“Hey, I want in on that action, baby.” All too soon, Sam was turning Abby’s head toward him and taking her mouth with his own.
, Jack didn’t feel a surge of jealousy as Sam’s mouth slanted over Abby’s. Watching his best friend with their woman just made Jack hot. Jack let his hands find her amazing breasts. He slipped his hand up and cupped them through the green satin of her dress, satisfied with the way the nipples pebbled for him. All he had to do was push the bodice down and he could have them in his mouth. If he pushed the dress up, he could go down on his knees and taste her sweet pussy. Jack decided he really liked the dress. Abby should wear dresses more often. They were awfully convenient.
“Hey, someone said something about feeding me.” Abby pulled away from Sam. Her tone was light and teasing. “This is our first official date, misters. I will not have it be said that I’m easy.”
Sam grinned down at her. “You might not be easy, baby, but I assure you I am hard.”
Abby kissed him affectionately on the cheek as she righted her dress and grabbed her little purse. “You’re always hard, Sam. I’m coming to rely on the fact.” She grabbed Jack’s tie and smoothed it down. “You look too good tonight to stay in. You’re not distracting me. I want my night out.” Jack tried hard not to blush when Abby complimented him.
“Whoa, there!” Sam struck a pose. “I would like to point out that I am the good-looking one in this partnership. And the charming one.”
“And the sarcastic one,” Abby finished for him as she opened the door. “And Jack is the dark, sexy, broody one who steals women’s panties.”
“Just yours.” Jack didn’t want her to think he routinely engaged in panty theft. It was something special he did just for her.
Abby’s smile was triumphant. “Well, I found a way around your tendencies toward absconding with my underthings. I’m not wearing any.” With that and a happy laugh, Abby ran toward the Jeep.
Sam immediately ran after her, asking if she was serious, and Jack stood there with a smile on his face. His best friend in the world was chasing their future wife around a tree, swearing he was going to get his hand up her skirt to see if she was lying. All the warmth in the world waited for him. All he had to do was step out the door and he could be a part of it. Jack hesitated. All the warmth was out there, but there was risk involved. It wasn’t just that Abby could leave them or change her mind or fall in love with someone else.
She could die. It happened all the time. His own mother had died when he was six years old, leaving him all alone in the world. Sam’s parents had died. Abby’s husband had passed on. It was inevitable that he would have to deal with it. Abby would die someday and so would Sam. Jack didn’t know how he would ever be able to recover if that happened, but what choice did he have? The way he looked at it, he could take the risk or walk away.
Jack walked through the door. In the end, there was no choice at all to be made. He loved them. That was what mattered.
“Leave Abby alone, Sam,” Jack commanded as he made sure the door was locked. “We’ll find out soon enough what’s under that dress. I promise. Let’s feed her because she’ll need the energy!”
Sam kissed her throat and moved up to her ear. Abby shivered, even in the warm interior of the car. They were sitting in the back of the Jeep with Jack driving. Sam was taking advantage of his “alone time,” as he called it, to make out while they made the hour long drive to town. Abby wasn’t sure she’d be able to last for sixty minutes of Sam’s exquisite torture while they drove into Tyler. They had only been driving for ten minutes and she was ready to push him down and jump on top of him. It would ruin her dress, though. She didn’t want to walk around in a dress that was obviously wrinkled from use.
“Hey, you two, hop out and let them know we’re here,” Jack ordered from the front seat. Abby was aware that he had watched them through the rearview mirror, and she’d caught him smiling at her. The car was stopped in front of an austere-looking building Abby knew only too well. Sam was already opening the car door and getting out.
“Delbert’s?” Abby was a little dazed at the prospect. Delbert’s Steak House was one of two nice restaurants in Willow Fork, though The Treasure Cove hadn’t been around as long. Delbert’s was the place for the wealthy people in town to be seen and the poor people to aspire to go. It was just the type of place Abby had meant to avoid.
“Yes, it’s the nicest place in town.” There was a satisfied look on Jack’s face. “Nothing but the best for you, Abby.”
He looked so happy with himself and earnest that Abby found herself letting Sam pull her out of the car. Sam gave Jack a little salute to let him know he would follow orders, and the Jeep pulled off to go around the building to park.
“Come on, sweetheart.” Sam took her hand to lead her into the building. “We’re a couple of minutes early. Let’s get you warm, and we can wait for Jack in the bar.”
Abby stopped under the elegant green awning. It was lit with pretty little twinkle lights. “I thought we were going into Tyler. You said we were going into town.”
Sam laughed as he immediately saw the problem. “I suppose that is what you would think. Sorry, Jack and I live outside of Willow Fork. We call it town. I’ve heard people here talk about going into town, though. I suppose they do mean Tyler. Is there something wrong?”
Abby stared at the frosted glass of the door. It was a Sunday night. It might not be too crowded. Back when Abby was growing up here, Sunday night had been an important church and family night. It was possible there might not be trouble. She really didn’t want to wreck her first date with them by having to explain she wasn’t welcome in most of Willow Fork’s fine establishments. It might put a damper on things. It also, Abby acknowledged, might make them think twice about seeing her. If they really understood what an outcast she was with the important people in Willow Fork, it might force them to face the fact she could really hurt their business.
“No,” Abby forced out with a too-bright smile. She could brave through this. It had been over twenty years, after all. “I was just surprised. Delbert’s didn’t have a bar the last time I was here.”
Sam held the door open for her. “I expect things have changed a little in twenty years, sweetheart. Both Delbert’s and the Treasure Cove became private clubs about eight years ago. I like to think of it as progress. Now there are two whole places in town where you can get beer. I’m going to start lobbying the city council to let us buy it at the grocery store. I have to buy in bulk when we go into Dallas.”
“I’m sure that’s inconvenient for you.” Abby looked around the place. She had only been in here once, and that was her sixteenth birthday. Her father had told her it was a special occasion, and they all went out. It had been a wonderful night. He died a month later.
The place hadn’t changed much. There was new carpet on the floor, but she caught a glimpse of the crisp white linen on the tables and the single rose and candle in the middle of each. That was the same. The lobby area still had antique couches for people to sit on while waiting for a table. It was surprisingly full this evening. As they approached the hostess station, she realized that hadn’t changed, either. There was still someone snooty standing there. She was an icy-looking blonde who warmed up considerably once she got a look at Sam.
“Mr. Fleetwood.” The young woman had a voice that sort of grated on Abby. Icy Blonde completely ignored her, preferring to grant her chilly smile to Sam. “I saw your name on the reservation list. I made sure to give you and Mr. Barnes the best table in the house.”