She gave Abby a hard look. “You might want to think about that, if you’re just playing games. Since you brought this up, I have to tell you what I believe. You and Seth could be on the brink of something amazing. But if that’s not what you’re really after, if all you want is this go-with-the-flow craziness you mentioned, then back off, Abby, before Seth takes a real risk with his heart and winds up hurt.”
The somber note in Hannah’s voice gave Abby pause. Was she playing games? Or were these feelings Seth stirred in her real, something they could build on? From time to time, she’d labeled them as love, but could she trust that? Sometimes infatuation and lust got all twisted up and felt like more than they really were.
Since Abby honestly couldn’t answer Hannah’s question, she realized she should indeed take a step back. She needed to figure out what was really going on in her heart before she and Seth took things to another level.
* * *
Seth came home after a long day with half a dozen minor emergencies and a long visit with Ella Mae. He was looking forward to a shower, then dinner with Abby. It was the pattern they’d established since that first night she’d spent at Seaview Inn.
When he tapped on the connecting door between their rooms, though, she didn’t answer. He frowned, glancing at his watch. She should have been back from Christmas shopping on the mainland long before now. That’s what she’d told him she intended to do today.
He went downstairs and found Grandma Jenny in the kitchen looking through her recipe file. He gave her a peck on the cheek and peered over her shoulder.
“Chicken and dumplings? It smells fantastic!”
“Seemed like the sort of comfort food you might find appealing,” she said.
Seth frowned at something he thought he heard in her voice. “Why would I need comfort food?”
“Because Abby moved out this afternoon,” she said. She gave him a worried look. “You didn’t know?”
“I knocked on her door just now and she didn’t answer,” he admitted. “But I had no idea she was heading back to her place today. Are the bathroom renovations finished?”
“I have no idea. She came back from shopping right after lunchtime. She and Hannah spent an hour or two out on the porch and next thing I knew, Abby was checking out.”
“Did they have some sort of argument?”
“Not that I could tell. She looked a little pale, but otherwise she seemed just fine. Hannah never said a word, either. In fact, I think she helped Abby take her things back to her place.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Seth said. “I’d better go over there.”
“If you’re not back by the time I have the chicken and dumplings on the table, I’ll save you some.”
“Thanks.”
Seth took his time walking up the beach toward Abby’s. He couldn’t begin to imagine what might have happened between the time he’d kissed her goodbye this morning and midafternoon that would have sent her scurrying home. He had few doubts, though, that it must have something to do with him.
Unfortunately when he got to Abby’s, the house was dark and her car was gone. He glanced inside, spotted a couple of suitcases sitting in the middle of the living room and concluded she hadn’t left town for good. That, at least, was something.
He walked to The Fish Tale next, but Lesley Ann told him Abby hadn’t been in.
Was she hiding out at Luke and Hannah’s? he wondered. And if so, why?
Back at Seaview Inn, he was about to get in his car and drive over there, when it occurred to him that wherever Abby was, she didn’t want to be found, at least not by him. Otherwise, she’d have left a note in his room or a message on his phone.
As frustrating as it was to give up without answers, he made himself go inside.
“Any luck?” Jenny asked.
He shook his head. “I wish to heaven I had some idea what’s going on with her. What could have changed since this morning?”
“You won’t know till you talk to her,” Jenny said, then gave him a hard look. “Don’t wait too long to do that, either.”
“I just went looking for her,” he protested.
“You can’t have searched very hard. This island’s not that big. If you’d really looked, you could have found her. That tells me you gave up.”
“I didn’t give up. I just decided to give her a little space, since it’s evident that’s what she wants.”
“And that’s killing you, isn’t it?”
“I’m not overjoyed,” he agreed.
“Well, just be sure your pride doesn’t get in the way of doing what’s best for your heart,” she advised. “Now sit down and try this recipe. It’s been years since I’ve made it.”
Seth sat down and tasted the chicken and dumplings, then smiled. “You haven’t lost your touch. As comfort foods go, this is pretty darn good.”
“Not good enough to wipe those worries out of your head, I imagine.”
He smiled at the suggestion. “It’s going to take more than excellent chicken and fluffy dumplings to do that.”
“When you figure out why that is, I’m guessing it will go a long way toward telling you what your next step ought to be.”
“Am I supposed to get that?” he grumbled.
“Just give it some thought,” she said and patted his shoulder. “It’ll come to you.”
“Since you clearly have some idea of what I should be doing, why not just tell me?”
She winked at him. “What would be the fun of that?”
If anybody had asked, Seth would have told them there was nothing fun about any of this. As hard as he’d been working to protect himself from pain, it had apparently been for naught.
17
Abby had seen Seth approaching her cottage from the window of her darkened bedroom. She’d held her breath as he’d knocked on the door, then sighed with relief when he
