That’s new.
Absorbed in his thoughts, he missed the girl in his path until he plowed right into her. Ice cream cones went flying, one narrowly missing a little boy. “I’m so sor—Abbs?” He had to step back and do a double take, because Abbie was . . . well, she was absolutely beautiful. She’d not only shown up, but obviously went through a bit of trouble to do so.
She stood there, arms raised, hands empty. “I know you like ice cream, but I didn’t think you’d be so upset at being left out.”
He laughed, that easy, unguarded laughter that made his tense muscles instantly unwind. “I’ll buy new cones. Guess Izzy won’t be too happy if you return without them.”
He reached for her hand without thinking, because it seemed the most natural thing to do. He held his breath until it felt as if she didn’t plan to wriggle free. Instead, she used their joined hands to pull him toward the ice cream concession. “Erin’s watching Gus tonight,” she told him.
Yeah, retirement has a nice little ring to it.
He felt something there, on her hand. Herlefthand. At the window, as she ordered replacements, he lifted her hand into view and turned it over. “You kept it.” His words were hardly a gasped whisper as shock swept over his body. It wasthering.
“I did.”
“Does this mean—?”
“That’ll be eight dollars,” the concession worker said. Abbie looked expectantly at him.
“Oh, right.”
“Youdidknock them out of my hand,” Abbie said. “It’s only fair.”
He reluctantly let go of her hand and dug his wallet out of his back pocket to pay for the now four cones. How she had been carrying three before was a mystery to him. The things were enormous.
“You sure you want to eat this before your ride?” Abbie asked.
It was touching that she remembered how eating before a ride usually made him quite ill. But over the last two years, he’d worked his way through that hurdle. “I’ll save the victory dinner forafter, but a little ice cream cone won’t do me in.”
“Little? That thing is as big around as my arm.”
He smirked, then bopped her on the nose with the tip of his cone, successfully leaving a blop of vanilla behind. The fire in her eyes warned him she might try to get even, but she pulled back just in time.
“You’re lucky you’re wearing your riding clothes.” She shuffled both her cones to one hand and grabbed a napkin for the ice cream spot. “Otherwise, I’d make you wear one of these cones.”
He wanted to put his arm around her as they laughed, but with a cone in each hand, it didn’t seem wise. “You look beautiful tonight, Abbs. Really amazing.” She rewarded him with a blushing smile. “The ring, that’s what you lost behind the dresser, wasn’t it?”
She worked at her cone and answered with a simple nod. He wasn’t sure what it all meant, but since she’d gone through an awful lot of trouble to get to it and wore it now, he felt optimistic.
He’d been thinking about their future nonstop since that kiss in the back yard yesterday. Truth be told, he’d never really stopped thinking about it. But now it was the loudest thought stuck on a replay loop. He’d kissed Abbie many times, but this kiss was different. It spun his entire world upside down and sideways. It felt like forever. Like home.
Sunday, after Izzy’s birthday party was over, he’d tell her about the house. He planned to drive her over there with a blindfold and surprise her. He originally thought he’d put it in her name, let her sign all the closing paperwork, so it was completely her own. But now he wondered if they couldn’t buy ittogether. “I could’ve helped you move that dresser, you know.”
“I managed.” They’d reached the stands, and Izzy caught sight of him with a squeal of excitement.
“When’s it your turn, Uncle Logan?” Izzy asked Logan.
Uncle?The title warmed a spot inside his chest. He’d not only missed Abbie; he’d missed being a part of this family.
The first couple riders had already taken their turn. Interesting that Abbie chose the very beginning of the event to track down treats for the group. Her back was turned toward the arena now as they announced the next rider and prepared to open the gate. “I’m one of the last guys to go tonight, so it’ll be a while.”
“Is it hard?” Izzy’s innocent blue eyes watched the rider for the four-point-eight seconds he lasted.
“Harder than staying on a sheep, that’s for sure,” Judith said.
“Skittles didn’t spin around in circles.” Wise words for such a young, observant girl. “And she didn’t have horns. Do they hurt?”
Though he was enjoying the questions from such an inquisitive little mind, Abbie seemed a little pale over it. He suspected she’d remain that way until he finished his ride and proved everything would be just fine. “They can hurt, yes. Quite a bit.”
