Linda Goodnight – The Christmas Family (страница 5)
Brady ignored the question. “What are you two doing here?”
“Same as you. Too lazy to cook breakfast. Have you been able to locate a plumber for the Edwards job?”
Brady slapped the heel of one hand to his forehead. “Ah, man, I forgot.”
He’d been so keyed up after the strange meeting with Abby he’d not given the plumber another thought until this moment.
“Dad’s not going to be happy.”
“I’ll find someone.” But not before the already-passed deadline of six o’clock. “Any ideas.”
“A couple. You might call Richie Clonts up in Idabel.”
“Good idea.”
“Give Charity a call. She’ll know his number.”
Charity was their oldest sister, a powerhouse real estate agent with a steel-trap mind and a list of contacts a mile long.
He fished his cell phone from his hip pocket, got the number from his sister and called the plumber. Five minutes later, he hung up a happier man. “Richie can send someone tomorrow. Dad wanted someone today, but tomorrow is better than nothing.”
Abby appeared with his coffee in a thick white mug and took orders from the twins.
“You’re pretty busy,” Sawyer said, saying the obvious with a toothy smile. Brady’s younger brothers, especially Sawyer, were always scoping the field for ladies.
“Slammed, but it’s letting up.”
“Still have my phone number?” Brady asked.
Her gaze flicked his direction. She got pink again. “Haven’t you chosen someone else?”
“I’d rather give you time to think about the offer.”
“Why?”
The question caught Brady off guard, but he said, “I like your little girl and I can give her something she needs.”
A look, almost of panic, flamed in Abby’s eyes. Again, Brady wondered what her problem was.
“Lila and I are okay, but thanks. Anything else on these orders?”
The twins lifted their fingers off the table in an identical gesture. “We’re good.”
And Abby whirled away, leaving the Buchanon brothers staring after her.
“Stubborn,” Brady muttered as he reached for the steaming cup.
“Embarrassed,” Dawson said. “Did you see how she blushed?” Intuitive and empathetic, Dawson was the brother who always noticed things like that.
“Nah,” Sawyer said, and laughed. “She was overwhelmed by my charm. Girls always turn pink in my studly presence.”
His brothers hooted.
“Dawg’s more charming than you.”
“Prettier, too.”
“Aw, thanks, guys.” Sawyer hung his head in mock offense.
“Kidding aside, do you think we embarrassed her?” Brady asked.
“What’s this
The concept gave Brady pause. He’d never purposely embarrass someone, but maybe Dawson was right. Maybe Abby somehow mistook his intentions. Maybe she thought he was putting her down.
Man, he’d never considered such a thing.
“I think I should talk to her again, show her the possibilities.”
The twins exchanged looks. “Can’t take no for an answer, can you, Brady?”
Never had. Never would. Not when someone needed him, and he was convinced Abby and Lila needed his help.
Before he left, Brady slid a twenty-dollar bill under his plate.
* * *
He’d left her twenty dollars. Abby didn’t know whether to be pathetically grateful or even more humiliated than she’d been last night.
“Wow, girlfriend, you must have been on your game this morning. Twenty bucks,” Charla Patterson, one of the other waitresses and Abby’s friend said as she helped clear the Buchanon table. “Have you caught the eye of one of Gabriel’s Crossing’s most eligible bachelors?”
Abby shook her head at the ridiculous notion. “Like that would ever happen.”
“Hey, don’t sell yourself short. You have lots to offer.”
“Tell that to Warren.” She’d trusted her ex-boyfriend, a man who’d promised love and marriage but bolted when he learned the child Abby carried would be special-needs. Now, she only felt loathing for the man who had never once laid eyes on his beautiful daughter.
“Warren was a user. It’s time for you to stop beating yourself up over him and move on.”
“I’m not beating myself up. I’m glad he’s out of our lives.”
“And I’m thankful for that. I never liked the guy, even though I still think you should force him to pay child support. You could use the money.”
“No way. I don’t want him involved with Lila any more than he wants to be. He doesn’t deserve to be part of her life. Him or his lovely wife.” She sounded bitter and didn’t want to be. But his cruel rejection had stabbed deep and left her uncertain and bruised.
“There are good guys out there, hon. Guys like Brady Buchanon. His cute twin brothers, too.”
A funny little twitter went off in Abby’s belly. She clattered a fork onto a plate and ignored the feeling. “I have Lila. She’s all I need.”
“So why did Brady leave such a fat tip this morning?”
“Not because he’s after me, that’s for sure.” She forced a laugh, surprised to be bothered by that truth. “Remember how the Buchanons give away a home makeover every Christmas?”
“Sure. The makeover is a big deal. A really big deal.” Charla slapped a bleach rag against the tabletop as her eyes widened. “You don’t mean—”
“Brady offered it to me.”
“Abby! That’s amazing. Congratulations. No one deserves a new home more than you.”
“I turned him down.”
“What? Are you out of your mind?”
“I don’t need their help, Char. I can take care of my daughter and my house and my
“Oh, Abby.” Charla looked at her with sympathy. Dishes rattled as they stacked them on the cart. “Sometimes you’re too independent for your own good. Warren really did a number on you.”
Warren wasn’t the only one though, admittedly, he’d been the latest in bad decisions that had come back to bite her. Abby was smart enough to know her background made her wary. Nobody did something for nothing. Stick your heart out there and it would get tromped. Every time. If trying to fit into a family and failing at age thirteen hadn’t proved that, Warren had.
Big, beautiful Brady Buchanon would have to find someone else to feel sorry for.
She stuck his twenty dollars into her pocket and debated on giving it back.
* * *
Lila’s play school telephoned an hour before Abby’s shift ended.
“For you, Abby,” Jan called, holding her hand over the mouthpiece. “Christina at the play school.”