He frowned at her teasing. “Point taken.”
She gestured toward the table. “Sit down for a minute.”
“But I was about to scramble the eggs,” he protested, gesturing toward the eggs he’d cracked into a bowl.
“They’ll still be there.” She handed him a cup of coffee, then pulled out a chair and sat down facing him. “Here’s the one thing I have figured out. This only gets as complicated as we want it to be.”
He drew in a deep, calming breath, knowing she was right. No one controlled their destiny except for the two of them. “Fair enough.”
“Frankly, I take it as a good sign that this feels so easy and right,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a morning-after situation that didn’t involve my husband, but I seem to recall that things can be awkward.”
“That’s been my experience, too,” Seth acknowledged, then frowned. “Exactly how long as it been since you’ve been with anyone other than Marshall?”
“He and I were married for twelve years and dated for a couple of years before that, so let’s see,” she said. “That would make it about fifteen years ago, maybe longer.”
Seth regarded her with astonishment. “Between him and Luke?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t have a lot of time for dating. And I almost never slept with men I saw only a few times. There was one semi-serious relationship in there.”
“So for all this talk about flings, you don’t have a track record with such a thing, do you?”
“Not so much. Do you?”
“Well, more than you do,” he admitted. “I’ve made an effort to get Cara out of my head, but it’s never really worked, so I gave up on it.”
She held his gaze. “Is she out of your head now?”
He saw the worry in her eyes and reached for her hand. “Cara had nothing to do with last night, Abby. That was all about you and me. So is this.”
She nodded, a smile touching her lips. “Good to know.”
“So, can I get back to scrambling those eggs?”
“Go for it,” she said. “I’ll make the toast.”
As they finished working in the tight space, they brushed hands, bumped hips. Each time, Seth found himself smiling. Suddenly domestic bliss took on a whole new and pretty satisfying meaning.
* * *
As soon as Seth had left for work, Abby took a second cup of coffee onto the porch and settled into a rocker. She couldn’t seem to stop the smile that spread across her face.
“I know that expression,” Hannah said, appearing around the corner of the house. “Something’s happened between you and Seth.” She grinned. “Finally!”
Abby feigned a scowl. “If I’m that easy to read, I’d better not leave the house today.”
“I just know you too well,” Hannah said. “Is there more coffee?”
“Help yourself,” Abby said, not budging.
When Hannah returned and sat down, she glanced Abby’s way. “It feels kind of like old times, doesn’t it?”
Abby nodded. “I was so afraid we wouldn’t get this back.”
“Me, too.”
“So, what brings you by this morning?”
“I was at loose ends,” Hannah admitted. “It happens right after I turn in a book, especially if I’m not entirely sure what I want to work on next.”
“Are you happy with this new career?” Abby asked her. “From everything I’ve heard, you worked nonstop in New York. This must be a very different pace for you.”
“You have no idea,” Hannah replied. “And at first I kept feeling as if I was wasting huge amounts of time, but then a very wise person pointed out that part of the creative process is allowing ideas time to simmer.”
“Was that wise person your editor?”
“No, it was Luke. I think it was a self-serving response to keep me calm and serene, but he was right. It makes sense.”
Abby studied the contentment on her friend’s face. “Can I ask you something?”
Hannah glanced her way. “Sure, why not?”
“It’s personal. I just wondered if we’re there yet.”
“No way to know till you ask your question. Try me.”
“Have you given any thought to having another child?”
“You mean with Luke,” Hannah said, stating the obvious. While she appeared to be considering her response, tears welled up in her eyes, spilled down her cheeks. She swiped at them impatiently.
“I’m sorry,” Abby said at once. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s okay. Really. Sure, I’ve thought about it, but between my age and the cancer, it seems like a far-fetched dream.”
“Does Luke agree? He is a doctor. He could probably say if it’s far-fetched.”
Rather than replying directly to Abby’s question, Hannah asked, “What brought this on? Are you wondering if it’s too late for you to have a baby? And is that because Seth is younger and you think he’s going to want children?”
Abby nodded. “It is a consideration.”
“Has he given any indication that not having a child would be a deal breaker?”
“Absolutely not. In fact, if that subject came up, it would probably terrify him.” She thought of his panicky reaction to how smoothly they’d managed to prepare breakfast together. “He thinks things are moving too fast as it is.”
“So this is about you,” Hannah concluded. “You want a baby.”
Abby nodded. “I’d pretty much given up hope, but suddenly it’s all I think about. There just might be a man in my life at least in the short-term, which was something I definitely hadn’t anticipated. I can’t help wondering if maybe it’s not too late.”
“See a doctor,” Hannah recommended. “Luke might have some thoughts, but an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancy would be even better.”
“High risk?” Abby echoed, daunted by the phrase.
“Given your age, I’m sure that’s how they’d classify it,” Hannah explained. “But before you panic, I should tell you that my friend Sue in New York just had her first baby at our age. She handled the pregnancy with flying colors, but the doctors did keep a close eye on her. And if the ‘high risk’ label scares you, just imagine what they’d pin on me.” She shook her head. “Not in the cards for me, I’m
