Chapter 18
Abby
As the festive sounds of Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector’s version of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” filled the food court, Abby ran up to the table where her friends were sipping from fountain drink cups and skidded to a stop. She flopped down in one of the empty chairs and dropped her purse into the other, then struggled to take her coat off as she huffed, “God, you guys, I’m so sorry I’m late!”
Ella put her hand on Abby’s arm, her eyes concerned. “It’s okay! Seriously, Abby. Don’t worry about it.”
Gen leaned back in her chair, lifted her straw to her lips, and eyed Abby appraisingly as she took a drink. Abby felt stripped bare, vulnerable, as Gen’s laser-sharp gaze traveled from her head to her toes and back again.
Then, suddenly, Gen sat up ramrod straight, her eyes widening. “Oh. My. Freaking. God. You did it!”
Abby blushed, but tried to play it off. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Uh, yeah. Ya do,” Gen smirked.
Ella looked back and forth between them, brows drawn together, her face the picture of confusion. “Well, I don’t. Tell me. What are you talking about?”
Gen turned to her friend. “Abby and Jet got tangled up in the tinsel.”
Ella’s brows only drew further together. “Tangled up in the…what? What are you talking about?”
“Yeah,” Abby said, injecting an innocent note into her voice. “What are you talking about?”
Gen laughed and pointed at Abby. “Stop trying to play innocent, you Jezebel. You’re way more naughty than nice right now. Stop denying it.”
Abby opened her mouth and then snapped it shut again. Heat spread over her face and she knew her cheeks must be lighting up like a Christmas tree. Finally, she gave a huge sigh and dropped her chin to her chest, her shoulders slumping.
“Fine,” she mumbled. “I give up.”
“Wait, what was that?” Gen intoned. “You’re gonna need to repeat that, a little clearer and a little louder. So the cheap seats can understand you.”
“Hold on just a minute,” Ella interjected. “Are you saying that Abby and Jet have been…”
“Oh, yeah,” Gen confirmed. “It’s written all over her face. They’ve been playin’ reindeer games.”
Abby’s head snapped up and her hands flew to cover her face. “Oh my God, enough with the Christmas puns already. Yes. Jet and I have been hooking up since he’s been back.”
“Oh my gosh, are you serious?”
Abby took her hands away so that she could see if the level of delighted surprise on Ell’s face matched that in her voice, and she wasn’t disappointed.
“I knew it,” Gen said, and everything about her– her voice, her face, her posture– telegraphed self-satisfaction. Hell, Abby couldn’t blame her. She had, after all, predicted it. And she’d been right.
Still. That didn’t make it fun to be on the receiving end of the “I told you so” parade.
Ella threw her arms around Abby’s shoulders. “Yay, yay, yay! You know what this means, right?”
Abby didn’t have a clue what Ella might think it meant, but before she could even venture a guess, Ella rolled right on. “We’re gonna be sisters! All three of us! I can’t wait!”
Abby tilted her head to the side. “And…how do you figure that?”
“Well, duh!” Ella rolled her eyes. “I’m marrying Donovan. Gen’s marrying Gavin. When you marry Jet, we’ll be sisters!”
“Okay, now,” Abby cautioned. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself. We haven’t even acquired the cart yet, let alone that horse you’re trying to put in front of it.”
“You’re right,” Ella agreed, sitting back in her own chair and sipping her drink. “I know I’m getting carried away. It’s just so exciting to think about the possibilities, though. You know?”
Oh boy, Abby thought with a grimace. Do I ever.