Page 9 of Ashes to Ink

He had been in the right place at the right time, and sheknew that they lived close to one another, but she hadn’t known there was achance that he could be exactly what she needed him to be. He’d calmed her downand hadn’t said anything that might’ve put the blame on her. Of course, ithadn’t been her fault. She’d been driving at precisely the correct speed, buther mind still kept going to what could have happened if things had gonedifferently.

Or if things had gotten worse.

Ryan had been there for her, had shared hot chocolate withher, and…had given her a look that worried her. Not one where she thought he meanther harm, but one that indicated there might be something between them.

Maybe she was thinking too hard about it. Her system wasalready on overload thinking about her daughter and the accident. But everytime Abby looked at Ryan, every time she thought of him, she couldn’t help butwonder why her mind went to him in the way it did.

There was just something about him that drew her to him. Sheshouldn’t be drawn in, not with how their friends were all connected.

She and Ryan were friends, and all of their friends werefriends. He worked close to her and lived even closer. Having anything morethan what they currently had was a recipe for disaster.

But it didn’t help that she just couldn’t get him off hermind.

Her sleepless night had been spent lying in bed, holdingJulia close, not only thinking about the accident but also thinking about Ryanand the way that he looked at her and tried to take care of her.

The bell over the door rang, and she looked up to seeAdrienne walking in, a smile on her face.

“How are you feeling, babe?” Adrienne hugged her close butthen took a step back. Abby was still getting used to the way the Montgomerys touched, the way they were constantly huggingand making sure that the people around them knew that they were cared for andthought of.

The Gallaghers and Max had beenthe same way. Max was always holding her, brushing her hair away from her face.He was constantly touching her, showing her that he loved her.

She missed him with every passing hour and thought of himevery single day. She would think about him for the rest of her life,regardless if she went on dates with other people, no matter that she wasthinking about Ryan.

Max would always be a part of her. Trying to find out whoshe was in this new life of hers had already taken its toll.

“Okay, what are you thinking about?” Adrienne moved closer,and Abby could hear the worry in the other woman’s voice.

Abby shook her head, organizing the tea canisters in frontof her. “Nothing. Or maybe too much.”

“Is Julia okay? Are you?”

“She’s fine. A little hyper since I let her have too muchsugar this morning because I was feeling bad.”

Adrienne snorted and then leaned across the counter. “Daisyis the same way sometimes. I think I spoil her more than Mace does, and that’ssaying something.”

“Daisy is anything but spoiled.” Daisy was Mace’s daughterfrom a previous relationship, and she’d just started living with Mace full-timeafter Daisy’s mom left. Now that Adrienne was in Mace’s life as more than justa friend, that meant that Adrienne and Daisy spent their days together now.Abby liked the way the new family seemed to be working, even though they weregoing slow to make sure that Daisy was happy.

But that little girl was perfect. Just like Abby’s daughter.

“I’m okay.” Abby said the words again, mostly to convinceherself, but Adrienne just looked at her.

“And if it’s not the accident, why wouldn’t you be okay?What were you thinking about when I walked in?”

There was something about the way the Montgomery girls spoketo her that always pulled Abby out of her shell. They weren’t harsh, theydidn’t push. But they were always there. Abby was never alone when it came tothe Montgomerys. She knew she should be grateful, andshe was, but she wasn’t sure how she could say these next words.

“I was just thinking about Max.”

Pity didn’t enter Adrienne’s eyes, and for that, Abby wasgrateful. There was a deep sadness there, though. And even though Adrienne hadnever met Max, she had heard enough about him over the last few months to knowwhere Abby was at emotionally. Or at least where she had been before lastnight.

“Do you want to talk about him? Or anything? I don’t have aclient for another hour, so we could sip some tea and just talk.”

Abby looked around, noting that while the store might beempty, she had a few online orders that she needed to take care of. But shecould take ten minutes to talk with her friend. She could use those ten minutesto try and get her thoughts in order.

“I’d like that. But can we just stand out here if that’s okay?I want to be sure I’m here in case a customer walks in.”

“I get it. Ryan and Shep are overat the shop taking care of their own clients. Mace is coming in later, but he’son kid duty today.”

“You know, speaking of kid duty…”