Finding Abigail (34 page)

As if he knew I
was watching him, his sapphire-colored eyes opened. A smile spread across his
face, and a dimple appeared on the cheek that was exposed. Just seeing him like
this, so happy and relaxed, melted my heart. “Am I dreaming?” His voice was
deep and raspy.

“If you are,
then I am too.”

He leaned up,
wrapping his arms around me. “Let’s see what kind of dream we can make this.”
He buried his face in my neck nuzzling my sensitive skin. I gasped as his
tongue snuck out and heat flared once again. He pulled away to touch his lips
to mine, taking the kiss deeper as he climbed on top of me.

“Noah, do you
know where—” Kathy stopped dead in front of the bed.

Noah quickly
whipped the blankets over us, hiding our naked bodies. “Jesus, Kathy, don’t you
knock?”

I was so
embarrassed to be caught in this situation, but I couldn’t help find the look
on Kathy’s shocked face hilarious. I fought the urge to giggle.

She smiled and
clapped her hands together. “Yeah, I knew it.” Then, hearing a noise out in the
kitchen, she yelled, “Sam, take the boys outside to throw rocks in the water.”

“Why?” Sam
asked, popping his head in the bedroom. “Ugh… Christ, Noah, get some clothes
on.”

Noah sat up
carefully, making sure the blanket fully covered me. “I’d like to, but suddenly
my bedroom’s like Grand Central.” He leaned over to grab a robe from a chair
beside the bed. “Do you mind?” he asked, when Kathy and Sam just stood watching
us.

“Oh right,”
Kathy replied, snapping out of her trance. “I’ll go make breakfast.” They left,
shutting the door behind them.

“Maybe next
time we should lock the door,” I suggested, shoving him back against the
pillow. I kissed him, feeling heat erupt inside me at knowing we could get
caught at any moment.

He flipped me
over until he was hovering above me. “Hold that thought until I kick them out.”
He stood up, yanking on a pair of jeans that lay across the dresser.

“No, you can’t
do that. Let’s have breakfast with them, and then after they leave we can pick
up where we left off.”

“Okay, but eat
fast.”

I laughed at
his playful mood. He was just about to open the door when I realized my clothes
were ruined.

“Um… Noah, I
don’t have any clothes.”

He smiled,
leaning over to pick up a red cotton shirt that was ripped down the middle.
“Uh…Sorry about that.” He picked up the robe he had dropped and handed it to
me. I stuffed my arms into the soft flannel, feeling warm and cozy after a
great night.

“Can you
distract the boys, so they don’t see me sneaking out of here in a robe? I’ll go
home and get dressed.”

“Sure.” He gave
me a quick kiss and then disappeared.

I waited until
I heard him outside talking before slipping into the living room. I waved at
Kathy as I rushed by and out the door, across the driveway to my house.

I showered,
dressed, and brushed my teeth, all before Kathy was finished making
breakfast—ham and cheese Spanish omelets. When I went back over, the boys were
playing Noah’s game, and the grownups were just sitting down to eat. I gave
Noah a quick kiss before I sat down beside him.

“Aren’t the
kids eating?” I asked Kathy with a glance at the boys. Jamie was sprawled on
the couch, with his legs resting on the coffee table. Jeremy was lying on his
stomach on the floor.

“No, they had
Pop-Tarts before we left, that’s all they’ll eat right now.” She placed a plate
of bacon on the table, sat down, and glared at me. “Okay, we’re all here. Now
tell us what happened.”

Before I could
answer, Noah spoke. “Just like I told you would happen. She came over begging
me to forgive her, and after I kissed her, she tore my clothes off.”

Kathy glanced
at him, eyes wide, face expressionless. “So, Anna, how did it happen?” she
asked, turning to me.

I laughed at
both of them. “Well, he’s kind of right, I did come over trying to get him to
change his mind. He told me he would, but I had to kiss him first. If I felt
nothing we could go back to the way things were.”

“Good one,” Sam
said, nodding at Noah.

“I told him I
didn’t need to kiss him, I knew how I felt. I explained why I was scared to
move forward and he made me see that what we had was worth the risk.”

Kathy smiled at
Noah. “You are good.”

He nodded,
giving her a cocky grin. “Yes, I am, and after that, she tore my clothes off.”

I kicked him
under the table. “No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, she did,
but it’s okay, I tore her clothes off too.” He wiggled his eyebrows, while the
rest of us laughed.

Happiness
soared through me as I watched them. I was so glad to be back with not just
Noah, but all of us as a group. I had missed it.

After we
finished breakfast, I was helping Noah with the dishes. When Noah went to the
closet to get a dish cloth, Sam asked to see me outside. I agreed reluctantly.
Kathy was playing a car racing game with the kids and didn’t notice our
departure.

“I will tell
them, I promise,” I assured him as soon as he closed the door behind us.

“When? It’s
been months, and now that you’re involved with Noah, he really needs to know.”
He narrowed his eyes, his tone serious. “Everything.” I knew he said the last
word because even though he knew I was on the run, he didn’t know why. And he
expected me to tell not just the others, but him.

I sighed,
folding my arms close to my chest for warmth. “I know, but we just got
together, I need more time, to see how it goes. Please,” I begged him, because
I was afraid I’d lose Noah if he knew the truth. Of course I knew that was
ridiculous. I loved him because he was kind, loving, and generous just like his
grandmother, but now that I had him I was afraid of losing him.

Sam’s eyes
turned soft with sympathy. “Fine, you have two weeks. If you don’t tell him by
then, I will.”

Relieved that I
was granted this short reprieve I hugged him. He smelled of bacon. “Thank you.”
I rushed into the house before he changed his mind.

Kathy, Sam, and
the kids left shortly after. And Noah and I did indeed pick up where we left
off.

Since it was
Saturday, we stayed inside between the bed and the couch getting to know each
other in every way.

Sunday morning,
we headed back to Wade’s to ride the horses. I hadn’t been there in about two
weeks and I really enjoyed seeing Midnight again. I didn’t realized how much I
missed him.

After our ride,
I was in his stall giving him a good brush, and some oats to eat. Noah was out
in the tack room helping Wade.

When I finished
taking care of the other man in my life, I headed out to see if they needed my
help. But it wasn’t Wade Noah was with, it was Cindy. “Come on, Noah, I heard
you two broke up. Stop playing hard to get.” She was snuggled against him with
her hands reaching around to squeeze his ass. She was wearing a thin black
leather jacket and skin-tight jeans. Looking at her I felt a little frumpy in
Noah’s extra work jacket, my baseball cap, and faded blue jeans. Which was
ridiculous, of course. We had been riding horses, it wasn’t something you
dressed up for. Besides, I already had Noah, I didn’t have to work for it, like
she was doing.

Noah tried to
back up, pushing her hands away, but instead of moving away like he had
obviously wanted, she leaned in to kiss him.

That was it.
Who the hell did she think she was? “Take your hands and lips off of my
boyfriend.” My arms were folded in front of me as I stared coldly at her.

She spun
around, embarrassment clouding her face for getting caught. She recovered
quickly, scowling at me. “You blew it. Word around town is he dumped you.”

“Cindy, I told
you that wasn’t true,” Noah added, looking helpless. He looked so pathetic that
I wanted to stand up for him.

I stepped over
to stand beside him, taking his hand in mine, and to get my point across I gave
him a not so quick kiss on the lips hoping to set her straight.

“Oh well,
you’re together for now, but don’t worry, I’ll wait for you, Noah.” She didn’t
give us a chance to answer before she rushed to the doors.

“Cindy!” I
yelled, shocking myself. I hadn’t meant to yell at her. She turned around, an
impatient expression on her face. “What kind of a woman throws herself at a man
like this? He told you he wasn’t interested. The more you pursue him when he
clearly doesn’t want you, just makes you look desperate.”

Annoyance
flashed in her beady little eyes. “Who says he isn’t interested?”

“
He
did,
time and time again. Why don’t you stop attacking men, and be happy with
yourself. Maybe they’ll come to you.”

Her face
changed to a look of shock. “I don’t need advice from some blond prude from the
city.” With that, she stormed out.

“Wow, that was
interesting,” Noah whispered into my ear as he wrapped his arms around my
waist.

His hot breath
sent shivers through my body, and my skin tingled. “I’m sorry I got angry, but
seeing her about to kiss you pissed me off.”

He turned me
around so I was facing him. “I’m not complaining, but it was a pretty pathetic
chick fight. I always thought if two girls were to fight over me there’d be a
lot less clothes and a lot more mud.” He smirked. “I’m a little disappointed.”

I laughed.
“Shut up and kiss me.”

“I’m not sure I
want to kiss some blond prude from the city.”

“Fine, I’ll
just go call Cindy back, she does seem more your type.” I started for the door.

He grabbed my
arm before I reached it. “Fine, if I have to.” He was grinning as he leaned
down to cover my lips with his.

A Letter from Home

Noah chose not
to stay at my cottage, saying it felt strange making love in his grandmother’s
bed. So I slept at his place every night. We’d have breakfast together, and
then he’d go off to work at the shop while I went home to write. Sam’s deadline
was soon approaching, and I tried to tell Noah many times, I just couldn’t find
the words.

I hadn’t been
back to Martin yet, so I wasn’t able to check if there was a response from
Debbie. I could have checked from here, but I was afraid Nick would somehow
trace where the email was sent from. A library in a small city was harder to
find me than in the cottage I was living in.

Kathy and I
were planning to go shopping in the city on Saturday so I could check the email
then. I just wasn’t sure what I’d use as an excuse.

“Why can’t I
come?” Noah whined, lying in bed Saturday morning.

I was sprawled
out on his bare chest listening to his heartbeat, drawing lines on his smooth
skin with my finger. I loved his chest; it wasn’t muscular, more broad and
defined. His skin was still tanned from the summer we had, but it was starting
to fade. My own tan was long gone. I was fair-skinned and when I tanned, it
didn’t stay long. “Do you really want to come and watch two girls shop?”

“Not really,
but I miss you already.” His voice rumbled in his chest, sending vibrations
against the side of my face.

I lifted my
head to look at him. “Oh please, the minute I leave, you’ll forget my name. I
know you’ve been planning to watch football with Sam all week. I heard you even
said since the women wouldn’t be around to bug you, you’d be able to watch the
whole game.”

He grinned, his
eyes shining with laughter. “I meant that I would be distracted by your beauty.
I’d never be able to focus with you in the room.”

I leaned my
chin on his chest digging in. He winced, running his hand though my hair. “Nice
save.”

The grin
returned. “Thank you.”

I sat up and
gave him a kiss, lingering longer than I had intended. I was surprised at how
reluctant I was to leave. But spending so much time with him, I was getting
attached. “Well, I better get up. Kathy will be here soon.” I pulled on my
underwear and then my T-shirt.

“Man, I hate
when you do that.”

I froze, about
to put on my pants, wondering what I did wrong. “What?”

“Put clothes
on.”

I smiled,
reaching out to rub his bare chest. “Well, I don’t think the people of Martin
are ready to see me walking down their streets naked.”

He held my hand
stopping it from moving, linking his fingers in mine. The gesture was loving,
and I felt protected. “That’s because they’ve never seen you. I think you can
change their minds.”

I leaned down,
giving him another kiss. “I’m going to go home to shower and do my hair. I need
to look good for my day of naked shopping.” I jumped off the bed before he
could grab my hand and pull me back. I was smiling as I walked through the
door.

“If you’re
naked, no one will notice your hair,” I heard him yell from his room. I chuckled
to myself as I shut his front door, heading to mine.