Christa gave her a little hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you. The yearly trip to visit you and Lexi in Fort Worth just isn’t the same as having you here full-time.”
Abby looked into her friend’s pretty face. She missed Christa, too. Unfortunately, some things never changed. “Don’t get used to it. I have to move on. If there’s one thing being back here has taught me, it’s that Willow Fork doesn’t change. I’ve gotten pulled over three times by the sheriff. So far it’s been warnings, but eventually he’ll start giving me tickets for everything under the sun. I think the only reason he hasn’t done it yet is that he knows my mom needs me. I’ve promised him I’ll be gone as soon as she’s on her feet again.”
Christa’s black ponytail swung righteously. “I am going to have such a talk with Len James. How dare he harass you like that?”
Abby sighed. She appreciated her friend’s indignation, but it wouldn’t get her anywhere. She’d sealed her fate twenty years ago in this town by having the audacity to fall for the richest boy in town. Adam Echols had been gorgeous and sexy and just wild as hell. The entire Echols family still blamed her for the car accident that caused his death. They had enough money and influence to make her life a complete hell. They’d had enough influence to run her out of town at the age of seventeen. Ruby Echols had made it plain that she could ruin Abby’s mother. The Echols’s matriarch had threatened to end Diane Moore’s job long before she came into her pension. Abby didn’t have a choice. She had to leave. Her mother barely had a high school diploma. She would never find another job with such good benefits. Abby had been on her own and pregnant with Adam’s daughter at the time, but they sure as hell hadn’t cared about Lexi. They knew Abby was pregnant, and Ruby Echols had flatly stated she didn’t want any child that came out of Abby’s body. She had, of course, also raised the question of whether the child was even Adam’s. Everyone knew Abby was a piece of trailer trash trying to climb her way out by using the sweet generosity of Adam Echols and his innocence.
They had missed out. Lexi was everything a mom could want from a daughter. She had Adam’s good looks and Abby’s force of will. It was an amazing combination. Abby had never been prouder than the day her daughter started college. Abby knew that her job wasn’t exactly over as a mom, but the really tough work was done. Her daughter was in her sophomore year of college, and her future looked bright. It was time for Abby to figure out what to do with the rest of her life.
“Don’t give Lenny hell, Chris.” Abby gave her a sad smile, thinking of the sheriff. He’d been a nice guy in high school. When he’d gone into a government job here in Willow Fork, he had come under the iron fist of the Echols family. It was just Ruby and her younger son, Walter, now. Hal, the patriarch of the family, had passed on last year according to her mother. Still, Ruby wielded her influence with all the subtlety of a pit bull. “He feels bad enough as it is. What do you expect him to do? He’s an elected official. Nobody gets elected in this town without Echols’s money backing them.”
Christa took a deep breath. “Maybe it’s time that changed, Abby. Those assholes have run this town for way too long. Now Walter is talking about running for state senate. They don’t need any more power than they already have.”
Abby searched her friend’s face. “Have they been giving you trouble about me helping out at the café?”
“No.” Christa’s voice was flat. There was an arrogant look on her face. She was a small-business owner who knew just how good her product was. “My restaurant is the only one in town that serves a decent breakfast. I haven’t seen anything but an uptick in business since you started taking shifts.”
“They’re just curious to see how I turned out,” Abby said with a self-deprecating laugh. It was true, though. Most of them had been shocked to discover she’d worked her way through nursing school. She’d managed it all on her own and still sent some money back every month to help her mother out. Abby had rapidly discovered a world beyond Hal and Ruby Echols’s dominion. It had been a world that Abby conquered in her own small way.
“Or it could be that Sam and Jack suddenly started eating every meal here hoping to catch a glimpse of you. I bet their housekeeper is thrilled with all her free time, lately.” Christa looked over the counter to where Sam and Jack were sitting and talking. Sam laughed heartily. He was really something else. Sam Fleetwood was a testament to the fact that the universe was good to some people. He was broadly built with strong shoulders and a chest that must look lovely without the encumbrance of a shirt. His golden blond hair curled even in its short style, and his handsome face spoke of a man who laughed easily. He was the opposite of his brooding friend. Jack Barnes looked like sin on a stick, and he was…well, he wasn’t paying any attention to Sam now.
Jack was watching her and not like before. Abby’s breath caught. There was no wariness in his dark green eyes. There was admiration in his eyes as he took in the tight uniform that clung to her curves. He didn’t even try to hide it. He just let loose with a slow smile Abby felt in her toes. It was a smile that promised a wealth of dirty fun.
Abby looked to Christa suddenly. Her heart was pounding at the invitation in Jack’s eyes. “What the hell is wrong with Jack? He’s looking at me like I’m a perfectly cut filet and he’s been on vegetarian rations for a month.”
“Wow, he’s not even subtle, is he?” Christa looked at the big, gorgeous cowboy with a sort of amused fascination. “Guess that’s what he needs Sam for.”
She turned to her friend and whispered behind her hand. “I am sure he needs Sam for a lot more interesting things than his subtlety. I’ll be honest, Chris, those two make me crazy. I would give a lot to be able to watch them make love. It would feed my fantasies for years.”
Christa’s mouth hung open for a long moment. She stared at Abby and then glanced back at the men. “Seriously? You think they’re gay?” Her voice was low.
Abby kept hers at a whisper, too, so the men sitting at the counter eating lunch wouldn’t hear her. “There’s nothing wrong with it.” It was a little shocking that her best friend was homophobic. It wasn’t something she’d expected. Abby felt a sudden horror that she’d outed the two men when they’d been trying so hard to fit in. She was the last person who wanted to cause the two very nice men trouble. She knew how hard it was to fit into a small town. “I could be wrong, of course. It’s perfectly reasonable for two men to just be roommates in their thirties. I’m sorry I said anything.”
Christa rolled her eyes and snorted. “I couldn’t care less what they do in the bedroom, though I suspect it’s much more interesting than you think from some of the stories I’ve heard. I like the hell out of Sam, and I think Jack Barnes is an honorable man. I want you to be happy, Abby. You need to cut loose and live a little. Ben died two years ago, and Adam a long time before that. It’s time for Abby Moore to find herself again.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Abby asked.
“It means watch out, you got an order up. This is a place of business after all, not some gossip station.” Christa waved her finger with an imperious snap she softened with a wink. “Go forth. Those men need beef.”
Abby walked to the table, tray in hand. She gave them her sauciest smile. “Here you go, boys. Two burgers, one with bacon and cheese, one plain and medium rare.”
Sam looked ready to demolish his burger. “You’re a priceless jewel. I can’t believe how hungry I am.”
“I can.” Jack’s voice was a low growl. Abby had the sudden feeling he might not be talking about food.
She flushed under his gaze. “I’ll go refill your Cokes.” The minute she turned, she hit a slippery spot on the floor and her sneakers slid.