NICE GIRL TO LOVE (THE COMPLETE THREE-BOOK COLLECTION)(70)

Brian shook his head and patted Jean on the shoulder. “Jean, why don’t you all go on home.” He gazed over at little Becky, sleeping in one of the waiting room chairs next to her father. “I can’t thank you all enough for taking such good care of Skylar. I’ll call you first thing in the morning with an update, I promise.”

Jean gave him a fierce hug and returned to her family.

Brian dug in his pocket for his keys. “Abby, you can head home, too. I’m going to sleep in the waiting area until morning.”

“Not a chance, Brian. I’m going to be in the chair right next to you.” Her expression brooked no argument.

That was when he finally got a good look at the buried fear in her eyes, the quivering lower lip she was keeping pursed tight. Brian pulled her into his arms. In so many ways, Skylar was as much Abby’s daughter as she was his. “If they let me use the phone, I’ll have Skylar call you on my cell,” he said softly, holding her for just a second longer.

The tears spilled from her eyes then and she nodded, clinging to him just as tightly.

“I’ll be back soon.”




THE MOMENT BRIAN DISAPPEARED through the ICU doors, Abby collapsed into the nearest chair.

No. Just no. The universe couldn’t be this cruel. Abby held her fists up to her eyes and alternated between praying, reasoning, and demanding. To any god that would listen. “That little girl does not deserve this. Her father does not deserve this. Do you hear me?” she whispered harshly. “Do not do this to them.”

“If only that worked,” said a low voice echoing in the small, nearly empty room.

Abby shivered. Just as she always did when she heard that voice.

Connor.

She stood and turned to him. But she didn’t dare take a step in his direction.

She didn’t trust herself.

“Thank you for calling earlier tonight.” What an asinine thing to say. And yet that’s all her brain had been able to come up with.

Connor’s eyes ran over her with the same raw intensity it always had. “You look beautiful tonight, Abby…not that you don’t look just as amazing in your old t-shirts and shorts.” He grinned. A small, crooked grin that nailed her square in the chest.

Breathing became impossible, her emotions completely unstable. If she were the type to swear, a dozen f-bombs would be flooding out of her mouth right now. Because it was taking absolutely everything she had to stop herself from running into his arms.

“How have you been, Connor?” she managed tightly, feeling another stab of pain when she saw the small light in his eyes dim just a bit. This wasn’t fair. He’s the one who left. He didn’t get to look at her with that hurt look because she wasn’t falling right back into flirting with him, loving him.

But before she could continue her silent tirade, Abby saw a young, dark-haired woman slide a hand onto his shoulder, and then hand him his phone. Not the phone his one-month women called him on either, but the phone only Brian, Skylar, Abby, and a few of his close business associates had the number to.

As she watched Connor discuss something quietly with the woman, Abby couldn’t help but notice how pretty she was with her long jet-black hair and sweet, fallen-angel features. She was gorgeous, and her concern for Connor was palpable...as was the genuinely empathetic look she sent Abby’s way as well.

That’s when Abby knew.

Gabriella hadn’t been lying this time—there really was a nice girl who had taken Abby’s place in Connor’s life. And she was here at his side helping him through this family emergency.

Translation: Connor really had moved on.

Abby had to avert her eyes away when she saw Connor hand the woman back his phone, along with his wallet and his keys.

The keys to his Dodge Charger.

With the weird little stress-monster keychain she’d given him months ago.

Thankfully, Brian returned before she could allow herself to mourn her heart’s loss too heavily. Connor had never been hers to keep. And she was happy for him, truly. Whether he believed himself to be or not, he was a good man who deserved someone who made him happy.

But that didn’t mean her heart still couldn’t ache over the fact that she hadn’t been the one who could make him happy.

Brian’s hands slipping around her waist immediately took away some of the sting.

“Skylar was barely awake when I went in to see her,” he sighed. “The pain meds they have her on are pretty strong so she wasn’t up for a phone—” Frowning, Brian tipped her face up to his gently. “Hey, you okay, sweetie?”

As if it were the most natural reflex in the world, Abby immersed herself completely into the warm comfort he always had at the ready just for her and his arms tightened around her protectively.

While being in Connor’s arms had always been a thrill-filled rush, feeling Brian’s arms around her always made her feel like she was coming home. Connor had said to her at the start of their one month together that she needed to try something wild and fast that could take her from zero to sixty and then back again just as quickly. It occurred to her then that she never did come back down from that high…not until she was with Brian. As much as she’d loved being with Connor, she’d felt lost in his world, but with Brian, she felt like she’d been found, like she was where she belonged.