Backwoods

“And a jacket,” Abby said.

“Oh my God, Mom. We’re not going on the freeway.”

Leo sided with Brooke this time. He was a teenage boy with a motorcycle, so his judgment was questionable. “I’ll keep it under fifty, Miss...”

“Abby,” she murmured, waving her permission.

He climbed aboard the bike and released the kickstand, passing the helmet to Brooke. She tugged it on and settled in behind him, curving her arms around his trim waist. With a loud pop, he started the engine. Seconds later, they were off.

Abby stood in the driveway for a long time, listening for the sound of screeching tires. Dark crept into the corners of the balmy evening, bringing a chill that only Abby could feel. Brooke and Leo, with their superior circulation and raging hormones, would be warm enough. She’d never considered the possibility that the stepsiblings might have romantic feelings for each other. Not that Brooke’s overzealous embrace indicated as much. She was friendly with everyone, and often seemed unaware of her effect on men.

Abby unloaded her bags from the vehicle and went inside the cabin, sighing. The interior was beautiful, with high ceilings and exposed wood beams. A bouquet of purple wildflowers rested on a glass-topped coffee table in front of a leather couch. Abby found a room with a worn duffel bag on the bed, obviously Leo’s. Bypassing that and the master suite, she retreated to the opposite end of the cabin to stake her claim.

In the bathroom, she washed up and scrutinized her appearance. She was healthy. She ran five miles on the treadmill every other day. Her figure was still good.

Since the divorce, work and motherhood had taken up most of her energy. She’d dated a physical therapist for several years, but their relationship had fizzled in recent months. Her daughter’s absence had made her realize that something else was missing in her life. She’d rather be alone than settle for the wrong person.

It was a little embarrassing to be the fifth wheel at Ray’s cabin, single and unattached. His betrayal with Lydia had devastated her. Maybe the missing piece was inside Abby, and she’d never be able to give herself completely to a man again.

Sighing, she reached for her favorite distraction: her cell phone. She’d found that redirecting her thoughts often helped her stay calm. Daily exercise, relaxation techniques and steady breathing worked, also.

Abby called her favorite person: Ella.

Her sister answered the phone with a throaty giggle. Abby could hear Ella’s boyfriend, Paul, in the background. Ella had met Paul at California’s Channel Islands last summer, on a previous ill-fated family adventure trip. After Ray canceled, Ella and Abby had stepped in to accompany Brooke. Paul had been their handsome kayak guide. Ella had ended up stranded for a night with him on remote, uninhabited San Miguel. They’d been inseparable ever since.

“We just got here,” Abby said.

“How is it?”

She glanced around the bedroom. “It’s nice. Ray and Lydia aren’t here yet. Brooke went on a motorcycle ride with Leo.”

Ella didn’t have to ask how that made Abby feel. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“Has Brooke ever talked to you about him?”

“Um...”

“How old is he now?”

“Nineteen, I think.”

“Where does he go to school?”

“Humboldt.”

Not far from Berkeley. But not that close. Abby paced the room, nibbling her lower lip. Ella was ten years younger than Abby, and more like a sister than an aunt to Brooke. Sometimes Brooke confided in her, rather than Abby.

“I have to tell you something,” Ella said.

“What?”

She made a breathy sound. “We’re getting married.”

Abby almost dropped the phone. “What?”

“He asked me last night. Can you believe it?”

Her sister went on to tell the story of Paul proposing at Rose Valley Falls. They were both outdoor nuts, like Brooke. He’d gone with a nontraditional ring and a rare gemstone that sent Ella into raptures. She was a geophysicist.

“Oh, Ella,” Abby said, her chest tight. “I’m so happy for you.”

Ella couldn’t wait to show her the ring, so she sent Abby the photos via text message. The first was of the happy couple at the falls. In the second, a slim platinum band with a sparkling gray stone graced her sister’s slender finger.

Gorgeous, Abby texted back. Love you.

She put the phone in her purse, torn between joy and melancholy. Her baby sister was getting married to a great guy who adored her. The ring was unique and beautiful. Abby should be dancing on a table. Instead she felt like curling up in a corner. To her dismay, tears gathered behind her eyes. She’d been engaged once. She’d shown off her big, traditional diamond and held her head high.

Their situations were different, of course. Ella was twenty-six, with an established career. Abby had gotten married right after high school. She’d been a mother at eighteen. Years later, she’d pursued a degree in nursing and gone to work at Ray’s cosmetic surgery office. Her entire life had revolved around him.

Ella and Paul were on equal footing. Ella knew what she was doing. And Paul wasn’t the cheating type...was he?

Abby sat down on the edge of the bed, plucking at a loose thread on the comforter. The question always niggled at the back of her mind, infecting her chances of having a committed relationship. In her experience, marriages didn’t last. Partners strayed.

Love was ephemeral.

The doorbell rang, startling her. It was probably Ray and Lydia. As she rose to answer it, an X-rated image of the couple popped into her mind.

Abby had learned of the affair by walking in on them in flagrante delicto. It was after regular business hours, so the front office was deserted. Ray had a back room with a leather couch for napping between surgeries. Abby had found him there with his pants around his ankles. Lydia had been bent over the couch, her breasts exposed and her skirt raked up. Their expressions had been priceless. Eyes wide. Bodies frozen, midstroke.

Pushing that unpleasant mental picture aside, Abby continued forward. It seemed odd for Ray to announce his presence by knocking, considering that he’d rented the cabin. She glanced through the window blinds to make sure it was him. A stranger was standing there in the dark. He was taller than Ray, his shoulders broader.

“Who is it?” she asked, raising her voice.

“It’s Nathan,” he replied. “Nathan Strom.”

Nathan Strom. Leo’s father. Lydia’s ex-husband. The world-famous baseball player whose career had gone up in flames.

“Is this the wrong cabin?” he asked.

Abby opened the door warily, giving him a closer study. She recognized him from the YouTube video, though he looked different. A little older, more weathered and clear-eyed. In person, he did resemble Leo. They had the same square jaw and handsome features. Nathan’s hair was brown, rather than black, and expertly cut. His clothes were elegant. An expensive watch glittered on his wrist.

Brooke had described him as “seriously hot.” That was right on the money.

Abby didn’t know how to welcome him. This was the man Lydia had been married to when she started seeing Ray. Lydia had cheated on Nathan with Abby’s husband. Ray had cheated on Abby with Nathan’s wife.

His appearance here was unexpected, to say the least.

Maybe Ray had invited him. Ray was so arrogant and oblivious that he might not anticipate any tension between them. And now they were supposed to spend the week together in this cabin, pretending no one had been caught screwing in the back office?