Page 80 of Wandering Souls

Stevie patted the back of her hand and smiled. “Normalis overrated, honey. Trust me, I tried it once. Better to be exceptional. I mean, if you think about it, it’s our family legacy.”

Abi blinked. The blasé tone of delivery floored her. Even Penny and Damien looked shocked by the statement. Stevie shrugged and chuckled. She glanced at Damien and Penny before turning back to Abi.

“What? You came back from the dead.” She pointed to Damien. “And you survived being kidnapped and held captive in Nigeria.” She nodded to Penny. “I outwitted the bounty hunters. We are so not normal.”

Everyone laughed and the light moment relieved the weight on Abi’s shoulders. Stevie was right. There was nothing normal about her family, meaning she fit right in to their special brand of extraordinary and for the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged. It took her breath away and left her speechless.

“What’s taking the waiter so long? Let me check.” Stevie stood up and disappeared.

Damien’s hand on her shoulder caught her attention. “You okay?”

Abi swallowed. “I am.”

“She’s headstrong.” Penny sipped her glass of water. “She takes after her father.”

“And she’s stubborn, like her mother,” Damien added. “Another family trait.”

Words that had been used to describe Abi countless times. She smiled, liking the commonality.

By the time Stevie returned with the waitress, Abi’s nerves had settled. They ordered and ate, the time disappearing in a heartbeat. It was almost two when they ordered coffee and tea to finish off their meals. As the waitress left to fill their order, Penny and Stevie excused themselves, leaving Abi and Damien a moment alone. He turned bright eyes to her and beamed a smile.

“Is Hollywood treating you well?”

“Of course.” Not that she’d seen much of him over the last few days.

“And Ray? You two have been spending a bit of time together, I hear.”

Abi inhaled a long, slow breath, trying to read Damien’s intent. Did he approve? Was he about to give her some fatherly advice? Because she wasn’t ready for any of that. What she shared with Ray was between her and Ray, and she was about to say so when Damien took hold of her hand.

“He’s a good man, Abigail. I’m sorry, I think my question hit a nerve.”

She glanced down at the way he cradled her hand. “Yes, he is a good man and I enjoy his company.”

“Abigail, look at me please.” He waited until she lifted her face. “I only want you to be happy. Whatever it takes. If I overstep, let me know. I’m still trying to navigate my way through this.”

She squeezed his hand. “That makes two of us. I know I’m part of this family, and you’re all so welcoming, but I don’t know where I fit, yet. Or evenifI fit.”

He nodded as if he understood. “Believe me, sweetheart, you fit.”

~

Damien had no doubt. She was a McCafferty, just like Stevie had claimed, but convincing Abigail that she belonged in their family would take a minor miracle. The uncertainty in her eyes and the rigidity of her posture let him know they had their work cut out. In the meantime, all they could do was be patient and ply her with all the compassion they owned.

“Say, are you ready for a bit of an adventure, Abigail?”

Her eyes sparkled. “What did you have in mind?”

Damien chuckled. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she saw the surprise. “It’ll take all afternoon, so if you have some errands or appointments...?”

She shook her head as Stevie and Penny rejoined them. The waitress arrived with their hot drinks and set them on the table. Adding a spoon of sugar to her coffee, Abigail stirred the liquid in the mug. Damien eyed her curiously.

“No,” she finally answered. “No appointments or errands. You have me intrigued, though.”

He smiled. “Good.”

When they were finished, Damien stood. “Right then, we’ll be off.” He held out a hand to Abigail and breathed a silent sigh of relief as she took it without hesitation.

Penny grinned. Much as he knew she wanted to join them, she’d agreed to pace herself when it came to Abigail. Three months with her didn’t seem like enough time, not by a long shot, and Penny confessed it would be over too soon, but he argued that still gave them ninety days to give her as many reasons to come back to the Crossing as possible. She’d go back to Queensland, but not before he made sure she understood she had a home here.

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