Reunited at The Altar

‘And yours is here. I know.’ His dark, dark eyes were as irresistible as a puppy’s. ‘But let’s ignore that for the moment. When you opened your new ice cream parlour, you didn’t do the whole lot in a day, did you? Just as I don’t expect a whole project to be sorted out in a day. Things take time. You need to do a critical path analysis before you start—work out what the steps are and in which order they have to be taken.’

She couldn’t help widening her eyes at him. ‘You’re seeing us as a project?’

‘No. I know it sounds as if I’m being a nerdy scientist, but I’m not.’ He raked his hand through his hair. ‘What I’m trying to say is that the obstacles you think are going to be a problem at the start of something don’t always turn out to be obstacles. And, if the end result is important enough to you, then you can find ways to work around the obstacles.’

‘Right.’

‘So we could agree to put the issue of where we live to one side for now,’ he said, ‘and see where things take us. Starting with whether we actually like the person each of us has become.’

She coughed. ‘I woke up in your bed this morning, Brad. I’d say that means we still like each other—at least physically.’

He smiled. ‘The Abby I knew would’ve been too shy to say that.’

‘I’m not shy any more. I’m comfortable in my own skin.’

‘I’d noticed.’

Was that a criticism?

The question must’ve shown in her face, because he said, ‘That was a compliment, Abby. Confidence is sexy.’

‘Oh.’ This time it was her turn to blush.

‘So we’ve established that we’re still attracted to each other,’ he said. ‘I have a lot of annual leave accrued. I could shock everyone in the lab and actually take some of it—and maybe we can spend some time together. See what else there is between us.’

Her frown deepened. ‘You want to have a holiday here? With me? But I can’t just take time off from work at short notice, Brad. That’s not fair to my team.’

‘I know, and you don’t need to. I know the summer’s your busiest time. It would just be nice to spend time with you—say, when you’re free in the evenings or on your days off.’

‘What I don’t understand is, why now?’ Why had he waited five years, if he’d still wanted her? Why had he even divorced her? She wasn’t buying his knight on a white charger line.

‘Because I had a few conversations at the wedding that made me think,’ he said.

‘Conversations?’

‘With people who took a second chance at happiness,’ he explained.

She couldn’t remember anyone on the guest list who’d broken up and got back together. Her confusion must’ve been obvious, because he said, ‘My mum, for starters.’

‘You mean your mum and George?’ She blinked. ‘I saw him at the wedding yesterday. So your mum told you about him?’

‘Yes. I don’t expect her to spend the rest of her life alone,’ he said. ‘She’s still relatively young. She should be enjoying life instead of being miserable and lonely and mourning Dad.’

Abigail really hadn’t expected him to take the news so well. ‘I’m glad you recognise that,’ she said carefully.

He narrowed his eyes at her, as if to say that of course he did—that he’d grown up in the years since Jim’s death.

‘I assume you met him yesterday, then, and talked to him?’

Brad nodded. ‘He seems like a nice guy, though I’d like the chance to get to know him better, to talk to him properly away from the hustle and bustle of the wedding.’ He sighed and pushed his plate away. ‘I want Mum to be happy. And Ruby.’ He paused. ‘And maybe you and me... Are you working today?’

‘No. Lucy, my second in command, is in charge until tomorrow.’

‘Then spend today with me, Abby.’

How could she resist those dark, dark eyes? ‘What did you have in mind?’

‘You. Me. A trip out.’ He gave her a sudden grin, reminding her of the teenage boy she’d married, and her heart felt as if it had done a funny little flip. ‘But we need to get you some travel-sickness tablets first.’