A Home for Haley

by Mary Jane Morgan

  ****

  Ethan flopped over to his back and stared at the ceiling, counting the hours he had left to get any sleep. This was his own damn fault. He shouldn’t have teased Haley like he had. All he’d accomplished was to keep himself awake. Awake and horny.

  It had been all he could do to stop himself from carrying Haley into the bedroom and making love to her. That woman had no idea how sexy she was. Too bad he wasn’t in the position to show her and she wasn’t anywhere near ready for any kind of a relationship. Damn, he should have kept his hands to himself.

  With a groan, he grabbed the remote and turned on the television. Maybe he would luck out and there would be a good movie on. After fifteen frustrating minutes he clicked the television off and tossed the remote onto the end table.

  He sure would like to spend an evening alone with Haley. Maybe he could get Ashley to watch the kids one night, so he could take Haley out on the town, show her a good time. She’d been sitting at home waiting on her husband to return and taking care of Ryan for well over a year. It was past time she had some fun. Just fun, he reminded himself.

  Grinning, he picked up his phone and sent his sister a text, making a vow to behave when he took Haley out. His primary objective, besides helping her have a good time, was for them to get to know each other better. They might live in the same house, but they rarely had more than a few minutes alone to visit.

  He wondered how angry she still was with him for going behind her back about Dale. He’d almost asked her tonight, but decided he didn’t want to run the risk of ruining the evening. Today felt like a second chance for a real friendship with her, and he didn’t want to spoil that. Which meant he wouldn’t bring up Dale and he wouldn’t kiss Haley senseless, even if it about killed him. It wasn’t fair to either one of them, but especially to Haley. He was pretty sure he could have made love to her this evening. Thank God he’d had the will power to back away before he did something he would regret. Something that would push Haley farther than she wanted to go and send her into retreat mode for no telling how long.

  With that thought, he closed his eyes and willed himself to quit thinking and get some much-needed shut eye.

  ****

  “Are you ready to see Mickey Mouse?” Haley asked the kids when they entered Disneyland, her own excitement buzzing through her. She’d bet money that she was as excited as the kids. She was also jazzed that Ethan had asked his sister to babysit so he could take Haley out for a nice dinner tonight. Haley felt a little guilty for saying yes to his offer, but it had been forever since she’d gone out for some fun. Besides, it was just dinner. She’d made a vow last night to keep some distance with Ethan.

  “Hurry up you guys,” Kayla shouted.

  “Mickey,” Ryan yelled.

  “Look at me a second,” Ethan said, getting their attention. “Remember the rules. You have to be with one of us at all times.” He arched his brows at Ryan who nodded solemnly, and then turned to Kayla, who merely scowled at him. “Don’t even start,” Ethan warned.

  “I promise,” Kayla said with a huff. “Now can we go?” Ethan nodded and they headed out.

  “Where first?” Haley asked as they melded into the crowd.

  “Frozen,” Kayla shouted. “I have to meet Anna and Elsa. And Olaf,” she tacked on.

  “Good choice because I want to hear their songs.” Haley leaned over to Ethan, who held the map, and studied it.

  “I see it.” Ethan pointed to where they were going. “Let’s go.”

  “My favorite song is, “Reindeers Are Better Than People,” Kayla shouted, skipping along beside them. “What’s yours, Haley?

  “Let It Be.” And don’t look at us like we’re nuts, Ethan. Frozen was a fabulous show.”

  “Good to know. So, Ryan, what should the guys see?”

  “Nemo.” Ryan pointed to his left like he knew exactly where it was. Haley found it on the map. “Okay, we’ll go there next.”

  “I think we should make a plan,” Ethan suggested. “Map the rest of the day out after Kayla and Ryan have both seen their favorite thing.”

  Haley nodded. “Sounds good. Ryan really does want to go on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. We talked about it at breakfast while you two sleepyheads were sacked out.”

  Ethan arched his brows at her, his full mouth turning up. “Don’t be jealous just because I convinced Kayla to sleep late.”

  “I wish you’d convince her to do that at home.”

  “Then who would Ryan play with at that ridiculously early hour?”

  “He might sleep in,” Haley responded dryly.

  Kayla tugged at Haley’s hand and they started moving. After a few minutes, Kayla spotted Mickey and shrieked with delight. She pulled on Haley’s hand. “Hurry up. I want candy from him.”

  Kayla all but dragged Haley over to Mickey, while Ryan hung back with Ethan. Mickey waved as they approached. While Kayla chatted with Mickey like a magpie on speed, Ryan stared mesmerized, his blue eyes as round as saucers, his mouth open with awe. Haley took Ryan’s hand. “It’s okay, honey. Do you want to get closer? He’s giving out candy.”

  Ryan shook his head and stepped back. Ethan winked at her. “Guess we guys will just watch, but you have to share your candy.”

  Kayla yanked on Mickey’s sleeve, and he did a little jig, then took Kayla’s hand and filled it with candy. Kayla giggled and gave him a big hug, then whirled around and handed Haley some candy before taking a piece to Ryan.

  “Ah. You forgot dear ole dad.” Ethan held out his hand and Kayla plopped a Tootsie Roll in it.

  Grinning, she grabbed Haley’s hand, swinging it as they headed out. By the time they reached Frozen, Haley was almost as excited as Kayla. She hoped Ryan would behave through at least most of the show.

  They made their way inside. “Look!” Kayla all but jumped up and down. “There’s Olaf.”

  “Let’s grab a seat while there’s some left.” Ethan led the way and everyone followed, settling in for the performance. As soon as they were seated, he leaned over to Haley, who had Ryan on her lap. “How long do you think we’ll be in here? We guys want to know, right buddy?” He gave Ryan a fist bump and the little boy grinned.

  “I hope long enough for me to rest. Tonight I’m getting to bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep.”

  Ethan’s dark eyes flicked over her. “I don’t think the time you went to bed had much to do with not getting enough sleep.”

  She felt her face heat and nudged him with an elbow. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but tomorrow I get to sleep in.”

  He patted her bare knee and she was reminded how much his touch had affected her last night. Clearing her throat, she forced her mind off of Ethan and focused on the show.

  By the time they left Frozen, Ethan was obviously ready for a change of pace. “We’re about to go on a voyage,” he declared the minute they stepped outside. “Nemo beware!”

  “Nemo, we coming,” Ryan yelled.

  Haley laughed at her son’s enthusiasm and stepped up her pace. When they reached the Nemo exhibit she swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. They had to ride in a real submarine? She held back. “I’m claustrophobic,” she confessed to Ethan.

  “Seriously?”

  She nodded, her heart hammering against her chest. “I’ll wait out here.”

  “And miss Ryan’s reaction to this? Come on, Haley. Be brave and mighty forces will come to your aid.” She scowled and he grinned at her. “You can do this. I’ll hold your hand all the way through.”

  Haley wasn’t sure anything could get her on that submarine, especially holding hands with a man she shouldn’t even be thinking about in those terms. “Mommy, come on.” Ryan tugged her hand, a scowl on his face.

  Oh God, she couldn’t let her son down. She gulped in several deep breaths, grabbed Ethan’s outstretched hand, and started down the narrow steps. It was all she could do not to turn and run when they reached the submarine’s entrance. Ethan must have felt he
r trembling, because he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Leaning into him, she entered the dark, musty submarine and forced herself to breath evenly.

  As soon as they were seated, she took Ryan from Ethan and kept her eyes on the water and the beautiful sea coral. “It’s really pretty, isn’t it?” she finally said.

  “Yeah, it’s way beautiful,” Kayla whispered as she leaned forward from her dad’s lap and stared at the water that surrounded them. Ethan still had hold of Haley’s hand and she clung to it as the submarine chugged away from land. Ryan pointed at everything he saw and clapped with pure joy at all of it.

  When they finally chugged by Nemo, he bounced on her lap with glee. “Look. Look.”

  Haley leaned over to Ethan. “I thought it would be live fish,” she whispered in his ear, getting a whiff of clean male.

  “Me too, but look at that shark we just about ran into. Just as well he’s not real.” Haley grinned and almost forgot about being scared.

  When the ride was over, Ethan led her out of the submarine and into the bright, warm air. Her knees felt wobbly, and she gulped in the fresh air. “Was anything in there real?” she asked, soft enough so the kids wouldn’t hear her.

  “The coral. At least I think it was. Did you know coral only grows an inch a year?”

  She shook her head. “I had no idea. Guess I learned something. I’m glad you talked me into it.” She wiped damp hair off of Ryan’s sweaty face.

  “Let’s roam, maybe do some rides and then hunt for food.” Ethan nodded to the left. “Let me go rent a stroller and get some bottled water.”

  He returned a minute later, handed her a couple of bottles of water, stuck a few more bottles in the basket of the stroller, and hoisted Ryan into the seat.

  “Thank God for strollers,” Haley said as they took off for their next adventure, Kayla leading the way.

  Toward the end of the afternoon, Haley was done with adventure and ready to sit and prop her feet up. Both kids were tired and cranky and both grownups—if she read Ethan right—were doing their best to hold in their own grumpiness.

  Ethan let out a sigh as Kayla continued to beg for ‘just one more’ ride.

  “I heard that sigh,” Haley whispered. “I commend you for keeping your cool. It’s been a good but long day. It’s all I can do not to show my cranky side.”

  “Thank God you’re managing.” Kayla suddenly shot off like a jack rabbit into the crowd. “Kayla, get back here,” Ethan yelled, but Kayla kept running.

  “Mommy, Mommy,” she yelled as she wove through the crowd, racing at breakneck speed toward a tall blonde woman who was surrounded by men carrying large cameras.

  Ethan sprinted after her, catching her just as she reached the blonde beauty. Haley shoved the stroller closer so she could hear.

  Kayla yelled for her mom again. The woman turned, a look of surprise on her face, then smiled and opened her arms. Kayla hurled herself into the woman’s embrace, and Haley’s stomach knotted. There was no way this could be anything but disaster for Kayla.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Kayla clung to her mother, and Ethan’s heart hammered in his chest. He couldn’t believe they’d had the bad damn luck to run into Ellie. He braced himself for the fallout he was positive would come, but there really wasn’t any way he could prepare for this.

  “Oh my goodness, Kayla, let Mommy look at you.” Ellie shifted away from her crying daughter and ran her gaze over Kayla. “I think you’ve grown a foot.” She smiled and it was all Ethan could do not to grab Kayla up and run.

  “Why haven’t you come to see me?” Kayla asked around her tears.

  “Oh, honey, I’ve meant to do that a million times.” She swept her hand toward the camera men. “I’m doing a commercial here today. We’re about to finish up, but I’ve just been swamped with work.” Ellie gave her daughter her megawatt smile, and Ethan clenched his jaw. “Would you like to be in the last take of my commercial?” Ellie asked.

  Kayla jumped up and down with excitement. “Yes! Yes! What do I do? Do I get to wear makeup?”

  “It’s been a long day,” Ethan interrupted, shooting Ellie a harsh look. “We were just leaving.” Ellie rolled her eyes at him, as if he were the one who was out of touch with reality.

  “It won’t take long, Ethan. We only have one little part to film and Kayla would look so pretty. All her friends would think this was really cool. You wouldn’t deny her that, would you?” she asked, wrapping an arm around Kayla’s shoulders.

  “All her friends live in Tennessee. They won’t even see it.” Ethan knew he sounded harsh, but he felt like wringing this woman’s neck. How dare she try and draw Kayla into her world—a world she had built for herself and only herself—a world she wanted bad enough to leave her child for. Ethan would be damned if she was going to use Kayla because she was a pretty little girl. She’d hurt his daughter enough.

  “We have to go, Kayla.”

  Ellie put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I can’t believe you won’t let Kayla be a part of her mother’s commercial.”

  “And I can’t believe you’re pulling this crap. We haven’t seen or heard from you in over a year.”

  Ellie bent down and hugged Kayla to her. Ethan cringed at the look of sheer bliss on his daughter’s face. “Please, Ethan. Let us do this together.”

  He gritted his teeth so hard he was surprised they didn’t crack. “How long will it take?”

  “Please, please, pleeeeese, Daddy. This is so exciting.” Kayla grabbed her mother’s hand. “And it’s with Mama.”

  Ethan closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. “You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

  Ellie narrowed her gaze at him, then guided Kayla over to the camera crew. She introduced Kayla and talked with the crew for a minute in hushed tones. They nodded and one of them took Kayla over to a group of kids gathered around Donald Duck.

  Ethan turned away and locked gazes with Haley. Rolling his eyes, he walked over to her and took Ryan. “I’ll hold him. He must be getting heavy, and he’s about to conk out.”

  “Thank you. He wanted out of the stroller.”

  “And I want out of here.” Ryan laid his head on Ethan’s shoulder and his eyes fluttered shut.

  “Your wife is gorgeous.”

  “Ex-wife,” he bit out. “I didn’t want to let Kayla do this, but as usual Ellie set me up to look like the bad guy.”

  “Poor Kayla. Do you think your ex wants her back in her life?”

  “Not a chance, but if she did it would be over my dead body. Ellie is only doing this to look good. She’s using Kayla because she’s pretty, and Ellie wants to make herself look good.”

  Haley pressed her fingertips to her mouth and shook her head. “Poor Kayla.”

  Poor Kayla was right but what could he do? He’d never felt so manipulated and helpless. It had been devastating to Kayla when her mother had left, but this might be even worse, because Ethan had no doubt that Ellie wanted zero responsibility where Kayla was concerned, and his heart broke knowing what this would do to her.

  He wanted to grab Kayla up and head out of here, but he knew if he did that, Kayla would feel as if he’d kept her from reuniting with her mom. There was no way for either him or Kayla to win in this.

  He kept his eye on his excited daughter as the commercial was filmed, and the minute they were done he walked over. “Come on, honey. We need to get Ryan down for a nap.”

  Ellie arched her perfectly plucked eyebrows. “So you’ve had another child?”

  Ethan rolled his eyes. “Yeah. He’s almost two. That makes him born before you left us.”

  Haley pushed the empty stroller over to them, her gaze locking with Ellie’s. “I’m Kayla’s nanny and that’s my son, Ryan.”

  Ellie’s gaze ran up and down Haley before she returned it to Ethan. “I see.”

  “No, you don’t.” He eased Ryan into the stroller and then held his hand out to Kayla. “Come on. Aunt Ashley will be waiting on us.”

 
Kayla grabbed her mother’s arm with both hands. Ellie bent down to her. “You better run on with your daddy, honey. I have more work to do.”

  Kayla’s brows pulled together. “But I’ll see you some more, right?”

  “I have loads of work scheduled here this summer, Kayla, but I’ll send you the commercial and you can show all your friends. How would that be?”

  Kayla leaned into her mother. “But I want my friends to meet you.”

  Ellie gave her a short hug. “Tell you what. I’ll do my best to fly home soon and see you.”

  Ethan stepped closer. “Don’t lie to her,” he warned in a low voice.

  Ellie glared at him. “You always have seen the worst in me, Ethan. I don’t know why that is.”

  He narrowed his gaze on her. “Kayla and I are leaving. Come on, honey.”

  “I don’t want to go. I want to stay with Mommy.” Kayla clung to Ellie’s leg, and Ethan’s heart ripped wide open.

  “I know, sweetheart, but you have to come with me. Your mother is working.” And lying. And using you to get attention. He pulled in an unsteady breath and reached for Kayla, who screamed and ducked behind her mother’s leg.

  “Now, now,” Ellie said, pulling her out from behind her. “You go with your daddy. I sure am glad I ran into you, Kayla, but Mommy has to do her job now.”

  Kayla’s shoulders slumped and her eyes teared up. Ethan picked her up, tried to hold her close, but she shoved away from him and reached for her mother. Barely hanging onto his temper, he caught Haley’s eye and motioned toward the exit gate with his head. He couldn’t get out of here fast enough. He headed out.

  Kayla screamed for him to stop, but he never broke his pace and hoped Haley was keeping up. Thank God the shuttle was pulling up when they reached the exit gate. Haley took Ryan from the stroller and followed him onto the shuttle. He grabbed a seat and tried to soothe Kayla, but she fought him like she was demon possessed, and he supposed she was. Ellie was one self-centered, mean woman to do this to her own daughter.