Page 20 of Hook, Line and Mystery

“I care about you,” she whispered into his ear, nuzzling his neck.

He kissed her head and wrapped his arms more tightly around her. “Abby,” he murmured, “I care about you, too.”

CHAPTER10

ABBY

It wasn’t a sound that woke Abby the following morning; it was the absence of warmth beside her, the sheets cool where Kit’s body had once been. She stretched languidly, her green eyes blinking open to greet the morning sun spilling into the room from the lighthouse window.

Beside her on the nightstand, the phone played the ringtone she had assigned to Lori—the woman who had sent her to this garden path she seemed to be tripping down. It broke the serene silence of her room. If it had been anyone other than Lori, she would have ignored it.

Abby reached for the phone, fleetingly wishing it might have been Kit, but knowing it wasn’t.

Lori’s cheerful face was the one that greeted her on the screen. “Morning, sunshine! How’s the book coming along?” Lori’s voice radiated through the speaker, brimming with an energy that felt almost tangible across the miles.

“Uh, it’s... progressing.” Abby said sitting up, raking a hand through her messy tawny hair, realizing she was still naked and so ensuring the bedclothes kept that fact private.

“Spoken like a true artiste. How do you like Badger’s Drift?”

There was a teasing lilt to Lori’s words; Abby could practically see her friend’s shrewd smirk.

“A whole lot more than I expected,” Abby admitted, a smile tugging at her lips as she glanced at the empty space beside her, memories of the previous night flooding back. “I like it here.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Who ratted me out?” Abby laughed.

“In case you missed it, Badger’s Drift isn’t Chicago. My buddy Jessica Murdoch heard about it when some guy named Joe asked about you. She in turn asked Thorn, who is with the state police, to see what he could find, and the rest is history. Jessica did mention that you have a very boring backstory. She thinks this guy—what’s his name? —might liven it up.”

Abby groaned. “I met someone. His name is Kit Johnson; he’s a marine biologist. He’s kind of wonderful, Lori.”

“He is, is he? I recognize that tone, Abby. That’s the sound of someone falling in love.”

“Maybe,” Abby said, her voice a whisper, not trusting herself to speak louder about the burgeoning emotions within.

“Go slow, but don’t let your past scare you away from something good. Not every guy is like the sonofabitch you were married to.” Lori’s advice came as a gentle nudge, wrapped in the warmth of years of friendship. “So enough about your love life. Seriously, how’s the book coming along?”

“That I am a lot more certain about. I seem to have broken through my block and this place has inspired all kinds of new ideas. I really want to do a series based on living in a small-town fishing village.”

“Sounds good. I told you Badger’s Drift would be good for you. If you need anything, give me a holler or go see Jessica. She said she’d love to meet you.”

“Thanks, Lori. I may just do that. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Ending the call, Abby set the phone down and flipped the covers back before heading into the bath to take a shower. Turning the water on, she let the water’s warm embrace soothe her muscles and wash away the tendrils of doubt that clung stubbornly to her psyche. She dried her hair, pulling it back and braiding it in a loose fishtail before pulling on leggings, boots, and a sweater. She grabbed her polar fleece vest, realizing she’d grown quite fond of the slower pace and more casual style of Badger’s Drift.

The aroma of good coffee, bacon and fresh pastries drew her down the hall to the dining room. Sitting down by the window and watching the ocean in all its glory had become a comforting morning ritual that she had quickly come to cherish. Abby had never realized how drawn to the sea she had been. Chicago seemed a million miles away.

“Good morning, Abby!” DeeDee’s voice was rich with the kind of hospitality that came naturally to her. Another part of her ritual was DeeDee joining her for a chat. She knew enough about writing as a profession that she was great to bounce ideas off of. Carrying two steaming cups of coffee, DeeDee approached her and sat down.

“Morning, DeeDee.” Abby accepted the coffee, wrapping her hands around the warm mug, letting the aroma coax her fully awake.

“There are more Valentine’s Day festivities today. The whole town will be out in the square. You and Kit should come,” DeeDee said, getting up to bring a plate of food to set before Abby.

“I don’t suppose I could play dumb and ask what you mean…”

“Hardly,” laughed DeeDee. “I saw him leaving this morning. You shouldn’t be embarrassed. There isn’t one person who’s met you who isn’t rooting for the two of you. You have become this year’s odds on favorite for our Cupid Couple.”

“Cupid Couple?”

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