Hailey's Truth (12 page)

“Do you want a turn?” Hailey held Emma out to her.

“If I must.” Morgan took Emma and smiled.

Sarah pushed over. “Have a seat. Hailey was just about to tell me why she doesn’t want to go to Mexico anymore.”

Morgan’s gaze snapped to Hailey’s. “You don’t want to go? I thought you were excited.”

Hailey shrugged. “I was. I am. I was.” She huffed out a breath. “I made a complete idiot out of myself last night.” Blushing, she covered her face with her hands. “Just thinking of it makes me cringe. I’m such a moron.” She peeked through her fingers.

Sarah’s brow shot up. “Are you going to tell us or keep us in suspense?”

“I tried to kiss Austin, and he didn’t try to kiss me back.”

Morgan wrinkled her nose. “Ouch.”

“Yeah, ouch.”

“I’m sure it was a simple misunderstanding.” Sarah rubbed a hand over Hailey’s stiff shoulders.

“It was
definitely
a misunderstanding. I thought he was interested, but he cleared that notion right up.”

Morgan frowned. “Then I’ve misunderstood too. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Hailey. He’s definitely interested—make no mistake about it.”

Hailey smothered the flicker of hope as she thought back to the awkward scene in the kitchen. She shrugged. “I’m afraid not. He said, and I quote, ‘Let’s keep it simple, keep things friends.’ He all but patted my head.”

Morgan scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Why are men so stupid?” She kissed Emma’s forehead. “You might as well learn right here and now, Emma. Men are completely stupid…sometimes…most of the time.”

“And sometimes they’re just confused,” Sarah added as she smiled at Morgan.

“Let me assure you both. Austin was not confused. He doesn’t want me.” Saying so hurt.

“Oh, honey, I agree with Morgan on this one. You don’t leave Austin unaffected. I can see it in his eyes. I think he’s a little shy and very sweet. Maybe you need to give him a push.”

“Give him some time, Hailey,” Morgan encouraged. “If he doesn’t come around, go get him. In fact, I’m pretty sure I know just the thing to wear. I believe you received it for your birthday. It’s a beautiful blue nightie.”

The thought of trying to seduce Austin was too much. She couldn’t even make the guy kiss her, and now she was supposed to get him into bed? Maybe if she was as stunning as Morgan or as classically beautiful as Sarah, but she wasn’t either of those things. She was cute enough and smart, and she was okay with that.

Austin could do worse. Maybe she didn’t want him after all… And snowflakes flew in hell. “You know, I’ll probably be so busy with Project Mexico, I won’t even have time to think about Austin.”

Morgan and Sarah exchanged a look and smug smiles.

“Good luck with that,” Morgan said.

Hailey gave Morgan a playful swat on the leg. “If you two are finished teasing. I have to go. I have a plane to catch in two days and a crap-load of packing to do.”

“Are you going home?” Sarah asked, sobering.

“Shopping first to pick up a few last-minute supplies, then yes. Do you need me to take Kylee instead?”

“No. My dad’s releasing us this afternoon if I promise to take it easy. You know you can always stay with us until you leave.” Sarah glanced at Morgan. “I would love to have you. Having you close might help Kylee with the adjustment.”

Hailey had planned to stay home, to spend time with Jeremy before she left him for three months, but if Kylee needed her she would be there. “I can make that work. Most of my stuff’s at your house anyway. Let me get to my errands, then I’ll come over.”

“Hailey, you’re great.”

“I do what I can.” She smiled, feeling better after time with her two closest friends.

“Wait,” Morgan snagged Hailey’s arm as she stood. “I’m actually glad you were both here this morning. I have something I want to tell you.”

Hailey sat back down. “What’s up?”

“I guess I’ll come right out and say it. Hunter and I are pregnant.”

Humming silence filled the room, until Hailey and Sarah hugged Morgan gently, since she was still holding Emma.

“Oh my God, Morgan!” Hailey hugged her again. “This is amazing news. You let me go on and on about my foolish troubles when you actually had something important to say.”

“I liked listening to your ‘foolish troubles.’ I’ll like listening more when you call Sarah and me to tell us the little blue number worked.”

Hailey chuckled. “Don’t hold your breath. How far along are you?”

“We think about five or six weeks. I took a test this morning; I have a doctor’s appointment later this afternoon.”

Sarah dabbed at a tear. “Hunter must be thrilled.”

“We both are. Hunter still might be sitting on the toilet seat staring at the test.” Morgan smiled as she looked at Emma. “I can’t wait to hold my baby. I had no idea I could feel like this. I’m in love already. I’m looking forward to calling my parents tonight.”

“Congratulations, Morgan. I’m so happy for you and Hunter. I have to get going. I’ll leave the mommies to it.” She hugged Morgan and Sarah, then kissed Emma on the forehead. “I’ll be back to help with Kylee later. Morgan, I’ll swing by and say goodbye to you and Hunter tomorrow afternoon.”

“Let’s have dinner—all of us, if you think you’re up to it, Sarah,” Morgan said. “I feel like cooking. I could bring some stuff over. We’ll eat at your place. That way, you can keep Emma home.”

“Great.”

Hailey grabbed her keys from her purse. “Can I pick anything up while I’m out and about?”

“I think I have everything we’ll need.”

“All right. Until later, then.” Hailey walked to the door, pulled it open. With a last wave, she stepped out and slammed into Austin. His hands flew to her arms, steadying her. “Oh sorry.” She stepped back from the shock of his touch.

“No problem.” He cleared his throat, shoved his hands in his pockets.

They stared at each other in awkward silence until Hailey cleared her own throat. “I have to go.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Hailey walked off, rolling her eyes. She really had to stop running into him that way.

Chapter 9

A
USTIN STEPPED FROM THE JET way onto the plane. He nodded at the flight attendant’s sunny welcome, murmuring a thank you as he made his way down the aisle. He passed Hailey settling in and paused, making brief eye contact with her before she looked down and he moved on.

They hadn’t spoken since Saturday morning when they’d bumped into each other, literally, at the hospital. If Morgan and Sarah hadn’t been watching—carefully—he would’ve pulled her into a corner and straightened out the ‘kitchen incident’ right then and there.

He had planned to try again in the airport, but as he walked to the boarding gate, Hailey had glanced up from her magazine, doing a double-take, swearing. He was an excellent lip-reader. She’d gathered her carryon and purse casually—or so she must have thought—and wandered off in the opposite direction toward the food court. She’d managed to stay gone until their second boarding call.

Austin stowed his carryon and sat down. He looked out his window, watching men load luggage on the conveyer belt. He glanced at Hailey’s ponytail peeking over her seat. The next three months were bound to be awkward if they didn’t clear the air.

Sighing, he stared out at the suitcases again. An apology was definitely in order. He’d sent Hailey mixed signals, then embarrassed her with rejection. What a shitty-ass move. He never should have touched her hair, never should have stared into those honey-colored eyes.

Austin pressed his head against the seat and closed his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had affected him the way Hailey did—on every level. She thought he’d pulled back from lack of interest. Quite the contrary. He was
beyond
interested. He
wanted
her, but if he had kissed her Friday night, they would’ve done a hell of a lot more than that. The sparks of need had been there, waiting to combust into bright, hot flames. He would have eaten her alive and that would have been unfair.

Every time he watched Hailey interact with Kylee, he knew that was what she wanted—children, home, something stable of her own. At times he could all but see her yearning. And that was the problem. He had no plans to go there—not anytime soon. Kids, family, and the responsibilities that came with the package weren’t on his list right now. He didn’t want what Hailey wanted, so that was the end of the story. Why waste her time?

He liked things as they were—great friends, a lucrative job he loved. He answered to no one but himself, and that was the way he wanted it.

All his life he’d played by someone else’s rules. His childhood had been consumed by his parent’s dairy farm. Although he’d had a wonderful, loving family, his father’s dreams had never been his. Austin had craved action, adventure, the sea.

On his eighteenth birthday, he’d packed a bag, walked into the United States Navy recruiting office, and never looked back. He’d traded one form of demand for another, but the new one he had loved—until he and his SEAL team ran with the wrong information and killed a building full of innocent civilians. After that, he struggled through his last six months of service, choosing not to reenlist.

Following several weeks of soul searching, he signed on as Security Expert for Ethan Cooke Security. He was good now—fine, exactly where he wanted to be. Nothing was missing from his life.

Austin glanced at Hailey’s ponytail again, slightly weary of his own lack of conviction.

The flight attendant welcomed everyone, pulling Austin from his thoughts. She began her speech about exits and cabin pressure, which he largely ignored. He spent so much time on planes, private and commercial, he could’ve given the spiel himself.

Austin reached for the magazine he’d picked up at the Media Store, pausing mid-stretch as he watched two men enter the plane before the attendant closed the door.

“Fucking-A,” he muttered.

Jeremy and the banger who beat him up made their way down the aisle to Hailey. She stood, beaming, giving her brother a hug. Jeremy kissed Hailey’s cheek, then said something to her. Austin strained to hear snatches of their conversation as the attendant voice projected through the speakers.

The man with the tattoos took Hailey’s hand, his eyes all but devouring her as he smiled. Austin caught his name. Mateo. Mateo looked far more respectable in his blue plaid shorts and polo shirt than he had stepping from Hailey’s apartment, but designer clothes didn’t hide the thug beneath.

Sighing, Austin rubbed his hand over his chin. So much for vacation; the next seven days were going to be another workweek. He wouldn’t be able to let Hailey out of his sight with those two hanging around.

Jeremy, Mateo, and Hailey took their seats as the plane pulled back from the jet way. Within minutes, the jet taxied down the runway and was airborne. As the plane reached cruising altitude, passengers settled into sleep or their magazines and the cabin quieted, but not enough for Austin to keep up with the murmurs of Hailey’s conversation.

He secured his laptop case and slid into the empty row of seats diagonal to Hailey.

She glanced up midsentence, her eyes cool, before she dismissed him and looked back down. At least he didn’t have to worry about introductions.

Pulling his laptop out, Austin flipped open the lid. He clicked on “games” and started a round of “free cell” while he listened.

“I still can’t believe this. What a great surprise.” Hailey beamed. “So, Mateo, tell me more about yourself. How do you know Jeremy?”

“We both work for Mr. Rodriguez.”

“I haven’t had much time to hear about the new job.” She smiled at her brother. “We’ve both been so busy. What exactly do you do?”

“Simply put, Jeremy and I are Mr. Rodriguez’s right hand men. We help him with anything he needs. Our goal is to ensure his businesses remain successful.”

“Mr. Rodriguez lives in the Hills? I’m afraid I’ve never heard of him.” Hailey shrugged apologetically.

“He’s actually from Mexico,” Jeremy spoke up, voice tight. “That’s probably why. He’s—”

“He’s from a very wealthy family—old money,” Mateo cut him off. “The Rodriguez family likes to stay in the background, but they oversee several quiet organizations that help others. They’re big believers in giving back.”

Austin clenched his jaw. This guy was good.

“How admirable.” Hailey’s voice rang with delight.

“I think so.” Mateo winked. “In fact, after Jeremy told Mr. Rodriguez of your plans to participate in Project Mexico, he insisted we come help.”

“Amazing. Really.” Hailey shook her head. “You don’t hear of many people like that anymore. I would love to meet Mr. Rodriguez.”

“I know he would like to meet you.” Mateo grinned, then his smile slowly faded. “I owe the Rodriguez’s everything. They saved my life.”

Hailey leaned in closer, her eyes swimming with compassion.

“I haven’t always been a good person.” Mateo gestured to his arms, the gang symbols decorating his skin. “I’ve lived a life I’m not very proud of.” He looked down, then raised his eyes to meet Hailey’s gaze again. “But I’ve put all that behind me. I met Mr. Rodriguez three years ago. He changed me into the person I am today. I believe in his mission, fully, and hope to be half the man he is someday.”

Austin rolled his eyes, shook his head. What a load of bullshit.

Hailey reached for Mateo’s hand. “It takes courage to change your life. If there’s anything I can do to help…”

“You can enjoy a day of sight-seeing with Jeremy and me tomorrow. I’ve been to Cozumel several times over the last few months.”

Hailey nodded, smiling. “Okay.”

Like hell she would. Austin rubbed at the tension squeezing his jaw. He couldn’t believe this. Hailey was actually eating it up. He unfastened his belt, needing to stand before he reached over and knocked someone, anyone out. Hailey might as well write ‘sucker’ on her forehead.

“Where will you guys be staying?” Hailey asked.

Austin planted his butt back down, wanting to know the answer himself.

“At the resort—a few cabanas over, I believe. Jeremy wanted to be close—in case you need him.”

Austin ground his teeth. How the hell was he going to keep Hailey safe when his room was in the hotel? Thank God the flight had WiFi capabilities. Ethan would have to pull some strings. He sent Ethan a message:

It just keeps getting better… You’ll never guess who joined the party. He and a roommate will be in the cabana suites. You know what to do.

-Austin

Within seconds, he received a response.

Let me make some calls. I’ll keep in touch.

With that settled, Austin got to his feet. He couldn’t listen to one more second of Mateo’s fake sob story about his personal struggles and triumphs as a former drug addict and gang member.

Austin wandered back to the bathroom, glancing around at sleeping passengers, at people reading or typing away on their computers. He almost missed a step when he recognized the two men from the photos he’d taken in South Central, who had stood guard over Donte Rodriguez.

Son of a bitch. Austin locked himself in the small commode and scrubbed his hands over his face. What the
fuck
was he going to do?