Falling for the Good Guy (Can't Resist #2)(2)

Brian wrapped Abby up in a big bear hug. “You doing okay, babe?”

Abby sank into the protective embrace. She was so glad things had gone back to normal between them. The day Connor left, things had been…awkward. And then confusing. Mostly because it only seemed to be awkward and confusing for her. After that day, Brian continued right on being his perfectly normal, normally perfect self. Obviously, she’d completely imagined the brief ‘moment’ she thought they’d shared when he’d given her Connor’s parting gifts. She had, after all, been in a really vulnerable place; it was entirely plausible she’d simply latched on to the comfort Brian had been providing that day and mistook it for something more.

Whether that had been wishful thinking or not, she simply refused to analyze.

Settling her head against his chest, she reassured him as best she could, “I’m fine. Just tired, is all. Would you stop fussing over me?”

He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Who’s fussing? Can’t a guy just want to hang out with his two best girls all night long?”

She sighed. He meant it literally, too. Because he was just that good to her. “It’s no big deal, Brian. You don’t have to hover all night; it’s just New Year’s Eve.”

Right. Just. They both knew it was much more than that. They both knew that New Year’s Eve was ‘the deadline.’

The last day she’d wait for Connor to come back to her.

The last day before she finally moved on.

It really was time. Her brain knew it. And Connor’s MIA status since September was making his views on the situation loud and clear. This ‘thing’ between them really was over.

And yet there was still that one small, unsquelchable part of her heart that couldn’t seem to drag her eyes off the clock as it ticked down to the last second of the year.



“I can’t believe how much worse her sleep-talking has gotten,” whispered Abby, smiling affectionately over at Skylar, who was down for the count in front of the TV, and arguing with herself in her sleep.

“I know. It’s going to make her high school years a tiny bit easier for me to deal with,” replied Brian, looking over at his daughter with a smile matching Abby’s.

“How do you figure?”

“Normally, she chatters so much all night long, the silence in the house will be deafening if she tries to sneak out.” He winked. “I’ll know the minute she’s gone.”

Abby grinned, knowing full well the adorable reality behind that truth—Brian was an impossibly light sleeper who still checked in on his daughter several times a night to make sure her sleep-talking wasn’t in fact a nightmare. It was terribly cute.

Without even realizing she was doing it, she glanced at the time again mid-chuckle—just a half hour to go. When she turned back and saw Brian giving her a sympathetic look, she attempted a quick recovery. “I didn’t realize it was so late already. Why don’t you guys just stay over tonight? We can start the new year together and whip up some of Skylar’s favorite strawberry pancakes in the morning as a New Year’s Day treat.”

Not an unusual plan for them by any means considering how the pair spent the night at her house almost as often as she slept over theirs. And yet…something about the way Brian’s eyes darkened when she made the offer made her pulse kick up a bit.

What in the world?

“You took the words right out of my mouth. I’ll go get Skylar set up in the guestroom,” he replied in a voice that sounded even deeper than usual. Almost…husky.

How odd.

She puzzled over the tiny, undefinable differences about Brian tonight that were proving to have an uncharacteristic effect on her insides as she headed over to the fridge for some fresh beers. Meanwhile, Brian got Skylar settled into the guestroom across the way and Abby caught him doing that melt-your-heart dad thing he always did where he smoothed Skylar’s hair back and whispered ‘sweet dreams, Sky-bug’—as if she was still two and not twelve—before making a point to leave the room door just a tiny bit ajar on his way out.

He was such a good father.

When he rejoined her on the living room couch, Abby handed him his beer and clinked bottlenecks. Just twenty minutes to go. She was in serious need of a distraction. “Oh hey, I meant to ask, has Skylar changed her mind about opening her Christmas gift from Beth?”

Brian shook his head, frowning sadly. “No, the whole gift from her mom beyond the grave thing is still a little tough for her to take. And I don’t want to force her. Last Christmas was hard enough on her with it being so soon after Beth’s death. I’m more focused on her having as many enjoyable memories from this year’s holiday season as possible.”

Abby could understand why. She remembered how despondent Skylar had been last winter break, barely saying more than a few words the entire time. The poor girl deserved the jubilant Christmas she’d had this year.

He snagged her gaze. “Thanks again for helping Beth do the whole gift thing.”

“No thanks needed. I’m glad I could do that for her. And Skylar.”

Not that it hadn’t been a hugely emotional favor. About a few months before her Huntington’s had all but robbed her ability to speak, Brian’s ailing wife had asked for Abby’s help in setting up a means to make sure Skylar got birthday and Christmas presents from Beth well after she was gone. So, armed with a large check from Beth, Abby had begun the long mission of buying up two pre-brainstormed gifts for every year of Skylar’s life until her twenty-first Christmas and birthday…along with one special gift for her wedding day as well.