Designs on Haley (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Nita Wick

  Thankful for the change of subject, Haley agreed. “Never could resist popcorn with lots of butter.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Haley slipped from the bed as soon as Michael went to shower. She found the coffee and started a pot. After locating a pan, she scrambled some eggs. As planned, the toast popped up just as Michael entered the kitchen, adjusting his tie.

  She smiled at him and spooned the eggs onto plates. “Hungry?”

  “I could get used to this.” He hugged her around the waist and kissed her cheek.

  She laughed and ignored the possibility that he was bringing up the subject of her moving in again. “Don’t bother. I seldom eat breakfast, but I was hungry this morning.”

  “Same here. I’ll pour the coffee.”

  Haley kissed Michael good-bye and returned to her apartment to shower and dress. After unloading all the personal belongs she’d packed before offering Meg the apartment, she left to inspect the progress on her house and spent more than an hour with the contractor approving the additional floor samples he’d procured. The wood floors she’d chosen for the bedrooms, living room, foyer, and hallway were already being installed, but tile for the kitchen, dining room, bathrooms, and patio, had not yet been ordered. Unlike all the times she’d poured over the samples before, today she’d had no trouble making her decisions.

  As she looked back on those decisions now, she realized how much Michael had influenced them. Without considering why, she’d picked a cream tile with shamrock green accents for the master bathroom. For the kitchen, an earthy tan with gold flecks reminiscent of the linoleum in Michael’s kitchen had caught her eye. Since she’d finally decided on the kitchen floors, the color of the granite countertops had been finalized. Michael would like the dark brown.

  Haley shook her head and pushed open the door at the furniture store. Within an hour, she’d ordered three bedroom suits. Again, the one for the master bedroom turned out to be heavier, bolder, and even a bit more masculine than she would have chosen a few short weeks ago. She left the store and marked the furniture off her mental list. Soon she’d need to make the final selections on the bathroom and kitchen fixtures. Maybe she’d do that tomorrow.

  It was almost five o’clock when she pulled into the drive at Michael’s mother’s home. Glad to see the red sports car, Haley approached the front porch. The door opened before she had a chance to knock.

  “Hey,” Meg greeted her. “I’ve tried to call Michael twice today, but he’s been in meetings. Did you talk to him? What happened?”

  Haley smiled at Meg’s curiosity. “Yes, we talked.”

  “And?”

  Haley bit her lip in an attempt to keep from smiling. “You’ll have to wait a little longer for the apartment.”

  “Thank goodness.” Meg heaved a relieved sigh.

  “You don’t want your own apartment yet?” Haley teased, knowing the woman’s relief stemmed from concern for her brother’s happiness.

  “Of course I do. But not if it means Michael gets his heart broken.”

  Haley covered her smile with her hand and looked away. “I think we’ve come to an understanding. He knows I’m not ready for any commitments.”

  “I think Michael would marry you today if you’d agree.”

  A swallowed hard. “He suggested Vegas.”

  A grin transformed Meg’s serious expression. “Mom would kill him if he ran off and eloped. She has dreams of a having the sanctuary at the Immaculate Conception Church filled to the brim with guests and flowers for both our weddings.”

  With a wrinkle of her nose, Haley responded. “She doesn’t have to worry about him eloping with me any time soon.”

  “So you’d rather have a church wedding?” Meg’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

  “Geez, Meg. You’re as bad as your brother. I don’t even want to talk about marriage right now. Not for a long while. We met less than a month ago for heaven’s sake!”

  The redhead smiled before she reached out and gave Haley’s shoulder a little shove. “You know I’m just teasing. And don’t let my brother bully you into anything either. I love that guy, but I swear, when he decides he wants something he will not yield until he gets it. I think the only time he didn’t get his way was when I went to California for school. He badgered me relentlessly, trying to change my mind. He thought he knew what was best for me. It caused a rift between us for a little while, but once he realized I was happy at UCLA, he came around.”

  “You’re one courageous girl to stand up to Michael like that. When he gets mad, he is…Well, let’s just say I’d be less intimidated by an angry grizzly bear.”

  Meg giggled. “He can be downright scary.” She tilted her head. “But you know he’d never hit you, right? He’d never hit a woman. Ever.”

  Thinking back to the day before in Michael’s office, Haley recalled the concern she’d felt for the furniture. Not for a moment had she believed he would physically harm her. Maybe she wasn’t such a bad judge of character after all. “He practically had steam coming out of his ears yesterday, he was so mad. I thought he was going to break something.” She shrugged. “But I never feared for my own safety.”

  “Good. Don’t be afraid to stand up to him, Haley. My brother is a great guy, and he always means well. But sometimes he’s as hardheaded as they come. Don’t let him railroad you into doing something you’re not ready for.”

  A groan escaped her. “Your warning comes too late. Even if it didn’t, you make it sound as if it’s easy. I wouldn’t be dating him at all if the blasted man weren’t so damned persuasive.”

  “Maybe it’s just easier for me since I’m his sister. You’ve got the hots for him. I’m sure his methods of persuasion are more difficult for you to fight than the guilt trips he uses on me.” Meg winked.

  “You’ve got that right.” Haley’s pulse quickened as images flooded her mind of Michael’s most effective methods.

  “I’m so glad you and Michael worked things out.”

  Haley once again found herself enfolded in a hug. This time she hugged Meg back, welcoming the woman’s friendship.

  Meg released her. “Maybe we can go shopping again soon.”

  “Let me know when you’re ready. I had a great time. I’d love to do it again.” Haley started to leave but changed her mind and turned back. “You busy? Want to come to the gym with me? I’m meeting Michael there in a few minutes.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to be a third wheel.” Meg’s red curls bounced as she shook her head.

  Haley waved off her concerns. “Nah, you’d be doing me a favor. Michael’s friends, Brad and Jack, will probably be there. Your brother usually works out with me, but I can tell he misses his buddies. I don’t want him to feel like he has to choose between us.”

  Meg still hesitated.

  “Go on. Get some workout clothes and tennis shoes. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Haley didn’t give her chance to say no. She spun on her heel and headed toward her vehicle.

  * * * *

  By the time Meg and Haley had changed into their exercise attire, Michael, Brad, and Jack had already found each other and were laughing about something while Brad did reps on the bench press.

  Haley’s heart warmed at Michael’s welcoming smile, his dimple deep and pronounced from the wide grin. He stepped toward her, kissed her cheek, and then nodded at Meg. “Hey, sis.”

  Meg greeted the men. Brad and Jack both looked over Meg’s form-fitting exercise pants with more appreciation than Michael found acceptable. He gave them both a warning glare that said, “That’s my sister.”

  Haley offered her own greeting. “Hey, guys. Listen, I never had a chance to apologize. Sorry about the beer I cost you.”

  Brad and Jack looked at each other as if she’d spoken in a foreign language.

  Michael put his arm around her. “What do you want to do first? Maybe the Stairmaster?”

  Haley resisted and watched the two men closely. Neither would make eye contact with her. “He told
me you had the bet going, you know. He asked me to help him win. That’s cheating. Wouldn’t you say?”

  Both men looked at each other first then to Michael.

  He pressed harder on her waist to steer her away. “It was just a beer. Let’s go.”

  Jack spoke up. “Oh…yeah. Yeah, it was just a beer. No big deal.”

  Haley felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She twisted out of Michael’s grasp and confronted his friends. “There was never any bet was there?”

  Brad glanced at Jack again. “Well, sure there was. We bet a beer. We do it all the time.”

  Anger filled the empty pit that sinking feeling had created. “You’re a lousy liar, Brad.”

  “Haley…” Michael began.

  Haley poked him in the chest with her finger. “We will discuss this later,” she managed to say between clenched teeth. She turned to Meg. “Come on, let’s go use the ellipticals.”

  Michael moved to intercept her. “Wait.”

  She skirted him and snapped at him over her shoulder, “Later.”

  Haley found two open elliptical machines next to each other, climbed on one, and set the incline and resistance. She started peddling.

  Meg pressed buttons on her machine. “So I take it Michael lied to you about some kind of bet?”

  “The day we met.” Haley gave a short recap of the lie. “I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.”

  “He’s a guy. It’s what they do to get a girl’s attention.”

  Haley didn’t answer. She didn’t want to talk about it right now, so she changed the subject. “They’re putting in the floors at my house.” For several minutes, they spoke about the progress her contractor had made since Meg had seen the house. The conversation slowed, and to prevent a return to their previous topic, Haley changed the subject again. “I have a bone to pick with you.”

  “Me? What did I do?” Meg sounded winded from her workout. The girl really needed to exercise more often, even if she wasn’t the least bit overweight.

  “Oh, there’s this little issue of your bright idea of me having dinner with you and your mother. How could you do that to me? Didn’t you realize how uncomfortable I’d be?” Haley glanced over at Michael’s sister.

  Meg quickly schooled her features to cover a look of utter bewilderment. “Uh, sorry. I…I guess I didn’t consider that.”

  Haley slowed her pace and searched Meg’s eyes. The young woman looked away. Resentment tore through Haley. “It wasn’t your idea, was it?”

  “Well, I wanted—”

  “Don’t lie for him, Meg,” Haley cautioned. “I have trust issues, remember? How can I trust people who lie to me?”

  Meg frowned. “Okay, okay. I didn’t know anything about it. Exactly what did he tell you?”

  “He fed me some line about how you’d ask him to bring me to dinner in front of your mom and how neither of you would forgive him if he showed up without me.” Haley increased the incline and tension to maximum levels. “I am such a gullible idiot.”

  “So he wanted you to meet Mom. You should be flattered,” Meg argued.

  “He played me.” Sweat trickled between her breasts. The muscles in her legs burned. Better to focus on the pain her legs than the ache in her heart.

  Silence reigned between them for the next few minutes until Meg slapped the stop button her machine. “That’s it, Haley,” she panted. “I can’t do any more.”

  Haley looked down at her machine and checked the timer. Thirty-two minutes. The girl was really out of shape.

  “I haven’t done this in years. I swear, I can already tell that I’m going to be sore tomorrow.” She bent to rub her calf muscles.

  Guilt washed over her. She hadn’t meant to take her anger out on Meg. “Let’s go sit in the steam room a while. That will help keep you from being too sore.”

  Michael intercepted them halfway there. “Hey.”

  Haley narrowed her eyes at him. “Add fried chicken to the list of things we need to talk about later.”

  He frowned and looked toward Meg.

  “Oh, no,” Haley snapped. “Don’t look at her like that. She tried to cover for you just like your friends did.”

  “Haley—”

  “Not now.” She pushed passed him.

  “Where are you going?” he called after them.

  Meg answered him. “Steam room.”

  Without conversation, Meg and Haley donned terry robes in the dressing room, and made their way to the steam room. Haley pushed the door open. A cloud of hot fog hung heavy in the air, but she gave silent thanks for finding the space blessedly empty. Condensation caused drops of water that fell from the ceiling to form small puddles on the seats. She swiped at the water and sat on the wet bench.

  Meg chose a spot adjacent to her and jumped with a start as the loud steam sprayers clicked on. They shut off after about twenty seconds. Meg leaned back on her elbows. Her voice echoed off the tile. “Don’t be too mad at him, Haley. Whatever he did, he only did it to get closer to you.”

  “I’m not really mad at him. Well…maybe just a little.” Haley sighed. “I’m more upset with myself than anything. When am I going to learn not to believe everything people tell me? I might as well have ‘sucker’ tattooed on my forehead.” She tilted her head back just in time for big drop of water to splat said forehead. With a frown, she tried to wipe it away. The tiny droplets of steam coating her face hampered her efforts.

  “So you fell for a line. Do you know a woman who hasn’t?” Meg countered.

  “Maybe not, but I’m the worst. If you look up gullible in the dictionary, you’ll probably find a picture of me next to it.”

  Though shrouded in fog, Meg’s frown was plain. “Oh, puhleeease. If you’re going to beat yourself up, Haley, at least do it over something that’s true. Like your inability to accept when somebody really cares about you.”

  The roar of the steam sprayers prevented Haley’s response. Or they would have if she’d had one. When the room finally fell silent once again, she decided a change of subject would be for the best. “Want to go shopping tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” A smile immediately replaced the frown Meg wore. “But I can’t. I promised Mom I’d go to with her to work at the mission tomorrow. But we should go Thursday or Friday. I start my new job on Monday.”

  “I have another meeting with my contractor Thursday. Let’s plan to go on Friday. We’ll go to the mall in Nashville this time. Sound good?”

  “Perfect. I haven’t been to Nashville in years,” she answered.

  “It’s a date then. I’ll pick you up around eight Friday morning. We’ll get to the mall just after it opens since they are in the central time zone.”

  Meg slid closer and laid her hand over Haley’s. “I’m glad we’re friends. No matter what happens between you and my brother, I hope we’ll always be friends. I know you probably don’t want hear this, but I wouldn’t mind having you as a sister-in-law.”

  “Stop it! You’re right. I don’t want to hear it. I’m not ready to think about marriage.”

  “Okay. Okay. I get it.”

  “But I like the idea of a wild, red-headed friend.” On impulse, Haley leaned over and hugged Meg.

  Meg squeezed her back. Haley missed her friends. After Sheila’s betrayal, the pain and anger had drowned out all other feelings. But in the last couple of months, the loneliness of her solitary existence had left her hollow. Relief spread through her with Meg’s hug. The locks of her self-made prison clicked open. Freedom beckoned.

  The sprayers engaged again. Over the noise, Meg yelled at her. “Let’s get out of here!”

  They stumbled from the steam room, giggling like schoolgirls. Haley tugged her wet robe away from body. “I’m soaked through. Let’s hit the showers and call it a night.”

  Ringlets of loose hair made curlier from the steam framed Meg’s face and hung down over her eyes. She pushed them out of the way with impatient swats. “I hope you weren’t expecting an argument.�
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  Without looking, Haley knew Michael watched them from across the room. The heat of his gaze never failed to warm her skin. She glanced toward the abdominal machines as she turned the corner. Her tall, blond Irish lover sent her a look that caused butterflies in her stomach and knocked another hole in the protective wall she’d tried to build around her heart.

  * * * *

  Michael stopped his pacing to look out the window again. “Where is she?” he muttered.

  He’d caught Haley as she and Meg were leaving the gym. She’d sworn she would come directly here as soon as she dropped off Meg. Was it taking longer than usual? He checked his watch again. No, she probably wouldn’t be here for at least another five minutes.

  Why had he agreed to meet her at his apartment? He should have insisted they meet at hers, but she had reasoned that his condo was much closer to his mother’s house than Haley’s apartment. She would drop off Meg and meet him here.

  Unless she planned to avoid him.

  Michael cursed under his breath. Would she run again? Haley had finally begun to trust him if only a little. How would she deal with the knowledge that he’d fudged the truth? Hell, he’d lied—white, harmless lies, but lies nonetheless. He’d worked so damned hard to earn her confidence. Had he destroyed what little faith he’d managed to build?

  Headlights flashed across the window. A degree of relief eased the building tension. Michael watched through the blinds as Haley got out of her car. She approached the door, and he opened it for her.

  “Thanks.” She moved past him to set her purse and keys on the counter. “So what are we doing for dinner tonight?”

  “I think we should talk first.” He’d waited long enough.

  She released an aggrieved sigh and crossed her arms. “Great.”

  Her reaction confused him. “What?”

  “When a woman says ‘we need to talk,’ it means she’s mad or hurt, and she wants an apology. When a man says it, it means he has prepared a lecture, and he expects you to listen.”