She's the One (Boggy Creek Valley Book 3) Read online

  The three of them all turned and looked at me.

  “That’s the excuse you’re using?” Kyle asked. “You didn’t like the way she kissed?”

  I gave him a half shrug and accepted the green drink from Hunter.

  “You do realize the four of us are pathetic, right?” Adam asked as he reluctantly took the hangover drink too.

  Kyle took his glass, plugged his nose, and drank it all down. He shuddered, then said, “Why? Because each of us had a beautiful woman on our arms last night and could have easily had hot sex, but instead we all left the club alone?”

  “Not alone,” Kyle stated. “We had each other.”

  I turned to Kyle. “Why didn’t you hook up?”

  He lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know. I wasn’t in the mood.”

  The four of us sat there and looked at each other before forcing ourselves to drink the green goop. I would never admit it to Hunter, but I was actually starting to feel better.

  I stood and walked over to the sink to rinse out my glass. Turning to face them, I asked, “Do you guys want to go fishing today? We could go out on a charter boat.”

  Kyle pointed at me. “Yes. Fishing. Count me in.”

  Adam downed the last of the drink and stood. “Fishing sounds good to me too.”

  I looked at Hunter. “You in?”

  He shot me a disbelieving stare. “Have you ever known me to turn down fishing?”

  “Then it’s settled. Let me call Jack, see if he’s got any spots open.”

  Jack was an old high school friend of ours who’d moved to Boston and started his own fishing charter company. He struggled the first few years until his reputation built up. If you wanted to catch the good stuff, Jack knew where to go.

  I headed back into the bedroom and found my phone. I pulled up Jack’s name and hit Call.

  “Bishop freaking Harris. How the hell are you, man?”

  “I’m good,” I said with a laugh. “Listen, I’m in town with Kyle, Hunter, and Adam. Do you have any open spots today on one of your charters?”

  “I’ll do you one better. I’m off today; let me take you out on my boat. Don’t worry, I’ve got poles and tackle—you four just need to show up.”

  “Are you serious? We’ll pay you, of course.”

  Jack let out a roar of laughter. “Are you kidding me? I’d love to hang out with you guys. Just come on down to the shop. Give me about an hour to load up my boat, and I’ll meet you guys there.”

  “Sounds good. See you soon, Jack.”

  When I walked back out into the living room, no one was there. I saw Hunter out on the balcony, so I headed that way. “Hey, where did Adam and Kyle go?”

  He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Kyle is taking a shower, and Adam ran down to get one of his fancy coffees at the café in the lobby.”

  Smiling, I sat down on one of the balcony chairs. Hunter was leaning on the railing with his forearms, staring out over the city. Mid-October in New England was one of my favorite times of the year. The fall leaves were at their peak and just starting to drop. It was even evident in a big city like Boston. There was still plenty of yellow and orange dotted across the skyline. But in just a few weeks, all the leaves will have fallen and winter will set in.

  I rubbed at the back of my neck to ease the tension. I also hated this time of year. I should be somewhere with Abby, celebrating our life together. Instead, I was in Boston trying to forget about her, and no amount of alcohol or women would help. I had tried both one too many times to think either would ever work.

  “Do you ever stop wondering why Arabella broke up with you?”

  Hunter turned and leaned against the railing to look at me.

  I went on when he didn’t answer. “I mean, it’s been how many years now? Since our senior year of college?”

  He exhaled. “Almost eleven years. And no, I never stop wondering why. The last two years, she’s talked to me, at least, and not treated me like a casual friend. I’m glad to see she’s not hiding at the apiary. Willa’s had a lot to do with that. I know she and Greer are close as well. She also told me how angry she was with Abby for leaving.”

  “Yeah, join the club, Arabella.”

  Hunter smiled softly.

  A comfortable silence settled between us. Hunter never asked questions about why I thought Abby had left. All I had ever told anyone was that she’d left. Just up and left, no reason why. Which she had, I just wasn’t sure why.

  Part of that was true. She never did tell me why she wanted a divorce, but then again, we’d both stopped trying to communicate with each other by that point. For me, it had been my damn pride.

  Hunter sat down next to me, and we both stared out over the city.

  “Abby was pregnant.”

  I could feel, more than see, Hunter turn and look at me. “When she left?”

  Shaking my head, I leaned forward and rested my arms on my legs. “No. About a month or so before she left me, she had a miscarriage.”

  “Christ, Bishop, I…I never knew.”

  I turned my head and gave him a knowing smile. “I know. We never told anyone she was expecting except for our folks. We wanted to wait until she was out of the first trimester. The day it happened was the same day we were planning on telling everyone. Remember that barbeque we planned and then had to cancel because I said Abby wasn’t feeling well?”

  He nodded.

  I looked away.

  “Oh God. Why didn’t you tell us?”

  Closing my eyes, I counted to ten. Those old familiar feelings of confusion and sadness rushed back and hit me right in the chest. “I…I wanted to,” I said, once again looking out over the city. “Abby didn’t. She didn’t want people to look at her with pity in their eyes or ask questions. She thought she’d done something wrong. Blamed herself for losing the baby. She was eleven weeks along.”

  Hunter remained silent while I attempted to keep my emotions in check.

  “The first few days all she did was cry. I held her, told her I loved her, because I didn’t know what else to do. The next week, she completely withdrew from me and her folks. Sat in our bedroom and just stared out the window. I begged her to go see a therapist, and she said no. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I asked my folks. My mom told me if Abby wouldn’t go, then I needed to.”

  I sat back and sighed. “As much as I hated to see Abby upset, I was tired of giving support when I also needed it myself. She hadn’t been the only one who’d suffered a loss. But Abby wouldn’t talk about it at all. I broke down once—it was the day after it happened. My folks came to the house and I just…I just cried. Hell, I was fucking sad, too, you know?”

  Hunter nodded.

  “I thought Abby was out in the greenhouse; it was the only reason I let myself fall apart. She walked into the room and saw my mother holding on to me, and she turned and locked herself in our bedroom for hours. Wouldn’t talk to me, my mom, dad…no one.”

  “Did you go see anyone?” Hunter asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah. And they told me to be patient with her. I was, Hunter. I didn’t push, I didn’t press her to talk about it. I gave her time and space. Looking back, I think that was my first mistake. We needed to grieve together, not apart. I hate myself for doing it. I think she thought I was mad at her or tired of her. I don’t know. I’ve gone over it again and again the last two years, and I end up back at the same place. Pissed off and confused.”

  “Damn, Bishop. I didn’t know. You know I would have been there, for both of you. Kyle, Adam…hell, even Aiden would have come back home.”

  I wasn’t sure how I had lucked out with my friends. They were more like brothers to me. Looking at Hunter, I smiled. “I know. You guys were there for me, though, when Abby left.”

  “I don’t get it. Did she blame you? Is that why she left?”

  I shrugged. “No, I don’t think so. That first week, she blamed herself. Then, the night before she left, she came to me. We slept together for the first time since she’d
lost the baby. A part of me knew something was wrong. God, I felt it down to my bones. But I ignored it. I was just so happy to have my wife back. My best friend. She left the next day…and you know the rest of the story.”

  Hunter sighed. “Sounds a whole lot like mine. No reason, no explanation. Just…we’re finished.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t heard from Abby in over a year. I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn’t talk to me; then she did try to talk to me, and I was angry and wouldn’t talk to her. It was a fucked-up game that I think we both got tired of playing. I started to feel guilty.”

  “About what?”

  I glanced back out over the city. “The women. Abby had been the only woman I’d ever slept with. I think a part of me felt ashamed for sleeping with other women, and that was why I just stopped trying. It’s stupid. I’m sure Abby’s been with other men. Dated or whatever. I don’t know.”

  Hunter crossed his arms over his chest. “I felt that way for a while after Arabella. Then I just sort of became numb. Every woman I’ve ever been with has never meant anything. The longest I’ve been with one woman was Brighton, but that was just for fun, a way for me to try to move on, and nothing ever panned out with it. I like Bree, but as a friend more than anything. It was nice to be with just one person for a bit, and I wanted to forget about Arabella for a while.”

  “Shit, it’s all fucked up.”

  Hunter sighed. “Yeah, it is.”

  “Kyle knows about the baby. He picked me up at Mic’s Place the night I got the divorce papers.”

  “That rundown bar outside of town?”

  “Yeah. I got so drunk, the bartender pulled up the last person I’d called on my phone and it happened to be Kyle. He got me home, then stayed with me all night. At some point, I mentioned the miscarriage. He asked me about it the next morning when I woke up.”

  “Why didn’t you tell the rest of us?” Hunter asked.

  “Hell, I don’t know. Maybe talking about it hurt too much. Plus, Abby hadn’t told anyone, and I guess I was hiding it out of respect for her.”

  “She never told Arabella she was pregnant? Greer? They were all friends.”

  I shook my head. “No. At least, I don’t think so. Greer has never once mentioned it. I don’t talk to Arabella that often. She’s super sweet when I do run into her or stop by the apiary, though.”

  “Greer told Kyle how hurt she was that Abby stopped talking to her. Arabella, of course, pulled back from everyone when she pulled back from me.”

  Our gazes met. “Hunter, do you think something happened to her while she was at school?”

  I could see it on his face. A mixture of hurt and anger in his eyes. It was a look I had seen often in the mirror. He gave me a small nod. “Yeah, I do. I don’t know if she met someone and cheated and then felt guilty, or if it was…”

  His voice trailed off.

  Hunter cleared his voice and went on. “I asked her folks once, and they told me it was between me and Arabella, and that if she wanted to talk to me about her reasons for the breakup, she would. I left it alone after that. I could tell James and Sharon were just as upset as I was, and the last thing I wanted to do was put them in the middle of it all. They were like my second parents.”

  I nodded. “That’s how I feel about Pete and Crystal. I stopped asking them when it became clear they were just as hurt. I mean, Abby up and left them as well.”

  “How’s the flower farm doing?”

  “Good, I guess.” I stared out at the sun reflecting off the buildings in front of us and wondered if Abby could possibly be in one of them. “I try to give them a call about once a month. Pete texts to let me know when Abby’s in Boggy Creek, because I used to just stop by. I don’t anymore; now I just run into them around town once in a while. Sucks, really. I miss visiting them.”

  “Has Abby been back lately?”

  Shaking my head, I replied, “Not that I know of. Pete hasn’t texted me. He was pretty angry with Abby. She pissed off a lot of people by leaving, not just me.”

  Hunter dropped his head back on the chair. “Women. Christ Almighty. My heart still feels like it beats for Arabella no matter how many times I tell myself I feel nothing toward her. A few months back, I stopped by the apiary. Seeing her…it breaks my fucking heart. Maybe you’re better off with Abby not being in Boggy Creek.”

  I let out a frustrated breath. “What in the hell do we do now?”

  Hunter laughed gruffly. “If I remember right, we made a vow last night to move on. Seeing as I’m clearly never going to settle down with anyone, I don’t think I’ve mastered that one yet.”

  Fuck my life. If Hunter still wasn’t able to move on from Arabella nearly eleven years later, how in the hell would I ever do it?

  I stood and hit the side of his arm. “Come on, we’ve got a fishing boat to catch.”

  Abby

  I stood in front of the large picture window in Carol’s condo and stared out over the bay. The slow movement of the water had always made me feel at peace, and Carol had one of the best views of the Boston harbor. A strange feeling spread throughout my body, and if I didn’t know any better, I would swear Bishop was in the same room as me.

  Shaking the feeling away, I focused on a boat that was heading out, most likely a fishing charter. The way the bay captured the sunrays made it look like bursts of light coming off the water, and as the boat went through, it left a clear path in its wake. The water had always had a calming effect on me. It was one of the reasons I’d stayed in Boston. I would sit for hours and just stare off into the ocean. Bishop and I took a fishing charter on our honeymoon, and I had never had so much fun. The ocean always reminded me of Bishop.

  “What are you thinking about, Abby?”

  I closed my eyes and fought to keep my tears back. Carol was one of the first people I’d met when I made the move to Boston.

  No, when I ran away to Boston.

  She was a couple’s therapist, although at the time, I hadn’t known that. We’d met at a beginners’ knitting class. I went to keep my mind busy; Carol went to slow hers down.

  Sighing, I spun around and leaned against the window seat. “What do you think?”

  She smiled. “Did you give any thought to what we talked about last week?”

  I nodded. Carol tried her best not to “treat” me, but sometimes the therapist in her came out. Truth be told, she’d been a godsend. Looking back now, I could see that. I had buried so much, and she had slowly gotten me to open up and talk about things over the last year and a half. I never did go to her for official sessions, but she’d helped me in more ways than one.

  “And?” she asked with one raised brow.

  “I didn’t call him. He stopped calling me so long ago, I doubt he’d even take my call. He was so angry at the divorce hearing.” I blew out a breath. “Besides, this isn’t something I feel like I can do over the phone. I need to talk to him in person.”

  She nodded. “I know that, and I agree with you. What happened when you went to Boggy Creek that one time to talk to him? You never told me. You came back and simply said he’d moved on, and you needed to as well. What changed your mind because when you left, you were hell-bent on talking to him and working things out. What happened?”

  I chewed on my thumbnail before I realized what I was doing. I dropped my hands and let them hang down at my sides. Swallowing hard, I ignored her observation. “I, um…I never talked to him, no. But I did see him, and he was with someone.”

  She raised a single brow. “With someone? As in dating?”

  Looking away, I shrugged. “They sure didn’t seem like they were just having a friendly chat.”

  “I see,” she said softly. “That explains your sadness when you came back to Boston.”

  It was time to change the subject. The last thing I wanted to talk about was seeing Bishop with another woman. “I called my parents last night and told them I was moving back home as soon as I found someone to sublet my place.”

&n
bsp; A grin appeared on Carol’s face. “What did they say?”

  “They were happy, of course. My mother was more excited, my father a bit rougher around the edges.”

  Her grin turned to a slight frown. “As expected. You did up and leave them high and dry to run the flower farm on their own.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the reminder.”

  “That’s what friends are for. Did you happen to call any of your old friends, since you didn’t call Bishop?”

  “No,” I whispered.

  “Why not?”

  I gave a half shrug. “Mostly because I’m afraid they won’t want to talk to me. Or maybe I’m afraid they’ll tell me something about Bishop I don’t really want to know.”

  “But if you move back and Bishop is with someone else, you need to deal with that. Are you going to be able to deal with that, Abby?”

  Swallowing hard, I answered, “I think so. I mean, I have to, right? That’s why I’m going home. I can’t keep living my life like this, pretending I’m okay. The only way I can move on is to go back and face what I was running away from. I hope that Bishop will at least let me talk to him, to apologize for what I did. Maybe he’ll let me explain, or maybe he’ll tell me to fuck off.”

  Carol laughed. “I’m glad you’re being realistic. I don’t think he’ll tell you to fuck off, but you need to be prepared for him to be angry.”

  I wrapped my arms around my body when a sudden chill caused me to shiver. “I know.”

  “Can you ask your folks if he’s with someone?”

  The back of my eyes stung with the unshed tears I forced away. “I think I should know what I’m walking back into. I don’t expect that he sat around and waited. Especially since I made the biggest mistake of my life when I divorced him.”

  Carol turned from where she’d been making lasagna. She grabbed a towel and dried off her hands. Oh Lord, she was about to put on her therapist hat. “Tell me, Abby—if he is with someone, what will you do?”

  I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” she asked. “By your own admission, leaving him was a mistake, the divorce was a mistake, and you still love him. You want to tell him why you left.”