Page 63 of Wandering Souls

“I was there when she took her last breath. That morning, I felt it in here.” She touched her chest. “I knew I had to stay home, and she let me. She knew, too.”

Grief welled up inside her and a fresh wave of tears spilled from her eyes. Penny knelt in front of her again and held her hands. “That was very brave of you. How old were you?”

“Eighteen.”

How could five years feel like a lifetime? “Oh, Abigail. I’m sorry you had to go through that on your own.”

Abi swallowed the smartass remark that tried to break free. She’d been raised better than that, and though she probably had every right to bite back at Penny for abandoning her, she wouldn’t be harsh or cruel. Besides, she’d seen far too much brutality in her life to deliberately inflict it upon someone else.

“I know you want me to forgive you. I don’t know if I can.”

Penny swallowed but the hopeful expression didn’t waver. “Please believe. I did what I thought was best at the time, Abigail. I didn’t see any other way. What matters now is your health and happiness. I hope you can build a strong relationship with your father and sister. They deserve to have you in their lives as much as you deserve to have them.”

Abi blinked, trying to decipher Penny’s words. “What about you? Don’t you want a relationship with me?”

She heard the childlike squeak in her voice but refused to look away. If Penny didn’t want to know her, then she needed to have the courage to say so. The thought of being abandoned again threatened to break Abi’s heart.

Penny straightened and encouraged Abi to stand. “Sweetheart, you have no idea how much I would love to get to know you. I can’t replace Margery, and I don’t want to. She was your mother, but if you can find a place for me in your life, I would be over the moon.”

Relief bloomed in her chest, giving her the freedom to take her first full breath since they sat down to talk. Abi squeezed Penny’s hands. The genuine love staring back at her gave her the permission to accept that Penny had made choices she could never understand. How could she judge something she couldn’t comprehend? Was that even fair?

“Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?”

Abi felt her throat tighten at the suggestion but nodded and opened her arms. The surprising strength with which Penny held her soothed and comforted, and gave Abi the distinct impression that if she didn’t have to let go, she wouldn’t.

~

Every time a downpourhit in the hours since lunch, all Ray could think about was Abi. By the time he left the station at five, he’d had to withstand no less than eight flashbacks of their intimate moment in the car—which would have been perfectly fine had he not been at work and in the company of Quinn. The woman noticed everything.

Hot lunch date, Detective?

There’d been no question in her question. Whether it was woman’s intuition or the look in his eyes, she’d hit the nail on the head and knew it. They’d met to go over the evidence she’d gathered about the suspected drug lab. It was an impressive haul for forty-eight hours of work, but he wanted more. Their case needed to be water and air tight. Rock solid. Far from being deterred by his need for thorough investigation, she seemed to relish it. Just like his stubborn insistence on focusing on the case didn’t prevent her from sneaking in unsolicited advice.

Buy her flowers.

Be a gentleman.

Women want romance.

She wove her little three-word gems into their conversation, dropping them without warning and acting like it was perfectly normal. He was thankful Neville was out of the station for the afternoon.

On his way home, he stopped at the supermarket for supplies and picked up what he thought were traditional Chinese ingredients. Truth was, he had no idea what went into an authentic Asian meal, only what flavors he remembered.

At home, he dumped the grocery bags on the counter and stepped back to inspect his shopping. Maybe he’d gone overboard, but it didn’t matter. Bruce watched him stock the pantry with the items, curiosity in the dog’s eyes.

“Best behavior, tonight.” He warned.

Bruce chuffed.

“And don’t get jealous.”

As if offended, Bruce turned and trotted from the kitchen to the living room. Ray smiled as he watched the dog step onto the large cushion he used as a bed. Turning, he made three complete circles before lying on his side and closing his eyes. A calm Bruce was a rare sight. The pup had more energy than Ray could counter. He had to admit, since Abi came into their lives, man’s best friend had become woman’s trusted companion.

With the groceries stored, he showered and shaved. In jeans and a crew-neck T, he returned to the open plan living-dining area to see headlights brighten the front window. A glance at his watch told him she was early. By the time he opened the front door, she stood under the automated porch light. The setting sun poked through the clouds to bathe her in brilliant radiance.

Ray’s mouth watered.

Dressed in black yoga pants and crimson knee-length tunic, she practically glowed in the evening twilight. Golden hair flowed over her shoulders and her smile took his breath away. The heavy combat boots on her feet made him chuckle as he held out a hand for her.

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