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Summer patted Abby’s knee “You’ve been initiated now, Abby Don’t take it personally There’s not a single woht about Tom just a little bit”

And yet, according to Jess, Tom didn’t date Not since he’d had his heart trampled on It et him out of that dry spell

She drained her glass and looked around Someone like Summer, tall and pretty with a kind of quiet confidence and innate sexuality, perhaps There was no ring on her finger after all But definitely not someone like Abby She was far too ordinary

And far too tiue A man like Tom needed someone more adventurous

“Come on, Abby, what do you really think of Tom? And don’t worry about Jess She won’t say a word, will you, Jess?”

Jessaway the key Abby giggled, the sound oddly strange to her ears She never giggled “Oh, no You’re not going to sucker me into that” She recalled briefly how close the air had felt in the confined space of the stairway, and wondered what it would be like to be pressed up against the cool wall, pinned there by To

“And … we’ve lost her,” Cindy mourned “Earth to Abby”

She looked up, a little slow on the draw

“That’s okay,” someone said “Tom tends to have that effect on the female population of this town”

Abby really shouldn’t have let anyone top up her wine Jess rose and excused herself for a ot up and began cleaning up the remains of the snacks Abby bit down on her lip Did Jewell Cove even have a cab service? All the other woht had been set behind the wheel now

“It wouldn’t e as she etable sticks in a plastic container “I’htened away and I can put it on the market”

“You’re not staying?”

Abby shook her head “I wasn’t planning on it What would a wo?”

Cindy grinned “Marry Tom and fill it with babies”

There was loud laughter then and the chatter dissipated, covering Abby’s hot blush The evening see the rest of the food table until the last woone and then she turned to Jess in the quiet of the workroom