The Old Fashioned Way (A Homespun Romance) (15 page)

There was so much he'd left out.  So much he couldn't bring himself to explain.

Abby looked at Daniel.  The geyser of pain that had shot up inside at his words pooled in her throat.  It was hard to say anything, but she managed to get the words out.  "It wasn't your fault."

Daniel looked at her as if she'd taken leave of her senses.  "What do you mean?"

"The accident," said Abby.  "No matter what you think, it wasn't your fault."

"How can you say that?"  Daniel demanded.  "You weren't there."

"I know you."

Daniel waited for the rest.  Only silence followed.

I know you. 

The simple, direct way Abby said the words, the conviction in her voice, filled him with warmth. 

Abby sat in silence watching Daniel's face.  Deep within her, she knew the accident couldn't have been Daniel's fault. 

"I could have been drunk," Daniel pointed out.

"Except that you don't drink," said Abby.  "Hamish always offers you an after dinner brandy, and you refuse."

"I could have been driving rashly."

"You are too responsible a person to do anything rash."

Abby's faith in him encouraged Daniel to tell her what had really happened.  "Eve was angry with me that evening.  She broke off our engagement on the way to the party," Daniel said slowly.  "I really had no right to do what I did later.  She wanted to leave the party with a stranger but I wouldn't let her.  She was dead drunk.  I couldn't let her go in that state.  On the way home she started arguing again.  When I wouldn't say anything, she grabbed the wheel and the car spun out of control.  If I had let her leave the party with that other man, she wouldn't have died that night."

"You acted in her best interest," Abby said quietly.  "That's all we can do when we care about someone."

"I did care for Eve," said Daniel quietly, "but I didn't love her.  She knew that."

He’d never felt this way before.  He loved Abby and wanted to spend every free minute with her.  Pretending he had something to get from the swap meet was just another excuse to spend more time with her. 

CHAPTER NINE

Daniel put his hand into the back pocket of his running shorts and brought it out empty.  He frowned.  What had he done with the key to the guesthouse?

He retraced the evening.  After dinner he had brushed Princess' coat, then played with her and Muffy for a while.  Later he had watched the news on television.  Calling the realty firm he'd left a message on their answering machine that he would be in the office first thing in the morning to make an offer on the house.  As he'd changed and left for his walk he’d been thinking of the way Abby had looked in the house yesterday.  So exactly right.  For the house.  For him.

Daniel frowned.  Had he forgotten to take his key along?

Hoping he'd left his bedroom window open, Daniel went around the side of the guest house and tried it, but it was firmly shut.  He turned toward the main house, glancing at his watch.  It was just after eight.  He hated disturbing anyone at this hour, but he had no other choice.

"Hello Daniel.  Come in.  You're just in time for a cup of coffee and a piece of pie," Sarah said opening the front door.

"I can't stay," said Daniel quickly.  "I just wondered if I could have a spare key to the guest house.  I seem to have forgotten mine inside."

"Come in for a minute, while I ask Hamish for it," invited Gran.

"We’ve misplaced the spare key," Hamish said in answer to Sarah's question.  "Franz lost it when he painted the bathroom last week and I haven't had another made.  You'll have to sleep here tonight, Daniel, and tomorrow we'll get a locksmith out."

"You can have my room," said Gran.

"Or mine," added Agnes.

"The couch in the living room folds out to make a sleeper," pointed out Hamish.

"It's a good thing your laundry is still here," said Sarah.  "I remember folding a pair of pajamas today."

Daniel sighed.  They insisted on doing his laundry, just as they insisted on doing everything else.  "I hate to inconvenience you.  I could spend the night at the Green Leaf motel."

They couldn't have been more shocked if he'd suggested sleeping outside. 

"Why?  There's a perfectly good bed here," Sarah pointed out.

"I'll make it up for you."  Agnes bustled from the room as if the matter was settled.

"Let me show you the downstairs bathroom," Hamish said.  "It has a shower closet, but if you prefer to take a bath, come upstairs and use our bathroom."

"A shower will be fine," said Daniel quickly.

"There's a new toothbrush in the drawer, and clean towels in the wall closet," Agnes said as she passed them with her hands full of bed linen.  His pajamas rested on top of the pile and Daniel took them from her and thanked her.

After he disappeared into the bathroom, Sarah said, "Oh dear, I forgot to tell him we do have a key for the door that leads into the guest house from the community room.  We used it when he was ill, remember?"

There wasn't the single trace of repentance on her face.  In fact she looked absolutely content with her loss of memory. 

"I forgot too," Agnes chimed in happily.  "After all, what can you expect of us at our age?"

They exchanged smiles filled with mischief before turning to Hamish.

"What about you Hamish?"  Sarah asked.  "You never forget anything."

Hamish picked up his newspaper.  Sometimes it was the only defense he had against the women. 

"I er..well..It just slipped my mind," he mumbled from behind it.

After his shower Daniel picked up his clothes and shoes and padded to the living room.  The sleeper had been pulled out and made up.  Deciding to turn in, Daniel wondered where Abby was.  No one had mentioned her and he hadn't wanted to ask. 

His eyes narrowed at the sight of the glass of milk on the side table beside the queen size sleeper.  His mother had always insisted he drink a big glass of milk at night.  He could picture her so clearly.  Warm, laughing, happy.

For the first time ever, the memory flooded him with warmth, only warmth.  He experienced none of the pain or bitterness that usually accompanied the thoughts of his parents.  They hadn't abandoned him.  Death had cheated them, just as it had cheated him, but nothing could kill the good memories of the time they had spent together.  Strange that it had taken him all these years to see that part of his life in its proper perspective. 

Switching off the light, Daniel slipped into bed.  He wasn't ashamed of the wetness on his cheeks.  It was the first time he had cried for his parents without being angry with them.

It was midnight before Abby looked at the clock on her night stand.  Her neck ached from bending over her work, but she felt good about all she had accomplished today.  Totaling all her purchases had told her she was well within Mrs. G's budget.  At this rate, thought Abby, she might be able to buy that hall table and the mirror she had seen at the outlet plaza for the enormous entry way.  With a huge urn beside it, filled with dried, painted fronds, it would look spectacular.

Abby put a hand up to her mouth as she yawned.  A glass of milk would help relax her keyed up mind.  Getting to her feet, she went to the door.

The first thump woke Daniel.  Opening his eyes he realized he was in Sarah Trenton's living room.  The scent of rose petals drifted to his nostrils from the sheets.  Everything was silent now, but he was sure he hadn't imagined the thump.  A wedge of light flowed into the living room.  Daniel turned over on his front.  Under his fingers, the cool cotton pillowcase felt comfortably soft.  Another thump had him on his feet.  He had to investigate the sound.  Daniel followed the wedge of light into the kitchen.

Abby was bent over reaching for something inside the refrigerator.  Daniel barely noticed the two cans on the shiny kitchen floor.  His gaze was held by a shapely behind clad in something Christmas green and satiny.  Below, a pair of legs went on forever. 

Daniel coughed.  Under the circumstances, it seemed the gentlemanly sort of thing to do.

Abby whirled, clutching a loaf of bread to her chest.

"What are you doing here?"  she gasped.

"I locked myself out of the guest house.  The trio invited me to sleep here tonight."  Daniel's gaze rested on the neckline of the two piece garment Abby wore.  It plunged in a vee, revealing a satisfying expanse of creamy skin.  His hands itched to reach out and brush aside the two thin straps that held the garment up.  He wished the loaf of bread wouldn't obstruct so much of his view.

Aware of the way his heart was pounding, Daniel said nothing, merely continued to look at Abby.

"No one is ever up at this hour."  Abby edged sideways till she was behind the kitchen table

"A noise in here woke me."

"I'm sorry.  I was reaching for the milk. I didn't realize somebody had filled the refrigerator with these cans till they all started falling out.  I think I'll go to bed now."

Daniel watched the way she eyed the door out of the kitchen.  Moving away from it, he said, "Let me get the milk out for you."

When he placed it on the table he saw Abby had exchanged the loaf of bread for a tray.  She held it to her chest as if it were a shield.

"Don't," said Daniel, pouring milk into a mug.

"Don't what?" he heard Abby ask defensively.

"Don't feel embarrassed.  You look beautiful in that."

"Gran gave me this on my birthday."  Abby spoke in a rush, as if to let him know she would never have bought a garment like this herself.

"Sarah has the best taste in the world," Daniel reached for the tray and took it out of Abby's unresisting hands. 

Placing his hand on the curve of her neck, he massaged her collar bone with his thumb.  Abby looked at him like a mongoose hypnotized by a snake.

"Don't," she said stiffly.

"Why not?" asked Daniel.  "Don't you like it?"

Like it?  Abby felt as if only her skin held her jangled system together.  Inside, everything had shattered into a million shards of excitement. 

Daniel's forefinger traced the neckline of Abby's nightwear.  Lightly, casually, lovingly.  A muffled groan escaped Abby as his eyes followed the route his finger took.  His head came up at the sound and Abby saw the reflection of her own heightened tension in his eyes.

She swayed forward, as he leaned towards her.

"Ahem!" said Agnes from the doorway. 

They both sprang apart and turned.  Guilt bounced off their faces, making them look like little children. 

"I need some water to take a sleeping pill," Agnes opened a cabinet and took out a glass.  "I see you can't sleep either."

"I came down for some milk," said Abby quickly.

"I heard a noise and got up to investigate," added Daniel.

Agnes filled a glass with water and turned to stare at them over the rim. 

"Goodnight."  Abby turned and fled without the milk she had come in for.

Daniel made a hasty retreat to the living room and sat on the edge of his bed.

Neither of them heard Agnes chuckle as she went back to her room.  She couldn't wait to tell Sarah what she'd just witnessed.  Not mentioning the other key had worked wonders.

Abby looked out of the window of her room as she ran a shaking hand through her hair.  Picking up a pillow she hugged it to her chest.  Blood pounded through her entire body.

You're beautiful.

No one had made her believe in the words before.  Not in the way Daniel did.  The intensity in his eyes had burned into her brain, rendering her powerless to think. 

Daniel lay down and stared at the ceiling.  Had he gone mad?  If Agnes hadn't arrived when she had, he would have picked Abby up and carried her off to bed.  The thought of her in his arms, her green eyes hazed with passion, made Daniel groan.

He hadn't meant to scare her.  Knowing Abby, what had happened tonight would be enough for her to put on a repeat performance of her turtle act.  Pull back into the shell she had constructed for herself.  He had to get to her before she did that.

Abby was surprised to see Daniel by her van when she came out the next morning.  Princess and Muffy were with him.  To all intents and purposes he was throwing old tennis balls for the dogs to fetch.  Instinct told Abby he was waiting for her. 

"Hi Abby," Daniel said as she paused on the step.  Reminded of the way he'd looked at her last night made a pulse throb in Abby's throat.  "Hi."

"I want to talk to you." 

His voice gave nothing away but suddenly Abby remembered how his hand had felt against her skin.  Heat flooded her.  Pulling her jacket tighter around her she said, "What about?"

"W..would you like to go to a concert with me Saturday night?"

The only other time she'd heard Daniel stammer was when he'd come into The Busy Bee for the first time.

"I can't, Saturday night," Abby said.  "It's Nan Harper's anniversary and I agreed to stay with her father, while she and her husband go out for dinner and a movie."

And if it hadn't been sitting with Fred Harper, it would have been something else.  Daniel could recite the list by heart.  Taking someone's dog to the vet, giving a haircut, reading to someone, or simply keeping a bedside vigil.

Daniel took a deep breath, let it out slowly.  It didn't cool his temper any.  "When are you going to stop hiding behind all these people you help, Abby?"

Abby felt the color rise in her face.  "I'm not hiding behind anyone."

"Yes, you are.  You're scared to come out with me.  Going back to the work you love doing has been a small step up, but you've still got your personal feelings locked away in cold storage."

Why had she ever thought Daniel Hawthorn was kind and understanding?

"My feelings are my business."  Abby was furious.  She only hoped Daniel wouldn't mistake the tears of rage in her eyes for anything else.  "If my feelings are in cold storage, they're there for a good reason.  No one has the right to tell me when I should bring them out, least of all you.  You're here to help The Busy Bee, not me.  You might want to keep that in mind."

Halfway to Mrs. G's house, Abby's anger began to fade.  Fairness insisted she was just upset because Daniel was right.  She had locked her feelings away and hidden behind people to avoid him in the beginning.  But not this time.  If Nan hadn't asked her to sit with Fred, she would have loved to go to the concert with Daniel.

Abby ran a hand through her hair.  The man was impossible. 

You went and blew it, Hawthorn.  Blew it sky high.

Daniel wished he hadn't been so rough with Abby.  He had sounded like a class one jerk.  Maybe he should take her advice and concentrate on the store.  As Abby had pointed out, that was why he was here in the first place. 

The flowers were delivered in the middle of the morning.  Daniel answered the knock on the door of the office with an absent minded, "Yes?"

The door opened, but no one said anything.  He looked up.  Sarah and Agnes stood there, beaming smiles on their faces.