Reaching out to pat Lulu’s belly, she said, “If this one’s a girl, I’ll have her as my daughter-in-law.”
Lulu gave her hand a smack. “Your son’s still a toddler, and you’re already looking for a daughter-in- law? You’re really eager to become a mother-in-law, huh?”
“Can’t help it.” Abigail shrugged. “Too many sons.”
“You only have two. Say that when you have five.”
“I’ll pass,” Abigail retorted, then turned to Martin. “Have a few more on me.”
Martin simply smiled. “Sorry, but she’s the boss.”
“Oh, you,” Abigail rolled her eyes, forced to see them being lovey-dovey.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell suddenly rang.
Abigail answered the door since Sheryl and Mrs. Watson were out, and she was surprised by the new arrival when she opened the door!
Despite her surprise, Abigail quickly pulled Erin Gooding into the mansion.
“When did you come back?” she asked.
“Just got off the plane,” Erin said, looking inside the mansion. “You have guests?”
Abigail pulled her along and made the introductions. “This is Lulu, my best friend, and this is Martin. He’s a cop.”
Erin nodded at them. “Hello.”
Lulu smiled in return, but noticed that Erin was a lot more quiet than before.
She certainly was less adorably energetic after what happened.
Lulu got to her feet. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in Cloud City, and I was thinking I should show Martin around.”
She excused herself since Abigail had another visitor, and Abigail nodded since she was not sure if Erin had something private to ask.
As she walked with Lulu out of the mansion, she locked arms with her and said, “Come over and have dinner with us. We have yet to catch up even though you’re back.”
“Yeah,” Lulu promised.
Abigail had her old chauffeur drive them, since it was inconvenient to travel around these parts without a car.
“I’ll have my chauffeur drive you around for the day, too. Remember, you’re pregnant,” Abigail told her.
Lulu accepted her gesture of goodwill. “Thank you.”
“Oh, I should be thanking you—you really saved my skin, y’know?” Abigail smiled, and closed the door, watching them leave before returning inside the mansion to Erin.
“Water?” she asked Erin.
Erin was getting thirsty.
“What would you like to drink?” Abigail asked.
“Fruit juice would do,” Erin said.
Abigail poured a glass of apple juice Mrs. Watson squeezed and kept refrigerated, while she poured herself some cranberry juice.
As she sat, she stared at Erin as she asked, “Did you come back to visit James?”
Erin lowered her head. “Yeah. He’s been busy lately, so I thought I should check on him.”
Abigail’s fingers clenched over her cranberry juice, feeling cold inside even as she spoke to Erin.
She felt guilty toward Erin, and that guilt might stay with her for the rest of her life.
Moreover, James had been very busy lately because of Abigail as well, and she started to feel that she had always been troubling others.
Still, Erin seemed “What is it, Abigail?”
Abigail quickly shook her head.
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about something and got distracted,” she said, sitting beside Erin and taking her hands in hers. “I’m so happy you made up with James.”
Erin pursed her lips. “I really love him… but I also think I don’t deserve him now.”
Abigail had no idea how to comfort Erin—words were pale and empty when it came to the pain Erin had gone through.
“Maybe time mends everything,” Abigail said flatly.
Erin looked into the distance, her gaze unfocused. “Maybe. I envy you and my brother.”
She believed that Abigail and Diarmuid’s lives were blissful and then some.
Abigail certainly agreed that she was happy now.
Even so…
Changing the subject just then, Abigail asked, “Will you be staying for a few days?”
Erin shook her head. “I only applied for a day’s leave.”
She would leave once she checked on James.
…
While Erin stayed home and babysat Abigail’s baby, Abigail and Sheryl left to go shopping—they needed more and better ingredients since they were expecting guests.
While Abigail pushed a trolley along, she whipped out her phone to call Diarmuid.
“Yeah?” His deep voice spoke from the other end.
“Are you busy? Can you come home earlier?” Abigail asked.
“Why? Is something the matter?”
“Yeah. I’ve invited Lulu over for dinner, and Erin just returned and she’s at our home too. Please bring James along, so that we can surprise him.”
“Okay.”
Abigail then remembered something, and asked, “By the way, what’s the situation with Dennis Turner’s case?”
“I’ll tell you when I come home,” Diarmuid said, and hung up.
Speechless, Abigail was left staring at the screen.
Honestly, this man…
…
Still, when it was 6 PM…
Diarmuid brought James home.
James had not been texting Erin much since he had been busy over the last few days, and he planned to go to Minerva once the Dennis Turner case was resolved.
However, Diarmuid stopped him and told him to have dinner at his house since he had guests.
James had no choice but to put his plans on hold, and he sat down on the couch to text Erin.
[I’ll come tomorrow to visit you. I’ve already booked a flight tonight.]
Erin, who was playing with Abigail’s baby, whipped out her phone for a look when she felt it vibrate.
She then saw James’s text, and the contents left her smiling, but she replied: [You don’t have to since you’re busy. I’m not that important—just do your job properly.]
James frowned. [Are you upset?]
[Yeah.]
At the same time, Erin was carrying Abigail’s baby and sneaked behind him before leaning in to blow her warm breath into his ear.
Startled, James sprang to his feet.
“Who the…”
…hell was messing around with him?!
Still, he was left gaping when he saw Erin, unable to believe his eyes.
“W-When did you come back?” he stammered.
“Just did,” she replied.
James rubbed his nose. “I thought you were really upset. You scared me to death.”
“What? Look, you’re still alive,” Erin replied.
“Cut that out,” he said, walking up to her and taking Abigail’s baby off her hands.
Then, leaning in to whisper into her ear, he asked, “Did you come to see me?”
“Yeah,” she murmured softly. “I know you’re busy, so I came instead.”
James was certainly emotional.
He would like to hold her hand or hug her, but he restrained himself since this was not the place.
The ladies were still busy in the kitchen.
Diarmuid, who felt like a third-wheeler in the living room, followed Abigail around as she set up the table.
Since she could not cook more than a handful of dishes, Mrs. Watson was the main chef, while Abigail and Sheryl helped out.
“Thank goodness our kitchen is huge, or it wouldn’t fit so many people,” Diarmuid told her just then.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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