Buzz-buzz.
She reached over and grabbed her phone from the end table next to the couch.The caller ID said it was Sadie.
Abby yawned as she pressed the phone to her ear.She was still not quite fully awake.“Hello.”
“Oh no.Did I wake you?I didn’t mean to.It’s just that you’re always up at six a.m.”
“What time is it?”
“Five after eight.”
“Oh no.”She jumped to her feet, letting the blanket fall to the floor.“I’m late to open the coffeeshop.I have to—”
“Hey!Slow down.It’s Sunday.You can relax.”
With a relieved sigh, she dropped back down onto the couch.She really loved Sundays.
“So, how did the date go?”Sadie’s voice had a bit of a sing-song tone to it.
“It wasn’t a date.”She wasn’t ready to put labels on anything.
“It wasn’t?”Genuine surprise rang out in Sadie’s voice.“Are you sure?”
Well, there was dinner and dancing.There was also entertaining conversation and then a movie afterward.She supposed that all fit the definition of a date.
“Fine,” she grumbled.“It was a date.”
“You sound like you had an awful time.Was he really that bad?”
“What?No.”She had no idea that was the way her answer came across.“He was wonderful.The whole evening was amazing.”
“Then why did you sound unhappy when I asked if it was a date?”
She paused to give the answer some thought.“I guess it’s all so new, and I don’t know if it’s going anywhere, so I’m hesitant to put labels on anything.”
“I understand.”She rushed on.“But you have to admit that it was romantic the way he flew in for your birthday.”
There was a question that had been eating at her.“Is the party the only reason he’s in town?”
“Yes.He flew in to wish you a happy birthday.”Sadie let out a dreamy sigh.“Isn’t that just the most romantic?”
It truly was.This knowledge knocked down some of the barriers around her heart.If she wasn’t careful, she was going to find herself falling head over heels for Brad.But then what?
The fact that she didn’t have an answer to that question had her continuing to hold herself back from him—but not completely.
Her thoughts rewound to their kiss the prior evening.There had been something between them.It was more than a spark.It was closer to a flame.
But she didn’t want to get burned.Experience had already shown her that a long-distance relationship was bound to break her heart.
“Abby, stop it.”Sadie’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Stop what?”
“Coming up with all of the reasons this thing with Brad won’t work.”
She hated that she was so predictable.“Why do you think I’m doing that?”
“Because it’s what you’ve done every time a guy asks you out since you broke up with Dave.But you have to remember that Brad isn’t Dave.They are night and day different.”
