Cash sat back and took in a breath through his nose, trying to find patience then he said, “All right, Jenny, then you’ve earned the right to know that, now, it’s me who’s restoring her treasured family home. It’s me who’s going to sort her latest financial disaster. And, for the foreseeable future, it’ll be my house you come to if you want to see your friend. Further, it’ll be me who gives Abby the life she deserves and it’ll be me who makes certain she carries on with that life even if I’m not in it. To make certain I’m clear, there will be no pieces to pick up. I’ll take care of her while she’s in my life and I’ll be certain she’s taken care of when she’s no longer in it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I haven’t gotten through to you at all, have I?”
“No, what’s gotten through is you’re intent on enabling the fear that’s keeping Abby from living her life,” Cash answered.
“Right,” she stood and glared down at him, “and I should encourage her to fall head over heels for some guy who’d pay for sex and who calmly sits there and tells me he’s going to keep doing it but in a nicer way, of course.”
Rage shot through him at her words but with some effort Cash remained seated and held her angry gaze. “Actually, what I’m telling you is that you shouldn’t stand in my way.”
“Is that a threat?” she snapped.
“No,” Cash replied truthfully and it wasn’t. Cash didn’t believe in threats. He felt strongly that you never threatened anything you had no intention of doing.
The truth was, if Jenny stood in his way with Abby, best friend or not, he’d show no remorse in getting what he wanted or in this case keeping what he had.
Jenny stared at him, her chest rising and falling quickly with her breathing.
Cash stared back coolly but he was still very angry.
Finally, she clipped, “Fine,” then she walked to the door but turned to him and declared, “I’d prefer Abby didn’t know we had this little chat.”
“I’ll not lie to Abby,” he told her, watched as she pulled her lips between her teeth and relented, “However, I also won’t tell her unless she asks.”
She nodded jerkily and put her hand on the doorknob and something Cash couldn’t control or explain made him ask, “Why don’t you want her to be happy?”
Jenny turned back to him, her face the picture of stunned, hurt surprise, and she whispered, “Of course I want her to be happy.”
Cash’s voice gentled when he assured her, “Jenny, I can make her happy.”
Jenny’s expression melted to one of thoughtful concern. “Yes, Cash. You already are” Cash felt her words hit him like strangely pleasant, velvet-gloved blows, but she went on. “But for how long? You want to give her the life she deserves? That isn’t a life filled with cashmere robes and diamond bracelets. That’s a life filled with happiness. If you take a part of her life, she might be missing out on someone who doesn’t start his relationship with her talking about when he’ll no longer be in it. And, that also means, however long you two last, somewhere along the line she has to start again.” Her voice pitched lower as her verbal blows became far less pleasant, in fact, they felt like jabbing knifepoints piercing his skin. “She’s had to start again enough, Cash. Don’t you think?”
With that, she opened the door and was gone.
And Cash stared at the door long after she’d gone, knowing and hating the knowledge that she was right.
Some time later, another knock came at the door and he tensed but this time it was Abby telling him their guests were leaving.
He’d walked to the front door with her to bid their guests goodnight. Jenny did well, giving him a cheek touch and a squeeze of the arm, indicating to those who might be watching that all was well between Abby’s best friend and her boyfriend.
He closed and locked the door and by the time he turned around, Abby had wandered down the hall. He followed her and found her in the spotless kitchen, getting a glass.
He stood at the end of the counter watching her fill the glass with water then she walked to him and grabbed her purse that was sitting on the counter by his hip.
“Abby,” he called, not certain what he meant to say, just knowing something needed to be said, but she was rooting through her purse.
“Mm?” she mumbled, pulling a small, thin, gold case out of her purse and opening it.
“Did you have a good night?” he asked softly and watched with rising unease as she selected four identical pills from the case, flipped the case shut and dropped it into her bag.
“Yes,” she answered distractedly and picked up her water.
“What’s that?” he enquired as her fingers closed around the pills.
“Ibuprofen,” she replied and started to lift her hand to her mouth but his own shot out and caught hers firmly at the wrist.
Her eyes flew to his and her brows drew together. “Cash.”
“The usual dose of ibuprofen is two tablets,” he told her.
“I know, but –”
His thumb moved along her palm, forcing her fist open. “Then take two.”
She was looking at him quizzically. “Two isn’t enough.”
He placed his other hand under both of theirs, turned her wrist and the tablets fell out of her now-opened palm into his own. He took two tablets and gave them to her, his fingers closing around the other two.
She accepted them but her gaze was still on his. “Cash, I’m telling you, two isn’t enough. Three isn’t enough. Only four will work.”
His eyes moved over her face and he saw she looked slightly pale and had a not-very-Abby-like pinched look to her mouth.
“Do you have a headache?” he asked.
“No,” she answered.
“What’s the matter?” he pressed when she gave no further explanation.
“I’d rather not say.”
“Do you often take double the recommended dose of medication?” he pushed.
“No, I don’t often take medication. Cash, I don’t get it, what’s the big deal?”
Cash sighed before saying, “Abby, if you tell me what’s the matter, I can call Tim and ask him what you should do about it.”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re not calling Tim about this!”
“What is it?”
“I’d rather not say.”
His hand came to her neck and he put pressure there while saying warningly, “Abby.”
“I’ve got cramps, all right?” Her eyes rolled to the ceiling and she breathed, “Geez.”
Even with his mind filled alternately with the vision of a panic-stricken Abby somehow gracefully flying toward him in high heels outside an A&E and the disquieting conversation he’d had with her best friend, Cash still couldn’t stop himself from roaring with laughter.
While laughing, he used his hand to guide her close until he felt her hips against his. When he was done, he looked down at her and she was scowling at him.
“Cramps aren’t funny,” she informed him irritably.
His hand moved from her neck, down her back to circle her waist.
“I’m sorry, darling. Are you in a lot of pain?”
“Yes,” she snapped.
He gave her a squeeze. “Does it happen every month?”
“No,” she replied shortly, “every other month. Apparently I have a testy ovary. Now can we stop talking about this?”
He smiled while he told her, “It’s perfectly natural.”
“Yes, I am aware of that, Cash Fraser,” she retorted. “I still would rather not talk to my new boyfriend about period cramps. Jenny, I could talk to, but I don’t converse with Pete, my handyman, who was also my grandmother’s handyman, who I’ve known since I can remember, about period cramps. Okay?” Cash kept smiling at her and she heaved an enormous sigh before asking, “Can I have my tablets please?”