She was sick to death of wanting to be different. She was fed up with wishing for something else but not knowing how to make it happen. She’d thought she found what she wanted with Cal, but that hadn’t worked either. And now here she was, right back where she started with nothing much to show for the last ten years of her life.

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” she said, thinking of the nest egg she still had from Abby’s Attic. Thinking about her adorable little store made her heart ache even more over what she’d given up for a man, so she chose not to go there. Rather, she relived the kiss on the beach with Adam for probably the hundredth time since it happened an hour ago.

That was some kiss. It was unlike any kiss she’d ever had. Maybe it was because they’d been on the beach, outside where anyone might see them, that it had been more exciting than other kisses. Maybe it was the slightly scandalous notion of taking up with her ex-boyfriend’s brother that had set her hormones abuzz.

No, she thought. It wasn’t any of those things. It had been Adam and the way he’d looked at her as if she was something—or someone—special to him. While they’d always been friendly after knowing each other all their lives, something different had clicked between them on the ferry ride home the other day. Sitting behind him on the motorcycle had been thrilling. Walking the beach with him had been thrilling. Kissing him had been incredibly thrilling.

She ran her fingers over her lips and couldn’t wait to kiss him again. Maybe later when he came over… For a brief instant, she wondered what Grant would have to say about Adam dating his ex. Would Grant’s objections put a damper on whatever was happening between her and Adam? They’d better not, or she’d be having some words with Grant McCarthy. After his years of indifference toward her, he had absolutely no right to interfere with anything she did, even if she did it with his brother—a thought that made her laugh nervously.

Doing it with Adam McCarthy was something she’d never even considered before yesterday, and now it was all she could think about. Grant had better not get in the way of what was turning out to be the most fun she’d had with a guy in ages… Since she first got together with Cal, back when things had still been fun between them rather than strained.

Even though Adam had been awesome about helping her to bust out of her shell, Abby was well aware that he couldn’t do it for her. She had to do it herself, or it wouldn’t mean as much.