“Sounds like sensible advice,” Abby said.
“I can always count on my friend Sue for that,” she said, then hesitated before adding, “The way I used to count on you.”
It was hard to tell if her tone reflected more nostalgia or bitterness, but Abby chose not to let the way the words hurt reflect in her response. “You can count on me again, Hannah,” Abby said, though even as she uttered the reassurance, she knew that gaining Hannah’s trust was going to be a process. Her words alone would never be quite enough.
“One of these days I hope you’ll test that,” she added.
“Baby steps,” Hannah responded. “I hope you understand. It’s not as if you did anything wrong back then. But watching you and Luke, it hurt. Nobody’s fault, of course, but that didn’t lessen the way it felt at eighteen.”
“Of course I understand,” Abby said, aware of how painful it must have been and the fear—albeit an unwarranted fear—that it could be repeated. “And thank you for wanting to include me on Thanksgiving.”
Hannah smiled. “It was my idea, but I also had a hunch that Seth would spend the meal in a funk if you weren’t at the table.”
Abby grinned. “I’d like to think so, too.”
“I can’t wait to see for myself how things have changed since the two of you came for dinner,” Hannah admitted. “And Kelsey is anxious to meet you. I should also warn you that my father will be there with his wife, as well as my half-brother and his family.”
Abby regarded her with shock. “What? When did you find your father? I thought he hadn’t been in touch for years.”
Her stunned reaction only deepened as Hannah described the letters she’d found hidden away in her mother’s dresser, Luke’s efforts to locate Clayton Dixon, only to find him less than an hour away on the mainland, and the awkward reunion that had paved the way for establishing a new relationship.
“Kelsey is absolutely thrilled to have more extended family here and I’m trying to make peace with the past,” Hannah told her. “Things weren’t the way I thought. He never abandoned me, not the way I believed he had. He tried to keep in touch.”
“I can’t believe your mother and grandmother hid the truth from you,” Abby said.
“It was complicated,” Hannah conceded. “A lot more complicated than I could have understood as a child.”
“What about after you grew up?”
Hannah shrugged. “They thought they were doing what was best. Grandma Jenny concedes now that it was a mistake, but their intentions were good. I’ve managed to accept that. There’s not much point in holding a grudge now.”
“But he has this whole other family?”
“My half-brother is a great guy,” Hannah said. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know him and his family. My stepmother, who set events in motion back then, is a piece of work, but I’ve even come to accept that she wasn’t reacting rationally back then.”
“That’s all very evolved of you. I’d want to rip her hair out.”
“It was my dad who had the affair and got her pregnant,” Hannah said. “That gave her the ammunition she used to try to blackmail him into marrying her.”
The story got more outrageous by the minute. “Hold on,” Abby said. “She actually blackmailed him?”
Hannah nodded. “She threatened to go after Seaview Inn. Of course, she didn’t know that it was in my grandmother’s name. She’d never have gotten her hands on it. I guess my dad was torn. He thought the only way to keep her from causing trouble was to give in and keep her away from us. Or maybe he actually loved her and that was just the excuse he needed to make the break from my mom and me.”
Abby sat back in amazement. “Wow!”
Hannah chuckled at her reaction. “Yeah, that was pretty much my response when I finally had all the pieces of the puzzle.”
“And this wife of his is coming for Thanksgiving dinner, too?”
“Yes.” Hannah grinned. “Have I scared you off?”
“Not a chance. This may be the most fascinating Thanksgiving dinner I’ve been to in years. I’ve spent most of the holidays in recent years at the restaurant on the fringes of a few bizarre family celebrations, but this will be the first time I’ve been in the middle of one.”
Hannah gave her a long look. “You do see that this may be your first real test of whether you’re serious about being friends again,” she said. “If you can survive this, I’ll have no choice but to give you a chance.”
“I’m definitely up for the challenge,” Abby told her.
She set her glass of tea on the table and leaned forward, taking Hannah’s hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. “And if there’s anything you need before, during or after this trip to New York, just ask, okay? I know you have the support of your friend in New York, but I’m right here, even if all you need to do is come over here to scream your head off where Luke and the rest of the family won’t hear you.”
Tears welled in Hannah’s eyes at the offer. “Don’t be surprised if I take you up on that.” She wiped her eyes, then stood. “I’d better run. I have lots to do before we leave.”
“What can I bring for dinner on Thanksgiving?” Abby asked.
“Just yourself. Between me, Grandma Jenny and Kelsey, the food’s under control.”
“I could bake a pecan pie or two, the kind my mama used to make.”
Hannah’s eyes lit up. “I wouldn’t say no to that. I’ll see you then.”
“Or sooner, if you need me,” Abby reminded her.
She watched Hannah walk away and sighed. She regretted so much that there wasn’t more she could do to make the next few days easier for her old friend. Looking skyward, she murmured, “God, please let her be okay.”
Maybe prayers were the best thing she had to offer.
* * *
Seth showed
