The Art of Appreciation Read Online Free Page A

smiled back, wishing that the light from the outdoor fireplace was a little brighter so she could make out whether his eyes were blue or gray, and whether the definition she thought she saw in his forearms was real or a trick of light and shadow. At any rate, he definitely looked enough younger than her that he would fit Sarah’s admonition that she find a “boy toy” for the night.
    She turned to apologize to her seat mate and found he’d taken his chance to escape. Too bad Surfer Dude had also disappeared when she looked for him a second later.
    “Story of my life,” Abby said. She shouldered her way to the makeshift bar and picked up another beer. Then she settled down to wait for the Sarah-gizer Bunny to run out of energy.

    Waking in dim morning light, Abby checked the bedside clock. Despite it being only four hours since she’d dropped into bed, years of early rising had made it impossible for her to sleep late. Rising and stretching, she grabbed a robe and headed for the bathroom. A delicate snore from behind Sarah’s door indicated her friend was alive. After a quick shower, Abby held her wrists under the cool running water and studied her features in the mirror. She focused on the fine lines that were growing more prominent around her eyes, no matter which miracle cream Sarah pushed on her, and thanked God that otherwise her skin was still smooth. Bar interest the night before indicated the yoga and walking she was doing in Santa Cruz were enough to keep her in fighting trim, though many more nights like the previous would require something more drastic, like a gym.
    She frowned, idly contemplating whether there was a public gym nearby and wondering what the man on the beach did besides surf to stay in such great shape. Wondering what color his eyes really were. Wondering what those sinewy arms would feel like under her hands…Her stomach rumbled.
    Laughing at herself, she crept to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and scrounge something for breakfast. “We really need to shop,” she said, digging through the cupboard until she found a possibility. As she settled onto the back stoop with her makeshift breakfast and watched the morning gradually brighten, she felt hopeful for the summer for the first time.
    “Yello.” Sarah’s voice made Abby jump and spill coffee on her hand. She cursed, and a couple of people running on the beach turned to look. One waved, and Sarah laughed. “I do believe that was your friend, Abby. He’s gonna think you have Tourette’s.”
    “You don’t know the half of it.”
    “Ooh, did I miss something?” Sarah asked, eyes bright with interest.
    “Never mind. I’ll never see him again, huh?”
    Sarah shrugged. “I said probably never. Probably. Big difference.” She nudged Abby’s shoulder with her knee. “Ready for a day of fun and relaxation?” She sat down and snatched a cracker from Abby’s plate. “Based on what you told me about last night’s penis joke fiasco, we’re clearly not getting maximum fun value this vacation.” Ignoring Abby’s sideways glance, she munched thoughtfully. “Before I came downstairs, I took the liberty of researching what we can do in this burg that might be new and different.”
    Abby groaned. “I thought that’s what last night was about. My head can’t take much more of that. I haven’t been a college kid for a long time.”
    Sarah blew a raspberry. “What was new about that? Aside from the surfer sandwich with me as the filling, it was a normal Saturday night for me. I’ve decided that we’re going biking today.”
    Abby stared. “Biking? Sarah, I haven’t been on a bike since I was twelve.” Still, it was change…Abby’s heart fluttered in mixed anticipation and reluctance.
    “All the more reason to go.” Sarah was determined. “Change, remember? Difference. You don’t bike in Boston, so you’re biking here. End of story.”
    “Can’t I just crash? I’m going to yoga tomorrow.”
    “Yoga.” Sarah’s