“Sure,” Ellen said. And her husband gave her hand a knowing squeeze.
The next morning at work, Sam called Haley into his office. “What are you doing after work?” He asked.
“Well, I thought I’d go shopping for the new baby and then head to the hospital for a little while. Why do you ask?” She seemed so happy and carefree this morning that he was even more drawn to her, wanting to just bask in her mood.
“I needed to do something for her, too,” he began slowly. “And I was kind of hoping that we could go shopping together after work. Baby shopping isn’t really my area, you know?” He watched Haley smile gradually and nod. “And then maybe we could grab a little dinner before we hit the hospital?” He would do anything to extend their time together.
Haley cocked her head to the side and for a minute he was afraid she was going to turn him down. He could never deny her anything, but she seemed to have very little difficulty saying ‘no’ to him.
“How about if we eat a late dinner after the hospital? I know visiting hours normally end at eight. Would that work?” She watched him for a reaction.
She isn’t trying to get away from me. His heart sang. “I think that could work,” he said happily.
It’s amazing how quickly a day can pass when there’s something to look forward to. All day, Sam would catch Haley smiling or humming as she went about her job. At the same time, he found himself equally as happy. Not only was he getting to spend more justifiable time with her, but also he was mentally ticking off the weeks until he could actually start dating her. And then, who knew what would happen?
At five precisely, Haley tapped on the door. “You ready to go?” She was standing smiling in the doorway.
Quickly, Sam looked up from his papers. “What? No jogging tonight?” He asked with a warm smile.
“Where have you been?” She joked. “I went during my lunch hour.”
He motioned for her to enter the office and she did so with a confidence that warmed him. “I’m sorry, Haley. I was a little distracted today. I can be ready to go whenever you are.” He began to pack his briefcase when he caught the look on her face. Obviously Haley had something on her mind.
She bit her lower lip. “I know we have so much planned for this evening,” she began quietly. She watched him for a reaction, but he simply studied her calmly. “I just want you to know that I can’t stay with you tonight.”
Sam tried to hide how crestfallen he was. He cleared his throat and said, “I won’t lie to you, Haley. I was hoping that I could persuade you to spend the night with me.” He sighed and crossed the room to stand in front of her. “More than anything, I want to wake up again with you in my arms, curled up beside me. I know it only happened once, but I miss it.” Haley was staring at the ground, so he gently reached over and lifted her chin, forcing her to face him. “Don’t you miss it even a little?”
Her shoulders sank. He could tell she was struggling with what she had to say. Finally she raised her head to face him, her eyes glistening slightly. “You are the only man I have ever shared a bed with,” she said quietly. “And every night I try to replace my nightmare with the happy memory of being close to you.”
Sam crushed her to him. “So, then why?” He asked into her hair.
“Well, we have to work in the morning. We can’t be seen sharing a vehicle. You know this, right?” She studied his reaction.
Nodding slowly, Sam said, “Of course.” Then he brightened some and gave her a half smile. “But if I needed help with something, a new project, for example, would you be willing to help me?”
With a smirk and a raised eyebrow, she asked, “What kind of project? And when would you want my help?”
The wheels were turning madly in his mind. “See, now that we cinched the last campaign, it’s time that we find another company to contact. I have a list of several that are looking to take a new direction in advertising that we might approach.” He could see that she was already contemplating it. Would he ever be as big a draw as the ad world? “I guess I could pick you up after Tae Kwon Do Saturday morning.” He shrugged. “Then we could grab lunch and get to work in my library.” He paused. He could see that she still wouldn’t find that a good enough excuse for staying over. Suddenly it came to him. “And I have two tickets for the theatre Saturday night. Some of our potential clients will be there. We’d be multi-tasking…” His voice trailed off. He could have tickets for the theatre. He would have to get on that first thing in the morning, and unlike every other executive in the free world, he wouldn’t be able to use his assistant to procure them. Damn, this was complicated.
Haley tilted her head to one side. She had never been to the theatre. And this would no doubt be a Broadway Show. Then after, he would expect her to stay over. Would that be so bad? How would they spend a lazy Sunday? Could she convince him to help her explore the city? She sighed. She couldn’t have feelings for him this soon.
A second later, Sam’s private line began to ring insistently. She offered to step outside while he answered it. And Sam didn’t object. He waited until the door had closed behind her before picking up the phone. His heart sank when he realized it was Jake on the other end. Putting the phone on hold, he peeked out the door to talk to Haley.
“I’m going to have to cancel our plans,” he said quietly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Then, without so much as an explanation, he shut the door. Haley was left wondering what could possibly be going on. It wasn’t like him to cancel plans with her. No, he was ever constant in his efforts to make plans. She headed home alone.
That evening, Adam waltzed into his study. “I was driving by and saw the light on,” he said seriously. He glanced at the clock. “It’s after midnight. You’re never up this late on a week night.”
Sam hadn’t even looked up from his desk. He was holding his head with both hands. He heard Adam pour them both a glass of scotch. Once his was deposited in front of him, he mumbled, “Thanks.”
Sitting in the leather chair opposite the desk, Adam tried again to engage his brother in conversation. “I can see something is troubling you. Why don’t you try sharing with me? I’m a great listener.”
Sam swirled the amber liquid in his glass for a moment then downed a healthy swallow, never removing his eyes from Adam. He wanted to open up to someone. Lately he had grown tired of keeping so many burdens to himself. And yet somehow he couldn’t quite bring himself to divulge any of this to Adam. What had changed? They were so much closer when they were younger. They had always been there to support one another. It was only after Adam quit the company and began living off his inheritance that their relationship grew strained.
“You don’t have to handle everything alone,” Adam remarked quietly. He couldn’t wait for Sam to meet his eyes any longer. Finishing his drink, he stood slowly. “I’ll just let myself out.” He walked to the door and was about to leave without even glancing back, but Sam finally spoke.
“I resent you,” he said in a low voice.
Adam paused then turned to face him. “You resent me? You’ve been sitting here ‘til midnight thinking about how you resent me?” His left eyebrow arched in irritation.
Shaking his head, Sam continued. “I resent you, so I don’t share my life with you.”
“Oh,” Adam walked back to the seat he had just left. “I see.” But he didn’t know what else to say.
“I have had to take care of everything since Mom and Dad died. For the last three years I’ve run the company single-handedly, a company whose revenue lines your pockets and affords you the lifestyle you have always been accustomed to. What do you do, Adam?” He studied his brother for a moment. “What do you do but float through life like a piece of crap?” Adam winced, but remained silent so that Sam could finish what he had in mind.
“Day in and day out I have denied myself a life to be the responsible one. I have denied myself happiness. And all you have is happiness!” His hand thumped on the desk. “I mean you go to parti
es and charity events, you date constantly, and you live this responsibility free existence. You don’t even have to worry about bills because your accountant handles all those mind-numbingly dull tasks for you. You’re so…spoiled!”
Leaning toward the desk, Adam spoke slowly, as if in pain. “I am spoiled. You are right about that. I stopped working because I felt superfluous. You handled everything. There was nothing left for me there. I didn’t feel included, like I was really a part of the company, so I started coming in later and later, to see if anyone noticed, but no one said anything. Not once did you say, ‘Adam, I could have really used your help. Wish you had been here.’ It was like you didn’t even care. I just wanted you to ask me to participate.” He gripped his temples and leaned on the desk.
Slumping in his chair, Sam gave a hollow laugh. “And I just wanted you to offer your assistance.”
Looking at his brother, Adam asked quietly, “So all of this could have been prevented if we had only talked?”
Sam nodded while staring at the ceiling. “But I was too angry over losing Gabriella and our parents in such a short time period that I wasn’t talking much.”
“I could have made you,” he suggested.
“Right.” He finally met Adam’s eyes.
So, Adam decided to try again. “Well, now that that’s out in the open, what’s bothering you right now?”
Sighing, he said, “I’ve really made a mess of things with Haley.”
“Women trouble?” His eyes gleamed. “That’s my specialty.”
Exhaling slowly, Sam told his brother what he knew of Haley’s past, of the hurt she had suffered, that there was probably much more he didn’t know. Then he revealed the heart of the matter. “Jake called me today.”
“Whoa, I thought you called off the investigation.”
He nodded sadly. “But Jake left the neighbor a business card.” He leaned back in his chair frowning. “I guess someone came around asking questions and she gave the guy Jake’s number.”
“Could it be her family looking for her?” He was intrigued now.
“I doubt it. The guy was around her age.” He drummed his fingers anxiously on the desk.
After a few moments in silence, Adam said, “So why are you brooding? If he shows up, you deal with it. If you are worried he might be after Haley, well, we can protect her. I will do whatever you need.” Sam’s eyebrows rose. “I’m offering,” he emphasized.
Sam stood up and walked around the desk. Adam stood to meet him. And the brothers did something they hadn’t done since their father’s funeral. They hugged.
After work on Friday, Sam stood expectantly beside Haley’s desk in anticipation of their shopping trip. He was more than willing to let her take the lead. Shopping seemed to be more her element.
“Ever been to Target?” She asked, giving the store a French pronunciation and thinking of her budget. He shook his head. “Come on,” she urged. Then with a smile, “It’s the poor man’s Pottery Barn.”
Once inside the store, Haley grabbed a wicker basket, a purple fleece blanket, and some Johnson’s Lavender bath products. “What’s a onesie?” Sam asked as she placed a colorful three pack into the basket.
“Why do you ask?” She asked while still studying the items before her.
“I’m just trying to understand.”
Haley offered a brief explanation then selected an outfit from the rack. “Well, I’ve reached my limit,” she said. She faced him and waited to see what he wanted to buy. She was ready to help, since he was definitely at a loss.
“No,” he said. “This is my treat. You shop. I pay. We both take credit.” Haley eyed him for a moment. He realized how difficult it was for her to accept money. “It’s for Abigail, remember?” Haley paused. “Shop away,” he urged.
Haley finished filling the basket. But he soon discovered they weren’t done. She quickly proceeded to create a gift bag for the parents as well. In their bag she placed relaxation CDs, body lotion, candles, and a bottle of sparkling cider. He nodded in approval.
At the register, Sam whipped out his credit card without even wincing or complaining. Then he smiled proudly at Haley. “You are amazing. I never would have thought of all that.”
“Sure you would have,” she said, looping her hand through his arm as they headed for the car.
Sam shook his head. “No, believe me I wouldn’t. I would have written a check,” he admitted. And I probably wouldn’t have even gone for a visit, he thought sadly.
Ellen was thrilled when she opened the front door and found Sam and Haley standing there. She was even more excited when she opened the gift baskets they presented her. And soon after, she managed to send the men on an errand that they both recognized as a thinly veiled attempt to speak with Haley alone.
“Since when have you had difficulty kicking me out?” Her husband teased. Once he had planted several kisses on his wife, he made to leave the room.
Sam, however, didn’t budge. He was focused entirely on Haley. The minute the kissing began, he couldn’t help but think about how he wished he could walk over to Haley and make her knees weaken from his affection. She was blushing slightly, causing him to think she was contemplating the same idea. He might have stood there lost in thought longer, had the proud new papa not grabbed his sleeve and jerked his head toward the door in a subtle hint they should exit the home.
As soon as they were alone, Ellen patted the couch and Haley, smirking because she knew what to expect, lazily took the suggested seat. To watch them now, one never would guess that Haley had been the vibrant energetic roommate. “So, what do you want to talk about?” She asked warily.
“What is going on between you and Mr. Davenport?” Ellen asked suspiciously.
Haley sighed. “Nothing.”
Ellen attempted to cross her arms over her chest, but it was swollen and sore, so she gave up. “I have eyes, Haley,” she snorted. “I can see the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him. Now give.” She eyed Haley sternly.
“We discussed this the other night,” Haley reminded her, frowning at her friend.
“Yeah, okay. So you aren’t dating.” She paused and watched Haley shake her head seriously. “But you go to the theatre with him, dinners, functions of all sorts?” Haley nodded. “He buys you clothes?”
“They are a company expense,” Haley interrupted.
Ellen licked her lips and said, “Yeah, okay.” She glanced at the basket on the coffee table. “You shop together.”
Haley shrugged and nodded. “Just this once.” Now she was glad she hadn’t told her about the two times she woke up at Sam’s house.
“And none of this sounds like dating to you?” Ellen studied her face. Obviously Haley was in denial. She would have pressed further, but the men returned with take out. And before they could strike up a new conversation, little Abigail was crying for her dinner. Since Ellen was nursing, they decided they might as well depart for dinner themselves and allow the new family some privacy.
“I had a little talk with Ellen’s husband while we were out,” Sam said over dinner.
Haley laughed. “Anything you care to share?”
He leaned back, trying to draw out the discussion further since he had piqued her interest. “Well, he thought we made a nice couple.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “You set him straight, right?”
Sam looked at her innocently. “Whatever do you mean?” He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.
“Well, you told him we weren’t a couple, didn’t you?” She was leaning over the edge of the table toward him.
“I just told him we had only shared a bed once, no big deal.” He shrugged.
“You told him that?” She asked horrified. “He’s going to think that means we…” She buried her face in her hands.
Suddenly, Sam worried that she might cry and he had taken his teasing too far. At the same time, he feared he might have an answer for the nagging question of how Haley felt about him. For some reason
, even though she had expressed an interest in having sex with him, she didn’t want to date him. He cocked his head to one side. But people change their minds all the time, don’t they? He could help her forget that she doesn’t want to be linked with him because he had recently started to realize that he wanted to be with her forever. And now more than ever with some man from her past lurking about it was imperative that they spend time together.
Reaching across the table, he grabbed her hand and tugged it away from her face. “I was teasing you, baby,” he murmured. “I told him we weren’t dating. And I never mentioned our night together. That is ours and ours alone. Understand?” She raised her face to look at him.
“I must be overtired,” she mumbled. “Maybe I should just go home and go to bed.”
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