Free Sweet Solace (The Seattle Sound Series Book 1) by Alexa Padgett Page B

place.”
    “Glad to hear that,” I said. “How’s school going?”
    “Good. Kinda boring.”
    “Nothing interesting at all?”
    “I like one of the baseball players.”
    “More than that boy you went on the trip with?”
    Abbi wrinkled her nose. “He was cute, but he isn’t the varsity’s best pitcher. Plus, I actually see Luke. You know, once we’re home.”
    “Luke who?”
    “Watson. His dad owns the big spread near us.”
    “Jim Watson’s a nice man . . .” I quickly glanced at Abbi, who was wearing a smug expression. “Oh, I know that look! Stop those wheels turning right now. Jim and Evelyn just split up in January. And he’s not my type.”
    “Because he isn’t Asher Smith?” Abbi giggled. “I overheard Aunt Ella talking about him. It’s hilarious that you have a crush on a rock star.”
    “Your dad was a musician. So’s your uncle.”
    “Different league, Mom.”
    True. Doug’s band had been successful, but not enough to make much of a living.
    “I’m setting up a dating profile when we get home,” I said. “But I’m not dating Jim or Asher or probably anyone else either of us has met before.”
    “Why?”
    Because I wanted Asher too much for us to actually work out. Because I was afraid he was projecting feelings onto me in an effort to get over his wife. “Because . . . ,” I replied, not being able to muster a real response. “Asher lives near Seattle.”
    Abbi cocked her eyebrow, calling me on my pathetic reasoning.
    I cleared my throat. “Back to school. The advance placement classes still aren’t challenging enough?”
    Abbi shrugged. Her finger followed a raindrop across the glass.
    “I know that look, too. Your dad got it when he was about to say something he was pretty sure I wouldn’t like.”
    She turned in her seat, pulling her foot under her other thigh. “I don’t have many high school credits left. I could finish those in the morning either during the summer or during the first part of next year. I could start some college coursework online, too. Mr. Jameson said I could probably tutor in math and science. I could save the money.”
    “What about your senior year?”
    “Besides Sally, most of my friends are graduating this year. I want to apply to Marin Tech, and I think this could help my chances.”
    I clutched my empty coffee cup, wishing there was another sip of cold coffee. I needed something to help with my dry throat.
    “Say something. It’s a good idea, right?”
    “Unh,” I managed to croak out. “Give me a bit of time to process. Marin Tech?”
    This was the first I’d heard of her desire to go to California for college. California was so far away. No weekends home to do laundry and veg out in front of the TV for Breaking Bad marathons like I’d envisioned.
    I sucked in a breath, trying to stave off a panic attack. I needed Asher’s arms around me, murmuring words into my hair. How could I crave him so intensely?
    I was losing everything. My daughter, my career, maybe my sanity. Abbi wanted to leave me, just like her father had. Just like my mother had all those years ago. The thought struck, hard and vicious: I wasn’t lovable.
    “Your face got all pale.”
    “You want to leave?”
    “I want to go to Marin Tech. That doesn’t mean I won’t come back to visit, Mom.”
    “Of course.”
    Abbi huffed and shoved herself back into her seat while I struggled to breathe and drive us home.

    * * *
    A s soon as we cleared our bags from the car, Abbi went up to her room to call her friend Sally. They’d spend the next hour or two texting, talking, and otherwise social media-ing about Abbi’s latest crush.
    I spent some time lurking on Abbi’s social media accounts, finally deciding this Luke was a reasonable kid.
    I stared at the swirly screensaver for a few minutes before I forced myself to open the writing program I preferred. Panic bubbled up in my chest. I’d been sitting at my computer finishing the last scene of the third book in