy thing to do.”
“Why did you stick it out?”
Reed shrugged. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I knew she was the right person for me. Without Sadie in my life, I would always be missing the best part of me.”
Brad looked down at his now-cold coffee. “Don’t you miss Chicago? Is she really worth giving up your life to move to another state?”
“At first, I was hesitant. I mean, you and I have the company to think of. But you automated things to the point that it can be run from most anywhere. Then it came down to being happy. I could be unhappy in Chicago without her. Or I could be in Bayberry and enjoy the happiest time of my life. The choice wasn’t hard. ”
“Aren’t you worried that you’re making a mistake by moving here?”
Reed narrowed his gaze. “Are we now talking about me? Or you?”
“Just answer the question.”
Reed shook his head. “No. I’m not worried about making a mistake. I love Sadie. When I look in her eyes, I see my future. I see her as my wife. I see our children. I see us growing old right here in Bayberry. What is the deal with all of the questions?”
Brad hesitated. He hadn’t talked about any of this with anyone. Maybe it was time he did before he ruined everything.
He cleared his throat. “I think I’m in love with Abby.”
Reed’s brows rose. “You think?”
“Fine. I’m in love with her.”
“You don’t have to sound so unhappy about it.”
“At the moment, I don’t know what I’m supposed to be happy about. She’s furious with me. And even if we got past it, we live almost a thousand miles apart. How are we supposed to make that work?”
Reed leaned back against the bench. “I could think of one way.”
He sighed. “I know. Move to Bayberry. But what if I don’t want to?”
“I know about your past, and I swear to you that Bayberry is nothing like your hometown.”
Brad was surprised there was a part of him that wanted to believe his friend. No. No-no-no. He wasn’t moving to Bayberry.
But maybe if he asked Abby if she’d consider moving to Chicago. He already knew she didn’t want to live downtown, but they didn’t have to. He’d be open to moving to the suburbs. It would be some sort of compromise. But would it be enough?
“What?” Reed’s voice drew him from his thoughts.
He didn’t want to tell him, because he was afraid Reed would tell him it wasn’t enough. At this point, it was all he had to offer.
“Come on, Brad. I know when you get that look that you’ve come up with an idea. What is it?”
Brad shook his head. “Not this time, my friend. He looked down at the menu that was sitting off to the side of the table. He didn’t have an appetite.
“Do you mind if we skip dinner?”
“Uh. Sure. Everything okay?” Reed sent him a concerned look.
“I don’t know. I need to go see Abby.” When he went to stand, he paused and glanced over at Reed. “Would you do me a favor?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“Can you take some food to my mother back at the B&B? I know she said she had a headache, but maybe some food will help.” And then he had a thought. “If they have the stew today, I think she’ll really like it. And that homemade bread. It’s the best.” When Reed grinned at him, he said, “What?”
“I think you’re starting to fall for some of Bayberry’s charms. But she won’t need dinner.”
“Why not?”
“She’s having dinner with Sadie’s parents and Abby’s mother.”
“She is?” He was confused. “But she said she didn’t feel well.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, but she was fine when I drove her to Sadie’s parents’ house.”
So, his mother had pleaded a headache to get rid of him. He wondered if she was hoping that he’d go talk to Abby. Perhaps his mother had a bit of a matchmaker in her.
Brad got to his feet. “I have to go. Sorry about dinner.”
“No problem. Good luck with your talk. I hope it goes well.”
Brad nodded as he headed for the door. He was hoping the same thing. But would Abby hear him out?