My One and Only (Ardent Springs Book 3) (7 page)

Chapter 7

Since sleep wasn’t in the cards, and Haleigh felt in the way with Abby’s mom and the baby, she ventured downtown in search of artwork for her bedroom wall.

This was an unusual occurrence to say the least.

When she’d moved in, Abby had suggested that Haleigh personalize her room. Make it her own. And in six months, she’d failed to add so much as an accent pillow. In her own defense, the idea of decorating anything intimidated her.

She’d apparently been absent the day they passed out the decorator gene, which was likely the same day they’d distributed non-addictive personalities and the ability to pick a suitable partner. The go-to excuse of her long hours at the hospital grew thin when Abby pointed out that other doctors managed to have full lives.

Even ventured into polite society on occasion.

If only socializing wasn’t so . . . dangerous. In her drinking days, Haleigh had been the life of the party. Once sober, she realized she hated small talk and sucked at mingling. Pretending to have a good time was the worst when all she wanted to do was escape. Marcus had been the king of the dinner parties, always looking for new connections and encouraging Haleigh to do the same.
Networking
, he’d called it.

Torture
was her preferred term.

Marcus had known about her addiction, but as he’d never seen her fall off the wagon, he assumed being in the presence of alcohol bore no challenge for her. Raquel, Haleigh’s longtime sponsor, had suggested she correct this assumption, but for some reason she never did. Heaven forbid she not bend over backward to please her fiancé.

Which reminded her, she needed to call Raquel with an update. The sweet older woman had recently found the love of her life—again—and was blissfully planning her third wedding, this one hopefully the proverbial charm. Haleigh couldn’t bring herself to interrupt the cheerful time. And in truth, she was handling things on her own just fine.

Mostly.

Ardent Springs didn’t offer anything as convenient as a mall, but the downtown area had developed quite a bit since she’d left for college. Her mother had dragged her to a cute little store on the corner of Fourth and Main last summer, so Haleigh pointed her car in that direction.

The first person Haleigh spotted inside the store was Lorelei Pratchett, more an acquaintance than a friend during high school. Lorelei’s penchant for drama and rebellion had led Haleigh to keep a comfortable distance between herself and the bold blonde. Haleigh had yet to find her rebellious side in those days.

As she considered spinning on her heel to beat a hasty retreat, Lorelei caught sight of her. “Hey there, Haleigh Rae,” she called, her voice carrying without the necessity of a megaphone. “Welcome to Snow’s Curiosity Shop.”

Sliding past inviting displays of old suitcases and funky bookends, Haleigh joined Lorelei near the center of the store.

“Hello,” she said. “I’m doing some overdue shopping today.”

“Then you’re in the right place.” Lorelei’s genuine smile went a long way in helping Haleigh to relax. As the store owner approached, Lorelei said, “Have you met Snow?”

“We met briefly last summer when I came in with my mother, and then again when Carrie delivered,” Haleigh replied as she accepted the petite woman’s nod of greeting. “The place is as quaint as I remember.”

Unlike the flea markets and consignment shops Haleigh had visited in the past, Snow’s place was organized while maintaining a relaxed and cozy feel. In lieu of junk in piles, themed displays surrounded them, each with an eclectic mix of items that should have clashed but somehow meshed in an inexplicable shabby-chic sort of way.

The store’s owner had clearly implemented her own style into the business. Her necklace should not have gone with her earrings, and the sweater, which reached the back of her knees, would typically be a no-go on such a petite person. Yet, Snow looked stylish. Like one of those women who could drag three random items from her closet and make them look like something off a runway.

In addition to missing the decorator gene, Haleigh also lacked in the fashion department. Thankfully, scrubs and a lab coat didn’t require Fifth Avenue know-how.

“Thanks,” Snow said. “It’s always a work in progress, but I like it. Are you looking for anything specific, or just browsing today?”

“I’m looking for artwork, actually.”

“Can you be more specific?”

“Afraid not,” Haleigh said, embarrassed that she couldn’t offer a better answer. “I have a bare, dark blue bedroom wall to fill, but no idea what to put on it. If you’ll point me in the right direction, maybe something will catch my eye.”

“Of course,” Snow said. “There are a couple of areas to check out, but I’d suggest starting along the left wall over here.”

“Do you want any help?” Lorelei asked.

“No, thank you,” Haleigh said quicker than necessary. She’d rather skip the humiliation of anyone realizing how inept she truly was at this decorating thing. “But I’ll call if that changes.”

Unbelievable. Haleigh could handle bringing tiny humans into the world on a daily basis, but found two stylish women inordinately intimidating. What a proud moment.

Flipping through a small stack of still-lifes, Haleigh gave each an immediate pass. Being greeted every morning by a bowl of fruit didn’t seem very inspiring. The piece needed to be beautiful, of course, but uplifting, too. Something that would tell a story and maybe even make her think.

This was what happened when you sent a bookworm to do a decorator’s job.

Sifting through the next stack, she found three unicorn paintings, two of frolicking cats, and the classic dogs playing poker reimagined with visor-wearing pigs. Definite nos.

“That’s the one you should buy,” Lorelei said, popping up out of nowhere. Following the direction Lorelei pointed, Haleigh located the suggested image.

A half-naked woman, with light hair piled carelessly atop her head, sprawled elegantly across a stool. The man kneeling in the shadows at her feet looked both mesmerized and forlorn, as if he’d give her anything if only she’d ask.

With a tilt of her head, Haleigh said, “I don’t know.” The picture was beautiful enough, and certainly told a story. But maybe not the story Haleigh was prepared to live with.

“What’s not to love?” Lorelei asked. “The woman is gorgeous, clearly in a position of power, and the man at her feet shows she’s desirable.”

Haleigh examined the painting closer, focusing on the woman’s eyes. “She looks lonely,” she observed. “Like she’d rather the man sweep her off her feet than worship at them.”

“Huh,” Lorelei said. “How apt.” Before Haleigh could ask what that comment meant, Lorelei reached for the painting. “I’ll help you get her down.”

“But I haven’t agreed to buy it yet,” she said, rushing to catch the opposite side of the painting as it leaned precariously forward. “I might like something else better.”

Lorelei ignored the protest. “Nope. This one is perfect.”

Reminding herself that she wasn’t the expert here, Haleigh conceded and allowed Lorelei to carry her soon-to-be newest possession to the register. Preferring not to display a mostly naked woman on the streets of Ardent Springs, she said, “Can you wrap it up for me? I don’t want it to get damaged on the way home.”

Right. Potential damage was the issue and not the delicate sensibilities of the local church ladies. All of whom would report back to Haleigh’s mother.

“Not a problem.” Leaning the canvas on the wall behind the counter, Lorelei stepped to the register. “What are you doing Friday night?”

An odd and unexpected question. “I’m on duty at the hospital until six. And then I’m having dinner with my mother. Why?”

“A bunch of us are going to Brubaker’s after the Ruby committee meeting. You should come along.”

“Brubaker’s?” Haleigh’s mouth went dry. “The dance hall?”

“That’s the one,” Lorelei said as she tapped the screen of what Haleigh realized was an iPad. “Spencer and I are taking Carrie out for the first time since she had Molly and she’s nervous about leaving her. You could reassure her that one night of dancing does not make her a bad mother.” Without waiting for a reply, she added, “That’s seventy-one fifty-two.”

Crap. Haleigh hadn’t intended to spend that much on a wall decoration. Quickly debating her options, she decided to avoid the embarrassment of balking at the price and whipped out her credit card. To her surprise, Lorelei twirled the iPad to face her.

Sliding her card through the reader, she said, “That’s kind of nifty.”

Lorelei’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You should see the old biddies jump back when I do the flip thing. They act like I pulled a python out of my pocket and told them to kiss it.”

Since Haleigh had nearly jumped back herself, she couldn’t blame the older women. “It is a bit of a shock when it spins around like that. A warning might be helpful.”

Minutes later, Lorelei passed the painting, now wrapped in brown paper, across the counter. “See you Friday night,” she said with a nod.

Haleigh had hoped the invitation would be forgotten. “I never actually agreed to go,” she clarified.

Lorelei stared at her over the painting. “What else do you have to do after the dinner with your mom?”

Her reasons for declining were none of Lorelei’s business. “I don’t have to be busy to say no,” she defended.

“How long has it been since you had a night out?” the blonde pressed, making Haleigh regret this spontaneous shopping excursion. Why hadn’t she ordered something online? All the cool kids were doing it.

Haleigh dragged the painting off the counter as she resisted the urge to explain that it was impolite to invite an alcoholic to a bar and to freaking take no for an answer already. Not that Lorelei knew she was an alcoholic. Or that Haleigh intended to tell her so.

“I’ll think about it.” A noncommittal answer that put Haleigh under no obligation to show up at the dance hall.

“Good,” Lorelei said, looking very happy with herself. “We’ll be there between eight-thirty and nine. I’ll save you a stool.”

That didn’t sound like a graceful acceptance of Haleigh’s roundabout refusal. Regardless of her efforts, Lorelei was not going to guilt Haleigh into doing something she did not want to do. And on the off chance that she ran into Lorelei again after Friday and was asked why she didn’t show, Haleigh could remind the pushy blonde that she’d never given a definitive yes.

Dammit.

Considering a call to Raquel on the way home, Haleigh left Snow’s Curiosity Shop with a troubled conscience but firm in the knowledge that she would not be visiting Brubaker’s dance hall anytime soon.

Cooper hadn’t laid eyes on Haleigh in three days, though not for lack of trying. Each evening he checked on Jessi, making sure she had what she needed and reporting his findings on her J.T. mystery man. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to report. No one Cooper had talked to had ever heard of anyone in Ardent Springs going by those initials.

On Wednesday evening, he’d been surprised to find his mother keeping watch over the new pair, but her presence had allowed the three of them—Cooper, his mom, and Jessi—to brainstorm the situation. The Ridgeway matriarch couldn’t think of anyone in town who’d ever gone by the initials J.T. And while Jessi had offered details on the kind of men her mother typically dated, her input hadn’t helped them narrow the search.

Understandably frustrated, Jessi remained convinced that someone had to know him. Cooper admired her determination, but the girl was chasing a ghost. If her father had ever lived in their little town, he hadn’t left much of an impression with the locals.

At least the young girl wasn’t relying on the rest of them to do everything. She’d completed the paperwork to get Emma into CoverKids, the Tennessee state aid insurance program for children, and during her limited free time when Emma didn’t require all of her attention, devoted herself to cleaning Abby’s house, regardless of the fact that his sister had assured her this wasn’t necessary.

Simply put, Jessi was a hard worker determined to take responsibility for her tiny family. His mother seemed to like her, and to his surprise, so did Cooper. A spunky kid with nerve and a positive attitude, Jessi had slipped into their world with less hassle than expected.

His initial motivation to find her father had been the need to get the young woman out of Abby’s house and on her way. After knowing her for five days, Cooper’s desire to help had shifted to simply wanting to give the girl the father she so desperately sought.

During his brief visits, Cooper had hoped that Haleigh would either walk through the front door or wander out of her bedroom. Neither wish came true. Short of finding another pregnant woman to rush to the hospital, he wasn’t sure how he’d run into her again without enlisting his sister.

Lost in his own thoughts, Cooper nearly missed hearing his name called from the front of the room until Spencer elbowed him in the ribs.

“Mr. Ridgeway,” Buford Stallings intoned from behind his faded brown podium. “Are you prepared to update the committee on the car rally or not?”

“Yes, sir,” Cooper said, rising to his feet.