“Yeah.” Hailey got up, took the elastic from Harper’s hair and redid the bun to her satisfaction. “There.” She dropped back to her seat. “But I’m not ready to talk about it.”
Harper picked up the stylus again and made a few quick changes to her rendering. “That man is completely in love with you—or he was the last time we were all at Sunday dinner together.”
That had been a few weeks ago. What with the fall festival, Sasha’s surgery, followed swiftly by her sudden marriage to Patrick and, after that, all the scrambling to set up the haunted house, Hailey and Roman had ended up passing on dinner at Daniel’s.
A whole lot could change in a matter of weeks. Communications could shut down. Love could turn into something else, something dark and unhappy, filled with resentment and dissatisfaction. And an awful, empty silence.
The kind of silence that could mean it wasn’t going to work.
And she really didn’t want to talk about Roman right now. “How’s the job hunt going?”
“I’ve sent out some résumés and I have a couple of interviews coming up, one in Seattle and one in Portland.”
“Great.”
“Lee-Lee, are we changing the subject?”
“How did you guess?”
“He gives you too much grief, he’ll answer to me.”
Her sad heart lifted a little. “I’m counting on it—now, can we fit in a charming shop with a door that opens?”
“Yes, we can.”
“And how ’bout a snowman and a couple more festive-looking Victorian lampposts with wreaths hanging on them?”
“You’re the director.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
* * *
When Hailey got home to Roman’s that night, she found him and Theo in the kitchen. In the past, she would have gone straight to Roman for a hello kiss. But one look at his face and, well, kisses just didn’t seem like a very good idea.
He stood at the fancy chef-quality stove and rattled off the dinner menu. “Roast chicken, oven potatoes and salad.”
“Sounds good.” She went to the sink and washed her hands. “Can I help?”
“I’ve got it all under control.”
Of course he did. Theo chose that moment to wave his hands and call her name. At least someone seemed happy to see her. She sat down on the floor with him and they played with his blocks as Roman put the dinner together.
They ate. She cleaned up the kitchen while Roman took Theo upstairs.
He was still up there when she finished loading the dishwasher, so she grabbed her tablet and sat on the sofa in the family room to go over her calendar for the next couple of weeks. Very soon, her schedule would get tight again as they ramped up the Christmas show.
She checked email and made an appointment with Tandy Carson at the arts council. They needed to start discussing possible venues for next year. She wanted a meeting with the council and the volunteer staff at the theater.
They needed to get everyone on board, have them all reaching out to neighbors and friends, anyone with a barn they rented for events or a church that might be open to letting them use their fellowship hall. It hurt, to lose the theater. But that wasn’t going to stop her. There would be other performance spaces. She refused to let this setback get her down.
She heard footsteps on the stairs and her heartbeat accelerated as Roman entered from the front room. She met his eyes as he came toward her.
His face gave her nothing.
Something was going on here and it wasn’t good.
“Busy?” he asked, coming to stand in front of her with the glass coffee table between them. He was so handsome, in gray pants and a dark shirt that clung to the strong shape of his chest. His beautiful eyes watched her too closely—but distantly, too. He had a large manila envelope in one hand and the baby monitor in the other.
Her throat felt tight. So did the back of her neck and the muscles of her belly. Like her body was drawing into itself in preparation for a blow. She set her tablet on the table. “No, not busy at all. Theo?”
“Asleep.” He set the monitor on the table a few inches from her tablet.
She made herself ask him, “What’s going on?”
“We need to talk.”
For a split second, she forgot how to breathe. But then her lungs started working again and she sucked air in a strange little gasp. “Okay.” It came out weak sounding.
Suck it up, Hailey. Whatever’s going on here, don’t be a wimp. Sit up straight and face it head-on.
He reached up with his free hand and raked his hair back from his forehead. “Hailey, I...”
She caught her upper lip between her teeth, worried it—and made herself let it go. “You what?”
He gazed at her steadily. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “This isn’t working, you and me.”
Words. She’d always been so good with them. But right now, she had none. Just a pathetic little “Ah,” a sound full of hurt and surrender, followed by an incredulous, “You’re breaking up with me? Just like that, you’re breaking up with me?”
“I can’t be what you want.” He watched her so tenderly. The jerk. “You need to move on.”
Anger. It made her earlobes hot and her chest burn. “That’s crap. I can’t... I don’t...” She gathered her scattered wits and demanded, “You’re just giving up? You’re not even going to try?”
He held out the envelope. “I want you to have this.”
She eyed it, sorely tempted to spit on it—whatever it was. But fine. Sure. She snatched it from his fingers, undid the clasp and pulled out the papers inside.
It took her a minute to understand what she was looking at. Her mouth dropped open. “You’re giving me the theater?”
“I already have. You have the deed in your hand, transferred to you, and I’ve recorded it with the county. It’s official. You own the Valentine Bay Theatre.”
She wanted to toss the papers in his face. But no. That wouldn’t be right. Her town needed the theater and whatever was going on here with him and with her—it had nothing to do with the deed in her hand. It was the right thing, for him to give the theater to her so that she could make sure it served Valentine Bay.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I’ll make certain it’s put to good use.”
“I know you will.”
Silence. Empty and endless.
She should argue, come up with all the reasons he needed to rethink this, to realize how wrong he was. And she needed just the right words, the ones that would make him see all the good that they had, that they were, as a couple, together—to make him realize the enormity of what he was throwing away. She needed the words that would change his mind.
But her throat had clutched tight. Hurt and fury pulsed through her.
And a sad little voice in her head whispered, Come on, Hailey. When are you going to face the truth and admit that he’s right?
It took two people. And he wasn’t there, not really. He was no longer with her, except in bed. And sex was important, yeah. But you couldn’t build a relationship on it. Not one that could last.
Right now, in all the ways that mattered, he had checked out on her. He’d left the premises, abandoned the field. Ever since the other night when she’d dared to bring up the subject of love, he’d only been going through the motions of being with her.
And she needed to face hard reality.
If he was willing to dump her because she wouldn’t marry him yesterday or sooner, to destroy what they had because any talk of love made him uncomfortable—hey. Who was she to try to argue him out of it? Who was she to call him wrong? Why in the hell should she fight to stand beside him?
She rose to her feet. “What are you saying to me, Roman? Be crystal clear.”
Something flashed in those ice-green eyes. Pain? Panic? Whatever it was,
it was gone in an instant, a shade drawing down, leaving only cool distance and a will of steel. “It’s over, Hailey. We’re done, you and me.”
Weakness swept through her. She wanted to beg him for just one more chance. The hurt was so deep, her knees almost gave way.
But she didn’t let them. He would not see her break.
She would walk out of this house with her shoulders back and her head high.
“All right, then,” she said mildly. “I’ll pack my stuff and go.”
Chapter Eleven
Hailey went home to the cottage, where the porch light was on and the windows dark. Harper was probably out with friends or even at the theater.
Yeah, Hailey knew that all she had to do was call and ask her sister to please come home. Harper would be there in an instant, ready to comfort and console, to take Hailey’s side absolutely, to call Roman Marek every bad name in the book.
But no. Right now, she felt held together by frayed thread and spiderwebs. She couldn’t break down yet. She needed a little while—to put her things away, to be numb and quiet and completely alone.
She carried in the two suitcases of clothes and other belongings she’d brought back from Roman’s. It wasn’t a lot of stuff, really. But putting it all away in her little closet at the cottage—it just felt so final.
They were really, truly over, her and Roman. She wouldn’t see him again, not on purpose—not him or Theo, either.
And that was another blow. Theo.
She would miss him so much. His silly, happy laugh. The way he called her name, his chubby arms reaching for a hug, when she entered the kitchen at the end of the day.
She sank to the bed and then fell back across it on a pile of bras and panties she’d been just about to put away.
Sweet Theo.
Would it hurt him as much as it hurt her—to have her disappear from his life? Should she have insisted on saying goodbye to him?
Or was that just her own pain speaking? Maybe it was better not to make a big deal of it, better just to vanish from his world. It wasn’t like he would understand what was happening, however she handled it.
And it had been only a couple of months since she’d entered his life. Surely, he couldn’t have become too deeply attached in that period of time.
Could he?
She stared blankly at the beadboard ceiling. It was blurring now as the tears welled and got away from her, dribbling down her temples and into her hair.
“Hailey? What’s happened?”
Blinking the wetness away, Hailey lifted her head. Her sister hovered in the doorway to the bedroom.
“Harp.” She sat up, sniffling like a total wimp, swiping a hand at her eyes and under her nose. “Surprise,” she said, and sniffled again. “I’m home.”
“Oh, honey. What’s happened?”
“Roman broke up with me.”
Harper’s big eyes got bigger. “No.”
“Yeah.” She held out her arms. “I think I really need a hug.”
“Aw, sweetheart...” Harper stepped to the bed and gathered her close. “Lee-Lee, honey. I might have to kill him. But, babes, it will be all right.”
Having her sister’s arms around her allowed her to let the pain come. She ugly-cried.
Twenty minutes later, she was blowing her nose and giving Harp the full rundown on How Roman Dumped Hailey.
“What an absolute rat bastard,” Harper said, once the tale had been told. “And not in an illegitimate way. In the bad way, the bastard-by-choice way.”
Hailey sniffed. “He’s just scared.”
“Don’t you dare defend him.”
“I’m not.” Hailey crossed her heart. “Don’t you worry. He had his chance and he’s not getting another one.” She sagged against her sister. “Help me put all my stuff away?”
Harper stood. “Uh-uh. Later for all that.” She grabbed Hailey’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “Right now, we’re going to open some cheap wine and say more rude things about Roman.”
* * *
“He gave you the theater?” Harper hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. “You didn’t really just say that, did you?”
Hailey stuck her glass under the spigot of the box of sauvignon blanc and filled it to the rim. Again. “Consolation prize, right?” She knocked back a big gulp and shuddered. “Lucky me.”
“Lee-Lee. I can’t get my head around it. You own the theater.”
She raised her glass. “Yeah. I’m sure I’ll be happy about that. Eventually.”
“It is a very good thing—for us. But even more so for this town.”
“I know.” Hailey heaved a long sigh and said glumly, “I can’t wait to tell Tandy that we don’t have to go scrambling to find a place for next year—or any year.”
“It’s huge.” Harper seemed unable to find a word big enough.
“Yeah. Aside from the small issue of my broken heart, life is good.”
* * *
A few days later, after the crying and the bad-wine-drinking was over. After she’d announced to the arts council and all the wonderful volunteers who worked with her at the theater that never again would they go scrounging for venues. After she’d met with a lawyer who would be helping her figure out how to run the theater for the community’s good without losing her shirt. After she’d told herself a thousand and one times that she was through with Roman Marek, that he could crawl through ground glass, naked on his knees, for another chance with her and she would tell him to turn around and crawl back where he came from.
After all that, well, she started to wonder if maybe she should have tried a little harder to work it out with him.
Maybe she should have listened and nodded when he said it was over—listened and nodded and then calmly informed him that she was going upstairs to bed and they would talk about it in the morning.
Maybe she should have said—again—that she loved him, adding this time that she knew he loved her and he wasn’t going to scare her away.
Being in love was magical and transformative, sure. But it was also hard—especially when a woman and her love didn’t see eye-to-eye. Roman didn’t have a lot of experience with loving a woman and he didn’t exactly excel at compromise.
She should have been more patient.
By Sunday, when she went to dinner at Daniel’s, everybody in the family knew that Roman had ended it with her and given her the Valentine Bay Theatre as a parting gift. Unsurprisingly, Daniel coaxed her into his office and brought out the good Scotch.
She went ahead and told him that she was considering tracking Roman down and seeing if maybe he was ready to try again.
Daniel advised against hasty action on her part. “He should come to you. Begging. But first, I need to put my fist through his face.”
Hailey forbade her big brother to do any such thing. “Stay out of it. I mean it, Daniel.”
Reluctantly, he agreed to let her run her own life. And then he said, “You’ve got heart and brains, a lot of energy and a hell of a work ethic, Lee-Lee. You also know what you want and you’re willing to go out there and get it. One way or another, you’re going to be fine.”
* * *
Monday morning, bright and early, Sasha appeared in the open doorway of the office space backstage, which Hailey had cleaned out and fixed up for herself.
“I had a feeling I might find you here.”
Hailey got up from behind the ancient metal desk that had probably been there since the theater opened back in 1925. “It’s so good to see you.”
Sasha grabbed her in a hug. “I’ve missed you.” She took Hailey by the shoulders and they smiled at each other, wobbly smiles. Both of them were misty-eyed.
Hailey said, “You look great. How’s married life treating you?”
“I’m happy. So happy...”
“That’s w
hat I wanted to hear. Radiation starts next week?”
Sasha nodded. “First treatment is next Monday.”
“I want you to call me—you know, if there’s any way I can help.”
“I will. But it’s pretty straightforward. I just use the special cream they’ll give me, eat well and expect to feel tired sometimes.”
“Call me anytime. I’m there.” Hailey made a mental note to check in with her Tuesday or Wednesday after that first treatment.
Sasha brushed her hands up and down Hailey’s arms, a fond gesture and a soothing one, too. “Speaking of calling, I’ve been wanting to reach out to you. But I’ve held off. I kept thinking Roman would come to his senses and admit that he can’t live without you. I really didn’t want to interfere—well, not too much, anyway.”
They both laughed at that, soft laughter that didn’t last long.
Hailey told Roman’s mother the truth. “I love him so much, Sasha. And I miss him. And I miss Theo, too...” Her eyes filled, but she sniffed the tears back.
“And they miss you.” Sasha gathered Hailey close again. “My son can be such a fool.” When Hailey pulled back a little, Sasha held her gaze and said, “Roman is very good at taking control but not so much at risking his heart.”
“No kidding.”
“Hailey, he’s completely in love with you. And that means when he finally figures out that throwing away what he wants most of all is no solution to anything, he will be showing up on your doorstep and doing whatever he has to do to convince you to give him another chance.”
“Great. Have you met me? I’m not the kind of woman who sits around waiting for a man to get past his issues and reach out.”
Sasha’s sad smile brightened. “It just so happens he’s in Portland for meetings on some project he’s been planning. He took Theo with him. And Lois.”
“Do you know what hotel they’re staying at?”
Now Roman’s mom was full-on beaming. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
* * *
Home for the Baby's Sake Page 17
