An Inconvenient Plan (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 10)

by Kylie Gilmore

  He met her eyes in question.

  “I’ve missed you so much.”

  His hand tightened along her ribs. His other hand smoothed her hair back, holding it in a tight grip, the look in his eyes fierce possession before his mouth claimed hers. A spark of pure joy lit her up inside because he’d missed her too.

  ~ ~ ~

  Josh lay on his side, taking in a relaxed and happy Hailey, naked in his bed where she belonged. He brushed her hair back from her glowing face. He hadn’t held back, aggressive in his possession, and she’d matched him like he’d suspected all along she would. He hadn’t reacted badly once, even with her grabbing hands all over him, climbing him, pushing him down, exploring his body. He trusted her. Or maybe he just knew he could restrain her easily and she wouldn’t mind. She seemed to enjoy when he took over, flipping her to her stomach, putting her into whatever position pleased him. Ah, they were well matched in bed.

  She missed me.

  Thank God. He turned off the light on the nightstand. Rose was still asleep outside the bedroom door. They’d probably get an early morning wake-up call, but whatever. He didn’t want the distraction of a dog begging to join them in bed.

  Hailey lay on her back. He rolled to his back next to her and stared at the ceiling as he asked her something important. “I’ll be the official owner of Garner’s next Thursday. Banner day and a long time coming. I’ll text you after it’s official so you can stop by to celebrate with me.”

  She rolled to her side and threw an arm and a leg over him. “I’m so happy for you. Your dream is coming true.”

  He hoped so. The other part of his dream—the part where she came in—would happen at the same time. Probably the most important day of his life. He was putting it all on the line. His pulse kicked harder, knowing it wasn’t a sure thing and could backfire so badly he’d probably never recover. He found himself holding his breath and took a deep breath. “So you’ll be there?”

  “Sure.” She ran her hand up his arm to his shoulder. “Do you think this is love?”

  He considered how to answer. Yes, on his end. But Hailey had never felt love and he wanted her to realize it on a deep level on her own. If she loved him, she should feel it. “What do you think?”

  She rested her head on his chest. “I honestly don’t know. Half the time you make me furious, but I can’t seem to stay away.”

  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her body against him. “So stick around more. Maybe you’ll get used to me and stop getting so worked up over every little thing.”

  Her head popped up. “So it’s my fault.”

  “See how you’re starting with me again? I’m just stating facts.”

  She huffed.

  He pushed her head back to his chest and kept his hand there, holding her in place. “You take everything to heart.”

  “Excuse me for having a heart. I am in the love business.”

  He waited in silence, letting her cool down. He didn’t want to fight. He’d missed her and he felt good right now, really satisfied and hopeful things were finally going in the right direction.

  “Have you ever proposed to someone?” she asked.

  He wrapped her hair around his fist, loving the feel of it. “No.”

  “This is my first proposal.”

  He stilled. She had to know it was bogus, right? He’d thought she was just using that to get him to react. “He’s using you. Please tell me you know that.”

  “Maybe.”

  He tugged her hair back, tipping her face up to his. “Definitely. Tell him no. Tell him you’re with me.”

  “I’m confused,” she whispered.

  “There’s nothing to be confused about,” he growled. “You’re mine.”

  “I’m not some possession.”

  “You’re mine, period. Now go to sleep.” He pressed her head back to his chest, tension building in him. He was in deep, invested in their future, and she was…not.

  She climbed on top of him, her head hovering over his, giving him hell. “I will not go to sleep! You can’t just say something like that and expect me to be okay with it. I’m a human being not a piece of property.”

  He bit back a smile because he enjoyed this side of her, his warrior princess. “You’re grade A meat and I took a bite first.” He snapped his teeth at her.

  “Meat!” She tried to get off him, but he wrapped his arms around her, holding her captive. She wriggled to get away, turning him on way too much.

  “Relax. I’m kidding.”

  She stilled. “I don’t think you are kidding. You really do think because I slept with you first—”

  “Did you sleep with him?”

  “No.”

  He ground his teeth. “Did he lay a hand on you?”

  “No,” she said softly.

  “I swear, woman.” He closed his eyes, working on calm. She just had to push his buttons.

  She tried to break free of his embrace, but he hung on. “I’ll go.”

  He groaned and stroked her back. “Stay, okay?” He scowled. “Stop being so difficult.”

  She propped up on his chest, looking at him. “But I’m not tired. You know us twentysomethings are just getting started at—” she peered at the digital clock on the nightstand “—one thirty. You’re thirty-five, practically middle-aged—ah!”

  He’d rolled her under him. “Challenge accepted.” Then he showed her in explicit detail the advantages of being with an experienced man.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hailey spent the whole next day with Josh. It was Sunday, she didn’t have any client appointments, and he got someone to cover his morning shift. She told herself that was kind of like a romantic gesture whenever Josh chose her over work. Or maybe she just wanted to believe he was in love with her because she was beginning to think she was in love with him. It was nothing like she’d thought it would be. Not sweet or pretty, it was just there. She felt so much better with him than without him. And when they weren’t fighting, things were great. She’d been a little worried after their morning round of sex they’d have nothing left to do with each other the rest of the day, but it was almost like all the sex mellowed them both out, because they had a lazy Sunday.

  Josh made waffles from scratch with scrambled eggs and bacon. They ate breakfast together, went back to her place for a change of clothes, and then she taught him how to make her fudgy brownies that he’d always been crazy about. The secret ingredient was Nutella. After she agreed to let him serve them at Garner’s, he smiled more that afternoon than she’d ever seen from him. He was dazzlingly gorgeous when he smiled.

  Now they were back at his place, watching HGTV while he quizzed her on what houses she liked and why. It made her giddy that he cared about her opinion on houses because maybe he was imagining them having a house together. She’d never lived in a house before, always apartments, and the thought of having something so permanent gave her a deep sense of satisfaction. The only bad thing about the whole day was that Mad had texted asking if she knew where Hailey’s mom was because her dad had been gone all weekend and wasn’t answering his phone. Hailey suspected Joe was looking for her mom, but she didn’t know where her mom was. The moment the news got out that her mom had flaked, she knew nothing would ever be the same again with her and the Campbells. They’d cool toward her. She’d always be a reminder of her mom’s betrayal.

  She’d turned off her phone, deciding to deal with the mom situation on Monday. Maybe her mom would be back by then. She fervently prayed she’d come to her senses.

  That night after a delicious dinner of chicken francese that Josh had walked her through making, Josh got a call from Mad. He was the oldest brother, along with Jake, but he was the one in town, and she knew his younger siblings turned to him in times of crisis. They were all close to their dad, and his being gone all weekend and out of touch (probably looking for Hailey’s mom) would’ve set off an alarm.

  She stood and gathered their dishes. “I’ll take care
of these.”

  He jerked his chin at her and then said into the phone, “What do you mean he’s disappeared?”

  Hailey turned the water on low so she could eavesdrop as she rinsed the dishes.

  “You went over there?” Josh asked. “Maybe he took an extra shift. Maybe he forgot to charge his phone.” He was quiet for a moment. “Hold on.” He pulled the phone away from his ear. “Hailey, Mad says my dad’s been away all weekend and out of touch. Could you check in with your mom to see if he’s with her?”

  “Sure,” she croaked.

  He spoke to Mad again. “You have? I’ve been with her all day and her phone didn’t ring. Maybe she left it at her place. I’ll let her know. Yeah, yeah, smartass. I’ll be in touch. I’m sure he’s fine.”

  Josh joined her at the sink. “Where’s your phone? Mad says she’s been trying to reach you all day.”

  She focused on the dishes. “I turned it off because I didn’t want anything to distract me from our first weekend together.”

  “Look at me when you say that.”

  She met his eyes. “I didn’t want any distractions.”

  His dark eyes burned into hers. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  She gulped. “Nothing.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Call your mom. Mad’s worried that something happened to our dad.”

  “Sure.” She left the kitchen on shaky legs, her gut churning. This was where it all came to an end. She should’ve known she couldn’t have something lasting with Josh. Nothing in her life had ever lasted long. Everything was always yanked out from under her—her family, her home, and now her chance at love.

  She turned on her phone, registering three texts and five missed calls from Mad. She dialed her mom and it went to voicemail. She texted, but she didn’t expect a response. When her mom flaked, she stopped communicating completely. Usually she went on a long drive, as if she could outrun her troubles.

  Josh appeared at her side. “Well?”

  “Voicemail. No response to my text yet.”

  “Can you call your aunt Jane’s house or the hospital? Wherever she is.”

  She bit her lip. She didn’t want to lie, but the truth was going to go over really badly.

  Josh stared at her for a long moment. “It’s not like my dad to go away without telling anyone where he’s going or at least get in touch later. I’m sure he’s with your mom. Please tell me where your aunt is.”

  “I’m not sure. She’s moved a bunch of times. I’ll try my mom again later.” She brushed past him to go back to the kitchen, but he caught her around the waist, halting her progress. Her throat tightened. Josh was not going to let this go. This was the moment she’d been dreading ever since her mom and his dad met.

  She turned to face him and confessed everything in a rush. “There is no Aunt Jane. My mom flaked on your dad, freaking out about getting married, which I knew she’d do, and I’ve just been hanging by a thread of hope that she’d return before anyone was the wiser.”

  He frowned. “You didn’t turn your phone off because of me. You were avoiding talking to Mad. Why wouldn’t you just tell her the truth so she wouldn’t worry?”

  She wrung her hands together. “Of course she would worry! Your dad’s probably scouring the country for my mom, wasting time and money. I know your dad’s been left before and this would hurt him terribly. I don’t know if my mom will ever go back to him. She’s always been one to flit from one relationship to another. Mad would never understand. She’d be so upset about her dad getting hurt that she’d dump me.” She swallowed hard, fighting tears. “I didn’t want to lose her. She made me feel like part of a family, the kind I never had and always wanted.”

  His voice gentled. “Mad loves you. You’re the sister she always wanted. You think so little of her that you think she’d dump you for something your mom did?”

  “Family first always for Mad.” She rubbed her temple at the headache forming there. “I knew my mom would screw everything up.”

  “No one is going to put the blame on you.”

  “It’s by association, especially because we resemble each other. I’m a constant reminder of how her dad got hurt.”

  “That’s not how it works.”

  “It is! You don’t understand, coming from your family. No one ever stuck for me!” Her eyes stung with unshed tears. “Nothing and no one has ever lasted!”

  His arms wrapped around her. “Calm down.”

  She tried to jerk away, but he held tight. “Josh, let go of me. I need to fix this. I should’ve gotten on this earlier, but I was enjoying our time together, and I was in complete denial.”

  He released her. “Okay, see what you can do.”

  She went to check her phone and it rang in her hand. She answered it. “Hi, Mad. I’m so sorry I didn’t get in touch earlier. I don’t know where my mom is, but I’ll call some of her friends and see if she might’ve left any clues.”

  Mad sounded frantic. “I’m afraid my dad’s been in an accident. I’m this close to calling hospitals. It’s not like him not to be in touch.”

  Hailey freaked, holding the phone in a death grip. If Joe had gotten into an accident searching for her mom, she didn’t know how she’d ever face any of the Campbells ever again. She forced her voice to sound normal. “I’m sure he’s fine. Probably he left his phone somewhere or turned it off. Okay? I’ll be in touch as soon as I know something.”

  “Hailey, I’m so scared. He’s always been larger than life. So strong, always there. He was both dad and mom to me.” Her voice choked. “He’s everything.”

  “I love him too. Let’s just stay calm and not jump to worst-case scenarios. He’s smart and savvy. I’m sure he’s okay.” She told her goodbye, hung up, and turned to Josh, who looked back at her with concern. “I need to go to my mom’s place and find her contact info for her friends. She keeps an address book.”

  “You want me to go with you?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll take care of everything.”

  She left, terrified it was the last time she’d ever be on good terms with him or Mad or any of the Campbells again.

  ~ ~ ~

  Monday morning came with little hope. Hailey had tried everyone she could think of to get a hint about where her mom had gone. She’d even called local hospitals, heart in her throat, in case something really bad had gone down. So far no news, which she’d told Mad. Joe still wasn’t home.

  Of course, this would have to be the day when she had multiple client fires she had to put out. By eleven a.m. she was frazzled and exhausted. The chime on the front door of Ludbury House rang, and she raced to answer it, desperately hoping it would be her mom.

  It was a man she’d never seen before, tall and bulky with muscle. Thick black hair on the longish side, piercing blue eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard. He was dressed casually in a white T-shirt, jeans, and black work boots. A tattoo peeked out of one shirtsleeve over his bulging bicep. No woman with him, so probably not a potential client. Maybe he had some kind of delivery.

  “Hello, can I help you?” she asked.

  He offered his hand, shaking hers in a firm grip. “Dylan Rourke.” His voice was deep and grumbly. “It’s about my cousin Phillip.”

  Omigod, Phillip. She’d completely forgotten to get back to him about his proposal three days ago. He must’ve sent a representative in case the news was bad.

  She stepped out onto the porch with him, figuring it would be a quick conversation. Also, he was a little intimidating, and she didn’t want to be alone with him inside her office. “Did he send you? I’m so sorry it took me so long to get back to him.”

  Dylan crossed his arms, making his biceps bulge. “You won’t be accepted by the family. He needs royal lines, not an American.”

  She tilted her head, considering this odd bit of information. “That can’t be true. What about Silvia and her American fiancé?”

  He slashed a hand through the air. “It’s different. She’s not that close t
o the throne. Phillip is next in line after Gabriel.”

  She pasted on a smile. “Well, it really wasn’t a serious consideration on my part. He doesn’t love me.”

  Dylan’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding? You’re all he can talk about. He told Silvia how perfect you are, and she sent me to handle it.”

  Perfect? Me?

  Dylan grumbled on in his growly voice. “I’m saying this for your own good. My family is the outcast. My dad was next in line, married a girl from Brooklyn, and here we are, a whole damn royal family denied any of the wealth or privilege that comes with that.”

  He sounded terribly bitter.

  Dylan gestured up and down her body. “I get it. You already look like a beautiful princess and you’re put together. Not someone who’d fall apart under the harsh spotlight.”

  “Dylan!” a masculine voice shouted. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  She sucked in air. Phillip! His two security guards hovered behind him.

  The two men squared off on the front porch. Dylan had more bulky muscle on Phillip, but they had equally lethal looks on their faces. She shrank back by the door.

  “Silvia said you’re out of hand,” Dylan growled.

  “And she told me you insisted on taking care of things yourself. Go back to Brooklyn where you belong!”

  Dylan jabbed Phillip in the chest. “Why don’t you go back to your prissy castle you love so much.”

  Phillip smacked Dylan’s hand away. “Don’t touch me, riffraff.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Fuck you, you interloper! Trying to hang on in any way you can, using Silvia—”

  “She needed me. You’re out of control.”

  Dylan grabbed Phillip by the front of his shirt, lifting him. Phillip’s shirt ripped under the strain and he lifted a knee, aiming for the groin. Dylan deflected the blow, tossing Phillip a few feet back. The guards moved forward, anticipating a brawl.

  “Both of you get out!” Hailey hollered. Geez, men were all beasts.

  Phillip turned to her. “I still need an answer, Hailey. I don’t know what Dylan told you—”

  She spoke her truth. “I will only marry for love, so the answer is no.”