16. Abby

16

ABBY

I t didn’t take long before Abby felt fully integrated at Doc Ford’s practice, accompanying him out to farms to cure sick goats one day and diagnosing minor ailments in dogs and cats that were brought into the office the next. The staff had embraced her presence, and Doc Ford was a dream boss. Mariah, as quirky as she was, had worked her way into Abby’s heart. They’d already gone to lunch twice, where they’d laughed through the entire meal.

Abby was able to get home in time to make the children dinner without feeling any guilt. Best of all, Luke and Lily had come for dinner a time or two, making it all the more festive. Not to say her meals were a culinary delight or anything, but at least she hadn’t poisoned anyone. In fact, Abby had not realized how much fun it could be to cook with someone for a family.

While she was at work, Walter and Luke continued the repairs at the house. Luke had helped her pick out cabinets and countertops, as well as new appliances for the kitchen, all of which would arrive in late January. She’d never imagined choosing items for a home could be so much fun and give her a sense of satisfaction. Luke spent the entire day helping her paint the main bedroom a sage green. Paired with a new comforter and pillows, the room started to feel more like her own. She hung some of her own artwork and displayed photographs of her friends on the dresser. Most of the framed photos Ramona had left were now in the children’s rooms, although Abby had kept a few for herself.

In between all this living and working and overseeing her little family, she and Luke had managed to find some alone time, sneaking kisses and sharing more and more of their lives with each other. He’d asked, again, if her could take her out for a special night, and she’d agreed. In fact, she could hardly wait to be alone with him. He wouldn’t tell her where he was taking her, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was to spend time with him. Mariah had asked if she could take care of the kids while she and Luke were out, and Abby had jumped at the chance.

Abby had never experienced a relationship that felt so easy. And fun. She’d not had enough fun in her adulthood, she’d decided one night as she watched Luke and Lily get into his truck and pull out of her driveway. Luke Hayes brought the fun wherever he went. She loved spending time with him. She adored Lily.

Her heart was full.

Sophie and Jack, too, seemed to be falling for Luke. Jack followed the poor man around like a three-foot-five-inch stalker.

One slow afternoon at work, Doc Ford told her to take the rest of the day off. She gladly accepted. She wanted to do a little Christmas shopping in town, including picking out a bike for Jack and stopping in at the dance studio to ask for advice on the ballet items Sophie had asked for. The owner was a former ballerina named Reese Monroe, a gorgeous woman in her mid-twenties with dark hair and warm brown eyes. Reese immediately won Abby’s affection when she praised Sophie. “She’s done extremely well, even after losing her mother so suddenly. And she’s a very talented dancer. I’m grateful you’ve been able to continue paying for her classes. Dance means everything to Sophie.”

Abby appreciated the feedback and was happy to meet the dance teacher Sophie spoke of so often at home. “Sophie adores you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for her.”

“It’s my pleasure. In fact, it’s not often I’ve had a student as dedicated or hardworking.”

Reese then advised Abby about what to order, including sizes and color, promising they’d be here by the twentieth of December. The bike shop manager agreed to deliver the bicycle the following Monday while the children were at Grace’s. “Just have your guy leave it on the back patio. I’ll sneak it into the garage while they’re out.” She had the perfect spot to hide it under a tarp in the neatly organized garage.

With the holiday break starting Monday, Abby had no choice but to ask Grace for help. Of course, the older woman assured her it was no problem and that they were always welcome. “They play with Lily, so really, it’s a help for me.”

The Hayes family had this way of taking their charity and making it feel as if you were the one doing the favor for them. Abby knew this wasn’t really the case, but it was nice all the same.

In addition, she wanted to pick out gifts for Luke, Lily, Grace, and Walter. Now was as good a time as any to do so. Grace had mentioned an expensive cast-iron Dutch oven she’d long coveted but would never buy for herself. Abby had seen the exact one in the display window at the kitchen shop just two doors up from the animal hospital. She’d not had a chance to visit Hungry Bunny Kitchen Shop but enjoyed their delightful window displays every time she walked by on her way to pick up Sophie from dance class.

The Hungry Bunny, with its cheerful red door and large paned windows framed by vintage shutters, basically begged a person to come inside and explore. If only her friends could see her charging into a kitchen store. They’d hardly recognize her.

A chime jingled overhead as she walked into the crowded shop. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one Christmas shopping this afternoon, she thought, breathing in the scent of cinnamon and sugar cookies. Old wooden floors groaned underfoot as she passed a table of handcrafted ceramic bowls, a stack of colorful aprons, and a display of mason jars filled with herbs and spices, alongside stoneware measuring cups and bins in all shapes and sizes. She located the Dutch oven right away but hesitated over the color. What would Grace choose? Her kitchen was mostly white with blue accents, so Abby decided the cobalt blue would do the trick. Grace could always exchange it later if she wanted.

Abby almost stopped to look through a section devoted to cookbooks but decided she didn’t have time to dillydally. Outside, it was growing dark, and she still had to get home to make dinner. However, on the way to the register, a long, rustic farmhouse table in the middle of the store caught her attention. Her gaze traveled over the seasonal goodies—local honey, artisanal jams, and freshly ground coffee beans—until she found the bottles of Hayes Maple Syrup. A surge of pride warmed her chest. It wasn’t her farm, of course. Yes, she almost felt like part of the family. She admired Luke and Walter for all the hard work they poured into their family business without complaint.

Next, she stopped in at the toy store to pick up some stocking stuffers for Sophie and Jack, plus she wanted to find something for Lily. Luke had told her Lily might like some accessories for her dollhouse. She stood for a moment, looking over all the accessories, but wasn’t sure which to choose.

A young man dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt that read Stay Stoked over the chest ambled over to her. “Hey, I’m Travis Stone. New owner of this fine establishment.”

His sun-bleached disheveled hair and laid-back attitude evoked images of the surfers she’d seen at the beaches in Southern California. He grinned, revealing a row of perfect white teeth. “You’re the new vet, right?”

“That’s correct.” Abby introduced herself.

“This is for Lily Hayes, am I right?” Travis asked.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Luke mentioned you might be in when he picked up the dollhouse. He wanted to make sure I didn’t sell you anything he’d already gotten.”

With that, he helped her pick dollhouse-sized patio furniture, miniature garden tools, fences, birdhouses, and swings. A package with tiny pets caught her eye, and she just had to get that too. Could anything be cuter than miniature dogs, cats, corresponding beds, food bowls, and toys?

She grabbed a few things for Jack—some Matchbox cars, a small flashlight, a container of slime, and a few squirt toys for the bath. He wasn’t overly fond of baths, so she hoped they might encourage him to bathe without protest. For Sophie, she picked out some glitter pens, a craft kit to make friendship bracelets (she’d had no idea how popular they were), stickers, and several notebooks for journaling or doodling. Abby figured she could get Sophie a few new hair clips, nail polish, and bath bombs from the drugstore.

For Lily, she found just the right thing without intending to—a stuffed yellow dog that looked a little like Rufus. Only the toy was fluffier and smelled much better than Rufus did after a romp in the snow.

At the hardware store, she found a pair of binoculars for Walter. If it were up to her, he’d never have to question whether he’d seen a snowy owl or not.

“Are these good?” Abby asked the clerk. “Like top of the line?”

“One of the best,” he said.

The only one left on her list was Luke. As well as she’d gotten to know him in the last few weeks, she’d not seen him do anything but work, take care of Lily, and plan thoughtful outings for them all. He was a man with little time for hobbies.

All afternoon, she had the feeling that she was forgetting something. By the time she was headed out to Grace and Walter’s, she’d decided it was just unfounded anxiety.

On the way home, she hummed along to Christmas tunes as she drove, smiling to herself as thoughts of Luke invaded her mind. Not unusual. She thought of him a thousand times a day. This preoccupation with a man was so foreign to her that she hardly recognized herself. When she arrived home, she stayed in the car for a few minutes to text her friends, Arabella and Breck, in their group chat.

Abby: I met someone. I think there’s something special between us. I’m falling hard. It’s weird.

She explained to them about Luke and Lily, then described all the time they’d been spending together.

Texts came in almost immediately.

Breck: Does this mean the great freeze of Abby Parker’s heart has come to an end?

Abby texted back: Very funny. My heart’s never been frozen. I just hadn’t met anyone I was interested in.

Breck: I beg to disagree. You’ve been the most focused person I’ve ever met. I’m still bummed you couldn’t join me here, but I’m glad you’re able to be there for those kids. I’ve not found anyone suitable to bring in as my partner, so if you change your mind and want to bring the kids to Emerson Pass, the offer still stands.

Abby: They’re precious and doing well, but moving them away from their childhood home and friends is not what they need. I’ve fallen head over heels for both of them and they seem to like me too. Maybe I wasn’t the worst choice to take them after all. That’s still debatable, but I have hope.

From Arabella: Regarding the cute boy, I’m happy for you. Take it slow. You don’t want to get hurt. Regarding the precious children, they’re lucky to have you. I know you’re doing your best, and that’s all that matters.

Breck: Don’t listen to Miss Practical. Love is grand.

Abby: How’s Tiffany feeling?

Breck: Large and very pregnant. We’re only a month away from our due date, and I’m over the moon. Tiff’s in full nesting mode. You should see the nursery. She and my mother went a little bananas with the decor. I keep saying it looks like something out of a magazine. Wish you were both here to see it.

That made Abby smile. Breck would be the best father. He’d always been so positive and super supportive of his friends and colleagues, making him one of the most popular people in their class. Since marrying Tiffany he’d been almost nauseatingly happy.

Arabella: We’ll figure out a time to come visit once you’ve settled in with the baby. I can’t wait to meet her or him.

Breck: It’s a her. We broke down and found out.

Arabella: Congrats!!!

Abby: A little girl. How wonderful! So happy for you. Arabella, how’s your dad? How’s Montana?

Arabella had returned to her hometown of Bluefern, Montana, to care for her father and open a veterinary practice there.

Arabella: Dad’s as mean and nasty as always, only now he can’t remember anything so his insults are four times as frequent. My enemy, Dr. Rafferty Moon, thinks I should put him in a memory care place, but I don’t have the money. Even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. I can take care of him. Dr. Moon is as insufferable as ever.

Breck: I think you secretly like him.

Arabella: You are now dead to me.

Abby: Doth she protest too much?

Arabella: Now you’re dead to me too. I haven’t been able to stand the guy since the year 2000. The fact that I have to see him every week for my dad’s checkups is like torture.

Breck: Gotta run. Tiffany needs me to go out for ice cream. Love you both!

Abby: Love you guys.

Arabella: Love you back.

Abby set aside her phone and went inside to change out of her work clothes. By the time she was done, Luke had arrived with all three kids in tow. Peering at them from the upstairs window, she could see something was wrong with Sophie the minute she got out of the car. Her shoulders slumped and she had a sullen expression. Had something happened?

She rushed downstairs to greet them, concern constricting her chest. Sophie didn’t say anything, brushing past Abby and running upstairs.

“What’s wrong with her?” Abby asked Luke. “Do you know?”

Luke shook his head. “Mom said she’s been acting strange all day. She said she just curled up on the couch all day, reading.”

That wasn’t terribly unusual, but still, clearly something was wrong.

“I’ll go talk to her in a minute.” Abby held out her arms to give Jack a hug, which he returned. He smelled of strawberry jam, peanut butter, and the outdoors. “Did you have a good day?”

“Yeah. Luke took me out to the barn and I helped him with chores. Right, Luke?” Jack looked up at Luke with adoring eyes.

“You sure did, Jack Rabbit. You were a huge help.”

Lily tugged on Abby’s sweater sleeve. “Can I have a hug too?”

“Goodness, yes.” Abby crouched and took the little girl into her arms. She, too, smelled like strawberry jam and peanut butter. It wasn’t hard to guess what they’d had for an after-school snack. Lily clung to her, resting her cheek against her shoulder. “You were at work a long time.”

“I was?” Abby asked, holding Lily at arm’s length and peering into her gorgeous blue eyes.

“Daddy said you have to help all the animals, but you could just stay here and help us.” Lily smiled shyly. “I like when you’re with us.”

Abby glanced up at Luke, exchanging a smile with the man who had helped make this amazing little one. “I like being with you all too.”

“Lily, we should go. I’ll be over to get you around six tomorrow if that’s okay?” Luke said to Abby, referring to their upcoming date.

“Mariah’s coming to stay with the kids, so I’ll be ready.”

“Can’t wait.”

“How should I dress?” Abby instinctively kissed the top of Lily’s head as the little girl continued to snuggle against her.

“Wear something nice but warm. I’ve planned something special. At least I hope so.” Luke winked at her as he took Lily from her arms and headed out to his truck.

Something nice but warm? That might be a problem.

She headed upstairs to talk to Sophie, knocking on the bedroom door. A muffled response told her to come in.

Abby found Sophie curled up on the bed, a book open but clearly not being read at the moment. Sophie’s eyes were red. She’d been crying.

“Hey, sweetheart, how you doing?” Abby perched on the edge of the twin bed.

“Fine.”

“Did something happen at school?”

“No.”

“Are you feeling sad?” Abby asked.

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to talk?”

“No.”

All right, well, this was going nowhere.

“I’m going down to warm up our dinner.” She had a lasagna ready for the oven. “It’s your favorite.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

These one-word responses were not the best, but what could she do? She couldn’t force her to talk. For now, Abby would let it go. Sophie would talk to her when she was ready. And really, Sophie was bound to have sad days, where grief ravaged her little heart. Perhaps it was best to give her space?

She kissed the child’s forehead before standing. “Dinner will be ready in a half hour. Come down when you’re ready.”

“Okay.”

Abby stifled a sigh and let the child be, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.