could take a break.”

“I won’t make a habit of interrupting your work,” Abby promised, following her into the kitchen. “I’m sure it must drive you nuts when people assume they can drop by unannounced just because you happen to work at home.”

“Sometimes,” Hannah admitted. She busied herself making a pot of tea, then poured it. She gave Abby a probing look. “This isn’t just about thanking me, is it?” she asked.

“Of course it is. You did a magnificent job yesterday. The press conference couldn’t have gone any better.”

“Which you told me at the time, and again over lunch,” Hannah reminded her. “Spill it, Abby. What’s really on your mind?”

Abby drew in a deep breath. “Actually it’s more about what’s going on with you. Something is, and I don’t think it’s worry about me and Luke. I know I said this yesterday, but I intend to keep on saying it until you believe me. You can talk to me. Even though we weren’t in touch, I never stopped caring about you. You were like my sister, Hannah. When we drifted apart, it made me sad, especially since I knew I was mostly to blame.”

Hannah looked away. For the longest time, Abby was sure she wasn’t going to open up, but she finally turned back.

“I have a cancer check coming up,” she admitted at last.

“Cancer check?” Abby repeated, taken aback. “You mean an annual mammogram?”

“More than that,” Hannah said. “I’ve had breast cancer. I’ve had a mastectomy.”

Abby absorbed the shocking news. Why hadn’t she heard about this? She reached for Hannah’s hand, held it tightly. “How long ago?”

“Almost two years now. I was diagnosed right before my mom died from a recurrence of her breast cancer.”

“Oh my God!” Abby whispered. “You must have been terrified.”

“You have no idea,” Hannah told her. “To be honest, every screening freaks me out. I don’t like to talk about them, because it doesn’t really help.”

“Oh, Hannah, I’m sorry,” Abby said, feeling for her. The screenings could be scary enough without the reminder of what had happened to her mom in the back of her mind. “I had no idea. If you don’t want to talk, I’ll drop it right now. If you decide you need someone to listen, though, I’m here.”

A faint smile touched Hannah’s lips. “That makes it worse,” she said. “Having you here, I mean.”

Abby blinked at her candor. How could she have been so wrong about Hannah starting to accept her presence on Seaview Key? “I don’t understand. I thought we’d resolved your worries about me and Luke.”

“It’s not about that, at least not exactly. You’re beautiful. You’re whole. Everything I’m not.”

Abby regarded her with dismay. “Stop that this minute!” she said fiercely. “You’re as beautiful as you ever were. More important, you’re a survivor. Do you know how much I admire you for that? You won the fight, Hannah. And I may not have gone through it myself, but I know it’s an outright war. Believe me, I’ve been around a lot of women who haven’t faced it with such courage. I’ve been around a few who haven’t won. You should be so proud of yourself. You should be counting every day as a victory.”

A tear leaked out and spilled down Hannah’s cheek. “Most of the time, I do, but I get so darn scared. Luke’s a saint. He tries to keep my spirits up, but when these screenings come around, there’s only so much he can do.”

Abby reached for her hand. “He’s a guy, for one thing. Look, Hannah, I know it’s not the same for me, but every woman faces a momentary panic when it comes time for that annual mammogram. I have been through that more than once. I know how much harder it must be once you’ve had breast cancer.”

“It’s hell,” Hannah said simply. “Because I know what lies ahead if something turns up on those tests.”

“And I’m making it harder for you,” Abby said.

“Not on purpose,” Hannah said quickly. “It’s just that you’re you.”

“And Luke and I have a history and I haven’t had cancer,” Abby surmised.

Hannah nodded. “And I’m glad you haven’t had it. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

“I can’t change the past,” Abby said. “And I can’t change the fact that I’ve been lucky so far. I can promise you that you have nothing to fear from me. I thought we’d put that to rest, Hannah, but I’ll keep saying it as long as it takes. What Luke and I had, it was so long ago. We’re not the same people anymore. And even if we were, he’s your guy. Period. I wouldn’t dream of even trying to mess with that.” She gave her old friend a long look. “Any more than you would have tried to get between us back then.”

“You sound as if you mean that,” Hannah said. “And I really need to believe it.”

“Then choose to take it at face value,” Abby said. She smiled. “Besides, Luke would tell me to get lost if I even tried anything. You know how loyal he is. He takes commitment seriously and he made his commitment to you.”

Relief washed over Hannah’s face.

Abby squeezed her hand. “Besides, there’s Seth.”

“Yes, there is Seth,” Hannah echoed, her lips curving into a smile at last. “How’s that going? Any updates since we spoke yesterday?”

Abby thought of their conversation the day before. “I’m more convinced than ever that he’s been scared off by the fact that I have money,” she admitted, then added wryly, “I should be grateful he’s not attracted to me because of it, huh?”

“He’s not that kind of a guy,” Hannah said with certainty. “Just give him some time. He’ll put the whole money thing in perspective.”

“I hope you’re right,” Abby said. “It’s not as if I’m going to burn it just to make him feel better.”

Hannah laughed. “I think we can agree that would be crazy.”

Unfortunately, short of using her cash to start a bonfire, Abby wasn’t entirely sure what else might make Seth feel

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