Trusting Abby

If you love romance stories where someone’s playing a charade, you’ll be intrigued with Trusting Abby and how she does her best to pull off the pretense and not fall in love.

Abby Talmadge breezed into the office a woman on a mission. She had it all planned. She just needed to convince her two brothers-in-law. She’d been toying with the idea for more than a week and she had all her ducks in a row. Both were stubborn men, however, and if they said no, she’d go back to square one. But optimism was one of her strong traits and she had to hold on to the belief she’d get her way.

“Good morning,” she said, trying to put as much confidence into her manner as possible as she greeted her sister Michelle’s new husband. Josh O’Malley was skilled at reading people. It came in handy in his business, that of a private investigator. She didn’t want any of her doubts to surface as he’d hone in on them in a heart beat.

She still had trouble believing her sister Michelle had married him on such short acquaintance. But he adored her sister, so for that alone, Abby was happy to welcome him as part of the family.

“Josh,” Brandon Madison said in greeting, walking in behind Abby.

Glancing at Brandon, Abby smiled confidently. She’d known him since he’d first married her oldest sister, Caroline, a bit over six years ago. Totally comfortable around the tech genius, she was counting on him backing her up. He absolutely doted on her sister--especially now that Caroline was pregnant. And after all, Caroline had started this quest to find their father. Now Abby could do something to bring it to a close.

Josh stood and looked warily at the two people who had just invaded his office.

“Good morning, I think. To what do I owe this unexpected honor?”

Brandon shrugged and glanced at Abby. “I’m not sure. This meeting’s her idea. And I’m under strict instructions to say nothing about it to Caroline.”

“Oh, oh. Sounds like Michelle’s last scheme--and I ended up married to her!” Josh said, motioning his visitors to sit. Sinking into his desk chair, he gazed at Abby. “Something tells me I’m not going to like this.”

“Ha, shows how much you know.” Abby pulled her chair close to the desk and pulled a folder from her tote. Slapping it on the desk, she looked up expectantly.

“Recognize that?”

Josh nodded slowly. “It’s the office folder regarding your father’s search. Michelle took it a few weeks ago.”

“She left it at my place,” Abby confirmed. Flicking a glance at Brandon, she turned back to Josh. “You have a dossier for three men who match most of the facts we’ve compiled on Sam Williams. How long do you think it’ll take to visit each of them and interview them? I, for one, am anxious to know if one is my father.”

“These things take time, Abby. This is not the only case my firm is working on, you know.”

“Well, time’s been passing ever since my grandmother trumped up that murder charge that drove our father away before I was even born. How much more time will it take?” Frustration bubbled up.

She’d never known her father. Caroline and Michelle each had a few memories, but she had none. Her mother had died when she was little. She hardly had any memories of her.

All her life, she’d missed the family she should have had due to the evil machinations of her status-proud grandmother. Now that the dream of her life--meeting her father--was close. She was impatient to locate him. The fact Josh had narrowed the field down to a few meant they were so close to identifying her father.

Josh glanced at Brandon and then shrugged. “It’s been more than twenty years since he was last seen. When Caroline and Brandon discovered he hadn’t left voluntarily a few months ago, Michelle brought what information you had. With the scarcity of information, we’ve done well to identify these three men as possibles. These things take time.”

“You’ve been on the case since June. It’s now the first week in August. How much time do you need? You already have all this information. Why can’t we go confront each man and ask if he’s our father? We all want much to locate him. This delay is intolerable.”

“I know. And it’ll only take a few more weeks. I need to travel to each location, arrange to speak privately with each man and go from there. If your father still thinks there’s a murder charge hanging over him, I don’t want to spook him by phoning first. Progress has been made--we’ve pretty much narrowed the field down to these three men. Can a few more weeks matter?”

“Maybe not to Caroline or Michelle,” Abby said restlessly. “Both obviously have other things on their minds with new husbands, new homes, new families. But I’ve just finished my last training course at the hospital and have some vacation time coming.”

She looked at Brandon and then Josh, smiling triumphantly. “I’ve thought of a way to speed up this step.”

“And that is?” Brandon asked cautiously.

“If we each take one suspect, and make a quick visit to each location, we can have the answer by the end of the week! Brandon often flies to California for business, he could check out the man in Burbank and Caroline would never guess what he’s up to, or get her hopes up.”

“I think she could handle it,” Brandon said dryly. “The doctor says she’s healthy as can be. She is not going to miscarry this baby.”

“I know. Still, we’re all taking great care not to get her stressed or worried. I think if none of these men is our father, she’d be hugely disappointed. Anyway, it doesn’t hurt to keep it a secret until we know for sure.

“You, Josh, can go to New Jersey. And I’ll go to Houston and check out that one.”

“Or we can wait a while longer and I’ll visit each in turn and have the answer then,” Josh said.

“But I don’t want to wait. The timing’s perfect right now. I have several weeks vacation due me before I start my new job at the hospital. I’ll spend the first couple of days in Houston, talk to the man, and then I’ll have plenty of time to enjoy my vacation. You two know how much it means to me and my sisters to find our father.”

Brandon leaned back in the visitor’s chair and steepled his fingers. “Actually, it’s not a bad plan.”

“It’s a great plan,” Abby said with enthusiasm, turning to him in relief, glad Brandon backed her up.

“It could work,” Josh added slowly.

Abby beamed at him. “Of course it’ll work. Piece of cake. Then it’s settled? I’ll take the Houston Sam Williams. We can keep in touch by phone. This time next week, we’ll know for sure if one of these three is my father!”


CHAPTER ONE

Tossing her phone on the bed, Abby paced the small motel room, fuming. She couldn’t believe the man! She’d been calm and rational. And he’d accused her of being some kind of fortune-hunting hussy! Ohhh! She clenched her fists, wanting to scream!

Storming over to the window, she slid it open and gazed out over the strip of grass that softened the stark asphalt of the motel. Taking a deep breath, she held it a moment before letting it whoosh out. Reviewing the conversation, she tried to see where it’d gone wrong. What could she have done differently?

She’d asked to speak to Samuel J. Williams, only to be told he was out of the office. Directed to the acting Executive Manager, Dev Hamilton, Abby had been forthright and honest. She’d introduced herself and then explained she was trying to verify if Samuel Williams had lived in Mississippi about twenty-three years ago. If he had been married once to a woman named Talmadge?

Dev Hamilton had not been equally forthcoming. When he’d pressed her as to why she was calling, she had responded she thought she might be Sam Williams’ daughter. The obnoxious man on the other end laughed shortly, then railed at her. How had she discovered Sam was ill? Was that the reason for her obvious ploy of trying to worm her way into some money? Samuel Williams had never lived in Mississippi and if she called again, he’d inform the authorities that she was trying something fraudulent.

Just hearing the echo of his tone ignited her anger. Slapping a hand against the wall beside the window, she whirled around and paced back to the phone. She wished she knew something that could set that arrogant man back on his heels. She wanted nothing from her father but to discover who he was. Where he was living. That he was all right.

Maybe have dinner together to learn what he’d been doing during the last twenty-some years.

Sinking slowly on the bed, she sighed. There was no proof that this man was her father. That was the entire reason for her presence in Houston--to discover if he were. The acting Executive Manager sounded certain the man had never lived in Mississippi. How would he know that?

Maybe Josh or Brandon had already discovered that one of the other men was her father.

She’d phone them to find out before pursuing this further.

But if neither of the other two Samuel Williams proved to be the man they were searching for, then Mr. Hamilton would soon learn that she wasn’t easily pushed aside. Discovering the truth was too important to her. She’d find a way!

Snatching up her phone, she punched in the number to Josh’s office and waited, frustration still roiling inside.