Page 48 (1/2)

“Asshole”

Tohtened around hers for aback to face his cousin Oh, God, was To to hit him back?

But Tom only lashed out ords “She’s dead, Josh It doesn’t matter anymore None of it matters anymore” Abby heard Tom’s voice break on the last words and dread trickled down her limbs She? This was over a woman?

“I da through the yard Everything was still except for the music, which sounded incredibly out of place now “She was my wife!”

Abby heard the anguish in the words and instantly felt sorry for Josh How could she not sympathize with someone in such pain? But then she looked at To settled in her chest His expression was no less tortured Not just any wo over Josh’s wife

“Yes,” Tom replied, his voice hoarse “She was She was your wife She chose you You can stop hating me for it now”

This, then, was the woman who had broken Tom’s heart, the reason why he didn’t date, the reason why he didn’t get along with his cousin anymore The wo the information when Tom turned to her, his face utterly contrite despite the redness spreading along his jaw “I’m sorry about this We shouldn’t have come”

“Oh, co to introduce me to your pretty friend?”

Josh’s words were snarky, a deliberate taunt to set Toht her here? He had to knoasn’t going to go well He’d been on edge all day Even in Portland he’d been distracted And right now she was feeling like she was nothingwith To it in Josh’s face Josh was alone and To for it It was easy to tell he was spoiling for a drag-out fight

Anger burned She refused to be used—by either of them

She stepped up and held out her hand even though her heart was pounding “Hello, Josh, I’m Abby Foster”

She kept her hand between the him Someone had to hav

e some common sense and it wasn’t these two … boys

He finally shook it “Miss Foster” His cheeks even colored a little The schoolteacher in her -down, but instead she withdrew her fingers froo now,” she stated

“I’ll drive you home”