Brides on the Run (Books 1-4): Small-Town Romance Series

by Jami Albright

  Sliding along the wall and blind as a bat, she inched forward. She remembered that Lottie had been playing with her magic set the day before. She quietly set her phone down and patted along the counter until her fingers wrapped around the rough wooden surface of the flimsy wand.

  She channeled her inner badass and took up a position by the back door. Only as the handle jiggled, did she realize she was still naked. Crap. In her current state, there was sure to be more jiggling to come.

  What was she doing? She should hide and wait for the police. Before she could run and do just that, the handle turned.

  The door opened.

  Ohgodohgodohgod.

  The shadowy figure of a man slipped into the kitchen.

  She pounced with a warrior cry that would’ve made a colony of Amazons proud and launched herself at the intruder.

  The guy gave an unmasculine yelp, which gave her the confidence to come at him with everything she had. She poked, stabbed, kicked, and…jiggled. Unfortunately, while his cry lacked testosterone, his muscles didn’t, and he fended off her attack with ease.

  “Get off me!”

  That voice. She knew it. Oh, dear Lord. “Beau?”

  “Hailey?” He kept both of her hands clasped in one of his big fists and slapped the wall until the overhead light flared to life. “You’re naked.”

  If she hadn’t been so relieved that she wasn’t about to be murdered, she would have laughed at the bug-eyed look on his face. “Why are you here?”

  His brows crashed over his green eyes. “Why are you here?”

  “I live here,” they said in unison.

  Chapter 4

  Beau tried to make sense of the situation he’d just stumbled into, but all that kept going round his head was… Hailey’s naked. Hailey’s naked. Hailey’s naked.

  Then her words lined up in his brain. “What? No. You don’t live here. I do.”

  “Let go of my hands.” As soon as he released her, she snatched a dish towel from the refrigerator door handle and held it up to her chest. Too late. The sight of her bare-naked breasts was seared into his retinas and took up cozy residence in his memory.

  Now that she’d covered her spectacular chest he could concentrate on the scrap of lace between her legs. Good Lord.

  “Hey, Callen.” The snap, snap, snap of her fingers got his attention. “Eyes up here. Nothing to see down there.”

  He couldn’t help the smirk that kicked up one side of his lips. “I beg to differ, darlin’.”

  Her eyes rolled so far back in her head that he was afraid she’d go blind. The fact that his shit had zero effect on her made her so comfortable to be around.

  She punched a couple of buttons on her phone that lay on the counter, grabbed another towel to cover her panties, and shot him a look.

  “911, what’s your emergency?” came through the speaker on the phone and rang through the kitchen.

  “Janelle. It’s Hailey Odom again. You can call off the dogs. It wasn’t a prowler, just a really annoying friend.”

  “Are you sure, Hailey?” There was a pause. “How do I know this is really you? You could have poor Hailey tied up in the closet for all I know.”

  “Janelle, it’s me.”

  “Who?”

  “Me.”

  “Who?”

  “Seriously, Janelle.” Her head fell back, and she let out an exasperated breath. “Ask me something only I would know.”

  “Okaaay.” The sound of a pen clicking came through the phone. “Hmmmm.” Click, click, click.

  “Janelle.”

  “I’m thinking. Oh, I know. What color dress did I wear to the homecoming dance our sophomore year?” Each word was precisely spoken, like Hailey was on a game show playing for a million dollars.

  Hailey popped her hip and leaned against the fridge. “Come on Janelle, at least make me work for it.”

  “Just answer the question, ma’am.”

  “Stop calling me ma’am, we’ve known each other since kindergarten. And you didn’t wear a dress to the homecoming dance that year because you didn’t go. You contracted mono from Rhett Barber, and there was a big scandal because Rhett also gave mono to his girlfriend Missy, who later keyed your car, for which she had to do twenty hours of community service.”

  “Wow. How do you remember all of that?”

  “Mind like a steel trap, Janelle. Now call off the cops.”

  “Ten-four.”

  Beau chuckled and nodded toward the phone once the call was disconnected. “Gotta love a small town.”

  She snorted. “You have no idea. I’ll be right back. Sit.” She pointed to the kitchen table.

  “Where’s Lottie?” He didn’t want to scare the kid.

  “With Charlie and Hank.”

  He plowed his fingers through his hair. The wrestling match with her seemed to have drained every ounce of energy he had from his body. “Listen, I’m exhausted, and I’ve had the worst night of my life, and all I want to do is climb into bed.”

  The no bullshit look she wore hardened her face. “Sit.”

  He yanked a kitchen chair out. “Fine. But hurry up.” He didn’t even have the energy to watch her amazing backside as she made her way out of the kitchen. His clammy forehead dropped to his crossed arms that rested on the table. Crap, he hoped he wasn’t getting sick on top of everything else.

  “Do you want something to drink?”

  He must’ve dozed off because he jumped at the sound of her voice. “Um…” He wiped his bleary eyes, too tired to form an answer or mourn the fact that she’d put on a robe.

  She grabbed two glasses and filled them with water from the fridge, then set one in front of him. “Drink.”

  He drank. The cold liquid went a long way to revive him. “Thanks.”

  She took the seat opposite him. “Tell me why you’re back looking like somethin’ the cat dragged in.”

  He didn’t want to get into this with her, but he could tell by the set of her jaw she wasn’t going to let him off the hook without an explanation. “My band broke up.”

  Her black bun bobbed when she shook her head like he’d just hit her. “Come again?”

  He toyed with the braided leather bracelet on his wrist. “My band broke up. My bass player got arrested. My drummer broke his arm. And it was all my backup singer’s fault.”

  “What role did you play?”

  With his elbows on the table, he raised and lowered his hands. “Innocent bystander.”

  “Really?”

  “I was!” The disbelieving expression on her face never changed. “I found out yesterday before we left town that A Long Time Without You hit number one on the charts. So after the show, we all celebrated. Dawn was her usual flirty self and—”

  “And so were you.”

  It wasn’t a question, and it pissed him off. “Hey, I’m a nice guy. If a woman is nice to me, then I’m not going to be rude to her just because she has a boyfriend. I didn’t lead her on, if that’s what you’re insinuating.”

  “Fine. You were only being nice.” She made a move-it-along motion with her hand. “What happened next?”

  He scrubbed his face. “A lot, but the short version is Dawn got into my room when I was in the shower and crawled into my bed naked. Rick broke in and tried to beat the shit out of me, and broke Buddy’s arm when the poor guy tried to break up the whole thing.”

  “Beau.” The shock in her voice was the same still reverberating through him.

  He rubbed at the ache between his eyes then rested his head in his palm. “I know.”

  She pushed her half-finished glass of water aside. “Where was your road manager?”

  A humorless huff came from his throat. “Asleep two doors down. He never heard a thing.”

  “Once the cops sorted everything out, and Jack had been called, they’d arrested Rick and taken him away, with Dawn squalling and bawling behind them. The two of them and my road manager were fired, and Buddy was carted off to the hospital where he has
to have surgery.” He sat back in the chair and let his hands rest on his thighs. “Jack told me to rent a car and drive home. I’ve been given strict instructions not to leave the house.”

  “But why did you come here?”

  The genuinely perplexed expression on her face pissed him off. “This is my house. I signed a lease. I have keys.”

  She pushed back in her seat and crossed her arms. “Not anymore.”

  “What the hell, Hailey?” It occurred to him that they were alone. “Where’s your husband?”

  Suddenly, her nails were very interesting.

  “Hailey?”

  “We didn’t get married. I left.”

  “You left? I don’t know much about weddings, but even I know that’s not supposed to happen.”

  “Funny.”

  He took another sip of water. Damn, but he must be dehydrated because the cold liquid made him feel a lot better. “Now you. What happened?”

  A slight shrug and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “A difference of opinion.”

  It was his turn to let incredulity show on his face. “A difference of opinion?”

  She looked like a sullen schoolgirl getting lectured in the principal’s office. “If you must know, he’s been harboring strong feelings that I’m an idiot for trying to save the bar. He thinks that my efforts to keep my promise to my mother are the acts of a crazy person.” Another small shrug. “We’re not getting married. I’m not moving. Sorry.”

  She wasn’t fooling him with the nonchalant attitude.

  “Well, that’s not going to work for me.”

  “Listen.” Her hands went to the table top, and her white teeth flashed when she gave him a beaming expression. “I know this is inconvenient. I’ll help you find another place to live, promise.”

  He wagged his finger at her. “You can just put that smile back where you got it. It won’t work on me. You know as well as I do that there isn’t another place that will let me have Walter. I mean, there’s very little rental property in this town as it is, and everyone has a firm no pets policy. Everyone but you.”

  She glanced out the window and nibbled her lip. “That is a problem, but I’m sure I can figure this out.”

  He pushed to his feet. “Have fun. I’m going to bed. I’m dead on my feet.”

  “No.”

  “Hailey, please don’t give me any shit. It’s five in the damn morning, and I’m going to bed, even if I have to sleep on Lottie’s princess bed.”

  Her lips curled in a not-so-nice grin, and a black brow slid up her forehead.

  “Well, shit.”

  Chapter 5

  Hailey stared out the window above the sink. She tried hard to concentrate on the shush and gurgle of the coffee pot and not the thoughts screaming in her head.

  So many voices—her dad’s, Derek’s, the people of Zachsville, and her own.

  Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. “Dang it.” She didn’t want to deal with her father, but she knew she’d have to sooner or later. A deep breath and she swiped the screen before she could think too hard about it. “Dad.”

  “Hailey.”

  The silence that stretched was as wide as an ocean. Appropriate, since that pretty much described their relationship, but he’d called her, and she wouldn’t be the first to speak.

  The last blast of water and steam hissed to indicate the coffee was ready. She grabbed her favorite mug with purple and blue flowers on it and filled it. Still, she waited for him to speak.

  This was why they didn’t get along. All of their conversations began this way. She guessed he’d been waiting ten years for her to apologize to him for getting pregnant while she was still in high school. He’d never forgiven her for embarrassing him in front of the whole town. It did look pretty bad for the high school guidance counselor to have a daughter become a teen pregnancy statistic.

  She leaned her butt against the counter and brought her cup to her lips. Hot liquid slipped down her throat.

  “Hailey.”

  “You already said that.”

  “Why do you have to be so difficult.?” The reedy tenor of his stress-filled voice slithered down her spine.

  “I’m not being difficult, Dad. You called me. Just say what you have to say, I’m busy.”

  “Busy? Busy doing what? Moving into your husband’s house? Oh, wait, you don’t have one of those, since you threw a fit yesterday because someone told you somethin’ you didn’t want to hear.”

  “My relationship with Roger is none of your business.”

  “I don’t care one bit about your relationship with Roger. I care that you’re letting that bar ruin your life.”

  She gripped the counter and took another sip of coffee. “Is that all?”

  “No. That’s not all.”

  “Then get on with it, Dad. The buildup is killin’ me.” She knew she should rein in the sarcasm, but she just couldn’t. It wouldn’t change his opinion of her anyway.

  “Hailey, I swear, that mouth of yours…” He sucked in a ragged breath and blew it into the phone. “This is what I called to say. That bar has caused more trouble than it’s worth and I want it gone.”

  “You can’t sell it without my signature because Mom left it to both of us. I don’t understand you, Dad. How can you just throw away something that was so important to her? She loved that place. She slaved over it, and you’re ready to sell it to the highest bidder.” It was the same argument they’d been having since her mother died. The only thing that changed was the insults.

  “Hailey, will you please listen to reason? The land that piece of crap sits on is worth more than a million dollars. You could work every day for the rest of your life and never make anything close to that. Just think of what we could do with that kind of money.” The sensible tone of his voice irritated her almost as much as what he was saying did.

  “You know I could make more money if you’d help me at the bar. Why don’t you do that? Oh yeah, because barely a year after my mother died, you got remarried, and Carol wants to travel.” Remarried was like vinegar on her tongue.

  “Not this again.”

  The coffee sliding down her throat suddenly had gravel in it. “If you can continue to bring up what an idiot I am not to sell the bar, then I can remind you how disloyal you are.”

  “Enough. I’m not doing this with you again.”

  “Too late.”

  “Hailey.” Her name was muffled, so he probably had his hand over his mouth. “You have until the end of the year to put that bar in the black, or I’m selling it.”

  “The end of the year? That’s only four months.”

  “Not my problem.”

  “Dad, you can’t—”

  “We are equal owners of the bar. But I’ve talked to my lawyer, and he believes that because your mother was on heavy-duty pain meds when she revised her will, she wasn’t in her right mind. Which means I can have the will reverted to the original, where she left the bar solely to me.”

  Her words tried to fight their way past the emotion in her throat, but they were no match for her father’s betrayal. The most she could manage was an incoherent groan. It was true. Her mother had changed her will just a couple of months before she died. And she had been out of her mind with pain and heavily medicated, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know what she was doing.

  “Someone has to stop you before you ruin both yours and Lottie’s lives. Four months, Hailey.”

  Finally, she regained the ability to speak. “Dad…” But the line was dead. She tossed her phone to the counter. “Damn it!” She pressed her palm to her eye. Her father accused her of being unreasonable about the bar, but so was he. He expected her to run a business at a profit without putting any money into it. She’d made all the improvements, including the beer garden, but other things needed to be updated. Just last week she’d had an electrical issue, and the electrician told her she needed new wiring in part of the club. Also, big-name talent cost money to book. And that was the only
way to draw the crowds.

  Tears she never shed tried to shove past her resolve. How could her father do this to her? He knew how important the bar was to both his dead wife and his daughter.

  The memory of her dying mother begging her to swear to keep Boon’s open, no matter what, ghosted through her mind. The woman was the only person who’d stood up for her, protected her, accepted her when all the crap went down, and there was no way she would betray that promise. No way.

  She’d grown to if not love the old honky-tonk, then appreciate it for what it meant to her mother. It also gave her a place where she was in control, her domain to rule. She’d do whatever she had to do to keep it open and thriving.

  “Hailey, we’re home.” Charlie’s voice cut through her misery.

  She scrubbed her hand down her face to rid herself of the ugly remnants of the conversation with her father. Lottie didn’t deserve any of that. “In here.”

  Her girl stomped into the room and dropped into a chair without a word.

  “Hey,” Charlie said as she strolled in behind Lottie.

  Hailey looked from her friend to her daughter and back to her friend. Something was wrong. “Morning. Lottie, are you hungry?”

  “No.” The sullen mumbled answer was barely audible.

  Charlie handed a small white paper bag to Hailey. “We stopped at the donut shop, but she decided after she ordered that she wasn’t hungry.”

  The sadness in Charlie’s eyes communicated everything that Hailey needed to know. Lottie still wasn’t looking at her, so she mouthed the word Derek to Charlie.

  The affirmative nod was unnecessary. Only Lottie’s father had the power to leach the life from her kid’s eyes and turn her from a happy child to a sad, brooding little girl.

  “Alright.” Hailey opened the bag and glanced inside, and saw a glazed donut with pink frosting and a cinnamon twist. “Mmm, Charlie got you your favorites.”

  Lottie didn’t even act like she heard her.

  “I’ll leave them right here.” She placed the bag on the counter next to the coffee pot. “If you decide you want them later, you’ll know where to find them.”

  “Walk me to my car, Hailey. I want to show you Phoebe’s new stroller.” Charlie kissed Lottie on the head. “We loved having you, kiddo. Come stay with us again soon.”