Page 1 of Just Past Two

Chapter One

Abby stared up at the Hotel Mapleton through the windshield. Her husband Sam had the car still idling, the heater blasting warm air against their feet, while outside, a light sprinkling of snow coated everything in a frosted glaze. Except for the noises of the car, silence surrounded them, giving Abby ample time to have second thoughts.

“You know, we don’t have to go.”

She looked over at Sam, who had just said what she was thinking. Always the picture of practicality, he shrugged and fixed her with his best “It’s only logical” face. It was one of his most common expressions. He smiled, the smile he gave when he was trying to be supportive, another common expression. She’d been looking at this face for ten years now, through three years of dating and seven years of marriage, and the variety of expressions was as familiar as his face itself.

“I know we don’t.” She looked back up at the hotel, where her ten-year college reunion was presumably already underway. Their breath was beginning to fog the windows, even with the heater on, softening the edges of the resplendent building. Still decked out for the holidays, the hotel glistened with white twinkle lights beneath a glaze of snow. Even looking like every New England Christmas photograph, though, its beauty didn’t assuage any of the anxiety tightening her stomach.

Sam gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, his black leather driving gloves slick against the softness of her palm. “We can always go back home. Spend New Year’s on our own, no reunion, no small talk, no explaining to hundreds of people what you’ve been up to for the past ten years.”

Abby swallowed. That would be easy, wouldn’t it? The thought had a certain appeal. She’d become a different person in these last ten years, and not by accident. Bringing Sam into this environment was already merging two worlds never designed to intersect. Did she even want to be here? She’d agonized about it when the invitation first came in the mail, accompanied by a flood of old memories, and had eventually decided yes. She’d had reasons.

“The car’s not even off,” Sam added. “I could just put it back in drive.”

Abby started to laugh. “You know, if you don’t want to go, you could just say that.”

“Hey, I don’t mind.” Sam put his hands up in a defensive gesture. “I’m happy to go. I’m just saying, you have options.”

“I know. I know I have options.” The choice was hers, obviously.

“I’m looking forward to it, to tell you the truth.” Sam rubbed his chin, contemplative. “A glimpse of college Abby? It’s like spotting a rare bird.”

Abby snorted. “A dodo, maybe.”

“An extinct bird?” Sam gaped comically. “That’s even more remarkable.”

Laughing, Abby shoved him. “You know what I mean. I was kind of a dumbass back then.” She twined her fingers together in her lap.

“You? Never.” Sam’s warm smile was too open, not a trace of guile in sight. He really believed this, too. He believed there was no way Abby could be other than the person she was now: mature, respectable Abby Wood Burke, who could have fun but would never go too far. A woman with class, who could be playful but would never be too raunchy, a woman with a good head on her shoulders.

Basically, the opposite of everything she was back in college.

If they left and went home now, Sam would know her only as the woman she’d worked so hard to be, not as the wild young woman she once was. Sure, he’d had hints of it: he knew she’d had a number of past relationships, for example, but she’d been mum about specifics. Her wild dating history was too wrapped up in the rest of the person she’d been, the person who’d almost ruined her life with careless bad decisions, and she was content to forget those embarrassing memories. Leaving now meant she could keep those secrets for good.

But damn, she’d lost touch with too many people since college, had forgotten too many friendships that might deserve rekindling. She’d been thinking about this reunion ever since they announced it last spring, watched the photos pop up on the Facebook event page, and RSVP’d to that invitation when it had arrived. She’d already weighed the pros and cons. Sam loved her, and he wasn’t going to judge her for her past. She’d made something of herself, had grown up into a respectable woman with a gorgeous, brilliant husband and a successful career. She’d bought a beautiful green dress that highlighted her eyes and the fullness of her curves. She was not about to turn her back on this. Abby Wood never backed down from a challenge, and even now that she was Abby Wood Burke, that quality still remained.

Abby tossed her long red curls back over her shoulder and unfastened her seat belt. “Shut the car off, babe. There’s an open bar with our name on it.”

The main ballroom of the Hotel Mapleton was already crowded, people spilling out into the foyers, laughing and talking loud enough to be heard over the music blasting from inside. The faces were almost familiar, one step past where she could place them, people from her classes who had been acquaintances but not friends. Then, like a picture coming into focus, she started identifying people she’d known well. Students from her dorm, from her art classes, from the clubs she’d joined, one after another everywhere she looked.

“Holy shit, this takes me back.” She grabbed Sam’s arm. He steadied her, like he always steadied her.

“See some people you know?”

“So many.” She scanned the crowd again. “I’m just trying to think of who you need to meet first.”

Sam nudged her. “I think you’ve been spotted.” He gestured to where two guys were rushing over to meet them from across the room.

Phil and James looked so much like their college selves, she could have picked them out anywhere. Phil was still as tall and big as ever, built like a refrigerator and almost as white, carrying a few extra pounds and sporting some glasses but with the same football player body underneath. And James, at Phil’s side, skin flushed pink with probably too much alcohol, looked as proud to be on Phil’s arm as he had the day they’d started dating senior year. He’d cut his hair shorter since then, the curls trimmed down to a manageable length, but otherwise he had the same baby face despite being ten years older.

Phil wrapped Abby up in an embrace that squeezed the air out of her, pulling her away from Sam as he did so. “Holy shit. I can’t believe this.” Phil held her at arm’s length and looked her up and down, grinning. “Abby Wood. Stunning as ever. Is it still Abby Wood?” He looked over at Sam.

“There’s a Burke on there now.” She stepped back and introduced the two. “Phil, this is my husband Sam Burke. Sam, this is Phil Smith and James… I’m sorry, I’m drawing a blank on your last name.”

“Peterson,” James supplied, shaking hands. “Your wife and my husband were roommates way back when.”

“Roommates for one disastrous semester.” Phil laughed uproariously. “Shit, what a bad idea that was! Your wife here almost got me kicked off the football team. Remember that, Abby? The night of the streaking? When the police came?”