It surprised him how much he hated the idea of Hale spending the evening alone. Giving it no thought, he spoke. “Meet me at the party. I’ll walk in with you and that way the bitches won’t be able to say a word.”
Her voice was slightly above a whisper. “Finn, that’s very kind, but I need to handle this on my own. You being with me would cause too much talk. But thank you, it’s a very kind offer.”
Suddenly, he was mad at himself and his town for hanging onto the past. He liked her, especially when the memories from past didn’t interfere. So far, everything he had seen and heard about Hale painted a picture of a caring and kind woman. Jesus, he was as bad as those asses who were giving her a hard time. Leave it to Hale to turn his world upside down once again.
“I know that many of us would like for you to come tonight. It’d be good to catch up with old friends. Please think about it and try to come.” He made a mental note to talk to the Bentons today to make sure they would offer to meet Hale at the door. The three of them could help shield Hale from any rudeness that might be directed at her.
“I’ll see how tired Miller and I are. How’s that?” Her smile lit up her face.
“Sounds good.” He could hear Lily Rose’s footsteps running down the stairs. Glancing at the clock on the microwave, he did mental math.
Lily Rose raced into the kitchen. “You stayed.” She hugged his thigh.
“I waited to say good-bye. I’ve got to go but I’ll look for you in the parade line up. OK?” He ran his hand through her silky hair.
“OK, Miller and I will look for you, too.” She squeezed his leg tighter.
“Love you, baby.” He dropped a kiss to the top of her head.
“Love you, Uncle Finn.” She let go and skipped to Hale’s side.
“Hope you have a fun day.” Hale dropped her arm around Lily Rose’s shoulders. “Maybe I’ll see you tonight.”
He stopped at the back door and turned to look at the two girls. “I hope you make it.”
The ladies said in unison, “Bye.”
****
“This is gonna suck. I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Hale grumbled as she parked her SUV in the nearly full parking lot behind the repurposed old mansion often used for upscale parties. She took off her sunglasses and looked into the rearview mirror, making sure that her eye makeup had not smeared during the drive. “OK, I can do this,” she chanted as she strode to the front door. The coolness of the air conditioning hit her body, and she rubbed her arms to lessen the goose bumps that immediately appeared.
“There you are, I thought you might chicken out.” Jasmine lightly kissed her cheek then stepped back and eyed her appearance. “Yes, I like the pants, you look dressy, yet comfortable.”
Hale had spent the better part of an hour sending photos to Jasmine’s phone of possible clothing choices. After much consideration, they decided on white pants with wide legs that flowed as she walked and a white sleeveless sweater with gold and silver metallic threading throughout. She wore gold flats to give her feet a break after walking the parade route today. She had let her dark hair dry naturally, so her waves made it both sexy and soft. She added a few gold rings and bangles to complete the look. “Thank God, no heels, my feet and legs are still aching. Standing on pavement is a killer.”
“Suck it up, beauty is painful, or that’s what my mama always says.” Jasmine laughed.
“I think I’m ready, let’s get this over with.” Hale felt the flutter of nervousness, but she was here, so why put off the inevitable?
Jasmine grasped her arm and steered her toward the ballroom and the party. By the time they entered the room, they had gained Izzy and a few others. Hale felt surrounded by friends.
When she entered the ballroom, the first thing she noticed was that there were no chairs or seating area. Attendees stood in groups, drinking, chatting, and trying to juggle their glasses and the tiny plates for appetizers. There was a small combo playing softly and the room was rather warm. “Definitely no food for me,” she told Jasmine softly.
Her friend nodded, she wore a light blue slip of a dress and high, silver sandals. “Bad planning, nowhere to put your glasses or plates. Stupid Bitsy, very bad planning.”
Izzy asked the ladies for their drink orders. Hale chose tonic water with lime, and Jasmine requested a glass of white wine. As he walked toward the bar, Jasmine asked, “Not drinking tonight?”
“Not with this crowd. Plus, I want to get home before dark.”
“You know, you could sit with us for the fireworks. Moe and my folks are joining us, so it isn’t like you would be a third wheel.”
“Thanks, but I’m not sure how Miller will react, so I want to be home with him. Some dogs can get pretty upset by fireworks, even if they are off in the distance.”
“You and that dog, sometimes, I swear that you two are a couple,” Jasmine teased.
“Hey, he is the perfect male. He loves me for me and as long as I give him food and a little attention, he’s happy.” She’d showered the dog with love since the day she rescued the mastiff, and never regretted taking him in for a moment.
“You forgot about sex.”
“As long as I have batteries, I’ve got that covered.” Hale tossed her hair as she relaxed and joked with Jasmine.
“Oh, honey, keep your sexy ways quiet, here comes Major Reynolds. I wonder if he would be into handcuffs?” Jasmine stage whispered.
“Quiet,” Hale whispered back and elbowed her friend. “I don’t think he looks that adventurous. He introduced himself at the funeral. I think he was attempting to flirt with me, while he was with a woman that he introduced as ‘his date.’ Real classy.”
“He usually has lovely manners, he really must have wanted to meet you. You’ll need to play nice, not that other kind of Play…isn’t that what you call it?” Jasmine teased.
Hale raised her eyebrows at her friend’s question. She had never hidden that she had developed certain sexual tastes over the years. She liked sex to be physical, to dominate and to be dominated. She was open to experimentation and had been honest with Jasmine about her experiences. “No more cocktails for you, loose lips. I don’t think that you need to share all of my secrets tonight.”
“It’s a child-free night, and I have Izzy all to myself after the fireworks. I’m feeling like I want to be a bad girl.” The beautiful blonde giggled as she wiggled her eyebrows.
“Poor Izzy, I hope he can handle Bad Jasmine.” Hale gave a deep laugh.
****
Finn enjoyed being the mayor, but there were times that it sucked. Like tonight. He wanted to join Hale and Jasmine as they talked and laughed. However, people kept stopping him as he tried to make his way to them.
He watched Hale relax in the company of her best friend. He could only guess at what those two were discussing. Hale had flipped her hair several times and poked Jasmine with an elbow. Hale’s eyes were sparkling and he wanted to join in their fun.
The event hostess took his arm to halt his progress. Bitsy Campbell was a brittle woman, too thin, too bleached, and too tan. She had recently separated from husband number three, and Finn had made it very clear that he was not interested in being number four. Her small hand looped around his wrist, trying to slide lower to mesh her fingers with his. “Oh Finn, I’m so glad to run into you. Wonderful turnout, don’t you agree?”
“Good evening, Bitsy. Yes there certainly is a wonderful turnout.” He took a sip from his glass and scanned the crowd.
“Did you know we have exceeded our fundraising goal? I’m going to make the announcement later.” Bitsy fluttered her lashes and did not give up her hold.
“That’s wonderful news. I was going over to say hello to Hale and Jasmine, would you like to join me?”
“Humph, I’m surprised that Hale is here, I thought she’d still be staying out at her farm. Joe’s only been gone a few weeks.” Bitsy eyed Hale with an unhappy look.
“I think it’s great that she’s out. The town needs he
r support, and she’ll need the support of her friends.” He made sure to emphasize the last word. Obviously, Bitsy was not a fan of Hale’s. She was the type to dislike any attractive woman, viewing them as competition.
Finn stopped a passing waiter and took a glass of champagne, handing it to Bitsy, forcing her to release his wrist. “Then I will leave you to mix with your other guests. Enjoy your party, Bitsy.” Finn continued across the crowded floor.
As he approached the group, he noticed that Major was standing next to Hale, speaking quietly to her. She was scanning the area, and when her eyes found his, she smiled warmly.
“Oh there you are.” She moved away from Major and took Finn’s arm to bring him into the group. “I thought you had invited me, and were going to ignore me.” She pouted dramatically.
“I was delayed a few times on my way over.” He smiled down at her. “I did get to watch the two most beautiful women arrive.” She held his arm lightly, and it felt nice.
“Always the first with a compliment.” Jasmine stepped in to kiss Finn’s cheek as Hale dropped her hand and moved away.
“It’s true.” They were a lovely sight, standing side by side. Jasmine was blonde, tall, and slender, always well dressed. Hale was of middle height, much more voluptuous with dark hair. Her sense of style was sexy in a more casual way. She looked like she would be more comfortable curled up on a sofa, as compared to Jasmine resting against an expensive sports car.
Izzy pulled Jasmine into his side with a possessive arm. “I’m one lucky man.” He kissed Jasmine’s cheek.
“I was telling our Hale that I was surprised to see her walking with the children in the parade today.” Major moved closer to Hale.
She shot Major a puzzled look. Finn disliked the man, and it irritated that he was interested in Hale.
“Our daughter was walking Hale’s dog so she was acting as overseer,” Izzy explained. “You might have noticed them since he was the biggest pet in the parade.”
“You mean that huge, slobbering dog is yours?” Major looked horrified. “Hale, I would never have pictured you with an animal like that.”
“What do you mean? Miller’s a great dog.” Now she was giving him a very unfriendly look. Dumbass, he should know to never insult a person’s dog.
Major seemed oblivious to the fact that he was slighting her dog. “I mean a woman like you, well, I would have thought you’d have a tiny dog. Something cute that you could dress up,” he added lamely.
“Oh, Lordy. Stop talking right now, Major.” Jasmine laughed as she tried to stop the damage.
“I mean, that dog is so big.” The man didn’t listen to the good advice. He looked at the others as if they would agree.
Hale shot Major a very unhappy look. “I rescued that big, not-cute dog from being tied outside on a short chain every day of his life in Ashville. He didn’t have any shelter from the sun or rain.”
Finn was shocked. “Who would do that to a dog?”
“I know. I was on a case there and I drove past that house three days straight and the poor puppy just sitting there looking so sad. On the last day, I was heading back to my hotel and it was storming. I saw him sitting out there and I couldn’t take it, I turned my car around and knocked on the owner’s door.”
“Just like that?” Finn asked. Her compassion touched something inside of him. It was the second time that he had caught a glimpse of this softer, caring side of her.
“Yes, I know it was impulsive. I asked the man how much for the dog. He tapped danced for a minute and finally named a price. I told him I would bring the money the next day by 10 a.m. It was Friday so I needed to find a bank fast.”
“That’s how you bought a dog?” Major sounded appalled.
“I couldn’t sleep that night, I was so worried about him. I made plans to rent an SUV to drive back to Tampa and I made a 2 a.m. run to Walmart to get dog supplies. I had nothing, so I needed everything.”
“I bet that checkout was hilarious. I can see you grabbing things off the shelves.” Jasmine teased.
Hale beamed as she resumed the story. “I had Miller and the supplies and then, about half way back to Tampa, I realized that my condo was going to be too small for us. I called my friend who was a realtor and told her to find me a house by Monday afternoon with a fenced in yard.”
Major sputtered. “But that isn’t the way to shop for a house. Matching the right house to a buyer takes time.”
Hale held up a hand and stopped him from talking trade. “My point is that I didn’t have the time. This whole deal was impulsive, and it all worked out.” She grinned, clearly proud of her actions.
“I knew that it was the first step in you deciding to move back.” Izzy added.
“You did?” Hale’s eyes registered surprise.
“Sure, you had to take care of a house and your monster dog. Before, you worked and traveled. You didn’t have any roots,” Izzy pointed out.
“He’s right,” Jasmine added softly.
“I never looked at it like that. Having Miller changed my life. I cut back on traveling and working late. It was nice to have somebody around, to come home to.” She looked away as if she had shared a secret and now felt uneasy.
“That was a very risky way to buy a home. I wouldn’t recommend that to my friends or clients,” Major said.
Finn couldn’t hold his tongue. “We get that, Major. The point is, Hale saw a dog that was alone and in need of love. She stepped in and changed both of their lives. Turns out that Miller needed her care and she needed someone to care for.” Finn focused on Hale as he finished his conclusion.
Their eyes met for a moment before she spoke. “Yes, that’s right. I had forgotten what a home and caring for someone felt like. Up until then, I worked and went to the condo to sleep and I would simply wake up and do it again the next day.”
Jasmine took Hale’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Izzy’s right, Miller helped bring you back here.”
Finn could hear the phrase “to me” in his head. Where the fuck had that come from? He didn’t want to think about Hale Cameron like that. He could be friends with her, but nothing more, he reminded himself.
“Oh there you are, Finn. I’ve been looking for you.” Bitsy’s sugar-sweet tone broke into Finn’s thoughts. She was accompanied by two of her friends.
“Hello ladies, have you met Hale Cameron?” Major took over the introductions. “Bitsy is in charge of this delightful event and Angela Charles and Karo Lenter were a great help to her. These lovely ladies work so hard to better Whitleysburg.”
“Congratulations, it’s a huge turnout.” Hale’s smile was polite, but her tone lacked warmth.
Bitsy moved closer to Finn and leaned into his side, trying to force him to put his arm around her. “Earlier, Finn and I were discussing that it was a teeny bit surprising to see you out so soon after poor Joe’s passing, Hale.”
Finn tried to move away from Bitsy.
Hale seemed to stand taller. “Really? That’s odd, it was the mayor who issued me a special invitation to this event, just this morning.” She gave a challenging glance at Bitsy.
Bitsy sputtered. “A special invitation, this morning? I didn’t know you all were that close.”
“Not that kind of close, Bitsy. Now don’t go spreading rumors about the mayor.” Hale’s tone was as sugar coated as Bitsy’s. “Finn has been telling me that I need to become more active in the community and has offered bits of advice here and there. That’s all.” The look in her eyes was not friendly as she waited for Bitsy to offer another volley.
“He probably tells you which events could use your money.” Karo jumped into the fray.
“Yes, everyone knows that your daddy gave and gave to the community.” Angela raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow in Hale’s direction.
“Yes, of course, I’m sure that’s it. I mean why would anyone want to associate with me except for my money?” Sarcasm laced Hale’s tone as she stared at the three. “I guess that means that I will
be seeing quite a bit of you all, now won’t I?” She finished with a regal look.
He watched the others shuffle their feet and some cleared their throats to cover a chuckle. Jasmine had a huge smile, and gave Hale a quick approving look.
“It was so nice for you all to stop by and say hello, but I’m sure there is something that needs your attention, somewhere else.” Jasmine clearly dismissed the women. There was color in her cheeks, but Bitsy and her friends quickly departed.
“Hale, I do apologize, I had no idea that those ladies would be so discourteous.” Major patted Hale’s arm.
She looked at his hand on her forearm. “No need to apologize for their behavior.” She flashed a quick smile.
“But they shouldn’t be impolite in public,” Major continued. “I will say something to them.”
“Don’t bother,” Hale said, but her eyes were on Finn. “Some people aren’t going to be happy that I’m back and plan on sticking around.”
Like he hadn’t been at first, Finn realized. He flashed a grin. “You handled it.”
“But you don’t have to like it.” Jasmine was loyal to her friend. “We don’t have to accept rudeness, either.”
“True but I’m going to have to learn to deal with people like that.” Hale’s voice was stronger with conviction.
Finn watched her. This Hale was strong, but rudeness in front of friends hurt her.
A waiter approached the group with fresh drinks. “Ah, perfect. I would like to make a toast. To good friends who take care of one another.” Izzy lightened the mood.
Glasses clinked. Finn didn’t like that Major was included in the toast, nor the way he looked at Hale.
****
Hale woke to the sound of her phone ringing beside her bed. She squinted to read the time as she turned on the light. “What the fuck, its two forty five.” Miller readjusted at her feet, and opened one eye to see what was going to happen. She tapped the answer button as a bolt of worry shot through her body.
“Hello.” Her voice was gravelly from sleep.
“Hey. Hey, Hale. It’s Finn.”
“Finn? What’s wrong?” Her heart pounded. Why was he calling?
You Only (Cameron Farms Book 1) Page 6
