My Only One (14 page)

Glancing at her watch, Abby realized in another half hour, the show would be over and they’d be going home.
Home.
The word sounded so good to Abby. Right now, what she needed was some peace and quiet—with Alec.

* * *

O
N BOARD THEIR FLIGHT FOR
Washington, D.C., Abby finally relaxed. Alec sat to her left, dressed in civilian attire. On her right was Tim Atkin, who was in uniform. The appearance on
Donahue
had been an intense hour of roller-coaster emotions for her. She hadn’t had a moment’s time alone with Alec since then, surrounded and hounded by reporters and television news people. Closing her eyes, she felt Alec’s hand on hers.

“You should be proud, Abby. The audience were on your side.”

She barely opened her eyes and squeezed his hand. “No small thanks to you. I was coming unglued. Every time Turner and I get in the same room, it’s like fire and gasoline together.”

Tim grinned. “Alec, you definitely saved the day. That Native American approach was dynamite! The audience really went for it. I was impressed.”

“It was excellent,” Abby agreed tiredly. “And just the right idea before I got up and ripped Monica Turner’s heart out of her body.”

Laughing, Alec patted her hand. “You wouldn’t have done that.”

“No, but the urge was there, believe me. I can’t stand these politicos from the Hill that faithfully recite administration rhetoric. That’s all it is. I can’t stand it!”

“For the next four days, you’ve got Alec all to yourself,” Tim teased. “Except for all the interviews that are going to spin off as a consequence of the two talk shows.”

“Sure,” Abby groaned, “our privacy is shot to ribbons.”

“I might have a way to get you away from the hounding press the last night you’re with us, Alec,” Tim suggested.

Abby saw the glint in his eyes. “Okay, Tim, you’re up to something again, as usual. What is it?”

His smile broadened. “You wanted me to meet your friend Susan for dinner at your apartment tomorrow night, right?”

“Right.”

“Well, the
Eagle,
the Coast Guard Academy’s tall ship, is in town for some official events. It’s anchored at a pier in the Potomac. If Susan and I hit it off tomorrow night, I could wrangle a dinner invitation aboard the
Eagle
as an excuse for a second date with her. Besides, it would give Alec a chance to see a beautiful ship and have a nice place for you two to be alone for a while afterward.”

“That’s a great idea for a quiet dinner,
and,
” Abby emphasized, “a second date with Susan.”

“If,” Tim countered, “things work out between us. The idea popped into my head because I was looking for a way for you two to enjoy your last evening together—with privacy.”

Abby was grateful. “Thanks, Tim.”

Her heart contracted at the thought of Alec having to leave. Alec’s hand was still on hers, and it felt good and right. In four days, she was going to lose his calm, steadying presence, his laughter and most of all, his sense of dry humor.

* * *

A
LEC STOOD BACK
,
ADMIRING
the crystal-and-china place settings on the table at Abby’s apartment near Washington. Her second home was as large as her Alaskan apartment and just as intimate. The carpet was wall-to-wall and a dusky-rose color. The drapes were pale pink and the furniture was brightly colored with flower designs. The dining area was a part of the kitchen, not really formal at all, Abby assured him. She was like a flighty bird moving between the stove and the table, wanting to make everything look just right for Susan and Tim’s forthcoming first meeting.

Tim had arrived minutes earlier dressed in a conservative gray business suit. Alec wondered if he should have dressed more formally for the occasion, but Abby shook her head. He looked so handsome in his new jeans. Abby was in a pair of dark green slacks, a mint green blouse set off with a multicolored scarf. On her, Alec thought the outfit looked stunning. Her hair was held back in what looked like a horse’s mane and he liked the effect because it made Abby look wild and free, which was her nature.

When the doorbell rang, Abby answered the door. Both men were standing in the living area, wineglasses in hand, their focus immediate. Abby’s heart speeded up. She knew Susan was reluctantly coming to dinner to meet Tim, and doing it only because Abby had begged her to come.

“Hi,” Abby greeted Susan and Courtney breathlessly as she opened the door. Susan, who stood five-feet six-inches tall, smiled nervously. She wore a long light wool skirt of dark brown set off with an ivory blouse with a green and gold scarf at the throat.

“Hi, yourself. I’m sorry we’re a little late,” Susan apologized, smiling down at Courtney. “But a girl likes to take her time with a new dress, you know.”

Abby leaned down and hugged Courtney, who willingly came from behind her mother’s long brown skirt. “You look beautiful in your new pink dress! How pretty you look, sweetheart.” She kissed Courtney’s cheek. The girl had dark brown hair and blue eyes just like her mother’s. Abby was always amazed at how much they resembled each other. Susan had braided her daughter’s thin hair into two small pigtails that were tied off with Cookie Monster barrettes.

“Hi, Aunt Abby,” Courtney said shyly. She held up her favorite stuffed toy. “Look, I got Wendy the Whale with me.”

Abby grinned. She’d bought Wendy for Courtney last year when she was at Sea World for vacation in San Diego. “Why, Wendy looks so happy to be with you. Do you still sleep with her every night?”

Susan nodded. “Sure does. And just like you promised, Wendy keeps the bad dreams away from her.”

Touched, Abby led them into the living room. She saw how terribly awkward Susan really was around men. Putting on a brave front, Susan nervously smiled and shook hands with Tim, who was the epitome of a gentleman. It was obvious that Tim liked Susan very much. Worried, Abby watched Courtney, who was hiding behind her mother’s skirt watching Tim and Alec through wary eyes.

“Honey,” Susan whispered, placing her hand on her daughter’s pigtailed hair, “I want you to meet Lieutenant Tim Atkin from the Coast Guard.” Susan gave Tim a look that spoke volumes, that said she hoped he understood her daughter’s painful shyness.

Tim crouched down and gave her a warm smile. A few feet away, Courtney held her mother’s skirt in both her small fists, hiding behind it. “Hiya, Squirt. Hey, you know when I found out you liked animals from the sea, I thought you might like this.” He pulled a small stuffed toy from the pocket of his suit coat. “This is Wally the Whale, Wendy’s mate.” He slowly offered the toy to Courtney. “When Abby told me about Wendy, I figured you might like to have Wally, too.”

Courtney’s eyes widened. She looked up at her mother.

Susan laughed delightedly. “Go ahead, honey.”

One small hand released Susan’s skirt and reached up to the toy. Her tiny fingers wrapped gently around Wally. The instant she had the stuffed toy, she quickly stepped back behind her mother for safety.

Tim grinned and stood up, his gaze on Susan. “She’s a beautiful little girl. You must be very proud of her.”

Blushing, Susan hugged her daughter. “Courtney’s very special to me. I just don’t have the time to spend with her I’d like, though.”

Tim nodded, understanding. “Quality time with anyone is everyone’s problem these days,” he agreed.

Thrilled that Courtney accepted the gift from Tim, Abby turned away. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. Tim didn’t realize how much the little girl trusted him to do what she’d just done. But Susan did, because her eyes were misty looking, too. As Abby went into the kitchen, she hoped Susan realized just how special a man Tim Atkin really was.

Alec quietly approached Abby. He placed his hand on her shoulder as she busied herself with carving the yankee pot roast. Although she was vegetarian, she didn’t expect her friends to eat her kind of food, so had prepared a meat meal for them.

“Are you all right?” he asked, bending over to look at her.

“Sure….” Abby sniffed. “It’s just that Susan and Courtney have gone through so much. I didn’t know what to expect from Courtney when she was introduced to Tim. Usually, she cries and wants to go home.”

“She didn’t with me the other day when you introduced us,” Alec said gently, massaging her tense shoulders and neck.

Abby smiled up at him through a wall of tears. “No, but then, you’re special, too. A wounded animal, or a wounded human being can unconsciously sense when someone is kind and gentle. You and Tim are like that, you know.”

“I’ll settle for being special in your eyes,” Alec whispered, and he turned her around so that he could wipe the last traces of her tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs. “There.”

Being in the circle of Alec’s arms was the most natural thing in the world to Abby. His sensitivity to her, to everyone, was incredible.

Wiping her hands on the dishcloth, Abby whispered, “Will you help me put the food on the table?”

“Of course.” Alec glanced over his shoulder and looked into the living room. “Ah, good. Tim and Susan are sitting on the couch together. He just poured her some wine.”

Abby reached up and embraced Alec. She gave him a brief hug. “And you accuse
me
of matchmaking. You’re just as bad as I am, Captain Rostov!”

“Guilty as charged,” he chuckled, hugging her back, wanting more, much more, but knowing now was not the time or place.

* * *

“O
H
, A
BBY
,
THE POT ROAST
was delicious. I’m stuffed like the proverbial turkey,” Susan sighed. She smiled at her daughter, who had also cleaned up her plate. Courtney had both her pet whales on the table next to her.

Tim patted his stomach, having taken off his suit coat a long time ago, his shirt sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows and the collar of his shirt opened at the throat, minus the tie. “I’ll second that. Hey, Squirt, I bet Wally and Wendy are stuffed up to their gills. What do you think?”

Courtney’s eyebrows rose and she craned her neck to closely study her toy friends. “Dunno,” she muttered.

“You might press on their tummies and see,” Tim suggested.

Susan’s eyes mirrored disbelief when her daughter did exactly as Tim suggested. She looked over at the Coast Guard officer as if to silently ask what kind of magic he wielded with her daughter. Tim smiled shyly.

“I’m the youngest of a family of five children,” he explained to Susan, reading the question in her eyes. “I’ve got two older brothers in the Coast Guard, and my father was a navy pilot for twenty-five years before that. I remember all the tricks they played on me to get me to do something when I didn’t want to do it.”

Abby laughed softly. She watched as Courtney lifted her chin and studied Tim critically. There was something about the Coast Guard officer that imbued her with trust, if only a little bit. Glancing at Susan, Abby saw gratefulness and something else mirrored in her best friend’s eyes. Abby liked what she saw in them and happily stood up.

“Everyone except Alec out of the kitchen! I’m serving cherry pie with vanilla ice cream in the living room. Coffee for the adults, and milk for Courtney!”

Tim got up, quickly moved to Susan’s chair and pulled it out for her.

“Why…thank you.”

“Chivalry,” Tim told her in a conspiratorial tone, “didn’t die in the Coast Guard like it did everywhere else when feminism came in.”

Blushing, Susan murmured, “Nobody has ever done this for me.” And then she laughed softly. “You’re spoiling me, Tim.”

Before Abby could warn Tim, he stepped around to Courtney’s chair.

“May I help you, Wendy and Wally away from the table?” Tim asked. “You know, they teach us academy graduates to always mind our manners, that we’re supposed to help ladies—and whales—away from the table after dinner. May I?”

Courtney nodded, picked up her two friends and allowed Tim to pull the chair away from the table. She slid off and walked over to her mother.

“Amazing,” Susan said, looking over at Tim in complete awe.

“But wonderful,” Abby whispered, thrilled with Courtney’s acceptance of Tim. “Shoo! All of you, out of the kitchen! Alec, cut the pie for me while I clear dishes?”

“Of course.”

The kitchen quieted in a few moments. Alec dutifully cut thick portions of the pie and then added the vanilla ice cream to the top of each one. Abby was rinsing the dishes and placing them in the dishwasher.

“Did you see Susan’s face when Tim helped her from the table?” Abby asked. “She was about ready to drop over in a faint!”

“I saw other things in her eyes, too,” Alec told her in a conspiratorial tone.

With a grin, Abby whispered, “Do you think there’s hope for them?”

Picking up the plates, Alec nodded. “Like Siskel and Ebert, I’ll give their budding relationship two thumbs-up.”

Laughing, Abby followed Alec into the living room with dessert in hand. He’d gotten a chance to watch some television the other evening, and the movie reviewers, Siskel and Ebert, had been enthusiastically giving their opinions on newly released films. He also liked
Entertainment Tonight,
and faithfully recited to Abby that Tom Cruise was getting married to Mimi Rogers, and that Rita Hayworth, a great actress, had died. Alec caught on fast to Americana, Abby decided warmly.

As she entered the living room, Abby’s delight multiplied. Courtney was sitting at the coffee table opposite of the couch where Tim and Susan sat. The little girl kept looking at Tim, studying him for long moments at a time, a perplexed but curious look on her small oval features. Abby took that as a positive sign.

“Hey,” Tim called out to them, “Courtney’s decided she, Wendy and Wally want to go on board the
Eagle
with us, four days from now for our farewell dinner with Alec. How about that?”

“Wonderful!” Abby said, handing them the pie. Just the thought that Alec’s last night in the U.S. wasn’t faraway, saddened Abby to a degree she never thought possible. What would her world be like without his presence? Hollow and empty. Trying to put her personal feelings aside for the sake of her company, Abby forced a brave smile and sat with Courtney at the coffee table.