“No…” He tried to act innocent.“I was just making conversation.”
She arched a brow as she leaned toward him.“It was more than that and we both know it.”
He turned his back to her as he opened a cupboard and pulled out four white plates with black trim.He could feel her stare boring holes into the back of his head.“And why do you think I’d do that?”
“We aren’t talking about me and what I think.This is about you and why you’re causing trouble for Reed and Sadie.”Her voice rose as she got more worked up.
“Shh...You don’t want them to overhear you.”
She lowered her voice.“Why?Are you afraid they’ll be mad at you?”
She didn’t understand.He was looking out for his best friend.Sure, Reed liked it now in Bayberry, but when the newness of his romance wore away, he was going to regret his decision to move to Nowheresville.
Brad worried that when Reed became restless in Bayberry, and the gossip grated on his last nerve, his marriage would suffer.And Brad didn’t want that for them.Because he might not have been in favor of this marriage in the beginning, but after witnessing them together, even he had to admit they made a good couple.
Abby crossed her arms and frowned at him.“You’re trying to break them up, aren’t you?”
He shushed her again.“That is absolutely not true.”
“Then stop with all of the comments about how great Chicago is and that Reed should move back here.”
And then it dawned on him that this conversation wasn’t really about him.It was about Abby.She’d found a way to put up a wall between them.
“Abby, if this is about what happened between us at the coffeeshop—”
“What?”Her voice rose again.And then as though she realized she’d said that too loud, she lowered her voice.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He took a step toward her.In a gravelly voice, he said, “Yes, you do.”When she shook her head, he said, “Maybe I should remind you.”
She took a step back.“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“No.”
His gaze searched hers.“Abby, why are you putting up this wall between us?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
“If I did, do you think I’d be asking you?”
She was quiet for so long he wasn’t sure she was going to answer him.“I’m not interested in being second best.”
“Second best?”If he was confused before, he was even more so now.“Second best to who?”
She shook her head.“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.I saw your phone.”
“Saw what on my phone?”He really didn’t know what she was talking about, but he certainly wanted to get to the bottom of it.
“I can read upside down.”She pressed both hands to her curvy hips.“I can’t believe you’re going to continue to deny what I saw with my own eyes.”
“Abby, just say it.”He wanted to clear this up right now.
She straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin upward until she was looking directly into his eyes.“You told me Linda wasn’t your girlfriend.Has that changed?”
