Can't Let Go - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,38

Abby?” He questioned, navigating the familiar roads.

“Hm?” She responded, lost in her thoughts.

“Well—I was just wondering—would you mind if we made a little bit of a pit stop?” He glanced over at her quickly before turning his eyes back to the road.

“You have something to do?” He shook his head.

“No—not exactly.” He sighed. “It’s just—there’s this ice cream parlor in town. They have the most amazing—” Abby didn’t let him finish.

“You want to get ice cream?” Her tone was an incredulous one. Logan mentally kicked himself, knowing that he had taken it too far.

But then he heard her light laughter flooding the cab of his truck. “Well, I think that would be the perfect ending to a day like today.” And it was true. She couldn’t think of anything Hayley would have loved more. A celebration—not a mourning—through and through.

“You’re sure?” Abby nodded, her eyes finding his.

“This had better be some phenomenal ice cream, Mr. Sheppard.” Abby couldn’t deny the smile on her lips. She felt lighter than normal—happier. She didn’t even care about the argument she’d had with Eric. What did it matter what he thought? He would disapprove of ice cream nearly as much as he had disapproved of her dress. But he hadn’t known Hayley—he hadn’t understood their bond.

Logan did.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. There was a smile on his face as well. Strange, it having been such a sad day—but she and Logan both knew that this was exactly what their friends would have wanted. And they would have wanted them to do it together.

The ice cream parlor was in the middle of town—very alive on a Saturday night. Logan parked along the crowded street a bit of a ways away, knowing they would have to walk. “It’s pretty busy,” Abby noted.

“Like I said—it’s pretty amazing.” Abby laughed again and Logan reveled in it, letting it wash over him. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” she responded, opening her door and hopping out of the truck. She smoothed the skirt of her dress down before Logan appeared at her side, offering his arm. “Always the gentleman,” she commented, slipping hers through his. It was so comforting, how familiar all of this was. She could have sworn it had all happened before—and maybe it had, in another life. She remembered nights very much like this one back in Boston—the four of them going out on dates, laughing and enjoying the company of one another.

It almost felt as if Hayley and Blake were there with them now.

“I used to come here with Hayley and Blake—at least once a week. You know how Hayley was about her ice cream.” Logan told her, as if reading her mind. Hayley had always been a fiend for ice cream—it was probably her favorite dessert. Abby nodded, smiling a sad smile at the memory, but glad to hear that Logan was thinking the same thing she was. “She loved this place.”

“Well if it’s good enough for Hayl, it’ll be good enough for me.” They were nearing the line now, Abby able to look at the menu. She immediately knew what she was going to get—and as they approached the window, Abby was startled to find Logan placing the order.

“We’ll take two cones, please. Both cherry vanilla.” He paused. “Oh, and can I get one of those dipped in chocolate please? With a few nuts sprinkled on top?” Abby eyed him suspiciously. “What? I got it right, didn’t I?”

“How could you have possibly remembered that after so long?” He shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s your favorite.” Abby only smiled softly, shaking her head. Logan Sheppard would never cease to amaze her. “You used to order it all the time, everywhere we went.” It was true—it had been her favorite for as long as she could remember. She just hadn’t expected Logan to remember such an insignificant little detail. She was sure if she asked Eric what her favorite ice cream was, he wouldn’t even come close.

“Since when did you start eating cherry vanilla?” She asked, perching herself on the edge of a picnic table while they waited. “Weren’t you always a butter pecan kind of guy?” Logan shrugged his shoulders, looking at the ground awkwardly for a moment.

“Sometimes you don’t realize what you’re missing out on—that’s all.” Abby tried to ignore the double meaning to his words. He couldn’t be saying what she thought he was. “I never gave it the chance I should have.”

“Well, I’m glad you finally came around.” She said,