“Nope. Forget it.”
“What am I supposed to do then?”
“I don’t know, Trey. You figure it out. You haven’t changed that much. Still leaping before you look. You’re only good at advance planning when you’re on the field.”
“What are you so mad about all of a sudden?”
“Nothing. But I’m done being abused by you. You took all I had to give. You’re not getting anything else.”
“Okay, okay. I get it. I’m dog-tired is all. I don’t think I can drive back to Jacksonville tonight.”
Truth be told, Hayley didn’t want him on the road either. If something happened to him, if he fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident, she’d feel horrible.
“You can sleep on the couch, if you want to. But first thing in the morning, you hit the road. No excuses.”
Trey smiled his trademark smile. “Sure thing, babe. Thanks.”
Hayley lay awake for a long time that night. Trey supposedly wanted to reconcile, but he’d never once said he still loved her. She wondered if he’d thought for a minute that she’d say yes, if he even would have asked her. Perhaps he’d only wanted to try to make amends as part of his recovery. Apologizing to her was probably one item on a long list of things Trey needed to do for his own peace of mind.
She thought of Ray. How his solid strength made her feel secure. How he never judged or jumped in with his own opinions. Ray saw something in her no one else had seen, and it made her feel good.
Ray and Trey.
Hayley and Kaylee.
How had she managed to stumble into a Dr. Seuss scenario with rhyming names? Perhaps she and Ray could marry and have a child someday. They could give it a name that rhymed with Molly to keep the tradition going. She began running through the alphabet in her head. Dolly. Holly. Lolly. Polly. Ollie. Wally.
Or maybe they could get another dog. A collie.
Hayley nudged Trey awake the next morning. She wanted him up and out before she left. Fletcher was getting dressed when she shoved Trey in the direction of the bathroom. As usual, he moaned and groaned his way there, his old football injuries causing stiffness until he worked the kinks out and warmed up his muscles and ligaments.
“Hurry up.” She closed the door behind him, annoyed with herself for letting him stay last night. She wondered if he’d forgotten his wallet or if he’d made that up so she’d let him stay. Although knowing Trey, he’d have preferred even an inexpensive motel bed over the sofa which could barely accommodate his football player’s frame.
Fletcher appeared as she set his cereal and half a banana at his place. She poured him juice and ruffled his hair on the way back to the refrigerator. She warmed up her coffee from the pot when a knock came at the door. Maybe it was Ray. Her heart did a flutter at the thought, and she peeked through the sidelight before she opened the door.
Callie Maxwell stood on the other side of the door. Hayley opened it and let her in. “Ms. Maxwell. You’re out early today.” She looked over the woman’s shoulder to see her government vehicle parked behind Trey’s shiny black Porsche.
“I told you I’d be making unscheduled visits. I’m required to vary the times of day when I do, but lately mornings are more convenient for me. Is that a problem?”
“No, no, not at all. Come in.”
Callie spotted Fletcher at the table and smiled at him. “Good morning, Fletcher. How are you today?”
Fletcher stared at her but continued to munch cereal.
“Only a quick inspection today,” Callie assured her. “Won’t take long.” She took in Hayley’s workout outfit. “You’re probably on your way to work.”
“Yes, in a little while. Please, go ahead. Look around.”
“Thank you. I will.” Callie started with a visit to the breakfast table. Hayley hoped she noted Fletcher’s cereal wasn’t one of the sugar-laden varieties and that he had fruit and juice.
Next Callie opened the refrigerator and scanned the contents then made a check mark on a form she had with her.
She peeked into the oven and the microwave and the dishwasher, all of which were empty, and made another checkmark. She opened the door to the laundry room and stuck her head in there as well.
“I need to check Fletcher’s bedroom and the bathroom,” she informed Hayley. She started across the living area when Trey opened the bathroom door. Damp steam followed his shirtless self out into the hall, and Callie stopped short at his appearance.
“Hello there.” He greeted her as if he hadn’t a care in the world and they’d been introduced at a social gathering.
Oh great, Hayley thought. She’d tidied up the sofa already, so it would surely look to Callie as if Trey had spent the night. With her.
She hustled across to them. “Trey, this is Callie Maxwell. She’s a social worker with DCW. Callie, this is Trey Christopher.” The less information the better, she reminded herself. She purposely left out the fact that Trey Christopher was her ex-husband, although she was fairly certain Callie already had that information in her file, or soon would.
Callie nodded at Trey. “Nice to meet you. If you’ll excuse me.” She sidled past the two of them.
Hayley led Trey back to the kitchen. “Why couldn’t you shower faster? Why’d I let you stay here last night? Put your shirt on! God only knows what she must be thinking.” First Andre had made an early morning appearance in her bedroom, then Ray had surfaced from the same end of the hallway. Now Trey appeared exiting her bathroom like he did it all the time. Callie Maxwell probably thought her bedroom had a revolving door.
Trey shrugged into his shirt. “What do you care what she thinks?” Trey poured himself a cup of coffee and gestured to Fletcher with it. “Who’s the kid?”
Fletcher stopped eating. His somber gaze moved from Hayley to Trey and back.
“This is Fletcher. Steffie’s son.”
“What’s he doing here?” Trey wanted to know. At the same time he walked toward the table. “Hey, kid. I’m Trey.” He put his hand out. Fletcher stared at it before his gaze returned to Trey’s face, suspicion in his eyes.
“Not very friendly. But at least he’s quiet,” Trey commented. He pulled out a chair and sat down.
Hayley rolled her eyes. “Hurry up and drink your coffee, because when I leave you’re leaving.”
Callie reappeared. “Thank you, Hayley. I’ll be going now.” She nodded in Trey’s direction. “Mr. Christopher.”
Hayley hustled to meet her at the door before she opened it. “Thank you, Ms. Maxwell. Have a good day.”
Hayley closed the door, muttering a mild obscenity under her breath.
Fletcher slid off his chair and carried his bowl and glass to the counter. “Go brush your teeth, Fletch. We need to get moving.”
Fletcher went into the bathroom. Hayley poured the rest of her coffee down the drain and ran water over the few dishes and left them in the sink. When Fletcher reappeared, Hayley reached for Trey’s mug. He didn’t want to give it up. “Sorry,” she told him. “I have to go to work.”
She retrieved the lunch sacks from the refrigerator and put one in Fletcher’s backpack.
Trey followed them out the door and watched while she locked up. “You could come home with me. You wouldn’t have to work. You never did before.”
“Maybe I should have.”
“You adopting the kid?” he asked, glancing at Fletcher. “That’s cool. We always talked about having kids.”
“I’m not adopting him. I’m just trying to take care of him until someone else does because Steffie asked me to. Then I’m moving to L.A.”
“Oh.” Trey pondered this for a moment.
He followed her to her car and watched while she buckled Fletcher into his seat.
“I’m going to New York,” he informed her. “We’re in talks with ESPN to do play-by-play and half-time reports. The Big Apple, babe. You’d love it.”
She turned back to him. The morning sun beat down on them relentlessly. Already the heat was beg
inning to build. The birds didn’t seem bothered by it, though. A few sang or flitted through the two trees in front of the duplex.
Hayley looked at her surroundings as if seeing them for the first time. The quiet street in a small town. The big old trees. The simple but well-maintained duplex. She wasn’t exactly happy and maybe not a hundred percent content. But she was off the treadmill of trying to be something she’d never, in heart at least, been. She didn’t have to keep up the appearance that she enjoyed her job as Trey’s wife. She saw it now for what it was. Her role had been to make him look good. To make him look like he had it all. She’d believed it. Believed herself to be happy reflected in his glory, orbiting around his fame and fortune. But the truth was, she’d lost herself in his aura, and it hadn’t been healthy for her.
It was only now, these past few months, when she’d woken up and begun to find out who she was without him. That she had strengths and weaknesses like everyone else. Likes and dislikes. Goals. Dreams that were her own and not someone else’s.
“Trey, I’m happy for you. Your recovery. ESPN. All of it. But you don’t love me. And I’m finally, happily, over you.”
“You are? You’re over me? You don’t love me anymore?”
“Yes. Yes. And yes.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Have a great life. Now get out of my way. I have to go to work.”
She got into her car and closed the door. By the time she turned the ignition, Trey was in his Porsche and backing out.
Hayley smiled. Today was a good day.
Chapter Twenty
Ray glowered as he watched the touching good-bye scene playing out in the driveway. He clenched his coffee mug so tightly his knuckles protested as he watched Hayley and her ex-husband. When she leaned up on tiptoe and kissed the guy, Ray turned away from the window. He slammed his mug on the counter and grabbed Oscar’s leash. The puppy leapt up and followed him out the back, startling when Ray slammed the sliding door shut so hard it rolled back a few inches on its track, leaving an open gap.
Ray ignored it and led Oscar away from the duplex, past his shop and down a side street.
Trey Christopher had decided to make an appearance. Of course Ray knew who he was. He’d seen the guy numerous times in television interviews over the years. Ray’d never quite bought the southern boy charm, but he’d been a hell of a quarterback in his day, and Ray had spent numerous evenings cheering him and the rest of the Jacksonville Jacks on to victory.
He’d screwed Hayley over royally and broken her heart, but now he was sniffing around her door. Probably wanted her back, and who could blame him? Trey Christopher might not be the brightest guy in the world but he’d eventually get a sense of what he’d lost when he let Hayley slip through his fingers.
He made Hayley laugh, which meant he had the power to amuse her. In fact, Ray’d never heard Hayley laugh like that before. It’s what caught his attention and why he’d opened the door last night. He’d heard only their voices and after that, not any specific words. Then they’d gone inside. And Trey’s car was still there this morning.
Ray tightened his grip on Oscar’s leash and marched along the road like a man on a mission. Minutes later, he noticed Oscar struggling to keep up and he slowed his pace. He patted the dog’s head. Oscar’s tongue lolled out of his mouth. “Sorry, buddy. I was thinking.”
He turned and walked slowly home. If Trey wanted Hayley back, would she go? He hadn’t quite figured her out yet. His gut told him no, but then he had to remind himself, his gut had been wrong before. He hadn’t thought Caroline would abuse his trust in her, but she had. Women thought differently from men. If Hayley got back with Trey, she could make him pay for his mistreatment of her. Hayley’s financial struggle would be over. Hell, maybe she and Trey would adopt Fletcher and be one big, happy, freakin’ family.
The thought made Ray’s blood boil. This time when he shoved the sliding door open it hit the end of the track with a loud smack and rolled back shut in his face. When he went to open it, forcing himself to be calm, he found it was locked. Wonderful. He had a spare set of house keys in the shop somewhere. Only one problem. The shop was locked.
Luckily, Rick had a key to his house as well. Fine. He’d get in the car and drive over to the station. Nope. He’d be hoofing it over there. Because his car keys were now locked in his house.
“Come on, Oscar. Let’s take another walk.” He wasn’t looking forward to answering Rick’s inevitable question about how he’d managed to lock himself out. But maybe Kaylee had sent some of those muffins to work with him. A couple of those and it’d almost be worth the humiliation.
Rick was at his desk behind the counter. He had paperwork spread out before him and the phone glued to one ear. An eyebrow shot up when Ray came through the door and their gazes met, but then Rick went back to his conversation, repeating numbers and jotting down notes. Oscar collapsed, panting, onto the linoleum. Ray peered over the counter for possible sustenance.
Rick hung up the phone and opened his bottom desk drawer. He withdrew a small napkin-lined basket and held it up as if it were bait. “Looking for this?” He grinned.
Ray reached across the counter. “Gimmee.”
Rick held the basket out of Ray’s reach. “What do you say?”
“Creep. Come on. Share.”
Rick chuckled and handed the basket over. Ray flipped the napkin back. “There’s only one!” he accused his brother.
“Yeah, and you’re lucky it’s still there and that I’m such a nice guy.”
Ray sunk his teeth into the lone muffin and almost groaned with pleasure. “Blueberry,” he informed Rick before he’d swallowed.
“You’re disgusting. Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“Yes, Dad,” Ray mocked. He took another bite.
“Wait until you are one. Trying to teach kids manners comes with the territory.”
Ray set down the rest of the muffin.
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean—”
“No, it’s okay. I know you didn’t.”
Rick looked chagrined. “Let me see if I can keep my foot out of my mouth long enough for you to tell me why you’re here. Want to sit?” He indicated the stool between his desk and the counter.
Ray picked up the last bite of muffin and savored it as he walked around the counter to the stool. “I need my house keys.”
Rick’s eyebrow shot up again. “Why? Giving them to someone else?” He waggled both brows suggestively.
Ray scowled. “I wish. No. I locked myself out.”
Rick rubbed his hands together. “Okay. Now we’re getting somewhere. How’d you manage to do that?”
“I saw Hayley in the driveway kissing Trey Christopher good-bye this morning.”
“What?” Rick’s verbal outrage nearly matched Ray’s silent one earlier. “But I thought, I thought—you and she—hell, I don’t know what I thought.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
“What are you saying? He spent the night there?”
“Sure as hell looks like it.”
“Huh. Well. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”
Ray looked at his brother with disbelief.
Rick held up his hands in defense. “Hey, I’m just saying. Kaylee and I were living under the same roof and we didn’t, uh, that is nothing happened. Not right away. She slept on the couch.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not a rich ex-football star she used to be married to, either.”
“True. But if Kaylee’s ex had shown up, I don’t think she’d have jumped into bed with him. There’s a reason those guys have an ex in front of their name.”
“You think he spent the night and nothing happened?”
“I’m saying you ought to give Hayley the benefit of the doubt and not jump to conclusions. If you’ll recall, I had myself half-convinced Kaylee was a jewel thief and a con artist. Things aren’t always what they seem.”
“Yeah. Maybe you’re right,” Ray conceded, a
lthough that nagging sense of doubt didn’t ease up.
Rick pulled open another drawer in his desk and rummaged around in it. “Here are your keys.”
Ray took them and stood. “Thanks, bud. I’ll see you around.” He picked up Oscar’s leash. No sooner had the door closed behind him than he opened it back up and stuck his head in. “Hey, thanks for the muffin. Dad.”
He grinned when Rick lobbed a paper clip at him.
His steps were much lighter on the way home. He’d been purposely giving Hayley a lot of space. Not only because she’d made it clear she needed it, but mostly because he couldn’t trust himself around her. He was afraid to say or do anything to push her into something she wasn’t ready for or to scare her off completely. But he missed her like crazy, especially in the evenings when he’d begun to anticipate spending time with her, even if it was sitting in near silence on her porch. Her presence soothed him in a way nothing else did. She seemed to fill up the empty spaces inside him without saying a word or even touching him. She only had to be there, nearby, in the same room and he didn’t feel lost and empty any more.
When he got home he filled Oscar’s water dish and made a decision. Trey Christopher might want Hayley back. But Ray wasn’t going to let her go without a fight.
Ray swore Fletcher had a sixth sense. Or maybe he glued himself to the window to see when Ray knocked off for the day and headed back to his side of the duplex. As soon as he arrived, Fletcher was there, and the little boy’s presence never failed to lift Ray’s spirits.
“Hey, buddy.” He ruffled Fletcher’s dark hair and walked inside with him. Oscar went berserk, and Fletcher sank to his knees, letting the puppy jump on him and lick his face.
They had a routine established. After a few minutes of play, Ray handed Fletcher Oscar’s leash and let him clip it on. This could be a slightly time-consuming process because Oscar didn’t like to stand still for long and Fletcher, of course, never reprimanded him. Then Ray would let Fletcher hold the leash, and they’d walk around the block at a slow pace while Oscar sniffed everything in sight.
A Forever Kind of Guy: The Braddock Brotherhood, Book 2 Page 19
