Page 14 of Guilty As Charged
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry,” an elderly woman says after bumping into me.
“I’m so sorry,” I say back as I reach out to steady her.
“It’s my fault,” she whispers as she leans in close. “I had a few too many samples at the wine table, if you catch my drift.” She winks at me, and then her daughter is there, taking her back to the table.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that’s a mistake when I remember the guy with the sunglasses. I look up, scanning the crowd, but I don’t see him anywhere. Maybe I’m imagining it, but I can’t shake the feeling that he was out of place.
My instincts are telling me to get back to Abbie, so that’s exactly what I do. The market has gotten busy since we got here, and my urgency to get to her only grows the longer it takes. By the time I make it to the truck that’s selling snowcones, I can feel my heartbeat thumping against my chest.
“Abbie?” I call out as I turn in place, desperate to find her. My urgency has turned to panic, and even though I’m a head taller than everyone around me, I can’t find her. “Abbie!”
I shout her name so loudly that several people next to me stop and stare. I don’t give a fuck. What if someone took her? What if?—
“Up here,” Abbie calls, and I whip around to see her at the snowcone truck, holding a scoop in her hand. She’s wearing a little paper hat and looks like the happiest person on earth. “They let me shave the ice! Can you believe it?”
Relief floods my entire body as I put my hand against the truck and take a deep breath.
“What flavor do you want?” she asks, caught up in the excitement of the snowcones. “They’ve got thirty-seven. Apple, banana, coconut…”
As she lists off flavors, I calm down and tell myself to relax. This is a safe place, nobody knows where we are, and I’m not going to let anything happen to her. She’s happy, vibrant even, and I’m not going to tell her about my scare and ruin her day.
But that prickling on the back of my neck doesn't go away.
Chapter Nine
ABBIE
My cheeks hurt from how much I smiled today. I can’t recall the last time I had this much fun. I never realized how much I was missing the simple things in life until someone tried to take them away from me.
“Are you okay?” Spencer sits down on the porch swing next to me, and I peek over at him, fighting a blush.
He’s always watching me, and I find it really sweet. Some people tend to roll their eyes at me, but not Spencer. He’s either smiling or there’s a softness around his eyes, showing me that his affection is genuine.
“You know, I’ve always been a city girl.”
He nods, his brows pulling together slightly. “You don't like it out here?”
I shake my head but then nudge him with my shoulder. “Actually, I love it. I guess it goes to show me that I shouldn’t knock it until I try it.” I didn’t think I would enjoy being out here as much as I have.
“Maybe so,” he says with a grin. “It’s nice to come out here to get some fresh air.”
“It really is. Thank you for this.” My sigh is contented as I relax into the swing. “I needed it.”
“Don’t thank me. I needed it too.” Spencer reaches out, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze.
I’m so comfortable around him in such a short amount of time. I don’t know this man, or I shouldn’t, but I feel as though I do. So much so that I shared a bed with him, and it was me that ended up climbing his body.
“Well, anytime you need to get away, I’m down,” I say and wink at him.
“Good. I want to show you something.”
“Oh, a surprise?” I tease.
“Kinda.” He tugs my hand as he stands, and I follow him back into the house.
“I was teasing, but just so you know, I love surprises.” I know that some people hate them, but I am definitely not in that category.
“Good, because I love watching your face light up when you’re excited.” I stop walking, causing him to pause with me. “What?”
