The Ashtons - Cole, Abigail & Megan

time getting over her, he couldn’t bear the thought of being without her. That’s why he was going to spend the rest of their time together storing up as many memories as he could until the day came that he had to let her go.

Chapter Seven
----
    “M ercedes, you look like your mind is a million miles away,” Abby said, walking into the woman’s office on the second floor of the Louret Winery.
    “Actually, it’s only a few miles away,” she said, motioning for Abby to have a seat. “So, tell me about the rodeo. Did you enjoy yourself?”
    Abby felt her cheeks grow warm. “How did you—”
    “I overheard Grant interrogating Eli about Russ.”
    “He didn’t.”
    Mercedes nodded. “Afraid so.”
    “Oh, good heavens!” Abby’s cheeks heated evenmore. How many more of the Ashtons knew about her going away with Russ?
    It wasn’t that she’d tried to hide her relationship with him. But she preferred to keep some things about herself private.
    Before she could find something to say, Mercedes smiled. “Don’t worry. Your uncle didn’t tell Eli about your going away with Russ this weekend. Grant just asked what kind of man Russ is and what Eli knew about him.” Mercedes laughed as she leaned back in her desk chair. “Since Eli thinks the world of Russ, he gave Grant a glowing recommendation.”
    Abby began to relax a bit. “But that doesn’t explain how you knew that I’d gone to Wild Horse Flats with Russ.”
    “I simply did the math,” Mercedes said smugly.
    “But I don’t see how—”
    The woman laughed as she ticked off the points on her fingers. “One man leaving town for the weekend. One woman who seemed extremely interested in that man a few days earlier, going missing that same weekend. Add a concerned uncle’s questioning of the man’s boss and it adds up.”
    Shaking her head, Abby couldn’t help but laugh. “Did anyone ever tell you that you should get your private investigator’s license?”
    Mercedes shrugged. “I’m not that good, or I’d be able to figure out a way to get into the estate of the esteemed Spencer Ashton.”
    “Still no progress in meeting with him?” Abby asked sympathetically.
    “No. He won’t talk to any of us.”
    “How long has it been since you’ve seen your father?”
    Mercedes looked thoughtful. “I was four when he divorced Mother to marry his secretary, Lilah. And to tell you the truth, I’m not sure I’ve seen him more than a few times in the twenty-nine years since.”
    Abby couldn’t help but feel sorry for her California relatives. Spencer had walked away from his second family much the same as he’d done Uncle Grant and Grace. The only difference being, he’d stayed in the same area instead of moving over a thousand miles away. It had to have added to the pain and humiliation he’d caused Caroline and her family over the years.
    “Have any of you tried going to the estate, knocking on the door and demanding to know why Spencer won’t meet with any of you?” Abby asked, wondering if anyone besides Uncle Grant had tried the direct approach.
    Mercedes sighed as she shook her head. “I wouldn’t be welcome. His wife would probably have a royal fit if any of us stepped foot on the property.”
    “How rude! You’d think the lady of ‘the big house’ would be more sociable,” Abby said, grinning.
    “You’d think,” Mercedes said dryly.
    When they both stopped laughing, Abby gave thewoman a sly glance. “Didn’t I hear someone say they have a lot of charity functions at ‘the big house’?”
    “They rent the estate grounds and ballroom for special events like weddings and charity fund-raisers,” Mercedes said, nodding.
    “Do you have any idea when they’ll be having the next event?”
    “I read an article in the newspaper just this morning about the local equine welfare society holding their annual fund-raiser there tomorrow evening.” Mercedes frowned. “Why do you ask?”
    “I’m a large-animal veterinarian, not to mention an avid horse enthusiast. And I’m very interested in the humane treatment of animals.” Abby couldn’t believe what she was about to suggest. She’d never crashed a party in her entire life. “How would you like to attend that event tomorrow evening?”
    Mercedes sat forward. “Are you serious?”
    “Sure.” Abby shrugged. “What’s the most they can do? Ask us to leave?”
    A sly smile curved Mercedes’s lips. “If he’s not in San Francisco, Spencer might be there. I could