"What's going on, buddy?"

"My mom's here," he said, his eyes straying back and forth between Chase and Abby.

For the first time, Chase noticed that Willy's mother was indeed there, leaning in the kitchen doorway,

her eyes also moving from him to Abby and back. But unlike Willy's puzzled expression, his mother's look stated she understood altogether too well what was going on.

"Summer-Ann, you're early."

Chapter 8.

"Not early enough from the looks of it," Summer-Ann said as she pushed away from the door frame and moved to place her hands on her son's shoulders. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Abby fought the urge to wipe her lips on the sleeve of Chase's robe. Instead she stared at her toes, peeking out from under the puddle of the hem. She'd been discovered kissing Chase by Willy and, of all people, Summer-Ann Bouffard.

Ellie had said Chase was no longer dating Summer-Ann, but Abby couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been caught kissing Summer-Ann's boyfriend. "Umm, you remember Abby Stepp," Chase said, shifting slightly. He ran a hand through his dark hair and appeared to feel as guilty as she did. Summer-Ann's cat-like green eyes widened a fraction, but then she smiled. Even though years had passed, Abby still remembered that smile as though she had seen it yesterday.

"Abby Stepp. I can't believe I didn't recognize you." Summer-Ann tilted her head, wisps of honey-blond hair falling across her cheek. Funny, Abby would have knownher immediately. She still had a dazzling smile and an even more stunning figure. The only things that had changed were the small creases on either side of her mouth that didn't show her age as much as showcased her flawless lips. "Wait," Summer-Ann said, "you don't wear those huge glasses anymore. And your hair," she brushed back her own, "are you dying it or something?"

Abby stared at her for a moment. "No, I'm not." Summer-Ann shrugged. "Well, youdo look different Doesn't she, Chase?" Chase looked distinctly uncomfortable. "You probably want to be heading home." Summer-Ann started to open her mouth, then looked at Willy and nodded. "Yes. I need to get Willy supper and ready for school tomorrow."

"Let me get his stuff," Chase said, escaping down the hallway.

Abby breathed in deeply and crossed her arms over her chest as if she could hide that fact she was

wearing Chase's robe. "Willy, why don't you go say good-bye to Chester," Summer-Ann suggested, still scrutinizing Abby. The little boy dashed out of the house, happily callingthe dog's name. Abby wished she could so easily flee. She gripped her elbows tighter and silently prayed for Chase to return. "So how long have you and Chase been... Whatare you and he doing, exactly?" "We aren't doing anything." Abby realized her answer sounded incredibly lame given the position Summer-Ann had found them in.

"Oh." The one word was rich with disbelief.

"Here's Willy's backpack," Chase said as he came back down the hall. He shoved the bag at

Summer-Ann, not concealing his desire for her to leave.

"Well, I guess I'll probably see you around," Summer-Ann said. She didn't sound pleased by the idea.

Abby didn't get a chance to respond before Chase caught Summer-Ann's arm and led her toward the door. "I think you should get Willy home. He got in a mud war with Chester, and I imagine he's starting to get a little chilly."

The door swung closed behind them.

Abby sagged against the banister. What was she doing? She needed to go home and avoid Chase and

everyone else in this godforsaken town.

She started to leave, when Summer-Ann's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Abby Stepp! What are you thinking?" The words were clear even through the closed door.

Abby heard the rumbling of Chase's voice but couldn't make out his words.

"It's bad enough that you're ignoring Willy. He's outside alone, muddy and wet to the bone,"

Summer-Ann said, her voice rising with her irritation, "and you're inside making out with Abby Stepp.

One of the ugly Stepp sisters."

Bile rose in the back of Abby's throat. That awful nickname. Would she ever be free of that title? Free of the pain it evoked?

She blindly began to move down the hall, but was halted once more, this time by Chase's voice. "Don't say that again." Harshness deepened his words to a low ominous rumble. "We're too damnedold to be calling people silly adolescent names." Abby let out the breath she had been holding. Nausea roiled her stomach again.They were too old .

Not, she wasn't ugly. Not, she had become a different person from that shy, awkward young girl. No, simply, they were too old, and adults didn't say such things.

"Sugar, all I'm saying is, if you're lonely, I'm here for you. I always will be." The irritation had left

Summer-Ann's voice, replaced by a sweet purr.

There was silence. Abby could picture Chase pulling Summer-Ann into his arms, his lips locking with hers, just like she had seen them do a hundred times before in the hallways of Millbrook High.

Unconsciously, her fingers strayed to her own mouth. She could still taste him on her lips, on her tongue.

"Summer, take Willy home. I'll see you tomorrow." He didn't sound like a man who had just finished

kissing a beautiful woman. Instead, he sounded weary.

She couldn't make out Summer-Ann's response, but a few seconds later, Abby heard her call to Willy.

Another second passed and the door opened. Chase stepped inside. Abby remained glued to the spot

with her arms clasped tightly around herself again.

"Sorry." Chase offered a weak smile.

She held up a hand and shook her head. "Don't apologize. I think we already established that friendship

isn't an option we should be pursuing."

He watched her for a second, then walked toward her slowly. His deliberate movements gave Abby the distinct impression of being stalked. Her arms tightened around her waist, but she held her ground.

Stopping only inches from her, he studied her again. His expression was unreadable.

Just when she would have spoken to break the unnerving silence, he lifted his hand to stroke her cheek. The roughened pads of his fingers strummed over her skin, playing the sensitive nerve endings in a deliriously sensual song. She fought the urge to lean into his touch, but couldn't stop her eyes from closing, so she could simply focus on his touch.

"I'm not sorry for kissing you," he murmured, his lips near her ear. His warm breath tickled her neck and sent a wave of desire to her belly. "I'm just extremely sorry that we got interrupted."

The last of his sentence was mumbled against her lips, and again, Abby found herself caught against the solidness of Chase's chest and sweetness of his mouth.

She snaked her hands between their bodies, running her fingers over the flatness of his stomach to rest on the hard muscles of his chest She clasped the front of his shirt and rose on her toes to return the pressure of his kiss.

He groaned and moved the hand on her cheek to hold the back of her head. His other arm slipped around her back and pulled her tightly against him.

He surrounded her, his mouth, his hands, his strength. The experience was heady and absolutely wonderful.

When she shifted to get her arms around his neck, a thickness prodded against her belly. She gasped and arched harder against him.

Chase let out a sharp grunt and pulled away from her.

Abby swayed and then opened her eyes in bewilderment.

Chase stood with his hands on his sides, bent forward. His breath came in harsh, short bursts.

Abby leaned forward to peer at him and noticed his face was a bit pale.

"Are-are you all right?" she asked concerned, but also afraid that he was overwhelmed with her forwardness. Heaven knows, she was.

He held up his hand, bowed over a little further, and took a deep breath. After a few agonizingly long moments, he straightened.

Abby expected to see disgust in his eyes, but instead he offered her a sheepish grin that deepened his dimple and said, "Let's make a note to remove my tool belt before we get this hot and heavy again. You may get me hard as nails, but a hammer is definitely harder."

Abby's gaze fell to his waist, and she saw his tool belt had indeed shifted into a dangerous position.

"Oh dear," was all she could think to say.

"Don't worry. I don't think there was any permanent damage done," he said as he unbuckled the belt.

"But maybe we should double check." The tools thudded loudly as the belt landed on a mat in front of the back door. The noise caused the reality of the situation to slam down around Abby. She was acting like a sex-crazed teen. She stared at the discarded tool belt, trying to gather her scattered wits. This wasn't who she was. Abby Stepp did not act impulsively. She was not ruled by her emotions. This whole scene was a momentary lapse in reason.

When Chase was about to pull her against him again, she held up a hand to stop him. "Chase." Her voice was low. "What are we doing?" He offered her a sexy little grin. "Well, we were kissing, and I was enjoying myself very much." She took a deep breath. "I can't do this."

He looked like he was going to argue, then he sobered. After a moment, he asked, "Nelson?" Abby nodded and said flatly, "Nelson. Amongst a lot of other things." She focused on his tool belt again. Several nails had fallen out of one of the pouches and were scattered on the floor. She needed to keep her mind centered on the things that were real. Her grant proposal. Work. Nelson. Even that damned tool belt. Unfortunately, other parts of her body seemed to have minds of their own that were far more powerful than her brain.

When she looked back at Chase, he was following her gaze. Then he wiped a hand over his face. When he turned his pale eyes to her again, all signs of flirtation were gone. In fact, he appeared almost angry.

"If there was no Nelson, would you still be saying no?"

The question startled Abby. She didn't know how to reply. She didn't understand why he was asking.

"There is a Nelson." A muscle in his cheek jumped, and his eyes hardened. "But I have a feeling you would find differentexcuses-amongst the other things , as you mentioned."

Abby frowned. "Why are you acting this way? We both know this isn't real."

"Are you going to try and tell me you didn't feel anything when we kissed?"

"Yes," Abby said as heat crept up her cheeks, "yes, I felt something. But..." She couldn't find the right

words. She couldn't tell him that even if there was no Nelson, she could never picture herself with him. Chase was magnificent. In school, he had been the embodiment of beauty and life, and he still was. She could so easily lose herself in him. But he wouldn't ever be satisfied with her. She had intelligence, but she was unremarkable in every other way. In all the ways that would keep a man like Chase interested. "We're too different." Chase stared at her, and she felt pinned by piercing shards of crystal blue. Then he nodded. "Maybe.

But I swear I felt something between us that could overcome our differences."

"I belong with Nelson."

"Why would I have ever thought otherwise?"

Abby didn't know exactly how he meant his last statement, but she wondered the same thing. Why would he want her?

"I think-I think I'd better leave."

Chase didn't respond.