He’d fallen asleep quickly, while I’d lain there awake, fighting back tears. I’d spent the next two days trying to rationalize what I’d discovered, desperate to make all the pieces fit together to form a puzzle of my liking, because the truth of it was, I was in love with him, and the fear of finding out the truth made me choke up each and every time I attempted to confront him.
I’d gone as far as calling Dani to ask what she knew, but when she answered I chickened out and pretended I’d called just to shoot the breeze.
When I woke up this morning to him rolling me over onto my back so he could kiss me long and slow before he left for work, my heart cracked, a jagged, ugly tear that stretched right down the center. I realized I had reverted back to my old ways, burying my head in the sand and pretending everything wasn’t slowly circling the drain instead of being the woman Micah had claimed to like so damn much. And I couldn’t let it go on for another day.
I’d planned to confront him when he got off work, but things went a little sideways when he called earlier, sounding more animated than he had in weeks.
“Look, Red, I know I’ve been shit at this whole boyfriend gig lately, and I hate that. Work has been a mess, but I made a reservation for dinner at The Groves tonight. Just you and me. I want to take you out on a proper date, baby.”
That call was a blow to my resolve, but I’d given myself about a million pep-talks since then, reminding myself I was worth more.
When I’d gotten off the phone and asked Sylvia what The Groves was, her eyes had nearly bugged out of her head. Apparently, it was the best steakhouse in the area and far beyond. Super expensive and super swank. She’d practically been giddy as she all but shoved me out of Divine Flora, insisting I take the extra time to really “gussy up” for my special night.
Now Ivy was on her belly in my bed, her chin propped in her hands, her bent legs swinging back and forth as she watched me get ready for my date with Micah.
“So, what do you think?” I asked as I turned in a slow circle so my baby girl could get the full effect. The dress I’d chosen was a black off-the-shoulder minidress with a fun white floral pattern. It hugged my curves and the hem hit right around mid-thigh, exposing a good length of leg. I wore a pair of four-inch peep-toe pumps that had thick ribbons that twisted around each ankle and tied in a bow at the back. My hair was down in its natural wave, and my makeup was done a bit smokier than normal.
“Mommy, you look so pretty,” she breathed out dramatically. “Like a princess!”
“Yoo-hoo.” Sylvia’s voice carried up the stairs.
“Up here,” I called back as Ivy jumped off the bed, her four-year-old attention span already bored with what we were doing.
My great-aunt appeared in the doorway a minute later. “Well look at you, simply beautiful, my darlin’ girl.”
I ran my hands down the front of my dress, brushing out the imaginary wrinkles. “You think so? Is this okay for a restaurant like The Groves?”
She clasped her hands together and brought them up to her chest. “It’s absolutely perfect. You’re gonna stun that boy speechless, dearie.”
I turned back toward the mirror to give myself a last once-over and tried to ignore the sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach every time I thought about Micah.
“You know, you put on a good show, but you haven’t been foolin’ me,” Sylvia stated, moving toward the bed. She sat at the foot, crossing one leg over the other, and stared me down in that shrewd, all-knowing way of hers. “I’m not sure what’s botherin’ you, and now’s not the time to get into the meat of it since your gentleman will be here any minute, but I want you to know one thing: No matter how bad things seem, you can always take comfort in knowing that there’s somethin’ good just around the corner, all you have to do is be patient. And I am always, always here for you. Anything you need, sweets. Any time, any place. You have me always and forever.”
I moved to Sylvia, sitting down beside her and resting my head on her shoulder as she clasped my hand in hers. “How is it you’re always able to make things better, no matter what?”
“It’s just one of the few perks of being a million years old. I’ve already lived through all the nasty dips and dark days life can throw at a person, so you have the luxury of my hindsight whenever you’re struggling.”
“I love you,” I said quietly. “And I’m so happy Ivy and I have you.”
The doorbell rang, and I heard Ivy’s feet pattering down the hall from her room as she squeaked, “It’s him! Mommy, he’s here!” like she hadn’t seen Micah in ages.
I moved to the dresser and grabbed the black clutch I bought to go with my dress while pulling in a fortifying breath. “Well, I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Knock his socks off.”
I exited my room and started down the stairs. Every bit of air expelled from my lungs the moment I saw Micah standing on the other side of the door. He was dressed similarly to how he dressed for work, in a button-down and slacks, but he was also sporting a matching deep, charcoal gray jacket. His button-down was a sexy maroon color that looked amazing against his skin, the material fitted just enough to hint at the delicious rippled muscles beneath.
“Damn,” he grunted, his gaze sweeping from my feet to my hair.
“That’s a dollar!” Ivy proclaimed proudly. Over the past month, I’d given up trying to convince both of them that Micah didn’t have to contribute to the swear jar, and he’d given up all pretenses that he didn’t spoil my daughter to an almost embarrassing extent. Ivy didn’t even have to use The Look to get him to do her bidding. He was all too proud to do it on his own. Micah pulled out his wallet without fuss and passed my girl a dollar bill, his attention pinned on me the whole time. His rich, husky voice came out extra rumbly as he said, “Jesus, Red. You look incredible.”
My belly swooped and my cheeks heated. “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.” That was an understatement if there ever was one. I wanted so badly to say screw the date and lick him all over. “You ready to go?”
“Just a second.” He stepped past the threshold into the entryway and grabbed me by my hips, pulling me flush against him. His mouth came down on mine in a slow, savoring kiss, and when his tongue peeked out, giving my own a gentle sweep, I sighed and melted into him. “There,” he announced once he pulled back a second later. “Now I’m ready to go.”
I bent to give Ivy a kiss on the cheek, reminding her to be good, before moving to Sylvia and doing the same—including the reminder to be good.
Micah gave them the same attention, even hefting my girl up so he could squeeze her tight and press his lips to her forehead. And just like every time I saw them interact, a part of me swooned. After that, we were off.
I intentionally kept the conversation light on the way to the restaurant, deciding it would be better if I paced myself. When we pulled up in front of the rustic yet elegant cabin tucked back into the trees of the foothills, I pulled in a surprised breath.
I stared out my window as Micah came to a stop at the valet stand and put the truck in park. “Wow, this place is beautiful.”
“Wait until you try the food. It’s gonna blow your mind, baby.”
He hopped out and rounded the hood, taking my arm from the valet who’d opened my door and helped me out. With me tucked snuggly into his side, we headed inside. If I thought The Groves was beautiful from the outside, the inside took my breath away.
I took it all in as the hostess led us to our table beside a diamond-paned window with a stunning view of the trees outside draped with white fairy lights.
Once we were seated, our menus placed in front of us, I turned my attention from the window to the man sitting across from me. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
Those grassy green eyes hit me as a smile pulled at his lips. “Thank you for tolerating me these past few weeks. I know things have been a little chaotic lately.”
The waitress stopped at our table to take our drink orders,
offering me a brief moment to find my courage.
He’d just given me the perfect lead-in, and I wasn’t going to be fool enough to ignore it. “Speaking of that, how are things going at work?”
He lifted the menu and flipped it open as he casually replied, “Let’s not talk about my job tonight.”
I tried a different tactic, hoping it would soften him up. “It’s just that you don’t really talk to me about your cases or anything. I know whatever you’re working on right now is giving you trouble. I want to make sure you know you can always talk to me if you need to. I can’t imagine the pressures of being a police officer. I’m sure, sometimes, you just need to be able to vent.”
He glanced up from his menu, giving me a quick, non-committal grin. “Thanks, but I’m good. There’s not much to talk about.”
One of my eyebrows shot up. “Really?” I asked, unable to hide the skepticism in my voice. “So it’s just a normal, everyday thing to take off in the middle of the night after getting a call?”
That finally got his full attention. He closed the menu and lifted his bemused gaze to me, his brows dipping low over his eyes in a frown. “What’s goin’ on, here, Hayden? Is something wrong?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could get a word out, his phone started ringing from inside his jacket pocket. He pulled it out and gave the screen a cursory glance, his jaw ticking as he pressed down on the side button to silence it.
“You don’t need to get that?”
“It’s nothing,” he grunted, looking unhappy all of a sudden.
“You sure?”
“Positive,” he clipped just as the waitress returned with our drinks. Micah lifted his beer to his lips and drank half of it in a matter of seconds.
“Uh . . . are you ready to order?” the befuddled waitress asked. It was obvious she felt the tension stewing between us and was unsure how to handle it.
We quickly placed our orders, and even though the restaurant was beautiful, the ambience romantic, and I was in love with the man I was with, I knew the night was shot, and all I wanted was to go home. He wasn’t going to talk to me. He had no intention of opening up, and I couldn’t accept anything less.
“All right,” Micah started gruffly once we were alone again. “I don’t know what’s goin’ on, but it’s obvious there’s something on your mind, so why don’t you just tell me what it is.”
Once again, his phone interrupted us when it pinged with an incoming message.
“I just wish you’d talk to me,” I admitted when it became clear he had no intention of reading the text that had come through. “I know you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, and I know you’ve been stressed. I don’t understand why you won’t share that with me.”
“Hayden, it’s not—son of a bitch,” he finished on a grunt when the phone went off for a third time. “I’m sorry, baby, I really need to take this. It’s a work thing. I promise I’ll make it quick.”
Before I could form a response, he stood and started across the room, leaving me sitting in the middle of a romantic restaurant all by myself.
I sipped my wine as I waited . . . and waited. I’d gotten through half the glass by the time the waitress returned with our entrees. Setting my filet down in front of me, she gave me a look of pity, and I gave her a small, tight smile in return before she walked off.
The delicious smells wafted up from my plate, causing my stomach to let out a low grumble. “Screw this,” I whispered to myself as I tossed my napkin onto the table and pushed my chair back. In the ten minutes I’d sat at that table all alone, I’d gone from worried to pissed, and I had every intension of letting my so-called date know.
I ignored the looks I was getting from the other patrons as I stormed across the restaurant and down the short hall I’d seen Micah take earlier. Around the corner were the restrooms, and just beyond that, a small alcove where I heard Micah’s voice coming from. I was geared up to tear him a new one as I got closer. Then I heard his hushed voice and skidded to a stop at what he said.
“Look, Charlie, I know this is difficult, but it won’t be too much longer, I swear.” He paused as the person on the other end of the call spoke. “I know, sweetheart, and I’m sorry. You already know, if I had my way, this whole thing would be over. I’m tryin’ my best. I just need you to bear with me for a little while longer, darlin’. Okay?”
My stomach bottomed out as I took slow, measured steps backward. When I knew he wouldn’t hear the click of my heels, I spun around and hightailed it out of there.
I made it back to our table on shaky legs and sucked down the rest of my wine, nearly choking on the lump that had formed in my throat. I sat there, working to keep my breathing calm and measured so I wouldn’t burst into tears, and as I waited for Micah to get off his call with another woman, I heard the distant bang of that other shoe dropping.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Micah
Between the phone call from Charlie, threatening everything from killing Dalton in his sleep to taking matters with Cormack into her own hands, and having Hayden change into a completely different person, I felt like my head was going to explode.
I knew something had been off even before she started in with all the questions, but by the time I managed to talk Charlie down and get back to the table it had gotten so much worse. She tried playing it off, claiming she’d come down with a bad headache and wasn’t feeling like herself, but I knew that wasn’t it.
The tense, stilted conversation we had at dinner had turned to complete silence on the drive back, and my muscles were locked so tight from the anxiety gripping my chest, it was a wonder I didn’t splinter apart.
I turned the truck into my driveway and killed the engine, trying to think of what to say.
She refused to make eye contact as she rounded the hood and started toward her house, her voice small as she said, “I think it’s probably best if you stay at your place tonight. I’m really not feeling well. I need to sleep.”
She didn’t need sleep, she needed to avoid me, and I’d be damned if I let that happen.
“Hayden.” I reached out and grabbed her arm as she attempted to pass by, turning her to face me and pulling her close. I gently pressed my fingers beneath her chin, tilting her head back so I could meet those gorgeous blue eyes. “I know something’s off. Talk to me. We can figure this out.”
She looked so sad, and seeing that felt like someone filled my chest with gasoline and threw in a lit match. “That’s funny,” she started on a whisper. “Now you want me to talk to you when I’ve been trying for weeks to get you to talk to me.”
“Baby.”
Then she asked a question that turned my blood to ice. “Who’s Charlie?”
* * *
Hayden
His fingers clenched, grasping my arm tighter. It almost felt like he was worried I was about to slip away, and he couldn’t let that happen.
“What?”
“Who’s Charlie?” I repeated louder.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“I got tired of sitting at that table all by myself, and after about ten minutes, I started to get pissed. I went to find you and heard you talking on the phone.”
His expression turned to stone at my answer. “You were eavesdropping on my phone call?”
I shook my head, feeling my lungs grow tighter as I got more agitated. “No. I went to confront my boyfriend about abandoning me and just so happened to hear him telling another woman if he had his way, this whole thing would be over and that he’s trying his best and to please just bear with him for a little while longer.”
The hardness melted from his features almost as fast as it had appeared, twisting into something that looked an awful lot like panic. “Hayden, what you heard . . . it’s not what you think, I swear. I know it sounded bad, but I’d never do that to you. You have to believe that.”
God, I wanted to. So damn bad I ached. “Then tell me who Charlie is. Is she the reason you came
into my bed the other night smelling like perfume?”
He clenched his teeth so hard the muscle in his jaw began to tick. “It wasn’t like that. I just gave her a hug, that’s all. I promise, Red.”
“If you want me to believe you, tell me who she is, because right now, things are looking all kinds of bad.”
“I can’t tell you who she is. All I can tell you right now is that there’s nothing romantic between us. You have my word. She’s like a sister to me.”
That wasn’t good enough. I believed he wasn’t cheating. I felt the truth of that down to my bones, but the secrets were still weighing on me like cement blocks, making it hard to take a full breath. “Does she have something to do with this case you’re working on that you won’t tell me about?”
Please tell me. Please tell me.
Releasing me from his grip, he took a step away, his arms hanging down at his sides, his fists clenching so tight his knuckles bleached of color.
Please tell me. Please tell me.
“Hayden, I can’t talk to you about that. Please trust that I know what’s best when it comes to this.” he croaked, his voice sounding as agonized as I felt. “I’m just trying to protect you, baby.”
“Micah, I don’t need you to protect me,” I insisted, my tone pleading as I moved closer to him and placed my hands on his chest. “I need you to tell me what’s happening. I need you to not keep secrets from me. I need you to let me all the way in because this half in, half out you’re holding me at sucks. I’m so sick of being kept in the dark. Please just give me something.”
“I can’t,” he rasped. “I’ll tell you everything once I know it’s safe, I swear, Hayden. I just can’t tell you now.”
“Why?” I asked in a pained whisper. “Why can’t you tell me anything? I know Dani knows something at least. Why can she know but I can’t?”
“I’m just trying to protect you.”
Love to Hate You: a Hope Valley novel Page 19
