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first, then with a boldness he’d never have imagined. He’d
been wasted, but he knew he’d asked her if she was on the
Pill. And he’d asked her age. She told him she’d just had
her eighteenth birthday. He’d been relieved. Considering
the trouble he was already in, he didn’t need to add
morality charges to his crimes.
She’d been so willing. Reese had never forced a woman
to do anything she didn’t want to. And Abby had seemed
to want to do it. She’d been sweet-smelling, warm and
pliant in his arms. So unlike the girl who’d always come
across as cool, aloof, too brainy to associate with mere
mortals like the crowd Reese hung out with. It was almost
as though she’d been driven to get away from Key West and
people like him.
More than a decade had passed since he’d seen Abby.
Maybe her resentment to him the past couple of days was
due in part to her hatred of him for what they’d done that
CYNTHIA THOMASON
73
night. But he sure as hell didn’t feel any resentment to her.
In fact, if they hadn’t gotten off on such bad footing with
these problems with Huey…
“What?” He posed the question aloud. “You’d apologize
for something that happened years ago?” He scoffed at his
own foolishness. “It’s way too late for that. She’d see right
through a lame attempt to make things right now.”
Reese went into the kitchen, set his can on the counter
and reached around the back door where he kept Rooster’s
leash on a hook. “Let’s go, boy,” he said. “I find myself
needing to walk off some frustration all of a sudden, so I
hope you can keep up.”
CHAPTER SIX
ABBY WAS SHOWERED and dressed by five o’clock, the time
Huey had told her he’d be ready to leave for Mallory
Square. Saturday was the biggest tourist night of the week.
She thought it best not to distract him from making sales
by telling him Reese’s news about the taxes.
They’d just left the driveway in Huey’s truck when
Abby’s cell phone rang. Since she’d spoken to Alicia
earlier in the day and given her the name of the counselor
assigned to her case, Abby didn’t think this call would be
from her. But it could be from any of the other pregnant
teens who’d phoned since she’d been in Key West.
Relieved to see she wouldn’t be involved in a lengthy
counseling session, she connected. “Mom, what’s up?”
“Abby, I need you to get over here to the Pirate Shack
right away.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Are you with Huey?”
Abby glanced over at him. He was concentrating on his
driving and swearing about the traffic. “Yeah.”
“Then I can’t talk now. Just get over here.”
“But we’re on our way to Mallory Square.”
“I don’t care if you’re on a mission to the moon. You
need to stop at the Pirate Shack. Alone.”
CYNTHIA THOMASON
75
That wouldn’t be a problem. Huey never stepped over
the threshold of his brother’s business. “Okay. I’ll have
Poppy drop me off.
“That was Mom,” Abby said after she’d clicked her
phone shut.
“What’d she want?”
“She’s asked me to stop at the Shack. I’ll just be a few
minutes, and then I’ll walk the rest of the way to the
square.”
He drove the block off Duval and pulled up in front of
the restaurant. “Do you want me to get you something to
eat?” Abby asked.
He gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead,
as if even looking at the establishment would cause him
indigestion. “Not unless Phil’s giving something away
free. I won’t put any of my money in his pockets.”
She climbed out of the truck. “Suit yourself. We’ll eat
later.”
He left and she went inside. The Shack was nearly
empty—not unusual, since the dinner rush hadn’t started.
In a few hours the restaurant would be packed with mostly
locals out for a good time.
Loretta came over immediately and took Abby to a
back booth.
Abby sat. “Good grief, Mom, what is this all about?”
“No one will bother us here. Not even Phil. I told him
we were discussing girl topics. I’ve never known a man
who didn’t cringe at the thought.” She motioned to Nick,
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