Page 16 of Reunion With Benefits

Abby lifted her near-empty glass. “I’ll toast to that.”

* * *

The next afternoon, Abby arrived at Ellie’s house, weighed down with bags of food. Derrick had to go into work for a few meetings, so Abby used the code and slipped through the layers of security to get inside. Then up the stairs. A few minutes later, she unloaded the salads and caprese-on-focaccia sandwiches onto the tray set up on the edge of Ellie’s bed with drinks and what looked like a bowl of pretzels.

Ellie sat propped up in the chair next to the bed with her legs stretched out on the ottoman in front of her. Abby guessed she wasn’t on the bed because it was covered with envelopes and papers.

“The sandwiches smelled so good on the walk over from the deli that I almost ate one.” Abby pushed some of the paperwork to the side and sat on the edge of the bed. “What is all this?”

Ellie smiled as she grabbed a sandwich out of the bag. “It’s party time. Two and a half weeks.”

“Really?” Abby tried to keep the dread out of her voice but she was pretty sure it seeped in. “You know you’re supposed to be in bed, right?”

“The doctor gave the okay. I have to sit for most of it, some of it with my feet up, which is really boring. The party has to be in the afternoon and not long.” Ellie unwrapped the paper and ripped off a piece of focaccia. “I’m pretty sure Derrick will carry around a timer and make sure I don’t stand for more than three minutes at a time.”

“Because that sounds reasonable.”

“He’s ridiculous.” But a huge grin formed on Ellie’s lips as she shrugged. “It’s kind of adorable.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t fire the doctor and find one who forbids parties.” Abby felt bad that the idea sounded so good to her. “The man is not a great socializer.”

“As opposed to you.”

She had to cut this off. Spence was going to be Ellie’s brother-in-law, which meant whining about him would put her in a terrible position. Abby didn’t want to do that. “We’re not talking about Spence.”

Ellie’s hands dropped to her lap and her smile grew even wider...if that was possible. “Look how you jumped right to him. Interesting.”

“Don’t make me grab the food and run.” Abby took her time digging around in the bag, looking for a napkin.

“That’s just mean.” Ellie barely let the words sit there before she launched into her next point. “But I would say—”

“Oh, here we go.” Abby gave up. She could only fake interest in the inside of a bag for so long before it seemed weird, and she feared she was nearing that line. “I’m listening.”

She also twisted the paper napkin between her fingers. In, out and around. Tight enough that she heard the paper rip.

“The sparks between you two? Whoa.”

Oh, man. That couldn’t be true. She’d tried so hard to hide it, to fight it off.

Abby refolded the mangled napkin, then turned to the sandwich. Unwrapped each edge. But the grumbling in her stomach from before had vanished. This topic seemed to zap the hunger right out of her.

She dumped the uneaten sandwich on the tray next to her. “What you’re sensing? That’s anger.”

“Babe, I know anger. That is not what I see.” Ellie took a bite, then another.

“We may have some...unresolved issues.”

“The queen of understatement.”

Yeah, no kidding.But that led to a bigger issue, one Abby was not totally sure how to discuss. “I need you to know that I might not be at the engagement party.”

“Wrong.” Ellie smiled and reached for her bottle of water. “But why are you under that incorrect assumption?”

Abby tried to pick up anger, anything in Ellie’s voice that suggested disappointment. She sounded more resigned to prove Abby wrong than anything else.

“Those unresolved issues relate to Papa Jameson and—”

“The kiss?” Ellie’s eyebrow lifted. “Yeah, I don’t blame you there. My father-in-law-to-be deserves a good kick.”

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