Moments with Hailey - The Esquire Girls Series - Hailey's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set (featuring Tender Moments , a brand-new Valentine's Day novelette)

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  I take the food from him without a word.

  “You okay?” he asks taking a seat on the edge of the bed as I bite into an apple slice.

  I nod unconvincingly without looking him in the eye.

  “What’s wrong, Cowgirl? You feelin’ okay?” he asks edging closer to me on the bed.

  “Yes,” I say with a forced smile but I know I’m not fooling Jackson.

  He rests his forehead against mine, looking me straight in the eye. There’s nowhere to hide. “Hailey, something’s bothering you. Tell me what it is.”

  I take a deep breath and lean back against the bedhead. “I don’t want you to feel trapped – with me and the baby.”

  It’s his turn to sigh deeply. “Hailey, I’ve told you – our family is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love you. And this baby,” He rubs my stomach affectionately.

  A small smile comes to my lips. “I’m about to get fat. Real fat. Are you prepared for that?”

  “You’re about to get even more gorgeous. Even more irresistible. I don’t know if I’m prepared for that.” He always knows exactly what to say to make me feel better. “I know that things happened real fast between us. And maybe that’s why you’re so insecure. I wanna try to right that. I want you to meet my family. We’ll go back to Austin next weekend. My mother’s dying to meet you.”

  My heart feels lighter just hearing the words. “I’d love to meet her, too.”

  “Perfect,” he says taking my swollen feet into his lap. “You’ve gotta trust me, Hailey,” he says as he rubs my aching soles. “We’re in this together…and there’s absolutely nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  Chapter 21

  Madison unlocks the door and jogs up the stairs ahead of me. “Speed it up, pregnant lady,” she jokes.

  I roll my eyes. “I’m moving as fast as I can.”

  I didn’t even want to come here today. I absolutely wasn’t in the mood to face the early spring chill but Madison insisted that she wanted me to come to her dance studio. The little girls who she teaches ballet to are rehearsing for their big Easter show and she thinks that I’d just melt seeing them dance. She’d be right if I weren’t in such a crabby mood right now. I want my bed and nothing else.

  Madison holds open the door at the top of the stairs and I waddle through.

  “SURPRISE!”

  I nearly jump out of my skin when I enter the room and am greeted by balloons and streamers and all of my friends.

  “What the hell is going on?” I shriek, clutching my chest tightly.

  Jasmine runs up to me and throws an arm around my shoulder. “It’s your baby shower!”

  Ruthie comes up behind me and pops a big, gaudy paper crown on my head. Nadia wraps a sash around my shoulders. ‘Mommy-To-Be’, it says.

  “Awww – look at you,” Amber says bouncing Baby Aiden in her arms. “We really got you good, didn’t we?” She’s laughing.

  A few other women from the gym and from school hover in the background.

  “Guys – I’m barely showing. I think it’s a bit early to throw me a baby shower,” I say with a giggle. Amber didn’t have her shower till she was eight months pregnant.

  “We were excited,” Jasmine says, grinning from ear-to-ear.

  “We just wanted to see you smile again,” Ruthie laughs with a kiss to the cheek. “We miss the old, happy, cheerful Hailey.”

  A genuine smile comes to my face. “You all are sweet,” I say quietly.

  “Come. Eat,” Nadia says taking me by the hand and leading me to the table of treats. “We ordered these super expensive vegan cupcakes. You’d better like them.” Everyone bursts out laughing.

  I begin to get emotional. “Jeeze – I feel so special. I’m so lucky to have you girls as friends.” I caress my baby bump affectionately.

  Ruthie wraps an arm around me. “We’re the Esquire Girls. That’s how we roll.”

  Chapter 22

  Andy’s rusty old car pulls into the wide driveway in front of the cozy bungalow. Pink roses ornament the small garden in the neatly manicured front yard. We say our goodbyes to Andy and he gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. He tells me not to be anxious because Jackson has the nicest family he’s ever met. Still, I feel nerves in the pit of my stomach as I step out onto the gravel walkway leading up to the front door.

  Jackson rounds the car and takes my hand. He places a soft kiss against my temple as we approach the front door and Andy drives away. “They’re gonna love you,” he whispers into my ear as he rings the doorbell. I smile to cover my jitters.

  Just then, the heavy oak door swings open. A handsome teenaged boy stands in the entrance. He glances at Jackson before his attention fixes on me. He smiles approvingly in my direction. He elbows Jackson out of the way. “Why, hello there,” he says in a Texan accent with a charming smile that is a replica of Jackson’s. “I’m Ridley. You must be the lovely Hailey.” He grabs my hand and places a kiss on my fingers.

  “Hi,” I say in a small voice.

  Jackson clears his throat. “Hello Ridley.” I can see the mild irritation on his face. I giggle instantly recognizing the sibling rivalry between them.

  “Hey Jax,” Ridley says dismissively before bringing his eyes back to me.

  “Are you gonna move out the way so we can come in?” Jackson says impatiently.

  A tall, older man with gray hair and a slight potbelly appears in the doorway. He looks like Jackson, thirty years in the future. With an irritated look on his handsome face he lightly pushes Ridley aside.

  “Dad.” Jackson visibly adjusts his posture, instantly standing taller.

  “Hello son.” The two exchange a firm handshake.

  “This is Hailey,” Jackson says, placing a hand on the small of my back.

  His father gives me a nod. “Pleased to me you, young lady.”

  “Pleased to meet you, sir,” I say, my voice cracking with nerves.

  He rests a hand on my shoulder and guides me inside. “Call me ‘Ted’.”

  I follow him down the long narrow hallway, taking in the dozens of family photos as well as pictures of Ted and Jackson in military gear adorning the walls.

  When we get to the kitchen, a petite blonde-haired woman is milling about, stirring pots and pulling casseroles out of the oven. “Ted, the pot roast is overcooked…again,” she announces in a distressed voice without looking away from the stove.

  Ridley chuckles to himself while shaking his head.

  “Mom, this is Hailey,” Jackson says, drawing her attention away from the food.

  She turns around, excitement dancing in her eyes. She’s beaming as she approaches me. “My, you’re gorgeous,” she says cupping my cheek in her hand. Her gaze drifts down to my slightly bulging stomach. Her eyes fill with water before she pulls me into an embrace. “Welcome to the family!”

  Chapter 23

  I give Kimberly one last hug and place a kiss on the tip of Baby Billy’s nose before joining Jackson at the airline ticket counter.

  I smile to myself. The weekend had been lovely. Jackson’s family had been extremely kind and welcoming, and although his mother had had a hard time understanding that a person could be vegan, we bonded in the kitchen when I offered to show her my famous hummus recipe.

  Kimberly had welcomed us with open arms when we turned up at her house early on Sunday morning. She’d been thrilled for the chance to get to meet Jackson. They hit it off immediately.

  We’d kept the visit to my family’s ranch short and sweet. Just long enough for Jackson to meet my mother, stepfather, sisters and aunt before they began to reveal their dysfunctional colors.

  Then, Kimberly dropped us off at the airport with just enough time to catch our flight back to New York.

  Jackson and I are in a good place and I’m excited to get home and fall back into our routine.

  “Sorry about holding up the line,” he says to the agent as he tosses an apologetic look at the travellers waiting behind him in line. He’s searching fran
tically through the pockets of his jacket for something.

  “What’s going on? What are you looking for?” I ask, leaning against the counter to offer some solace to my sore feet.

  “I can’t find our darned itinerary and apparently our tickets aren’t registered in the system,” he says, clearly frustrated.

  I dance my fingers down the center of his back. “I can help you look.” I rummage through both of our suitcases as the ticket agent becomes increasingly impatient. Then, I dig around in my purse with no luck.

  “Stand still,” I command as I unzip the side pocket of the knapsack on his back.

  “I already looked in there,” he insists.

  After only a second of searching around, I find the itinerary and hand it to the agent who is quickly able to confirm the flight we’re on.

  I give Jackson a smirk and he replies with a grateful kiss on the cheek before I turn back to the task of closing the pockets on his bag.

  But just as I’m about to drag the zipper shut, something in his pocket catches my eye. A pair of tickets to Bliss, the Broadway show we saw when we went on that triple date with Madison, Ruthie and their men a while back. Jackson hadn’t been impressed at all by it. I’d had to nudge him in the arm a few times to keep him from falling asleep.

  And now, here’s a pair of tickets to that show in his bag…

  I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. He’s told me a million times to trust him. He’s said that there’s no other woman in his life.

  But here I am, holding evidence in my hand that that’s not true.

  Chapter 24

  I decided not to confront Jackson about the Broadway tickets in his bag. I’ve adopted a wait-and-see approach. I’ve made accusations in the past on nothing but a strong hunch and I hadn’t been able to prove his infidelity then. This time, I want to have evidence before approach the subject again.

  But the nagging insecurities have been hanging over me like a dark cloud all week.

  My gut tells me that there’s another woman in the picture. Why else would he buy two tickets to a Broadway show that we’ve already seen? He didn’t even enjoy the play the first time around so the thought of him going to see it again is beyond suspicious to me.

  These are the thoughts going through my head as I sit at this dinner table. Aside from Jackson, I don’t know anyone here at his personal assistant’s engagement party. I really didn’t want to come tonight. I considered telling Jackson that I was too nauseous for a night out and that I just wanted to bundle up in bed alone. But I feel like I can’t take my eye off of him for a second.

  I don’t trust him.

  Not one little bit.

  Jackson is chatting gleefully with the other men at our table. Football, I think. I discreetly slip out of my uncomfortable four-inch Manolos as the older lady next to me tries to make conversation, asking me about the baby. I try to remain pleasant, but honestly, I wish she would just take a hint and leave me alone.

  I’m miserable. I want to go home.

  I’ve been pushing this salad of wilted lettuce and over-ripe tomato around my plate for about half an hour now and I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Just as I decide to excuse myself from the conversation and jump in a cab to go home, Kelly announces that she and her fiancé are about to open up their gifts.

  I lean into Jackson’s shoulder and whisper into his ear. “I’m gonna head home. I’ll grab a cab.”

  He interlaces his fingers with mine. “You okay?” I read the concern on his face.

  I slip my hand out of his. “I just – I just want to go home.”

  “Let’s stay a little while then we’ll go home together,” he coaxes gently.

  “Nah – you stay. Have fun,” I say as I stand to exit discreetly.

  Just then, I hear Kelly squeal. “Awww. This one is from Hailey and Jackson.”

  My attention darts to the front of the room where she’s sitting. She’s looking straight at me, holding up a shiny gold envelope and waving it in the air. Jackson tugs me gently by the arm and I sink back into my seat, uncomfortable now because I have no idea what the gift is. I hope desperately that he has good taste because an awful gift will reflect badly on both of us.

  I tap my foot anxiously as I wait for her to tear open the envelope. “Wow! A pair of tickets to Bliss! Oh, wow! So thoughtful of you guys! Thank you so much!”

  A wave of relief rolls through my body. The Broadway tickets in Jackson’s bag weren’t for him and some other woman. They were an engagement present for his personal assistant and her fiancé. All this time I spent fretting over the significance of those tickets was for nothing. I created this entire crazy-making scenario in my head, when in fact, the tickets were an innocent gift for a couple who is head-over-heels in love. I feel silly but relieved as the realization sets in.

  Kelly turns to her fiancé, “Jackson told me that he’d seen the play and I mentioned that we’d like to see it too and he and Hailey were nice enough to get us tickets as an engagement present. I’ve got the best boss!”

  Her fiancé turns to us with a smile. “Thank you guys.”

  I grin my widest grin, my heart filled with relief. “No – thank you.”

  Chapter 25

  “What are you looking for?” Jackson drawls in a groggy tone as his eyes flutter open in the light of a brand new day. I’m lying next to him, chin propped up on my wrist, face hovering over his. He smiles. I’m absolutely overwhelmed by his rugged beauty. “What are you looking for, Cowgirl?”

  “A flaw,” I say simply.

  “A flaw?”

  “You’re absolutely perfect. Inside and out. You’re too good to be true, so I’m looking for a flaw.”

  He laughs heartily. “Did you find one?”

  “Well…your left eyebrow is a touch thicker than your right,” I say with a snicker.

  He gawks at me with mock offense and gasps. “You’ve hurt my feelings. I’m offended.” He grabs ahold of me and rolls over, pulling me under him. “Now, I have to punish you.”

  I shriek. “Careful, Jackson. You might hurt the baby!”

  He laughs. “Don’t bring the baby into this. He can’t save you. It’s about time that I discipline you, sassy cowgirl.”

  I gaze up into his breathtaking green eyes. “How exactly do you plan to punish me?” I feel arousal already slipping out of me as I wrap my legs around his back.

  He brings his lips to the shell of my ear. “With lovin’. I’m gonna punish you with lovin’,” he says in his deepest Southern twang.

  I giggle just as his mouth covers mine. His tongue lashes passionately against mine. I moan like a fiend who’s just taken a hit. Jackson’s hand rummages beneath the sheets, grazing across my bare skin. He finds the lips of my sex before stroking my clit back and forth. My whole body trembles.

  He growls as he slides his finger into me. Slowly. So slowly. “You feel so good. All the time. I can’t keep my hands off of you.”

  My cheek falls against the pillow and I whimper as I grate my fingernails against the back of his thigh. “Jackson…I need you.”

  “You like that?” he asks, a taunting smile spreading across his lips.

  “Uh-huh,” I mutter breathlessly.

  He pulls his fingers back, depriving me of his touch. That teasing smile still dancing on his lips.

  I grab at him desperately. “You’re doing that deliberately,” I whine. “No fair!” I thrust my hips in search of his fingers.

  “Tell me that you love me,” he commands.

  “I love you,” I confess in a hoarse voice, my chest tight with desire.

  He smiles, satisfied, as he strokes my searing core again. My eyes flutter shut as I bask in the overpowering pleasure. But my reprieve is short-lived. He pulls away and denies me his touch yet again.

  “Now, tell me that you trust me.”

  My eyes shoot open. He’s staring straight at me. He’s serious. No more fun and games. He needs to hear me say it.

 
I feel hesitation building within me.

  “Hailey – tell me that you trust me,” he says, choked with vulnerability.

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath in.

  He deserves my trust. I know that. He’s done everything to earn it.