Peaches and Cream, page 20
“Stop it,” she said into the emptiness of the car, her voice firm. She refused to jump onto that train of thought. It took her nowhere good.
She slowly began to nod. The building had been sold. It was done now. Soon it would be something new. A diner or a shoe store or a card shop. Who knew? But it was done now.
Shifting her car back into drive, Adley inhaled a slow, deep breath and let it out. She didn’t have to drive by here anymore. “Enough,” she said and headed home.
* * *
Hi there. I know I’m probs the last person you want to see, but I’d really like to talk to you about something specific. Would you have time to meet with me?
Sabrina stared at the text. Read it. Reread it. And reread it. And reread it. Driving herself mad looking at the same words, the same letters, over and over and over as if they were going to change.
“Fuck it,” she finally said and hit Send.
The storm door banged, and Teagan came in carrying three boxes in a stack, completely blocking their face. And their ability to see where they were going. “Help,” they said, and Sabrina reached for the top box.
“I already know what a badass you are,” she said with a laugh. “You don’t have to prove it by carrying all the boxes at once.”
“You think I’m going to let you move a thousand miles away and not make sure you’re okay?” Teagan set down the boxes, then straightened up and looked Sabrina in the eye. “You’re sure you know what you’re doing, yeah?”
“I do. I have a plan.”
Teagan nodded, likely because they’d heard that before, but Sabrina hadn’t shared said plan with them. “So you’ve said.” Their tone held clear skepticism laced with worry, and Sabrina loved them for it. She gave their shoulder a squeeze.
“I promise.” Teagan stared at her for a full five or six seconds before giving one nod.
“All right. Just a few more boxes.” They dodged a large guy coming in the front door carrying an ottoman.
“You know I hired movers, right?” Sabrina called after them with a laugh.
Teagan waved over their shoulder as they headed up into the back of the moving truck.
This was over the top. Wasn’t it? She glanced at her phone. Nothing back from Adley. Yet. Would she answer? Or would she ignore the text? It really could go either way, and Sabrina knew that. After a good fifteen minutes of doing things with her phone in her hand, she sighed, realized what she was doing, and slid it into the back pocket of her jeans. She needed to push it out of her mind and focus on her current situation.
Problem was, it had been nearly nine months, and she had yet to push Adley Purcell out of her mind.
Nine. Months.
It defied explanation as far as she was concerned. Teagan had wondered if maybe Sabrina was making everything bigger in her memory, the way humans did sometimes, making normal times seem happier, more important, playing things up in her mind. But Sabrina didn’t think that was the case. She’d done everything she could to stop thinking about Adley, including going on a couple dates while home in Atlanta. But nobody interested her the way Adley had. Nobody had turned her on physically the way Adley had. Nobody had touched her heart the way Adley had.
It was very possible that Adley would ignore her text completely. Or worse, tell her to fuck off. But something in the back of her brain told her to hold tight. To be patient. That little voice that all the gurus tell you to always listen to, that gut instinct. So, that was her plan. She would wait and see, and in the meantime, she’d move forward with her plans.
“I like this little place,” Teagan said later, after the movers had gone and the two of them sat on Sabrina’s navy-blue couch with bottles of beer and sore muscles. Sprinkles was wandering around his new house, sniffing every corner, exploring.
“Me, too,” Sabrina said, and it was the truth. It was a small bungalow, two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, a small office along with a cute living room, cozy gas fireplace, surprisingly updated kitchen, and powder room on the first floor, and a small, fenced-in, square backyard for Sprinkles. She’d purchased it, rather than renting, and realized that might bite her in the ass if her plans ended up in the toilet. “Do you realize that this is the first time in my life I went with my gut?”
Teagan turned to look at her. “Yeah?”
A nod. “I always, always second-guess myself. I always play it safe. This time? My gut said to do this, and my brain screamed that it was stupid and reckless and did I know how badly it could all blow up in my face?”
Teagan chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like your brain.”
“But my gut said it was the right thing to do and…I just went with it.”
“And now?”
“Not gonna lie, I’m a little bit terrified.”
“A little terror is good for the soul.”
“Is that a quote? Who said that?”
“I believe the credit for that one goes to Teagan Rosecki from the couch of one Sabrina James sometime in the spring of 2023, Northwood, New York.”
She laughed and bumped Teagan with a shoulder. “I hate that I took you away from your wife and baby, but I’m really glad you’re here.”
“You think I was about to let you drive from Atlanta to here all by yourself?” Teagan grinned at her. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”
They were interrupted by the buzzing of Sabrina’s phone from her back pocket. She lifted her hips so she could reach it, and surprise swamped her when she saw the screen. “It’s Adley,” she whispered.
“What does it say?” Teagan whispered back. “And why are we whispering?”
Meet with you? Are you here in Northwood?
“I kinda left that part out, didn’t I?” she said after she read it aloud to Teagan.
“I mean, it’s a pretty important fact.”
“Valid.” She typed back, Yes, I’m in town.
Teagan leaned toward her, and they both watched the little gray dots bouncing and bouncing and bouncing. Then they disappeared completely, and Sabrina held her breath. Then they came back, bounced some more, left again.
“She’s not sure what to say,” Teagan said.
“Or she’s trying to figure out the nicest way to tell me to go fuck myself.”
“Oh, I think she’d just come right out and say that if that’s what she was thinking.”
“Thanks, you’re a huge help.”
They watched the dots for another moment or two that felt like years, and then the text finally came through: Where and when?
“All those bouncing dots for three words?” Teagan asked.
Sabrina didn’t even snark back because she was too happy about the fact that Adley had actually agreed to meet with her. No, there’d been nothing personal in her words. Nothing happy, nothing that said Adley was happy to hear from her. Nothing even asking why she was in town again. Just the facts, ma’am, as her dad would say.
“Where and when?” she asked quietly because, honestly, she hadn’t even thought that far ahead. She looked at Teagan. “Where and when?”
Teagan’s eyes widened. “You’re asking me?” At Sabrina’s frantic nod, they said, “Um…what about the dog park?”
Sabrina blinked at them. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. We’ve met there before. It’s pretty. Fairly quiet. If we can go at the right time, there probably won’t be many other people.”
“Better for her to kill you and hide the body.”
Sabrina nodded. “There is that.” She typed in her response. Dog park? Tomorrow morning at ten? She sent it, realizing too late that maybe Adley had a nine-to-five job now, but she didn’t worry for long because her response came right back.
OK.
“Yeah, she hates you,” Teagan said, her tone only partially teasing.
“Maybe,” Sabrina said with a sigh. “But also, maybe not. If she hated me, I think she’d have just ignored me.”
“You make a good point, despite the fact that a simple OK, just letters and not the word, usually also stands for fuck you very much.” Teagan said. The doorbell rang and they jumped up and bolted toward the door, Sprinkles barking and jumping at Teagan’s leg. “Pizza’s here!” And their mutual excitement had Sabrina laughing.
“I’m gonna miss you, weirdo,” she said in the kitchen a few minutes later as they dished out their pizza and got more beer from the fridge. Teagan had a flight back home booked in the early morning. They’d taken two days to drive, met the movers and unloaded, and she felt guilty she’d kept Teagan from her wife and newborn for so long.
“Stop feeling guilty,” Teagan said as if reading her mind. They sucked tomato sauce off their thumb. “I came to help because I wanted to. Kyra is fine. My baby boy is fine. I’ll be home tomorrow.” They took a bite of pizza, chewed, and looked Sabrina in the eye. “I’m gonna miss you, too.” And the two of them stood there, gazes held, eyes welling up. Teagan was the first to break eye contact, clearing their throat and looking around the kitchen. “You sure you don’t want me to stay and help you unpack?”
Sabrina shook her head. “No. You’ve helped me more than I ever could have asked for. I hope you know how much I appreciate it.”
More nodding. More eyes filling with tears.
Finally, Sabrina laughed. “Look at us. A couple of blubbering babies.” Teagan laughed too for a moment, and then they put down their paper plates and fell into each other’s arms, hugging tight. Sprinkles barked and jumped at their legs, clearly wanting in on the hugging action.
“I’m worried about you,” Teagan said against Sabrina’s ear. “I don’t like worrying about you.”
“I know. I’m okay,” Sabrina whispered back. “I promise. I’d tell you if I wasn’t.”
Teagan pushed back and held Sabrina by the shoulders as they stared at her face. “You would? You swear it?”
“I swear it.” She narrowed her gaze and said firmly, “I’m okay.” She scooped up Sprinkles and cuddled him as she said, “I’m nervous, yeah, of course I am. I don’t know what will happen with Adley, true, and I’m nervous about that. But I feel okay. Whatever happens, I’ll be okay.”
Teagan studied her face, as if looking for a clue that she was lying. Apparently satisfied, they gave one nod, ruffled the wiry hair on Sprinkles’s head, and picked their pizza back up. “Okay. But if you need me, you call me. I can be back up here by plane in two hours.”
“I know.”
“Good. Now let’s go sit back down with our pizza and our beer because my feet are fucking killing me.”
Sabrina laughed and nodded. “Deal.” She set her dog down and grabbed her dinner. Following Teagan back to the couch and looking around her new place as she did, she felt…settled. It was the only way to describe the sudden feeling that came over her without warning. Settled. Like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
She’d never felt that before. Ever.
Maybe it was a good sign? It sure felt like one.
Time will tell, she thought and flopped down next to her best friend in her new living room to enjoy a dinner of pizza and beer. Not a bad day. Not a bad day at all.
Chapter Twenty-one
What the hell was she doing?
Adley sat in her car, inhaled a big breath, let it out very slowly, and tried to center herself. She was beyond nervous. Like, way beyond. She was confused. She was angry. She was curious. Yeah, that last one was the main reason she was in the car at all and driving to the dog park to meet Sabrina.
God. Sabrina.
She hadn’t seen her in nearly a year. Nine months, to be exact. The time it took to grow a whole baby. She shook her head and made a left. She hadn’t told anybody about the meeting. She didn’t want to be talked out of it. She didn’t want to be talked into it. It had to be her own decision, with no influence from anybody else. God, Scottie was going to kill her when she found out.
What could Sabrina possibly want?
That was the question that had been on her mind since they’d texted yesterday. The question that had her stuck in her own head during her shift, had her dropping menus and bumping into chairs, had Cassandra shooting her glances of concern. The question that had kept her from getting any meaningful sleep at all.
And she was feeling that now. As if on cue, a yawn cranked her mouth open as she steered her car into the parking lot at the park, the dog park tucked in toward the back. She’d have to walk a bit. She turned off the ignition and noticed her hand shaking. Not a lot, just a slight tremor, and she made a fist, squeezed it shut, and willed the nerves to go away. Then she took a deep breath in the hopes of bolstering her confidence, and she pushed herself out of the car.
She could see the edge of the dog park as she walked. It was midmorning, so not at all crowded. As she got closer, she could see two golden retrievers in the large dog section. Then she rounded a corner, and there was the little dog section. There was Sprinkles, running around with a black dog about his size.
And there, on a bench, watching her approach, sat Sabrina.
Adley’s heart felt like it did a complete somersault in her chest, and she had to stop for a second and force it to calm down. And in that second, all the anger and hurt and confusion vanished. Just evaporated because there was Sabrina, an uncertain smile on her face, and Jesus Christ on a barstool, had she ever looked more beautiful? Simple jeans and a black T-shirt, Converse on her feet, she looked casual, comfortable, and gorgeous. Adley pulled herself together and kept walking until she reached the entry gate and slipped in.
Sprinkles saw her then and sprinted to her like he’d been launched from a slingshot. Suddenly, he was jumping at her legs and bark-squealing with happiness, and honest to God, Adley had never been happier to see a living thing than she was in that moment to see Sprinkles. She squatted down and gave him all the love and hugs and kisses he needed, telling him how much she’d missed him and asking him if he’d been a good boy. Finally, after much, much love, he decided it was time to resume his game of chase with the black dog, which Adley now saw was a poodle. They took off at full speed, and she watched for a moment while she worked up her nerve. After a long moment, she turned to the bench where Sabrina sat, still watching her.
Here we go.
As she approached, Sabrina stood, and Adley was reminded of all that beauty and fire that was crammed into a small body. Determined not to let the tornado of emotions that was in her heart and head show on her face, she made sure her expression was neutral.
“Adley,” Sabrina said. And was there relief in her voice? “It’s so good to see you.” She made a move but stopped herself quickly, and Adley wondered if she’d been about to hug her but thought better of it.
“Hi,” Adley said and took a seat on the bench without waiting. She heard Sabrina exhale as she sat next to her. “Sprinkles has gotten so big,” she said before she could stop herself.
“He’s a good boy,” Sabrina said. “A really good dog. I got lucky with him.”
Silence reigned for what felt like a ridiculously long period of time until Adley thought she might explode. “What’s this about?” she finally asked. “What are you doing here?” And she actually looked at Sabrina for the first time since they’d sat. Her blond hair was loose, the gentle breeze lifting strands up and blowing them away from her face. She noticed something she hadn’t at first—Sabrina had lost a little weight, it seemed, her face thinner, her cheeks a bit hollow. Slight half-circles of shadow underlined her eyes. She was still achingly beautiful, but it was clear to Adley that she’d been battling something. “Are you sick?” she blurted before she could stop herself, and she wondered if the fear in her voice was as obvious to Sabrina as it was to her.
Sabrina turned to her in surprise. “Am I…what?” And then it seemed to hit her, to become clear, and she smiled sadly. “No. No, I’m not sick. I’ve just…had a lot on my mind these past months.”
“Oh. Well. That’s good.” Adley cleared her throat. “That you’re not sick, I mean.”
“Yeah.” Sabrina gave a soft chuckle. “So…I’m actually here because I have a proposition for you.”
Of all the things Adley thought Sabrina might have said to her in this moment, that was not even close to the top of the list. She frowned. “A proposition? What does that even mean?”
Sprinkles zipped up to them then, jumped right onto the bench, pink tongue lolling as he panted and hopped into Sabrina’s lap. “Are you checking in?” Sabrina asked him with a laugh, and Adley found herself immersed in simply watching the two of them, their bond clear. Sabrina grabbed his head in both hands and kissed the top of it—three loud smacks—and he jumped off and was back to running with the poodle. Adley realized then that another woman sat across the park on her own bench. The poodle’s mom, must be.
“Yes. So.” Sabrina cleared her throat and clasped her hands together, and it occurred to Adley then that she was nervous. “I want to hire you.”
Adley blinked at her, wondering if she’d heard her right. “I’m sorry?”
“I want to hire you.”
Adley swallowed and tried to choose her words carefully, to keep her voice steady. “Sweet Heaven put me out of business. What the hell makes you think I want to work for them?”
Sabrina met her gaze then. “I don’t work for Sweet Heaven any longer.”
“I’m…” Adley narrowed her eyes, her thoughts jumbled. “Wait, what?”
