“For you, sir.”
I snap my wallet out of my pocket and pull some bills out—how many, I don’t know. I don’t even care. I exchange them for the champagne.
“Thank you,” I say before retreating back inside.
Haley is standing at the windows with her back to me. I leave the tray and slowly make my way toward her. She has one hand at her chin, brushing a finger across her lips as she gazes across Nashville.
She could be a picture from a magazine. Or an image from my dreams. Or a vision of impossibility.
I stop a few feet behind her and try to wrap my brain around the emotions flooding me. Is it just testosterone? Is it wanting what I can’t and shouldn’t have? Or is this itch, this confusion like I’ve never felt—this war between wanting to do what I want but also what’s right—because it’s her?
She turns around, a smile hovering on her lips. “Were you really going to kiss me?”
“Were you really going to let me?”
“Yes,” she says.
“Then yes.”
She walks my way. Her shoulders are thrown back, her chin held high in a bout of confidence I’ve not seen from her before. The closer she gets, the louder the alerts get in my head. Just as she reaches me, she walks on by.
My mind scrambles to process her diversion. “Hey. Where are you going?”
“It’s time to leave. You said it would take thirty minutes to get there, right?” She grabs a navy-and-silver clutch off the sofa. “We need to get moving.”
“What about the champagne?”
“We can enjoy it when we get back.”
I narrow my eyes as my hands go back to my tie. I jerk on it a little harder than necessary, flipping the ends over with a flourish. She watches me and laughs at my state of undoing.
“You need help?” she asks.
“If you’re wanting to go to this party, don’t touch me,” I warn.
She giggles, her eyes sparkling. It relaxes me enough to get the tie made. Once I’m good to go, I hold a hand out for her. She looks at me as if I’m challenging her somehow but gives in and lets me have her hand.
A flood of pride that she trusts me washes through my veins. I start toward the door, but she tugs me back. I stop and look at her.
“Trevor?” She gives my hand a gentle squeeze.
“What?”
She bites her lip. “What if I don’t know what to say to these people?”
I’ve seen her charm anybody she’s with, and she does it effortlessly, so her concern doesn’t make sense to me. If she takes her wicked wit with her, she’ll be just fine.
I pull her to the door.
“Just bewilder them with bullshit, babe,” I say.
Her laugh fills the hallway.
And quite possibly my heart.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
TREVOR
What’s wrong?” Haley asks.
I help her out of the truck and shut the door behind her. Her features look soft in the solar-lit backyard. Hedges and rosebushes line the parking area. It’s just me and her.
Cars line the street and drive leading to the house, though. And as Haley awaits an answer, laughter and music drift from the house as the partygoers prepare to celebrate my father’s retirement.
The juxtaposition of the two scenarios is striking. As I stand in the middle of the asphalt, Haley on my left and the party on my right, I’m rocked with the realization that this is the epitome of the difference between Dogwood Lane and Nashville. Between Haley and Liz. Between predictability and variety. And for the first time in my life, I’m not clear on which I prefer.
“Trevor?” My name rolls off her lips with a consideration that doesn’t help my mental state. It’s not like women usually say it. There’s no rush to go do something or whine that she’s not getting her way. She sounds like she actually cares. Like she actually wants to know what I’m thinking.
“Just thinking we’ll sneak in the kitchen door and avoid the masses for a while.” I offer her my hand and am pleasantly surprised when she takes it without hesitation. “I’m going to have to beat men away from you tonight, so I’ll keep you to myself while I can.”
She laughs, her lashes fluttering. “Damn you. Don’t be so charming.”
“Why?”
“Because it makes me like you, and this whole thing is a lot easier when I remember it’s all a facade.” She pulls her eyes away from mine quickly. The smile she fights to keep on her face wobbles. “It’s all good.”
My pace slows. She glances over her shoulder, dropping my hand.
I open my mouth to refute her words. To tell her this entire thing isn’t a facade, that she is lovely. That I am already regretting the alpha attitude I’m going to give these cocksuckers when they try to hit on her. But as I dig into her body language, I realize what she’s really saying.
Shit.
“Haley . . .” My words trail off as I try to find a rebuttal that fits. Finding ample words to describe how I feel—that I do want her only for me yet don’t want the responsibility of that either—proves harder than I expect.
“There’s a man staring at us from the window.” She brushes a lock of hair off her shoulder. “Let’s either go in or get out of here, because it’s awkward.”
“I could be convinced to leave.”
She swats me on the arm. “You aren’t leaving. You dragged me all the way here and made me put on makeup and this dress. Now we’re going in, even if it’s for ten minutes.”
“Fine.” I return her smile as we head to the house. “But for the record, I would’ve been just as proud to walk in here with you if you were wearing no makeup and your black yoga pants and pink panties.”
I pull open the door.
“You’re never letting me live that down, are you, Thief?” She groans as she walks by.
“Probably not, Ohio.”
The kitchen is all white-and-black marble with stainless steel appliances. Pink decorations give the place a pop of color and a hint that my dad has officially lost all control of his manhood. Well done, Meredith.
“I was beginning to think you seriously weren’t coming . . . Holy shit.” Jake stops in the middle of Dad’s kitchen, a glass of bourbon in hand. His eyes go wide, a smile I’ve seen a million times on his face shining like an open invitation as he takes in Haley.
I roll my eyes at my brother and wonder how inappropriate it would be to get him in a headlock in the middle of a party.
“So this is her,” Jake says, finally removing his gaze from Haley.
“Jake . . . ,” I warn.
Haley elbows me in the side. “I’m her? I mean, I’m her, but am I her?” When I look down, she winks. “I’m her, aren’t I?”
“I love that my brother brings up a woman and, all of a sudden, it’s you,” I say, fighting a grin.
“Well, you were him.” She brushes a strand of hair off her shoulder again. “And now I’m her. Funny how things work.”
We share a moment, the outside world lost to the joke only we understand. Partygoers laugh in the next room. Caterers slip into the kitchen to check on hors d’oeuvres. Glasses clink together in toasts, and none of it breaks through the moment Haley and I have.
Until my dumbass brother clears his throat.
“I’m Jacob Kelly, Trevor’s brother,” he says to Haley. “You can call me Jake.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jake,” Haley says. “Your brother has said a lot about you.”
I have no clue what she’s talking about. I’m not even sure I’ve mentioned him more than a couple of times. But she’s standing next to me, looking like every man’s dream girl, so who am I to pick things apart?
“I hope it was all good,” Jake says.
He slides a look my way, letting me know he approves of my plus-one. I try to play it cool, to keep the cheek-to-cheek grin wiped from my face, but it’s hard. Maybe even impossible. Although we’re in our late twenties slash early thirties, there’s still little else that compa
res with getting your big brother’s approval. It’s ridiculous and stupid and, yet, very true. But of course he would be impressed with Haley, and not just because she’s hot. She has this vibe that speaks of welcome, and it’s something so rare and stunning it’s no wonder my brother is equally smitten so quickly.
“Oh, it was,” Haley gushes. “He said he loves working with you.”
Jake looks at me, pleasantly surprised.
“He also said you’re terrible at math so you got the fun job, and now he has to pull most of the weight.” She keeps her gaze fixed on Jake. “He’s a little bothered by that. You should probably keep that in the back of your mind.”
“I did not say that,” I say. Mouth ajar, I half laugh. “What are you talking about, lady?”
She raises a brow, clearly amused at my defense. “That’s exactly what you said. More or less.”
“I bet you did.” Jake looks at me, playing along with Haley. “Tell you what, Haley. Find me later and I’ll tell you some truths about your boy here.”
“Jake, you’re dead to me,” I say.
He grabs his glass off the island and heads toward the foyer. “I’ll take my chances.”
As soon as he’s out of sight, I close in on Haley. Her body squares to mine as if they’re in sync. She angles her chin so she’s looking me right in the eye as I step within inches of her.
Her words from earlier ring through my memory, and I have half a notion to take her by the hand and pull her out of here.
She takes a deep breath. “Let’s have fun tonight, okay?”
“Is that an innuendo?”
She laughs, shaking her head. “No. I know what I said a minute ago is still rolling around in that head of yours, and I didn’t mean it the way it probably came out.”
“Haley—”
“No, Trevor. I want you to enjoy the party with your family tonight. Don’t worry that I’m getting clingy or reading too much into this.” She forces a swallow. “I know my role.”
“What’s that?”
“To protect you from Meredith and Liz.” She tries to shrug it off, to make light of how she feels, but I know her well enough now to see right through it. “Just wanted you to know I know that.”
I give her a sideways glance and consider telling her that her presence here truly has nothing to do with anyone but me. If I do that, there’s a chance she’ll overthink it, and I don’t want her to do that. I want her to enjoy her evening.
“You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?” I ask.
“I actually think it’s Jake who’s going to be trouble,” she says, her attention stolen by Jake’s voice from the foyer. “I wonder what little tidbits he can share with me.”
“Don’t believe anything he says.”
I look over my shoulder as Jake’s voice rings through the house. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? On behalf of Trevor and myself, we’d like to thank you all for coming to celebrate our father and his illustrious career at Astelford and Mills. Seeing the respect and support you all have for Branson Kelly means the world to us. Now, if you will, the car with the man of the hour is pulling in.”
Headlights stream through the windows. My father’s friends congregate in the entry, packing the large room like a sardine can until bodies are spilling into the kitchen.
“Come on,” I say, taking Haley’s hand and pulling her away from the masses. We stop near the table as Jake winds his way through the room. He mouths something I don’t have to lip-read to know is about Haley and, most likely, filthy.
I shake my head as I turn to see Haley watching me with a crooked brow.
The crowd erupts into cheers and congratulatory exclamations, making Haley step closer to me so I can hear her. “What was that about?”
“Dad is here,” I say, hoping to avoid it.
“No, the look you just gave Jake.”
I laugh. “Oh, that. He’s just a dumbass.”
“I think he’s nice,” she says, stepping to the side to let a handful of people through.
“You would,” I tease.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means—”
“Hey, Trev!” My father’s voice booms through the room. “Was all this your idea?”
“Aren’t all the good ones mine?” I meet my father a few steps away. He pulls me into a hug. “Jake wanted to take you out for pizza.”
Jake smacks me on the back as he joins us. “I did not.”
Dad laughs, shaking Jake’s hand and giving him a half hug. “Your best quality is that you listen to your brother.”
“See?” I say. “Listen to me.”
“Fuck off,” Jake says with a laugh.
I reach for Haley’s hand and pull her close to my side. Dad’s face lights up, and as much as I hate to admit it, there’s an approval there that makes me proud.
“Dad, I would like you to meet Haley Raynor. Haley, this is my father, Branson Kelly.”
Haley stands tall, a smile on her face. Anyone watching would see it as a sign of confidence. They would be wrong.
A breath whispers through the air with a hesitancy I notice. Her jaw is tense, her lips not parted in the arch that means she’s amused or relaxed. I lay my hand on the small of her back, not sure if it’s her or me who needs the support.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Kelly,” she says.
My father is intrigued. He looks at me for a long moment before shifting his weight and gaze back to Haley. “Please, call me Branson.”
“Of course,” she says. “Congratulations on your career.”
He nods, taking in my arm behind her. “I’m delighted Trevor brought you this evening. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”
I balk. The man is lying through his teeth. I’ve never said a word about her to him. He didn’t even know she existed until this moment.
“That’s very sweet of you to say,” Haley says. “And I appreciate you saying that to make your son look good. Nice touch.” She winks at my dad.
“Hey,” I object. “Maybe I did say nice things about you.”
“Yeah. Maybe,” she says, teasing me.
Jake chokes on his drink and excuses himself, knocking me in the back as he goes. “You’ve finally met your match. I cannot wait to see this play out.”
My dad’s chest rumbles, his eyes twinkling with mirth. “You must meet my wife.” He looks around the room. “Meredith, sweetheart. Come here, please.”
Meredith looks beautiful, as usual, and just as devoted to my dad as she joins us. Her hand slips under his elbow as she takes in Haley and me.
I hold my breath, my fingers flexing against Haley. “Meredith, this is Haley Raynor. Haley, this is my father’s wife, Meredith.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Meredith says. Her attention focuses solely on Haley. “Have you been here long? Did anyone offer you a drink?”
“I’m fine. Thank you,” Haley says. “Your home is so beautiful. Both of them, actually.”
Meredith’s face lights up. “Have you seen our home in Dogwood Lane?”
“Yes. I live there. My cousins, Dane and Matt, are building it, actually.”
Meredith releases my father and stands next to Haley. “They are so wonderful. I talk to Dane quite a bit with little tweaks to things. He’s so sweet.”
“He is,” Haley agrees.
“He thinks I’m a little weird with the requests for my dogs, but they’re my babies,” Meredith says. “He’s a darling for just going with the flow, though.”
“If he says anything to you, ask him about his cat when he was a little boy. He’ll shut right up,” Haley says.
Everyone laughs.
I scan the little circle around us and stand a little taller. I’ve brought women to gatherings with my family before. Lots of times, actually. But standing here in my dad’s house and watching Haley fit right in makes me relax.
There’s no worry about what she’ll say or that she’ll comp
lain about something later. She just laughs at my dad’s stupid jokes and humors Meredith’s questions and does it with a smile.
Dear sweet Jesus.
“Tell me about you, Haley,” Meredith inquires. “You live in Dogwood Lane, so what do I need to know about the town? My grandfather had a home there, and I used to visit it as a child and just fell in love with the town.”
“Me too. I’ve lived there almost eight years now, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
My dad’s eyes snap to mine. There are so many questions lingering between us, questions I don’t have answers for, that I look away.
“You’ll have to come see me when you’re in town,” Haley tells her. “I’ll be starting at Buds and Branches this week.”
“A flower shop? Is that what that is?” Meredith asks as Haley nods. “I love flowers. I could sit in a flower shop all day and just play.”
Haley grins. “Really? Because that’s how I feel. Flowers make me so, so happy.”
“My dad was a landscape architect,” Meredith says. “The last project he designed was a botanical garden. Plants, flowers, shrubs, trees—he loved it all and passed that down to me.”
I look at my dad. I have no idea what’s happening right now. How is Meredith, the extra of all extras, best-friending Haley, the simplest, most un-extra girl I know?
Dad shrugs. “Let’s get a drink and find your brother.” He leans down toward Meredith, and they share a tiny, intimate moment that surprises me. He kisses her briefly on the lips, and I’m surprised by the love I see reflected in her eyes for him.
I’m not sure what to make of all this, but I’m jerked back to reality by Haley’s hand on my chest. “It’s fine,” she says.
Meredith looks at me. “Don’t worry about Haley. I want to tell her all about my greenhouse.”
I look at Haley, a quizzical look on my face. “You want to go with me? I hate leaving you here alone.”
“Go,” she says with a laugh. “Meredith said ‘greenhouse’ and I’m all ears.”
“Okay.”
Looking into her eyes, all I want to do is kiss her like Dad did his wife. But I don’t want her to think I’d only be kissing her as a part of an act, a facade for God knows who right now. I won’t do that to her. When I kiss her, I’ll take my time. But I need to touch her, so I stroke the backs of my knuckles down her soft cheek and then head across the room.
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