Page 94 of Hearts Aweigh
Abby jumped. She spun with wide eyes.
Spencer cleared his throat. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude, but … but what do I do if Madeleine is sick again? What if she throws up or cries or …?”
Her face softened, and a hint of amusement appeared. “I expect she’ll sleep all night. But if she does wake up, I left extra tea bags in the kitchen. Give her a few more sips of peppermint tea, and she’ll be fine.”
Abby slipped her bag’s strap on her arm and headed for the door. A sense of dread that had nothing to do with his daughter ambushed him. He didn’t want her to leave. He dreaded the doubts and the bad memories and the loneliness. That last one was the worst. The ever-present loneliness.
“Wait.” Spencer whispered it this time.
CHAPTER 47
WAIT. WAIT. WAIT.
The word swirled around Abby’s brain, hemming her sensitive conscience like a needle and thread. She sipped her coffee and tried to forget Spencer’s forlorn expression. His eyes had reminded her of Maddie’s.
Bereft. Searching. Lonely.
She’d almost wavered, but a sudden mental picture had flashed in her mind of candles, a rose-petal heart, and the most unwelcome job offer of her life. This man only wanted her as an employee. If she kept spending time with him, she’d wish for more, and that made her a fool. The memory had given her the necessary boost to pretend she didn’t hear him and walk out the door.
Abby thumped her menu against the white-and-chrome table. A fifties tune played over the loudspeaker to match the retro feel of the staff diner. Coworkers buzzed with early-morning chatter. She wasn’t sure she could eat when she was supposed to meet Spencer in a matter of minutes.
What if he looked at her that way again? Like he was drowning, and she was the only lifeguard.
Abby dropped the menu. She wouldn’t fall for his tricks again. No matter how sincere and personable Spencer appeared, he always had business on his mind.
“Do you know what you want?”
“Huh?” Abby focused on the waitress. “Oh. Just a refill on the coffee, please.”
The girl made a note and walked away, leaving Abby with her tortured thoughts. She shifted in her chair, glancing around the room for a distraction. At a nearby table, a woman with kinky black hair gawked at her.
Uh-oh. Maria.
Abby had spotted the woman in the hallway when she’d left Spencer’s suite shortly after midnight. Why did she have to run into a member of the gossipy housekeeping crew?
“Abby.” Maria left her table and slid into the seat across from her. “Are you okay?”
“What?”
“You seem nervous.” Maria latched on to Abby’s arm and leaned into her personal space.
“What? No.” Abby laughed. “I’m not nervous.”
Maria scrunched her face. “You were exiting a passenger’s cabin very late.”
“I’m fine.” She bit out the words. “I was helping with a little girl who couldn’t sleep. No big deal.”
“Oh.” The housekeeper let go. “Nothing strange happened?”
Disappointed?
Abby repressed the snarky side of her brain. “It was overtime for my nanny valet duty.”
“I see.” Maria paused. “I’m glad you’re fine.”
She returned to her table, and Abby exhaled.
“Please, Lord,” she said under her breath. “Don’t let her go spreading rumors.”
