by Rye Hart
She was still every bit as gorgeous as she'd been back in our high school years. I hated her back then and I didn't see that changing anytime soon.
“My lord,” she chirped and then laughed. “I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Where have you been all these years, Hailey? You're like the girl who just – poof – disappeared one day.”
“Uhh well,” I said, desperately trying to come up with something on the fly.
Rebekah was bright, chipper, and seemed nice. Like, genuinely nice. Which of course, is the polar opposite of what she'd been back in high school. She'd been the stereotypical mean girl – sugary-sweet to your face, and then she'd stab you right in the back a moment later.
Back then, it had been easy for me to see through her forced bubbliness. But standing there with her, I didn't get a sense of that mean girl she used to be. She'd either gotten really good at hiding it, or she'd actually changed. If she had, it might be the very first case of a tiger changing its stripes in human history.
I scratched my head waiting for the other shoe to drop when, all of the sudden, I realized that everyone was looking at me. Or at least it felt that way. The knots already in my stomach constricted painfully and I grew increasingly uncomfortable beneath their scrutiny. Almost as if operating of their own volition, my eyes darted this way and that, looking for an avenue of escape.
But I took in a breath and let it out slowly. Forced myself to calm down and act like an adult – and was barely able to manage the feat.
“I’ve been living in California for the last couple of years,” I managed to croak out.
“Oooh, how exciting,” she beamed. “So, what brings you back to Black Oak? Why would you leave a paradise like that?”
My stomach dropped. The dreaded question.
“It was time,” I said and shrugged, forcing a smile onto my face I hoped looked more genuine than it felt.
“C'mon, I need the details, girl,” she said, her smile as wide as her face. “You married? Any kids?”
I clenched my jaw tight, cursing my stomach for leading me over to that damn food truck to begin with.
“No. To both,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.
“Ah, well you're a pretty, young thing, I'm sure one of these fine Black Oak men will be linin' up to snatch you right up,” she said, scrunching up her fast as she squeezed my hands. “You should come into my daddy's church next Sunday, we'd love to have you. Maybe, we can even introduce you to some of our eligible bachelors.”
She looked at me with wide blue eyes that – unlike when we were younger – didn't hold a trace of malice in them. She looked and sounded like Rebekah Henderson, but it was like I was talking to a completely different person. Had the body snatchers visited my hometown?
It was completely disconcerting, and before I could stop to think about it, an entirely inappropriate, maybe even cruel, question came flying out of my mouth.
“Umm, Rebekah?” I asked. “Why are you being so nice to me? You were always so mean back in school. It's not like we were friends or anything.”
We'd been the exact opposite, in fact. Bennett McCormick had taken her to homecoming, and when they found me walking home alone – after my date had ditched me – Bennett kindly offered to give me a ride.
Rebekah was clearly furious that I'd intruded on their date and had glared and made spiteful comments to me the entire ride home. It was about the most uncomfortable I'd ever been in my life and she just kept piling on, making me feel like absolute garbage. From that day forward, she would only glare at me when we walked in the halls and whisper about me behind my back. She acted as if I had been the reason the two of them split up.
Staring at her belly, I couldn't help but wonder if that child was Bennett's. They were the perfectly beautiful high school couple everyone assumed would get married someday. It had been shocking when they split up. But, looking at her belly again, I wondered if maybe they'd gotten together again at some point.
“A lot has changed, Hailey,” Rebekah said, stroking the cross at her neck. “I've found God. Back then, I thought I knew Him, but now – well, now I really do. And I can't even begin to tell you how ashamed I am for how I behaved back then. I know I'll never be able to take it back, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Her eyes glistened as she spoke and she rubbed her swollen midsection like it was an unconscious reaction.
“I'm happy for you,” I said, motioning to her stomach.
And I meant it. As much as I hated her in high school, if she was willing to turn her life around and be a better person, good for her. Maybe, it was a lesson I could stand to learn from as well. Again, my eyes fell on her belly.
“So, you're married then?” I asked.
“Oh no,” she laughed nervously.
Suddenly, there was an awkward tension in the air and it was as if our positions had switched. She was no longer eager to keep talking to me, her eyes flitting around wildly like she was looking for an escape route. She quite obviously didn't want to talk about her pregnancy.
“Listen, it's been great seeing you again, Hailey, but I really should get going.”
She hurried away just as I made my way to the front of the line. Of all people to greet me, Bennett McCormick smiled down at me from the food truck window. His chocolate brown eyes crinkled at the corners as his smile was brighter than the moon.
“Hailey Roberts, huh?” he said. “Decided to come back to Black Oak after all.”
My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't believe he not only recognized me, but remembered my name after all this time.
Bennett's face was masculine, chiseled, and beautiful beyond perfection. High cheekbones and a strong jaw dominated his face, but his eyes – a rich brown that reminded you of milk chocolate drizzled with caramel – softened his otherwise rugged face. His hair was short on the sides, long on top, and he'd obviously used plenty of product to give it an actual style.
As always, he looked impeccable, stylish, and entirely handsome.
“I guess I couldn't stay away,” I said, chuckling, my heart threatening to burst right out of my chest.
I half expected the usual line of questioning, but instead, Bennett asked something much easier for me to answer.
“What can I get ya?” he asked, a twinkle in his eyes.
I ordered a BBQ chicken sandwich – always a favorite of mine when the old owner ran the joint – and a side of coleslaw, because according to Bennett, it was the best ever made.
“Our secret is that it has bacon and bleu cheese in it,” he said. “Nothing in the world like it.”
“You had me at bacon,” I said and laughed.
Reaching for my wallet, Bennett waved me off. “It's on the house. Consider it a welcome home gift. It's really good to see you again, Hailey.”
His eyes looked right through me, and I stared for a moment, speechless. His lips were full and thick, and when he smiled, there was a dimple in his left cheek. It was an infectious smile, one that made me grin like a fool right back at him – at least, until I realized how awkward and dopey I must have looked.
And then, over the buzz of conversations in the crowd, I heard someone call out, “BBQ chicken sandwich for Hailey? Order's up.”
“Uhh wow, you guys work quickly,” I said.
I turned toward and found myself face-to-face with Quinn McCormick. My breath caught in my throat as I stared into his soulful eyes, big and golden brown with specks of green mixed in. His face, like Bennett's, was chiseled to perfection with the classically high cheekbones and strong jaw that marked McCormick men. But his hair fell gently around his face, softening the look. And he too, smiled with a dimple in his cheek, as he handed me my plate.
“Well, look who it is,” he whistled. “Cason, you won't believe who's back in town. The prodigal daughter returns.”
My cheeks flushed with color. I never knew I was apparently that popular – that not only Bennett, but Quinn and Cason remembered me
too. I never would have thought that possible back in the day.
“Hailey? Is that you?” Cason said, peering at me from over the grill. “Wow, you've – you've grown up.”
“As have you,” I said. “Though honestly, you guys haven't changed much at all. You still look almost exactly the same as you did when I left. It's unreal.”
“You've certainly changed a bit,” Cason said.
His gaze never left mine, and like Quinn, his eyes were a soft, golden brown. He used to wear glasses back in high school, but now his eyes were completely unobstructed – and as beautiful to look at today as they had been back then.
“In a good way, of course,” he added quickly, as if just realizing how bad that could have sounded. “Not that you were ever –”
Quinn punched his brother in the arm and laughed. “It's nice seeing you around again, Hailey,” he said. “Don't be a stranger, you hear?”
“I'll try not to be,” I said, my heart fluttering in my chest as I turned away from them.
I was grinning like an idiot by the time I got back to Jenn's booth.
“Liked what you saw over there I take it, huh?” she teased me.
“Oh yeah,” I laughed, sitting down again. “And they even seemed to be flirting with me. Who'd have guessed that? I totally didn't see that coming.”
“Your fresh meat,” Jenn said with a knowing smile. “It's rare that someone new comes into town.”
“But I'm not new,” I said.
“You might as well be,” she laughed. “I mean, look at you. You're gorgeous.”
I felt my cheeks flush at Jenn's words. All this time, I wasn't sure I had changed enough from that gangly awkward girl I used to be. My transformation wasn't anywhere near as radical as Jenn's and I worried that I'd only thought I changed more than I actually had.
I was afraid that I'd still be that dorky girl everyone knew and picked on in high school. But hearing Jenn say that, and seeing the response from the brothers, made me think otherwise. My ego, which had been deflating since the moment I set foot in Black Oak again, suddenly found itself full and bursting at the seams again.
“Well, I'm not all that,” I said and laughed. “I just hoped I was a little better off than I was back in the day.”
“You are,” Jenn said. “All that and a cupcake, if I may say so myself.”
“You're just biased,” I said. “But, I appreciate the thought.”
“Nah, the McCormick boys obviously thought so too,” she teased. “In fact, don't look now, but –”
I, of course, didn't listen to her advice and looked.
Quinn was still near the grill, but was stealing glances in my direction. And when I caught him looking, he smiled over at me. He gave me a soft wave before turning and going back to work on the grill. Cason was talking to him and they were laughing together, but then, my old lab partner, shot me a look too.
Suddenly, I felt like a supermodel. Or at least, some kind of minor celebrity.
Jenn playfully slapped me on the arm and squealed. “I said don't look!”
“Hard not to,” I said and laughed. “Especially, when you tell me not to!”
“Yeah, I can't blame ya,” she said. “If they were checking me out, I'd be all over that too.”
“You're married,” I said.
“Doesn't mean I don't have needs and wants,” she said. “Regrets over those things I missed out on.”
“You had your chance, Jenn,” I laughed. “You went out with Bennett, remember? And you still chose Martin.”
“Because Martin is good for me,” she said, staring wistfully at the baby in her lap. “He's practical; a hard worker and great provider. We have the same philosophies and values in life. But if I were looking for a one-night stand or a fling, you bet your britches I'd be after one of those McCormick brothers. I can't imagine they're anything but amazing in the sack. It's certainly not like they haven't had more than their fair share of practice.”
“Yeah, well, new girl in town or not, it's not like I really stand a chance with any of them,” I mumbled.
Then Rebekah came to mind once more, and I knew if anyone had the answer to the questions rattling around in my head, it would be Jenn.
“Speaking of which, I ran into Rebekah Henderson,” I said. “That's not Bennett's kid, is it? She seemed really squirrely and didn't want to talk about it. Ran off when I brought it up, actually.”
Jenn burst out laughing, snorting as she tried to get herself under control. “Oh goodness no,” she said. “You have no baby mamas to worry about if you go after the eldest McCormick. She went out of town awhile back and came back pregnant. Some rando she met at the bar, didn't even get his name.”
“But she said she found God?”
Jenn raised her eyebrow and shook her head. “Yeah, in the backseat of some guy's car, maybe,” she said, sarcasm coloring her every word. “Nah, her daddy just makes her go to church every weekend and act like a pious little witch. She's trying to redeem herself in his eyes or some shit like that – though, God only knows what good that would do. That girl is a lost cause, if I do say so myself.”
I looked back out at the people milling about in the park. Black Oak carried so many secrets. There was always so much going on – especially in the shadows and behind the scenes. And I hadn't the faintest idea about any of it. I had no knowledge of anything in Blackoak anymore.
Not that I needed to know the town gossip – it just felt weird being back and completely clueless because it had been such a staple of my world for so long.
As if she could read my mind, Jenn smiled and said, “Welcome back to Black Oak, Hailey.”
CHAPTER SIX - CASON
“Shutting down to go hang out at the bonfire,” I called out to the crowd, who groaned at my announcement as we closed up shop. “But feel free to come by the restaurant tomorrow. Twenty percent off if you mention you stopped by.”
Bennett punched my arm – hard. It wasn't the usual playful punch we'd give each other now and then – it felt like a serious hit. I looked at him, irritation running through me.
“What in the hell are you doing?” he whispered, facing away from the crowd.
“Shutting down to –” I started to repeat myself, but he cut me off.
“No, the discount,” he said. “We didn't agree to that.”
“Executive decision, man,” I said, shrugging. “These fine people want food, and since we're closing down, thought it would be the right thing to do. Plus, it might bring in a little more business than we might have had.”
Bennett shook his head, his face creased with irritation. “Why not just give food away for free then?”
Sarcasm dripped from his tongue, but he'd already pissed me off, so I figured I'd do something to spite him.
“Fine,” I said, leaning around him and shouting out, “Free hot dogs for all kids tomorrow!”
“No,” Bennett called. “He's just kidding. No free hot dogs.”
Quinn piped up. “It's already out there, Ben, and it would be false advertising if we didn't honor it now. And that's bad for business. It's a damn hot dog. Stop being such a tight ass.”
Ben muttered something under his breath and walked away, busying himself by finishing loading the truck. At least he was doing the manual labor this time. It was a nice change of pace since Quinn and I had done it all earlier.
I looked across the walkway at Jenn Drake's cake shop. Like us, she was packing all of her things up for the night and caught me staring, a knowing smile on her lips. Not wanting to give her the wrong idea – she was a married woman after all and I wasn't like that – I gave her a friendly wave and started to look away.
But then Hailey stepped up beside her and took the box of cupcakes from her friend, and my eyes stayed glued to her. Try as I might, I couldn't look away. The last time I saw Hailey was at a bonfire like this one – probably around the fall after our high school graduation. Neither of us went straight to college. She'd been a pretty girl back the
n, even if she did her best to cover herself up in oversized sweatshirts and yoga pants.
But she'd changed over the years, and now, she was something else entirely.
Her delicate face was surrounded by long, luxurious chocolate brown hair. Caramel highlights fell down around her chin and brought out the green in her eyes. A sprinkling of freckles dotted the bridge of her nose and cheeks. It was something I'd always thought was adorable about her and I was glad to see she'd never grown out of them. It added to that girl-next-door appeal she had. And she had that in spades.
She caught me staring and for a second, we just stood there with our gazes locked. Even from across the aisle, I swear I felt a connection with her. I smiled, and I saw her cheeks flush as she smiled back at me, her plump lips pulled back in an adorable grin.
And just like that – there was the girl who'd helped me pass Biology our sophomore year. The same geeky girl who had no problem cutting into the fetal pig – even as other girls screeched in disgust. It didn't get to Hailey. In fact, she seemed pretty fascinated by it. Science was her thing, she said. As it was mine. Or at least, I'd wanted it to be after that semester with her.
“I'll be right back,” I said.
Quinn caught me staring and stopped me. “Nope,” he said. “You're staying right here.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because I'm gonna go over there and talk to her first,” he said.
“Wanna bet?”
I punched him in the arm as I took off, Quinn right behind me. Being the star athlete in the family, I knew he could outrun me and beat me to her. It was stupid to even try and beat him. But I knew there was no way my brother was going to ask her out first.
As we ran, he pulled up right beside me and gave me a crooked grin.
“Hey, I need to get over Shelly, remember?” He smirked. “I think Hailey could help me do that.”
“Yeah, well, it's too soon,” I said. “You can't possibly be over her. And Hailey shouldn't be a rebound thing.”
“Yeah, we'll see,” Quinn said as he bolted ahead of me.
Quinn, of course, beat me to the booth. I never even stood a chance. I never did when it came to anything athletic with him. The son of a bitch wasn't even out of breath. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair and gave her that bad boy smile of his – the smile most women found completely irresistible. I wanted to punch him in the face.
