THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY found me sitting around the Dog House’s pool table with John. A few random twenty-somethings drank at the bar, asking Olaf questions about the good old days, whatever those were. My dear friend and his bride-to-be were fully, disgustingly entrenched in wedding planning.
John racked up the balls and then took stripes.
“How’d the wedding planning go? You get your balls monogrammed yet?” I teased.
John ignored me and took his shot.
“I’m taking your silence as a yes. I can’t believe in a year you’ve gone from bachelor to married.”
“We’re not married yet.” He scowled at me.
“Having cold feet?” If he was, I’d have to kick my best friend’s ass.
“Not at all. I would’ve kept driving to Idaho and gotten married at the Hitching Post if she’d said yes. It’s the wedding I’m not excited about. All the fuss.”
“Hey, didn’t you get free cake out of the deal last weekend? Can I fake being engaged and go get free shit?” Why hadn’t I thought of this scheme before?
He missed the side pocket. “Trust me, you’d never survive the process. Tom Cats can’t be domesticated.”
I frowned. “You never know.”
“That’ll be the day.” He laughed. When I didn’t joke back, he raised his eyebrows at me, but I lined up my shot and refused to pay attention to him. I frowned at the clock, watching the minutes tick pass. I hadn’t seen Hailey since Saturday. Lori’s surprise visit and my half-assed declaration had freaked us both out. I’d spent Sunday carving and then had dinner with the family.
On Friday, I dropped off a fresh cup of coffee for Bertha, asking about her new grandchild and complimenting her on the lovely framed photo of the sea-monkey on her desk before strolling down the hall to Hailey’s office.
Standing in the door was none other than Daryl. He chuckled and posed with his forearm resting on the door jamb above his head like he was right at home. I stopped a few yards away and observed his moves.
He got a few points for his confidence.
Lost a couple on his pose. It was too over the top.
A few more points for laughing at whatever Hailey said.
Ah, and the hand near his mouth, drawing attention to his lips. Yep. I’d used that one often. Another point.
Now his hand was in his front pocket and he rocked forward. I bet he wanted to see if her eyes drifted south.
Not the smoothest move, but effective.
“You like Chinese food?” he asked.
Her response was muffled.
“Yeah, me too. We should get a bite sometime. I know a great place in Seattle. Best dumplings I’ve ever had.”
Asking her out on a date at work took nerve, so he got a point for balls.
“What are you doing on Saturday?”
Nope.
We were done here.
I strode to the door and shoulder bumped him out of the way. “Darryl, does Ms. King have something in her office that needs welding?” I sat down in the chair opposite hers, crossed my ankle over my knee, and made myself at home.
“No, we were only chatting.” Hailey smiled at me.
“You taking an unscheduled break? I’m sure Ms. King has plenty of work she needs to get done without you interrupting.”
He focused on her, ignoring me. “So let me know if you’re free this weekend.”
Now he annoyed me. “I don’t think she’ll be free this weekend. Or any weekend in the future for dumplings with you.”
Hailey’s pen dropped on her desk blotter. Our eyes met and she mouthed, “What are you doing?”
I shrugged and beamed at her.
Her gaze rested over my shoulder at the door where Daryl still stood.
“Daryl?” I turned around.
He broke away from staring at Hailey. “What?”
“Get back to work.” I dismissed him and focused on my woman.
Yep, mine.
He huffed and stomped away.
“What the hell was that about?” she asked, pushing away from her desk, and further from me.
“I don’t like him sniffing around you all the time like a dog.”
“A dog? That’s not nice. Is he peeing on me or are you?”
“Trust me.”
“Why?”
“He’s me at the same age. With the smug cockiness and the same end game.”
“Which is?”
“Sex. It’s always sex.”
“I don’t think that’s true for every guy in his twenties,” she scoffed.
I snorted. “Darlin,’ have you ever been a guy before?”
She blinked at me.
“Exactly. We’re either thinking about it, planning for it, or remembering it.”
“Which one are you right now?”
I gave her a slow, lazy smile. “All three.” I turned to her door. “Does your door have a lock?”
“Tom!”
“That’s not an answer.” I stood to check out the lock situation.
“We’re not having sex in my office,” she whispered.
I frowned. “No? Too bad. I told Al we’re dating and we’re all clear there. Thought we could celebrate.”
“With work sex?” She frowned, but her lips fought a smile.
“Seemed like a great idea to me. So, what are you doing for lunch?”
“Eating at my desk like usual. Why?”
“Ever had a nooner? We could probably make it to your place and back with time to spare.”
A rosy blush crept over her cheeks and neck. “Stop.”
“What?”
“Teasing.”
“Who said I’m teasing?”
She stared at me.
“Fine. What are you doing this weekend? Or more specifically, come over tonight and spend the weekend with me.”
“The whole weekend?”
“Why not? You have plans?
She spun her pen on her desk. “One condition.”
“Only one?” I ran my finger over my top lip.
“We spend some of the weekend not naked and in the shop. I want to play.”
“We could be naked then, too.”
“Around a chainsaw and molten metal?”
I reflexively crossed my legs and put my hands in my lap. “Right. Bad idea. Okay. I’d love to watch you weld.”
Her smile was shy and small, but said everything. “Deal.”
The Allman Brothers blasted from the wireless speakers in the shop. Her choice. I wasn’t sure she liked any music of this century. I cut into a cedar log outside while Hailey worked on a smaller project inside involving pic-axes she was turning into a fish skeleton for one of my clients. It was her first commissioned work in years. I’d convinced her to make a collection of smaller pieces for the arts festival in Langley in July. We could split a booth. Already, a row of tiny metal dandelions lined a shelf above my smaller wood pieces.
Occasionally, we’d catch the other staring, but didn’t act on it. Seeing her in goggles and an apron affected me more than it should have. I thanked the patron saint of welders she wasn’t on my gang at work. I’d never get anything done and probably end up burned, blistered, and blind from not paying attention.
Last night I’d stripped her out of her clothes in the living room and refused to return them until this morning. She padded around in one of my T-shirts barely covering her ass, which was fine with me. I’d locked the doors and set the dead-bolt in case anyone decided to stop by unannounced.
Finishing the feathers on my eagle, I checked out the symmetry of my work. Nodding in approval, I cut the engine. In the relative quiet, I could hear my phone ringing on the bench.
“Hi, Dad,” I answered.
“Good, I caught you. You home?”
“Working in the shop.”
“I’ll be over in five.” He hung up. Never one to chit-chat, Dad, like Pops, was a man of few words.
I waved to catch Hailey’s attention and she killed her flame. “Dad’s coming over.”
“Want me to go?” She turned off the gas on her acetylene torch.
“No way. Nothing to hide here. Plus, we’re both fully dressed, much to my dismay.” I kissed her softly on the lips, once, twice. Despite her safety-goggles, she was gorgeous.
A few minutes later Dad walked into the shop.
“Hi, Hailey, didn’t expect you,” he greeted her with a hug and a quizzical expression aimed at me.
“Hailey’s been working here. We moved her stuff over from town. Figured Lori would have told you,” I explained.
“That’s awfully nice of you. Never knew you to share your space with anyone before.” The emphasis on ‘space’ meant a whole other conversation for another time.
“It sure was,” she said, removing her goggles. “Either of you want a beer?”
“You don’t have to leave on my account. In fact, this might be of interest to you too, since it involves Kurt.”
She paused near the door. “In that case, let me grab the whiskey.” She smiled and walked across the lawn to the house.
Dad raised his eyebrow at me and leaned against a workbench. “Your sister know about this?”
“She does. The whole naked truth.”
“Which would be?”
“We’re seeing each other.”
“Casual thing?”
“Not so much, no. Pretty exclusive as a matter of fact.”
Dad nodded once. “Your mother gets wind of this and she’ll start planning your wedding.” He slapped a hand down on my shoulder. “Proceed with caution.”
I bit my top lip and reflected on his warning. “Probably shouldn’t tell Ellie either.”
“You know how the two of them are.”
She returned with three beers, but no whiskey. Her worried eyes met mine.
Dad took a big sip and swallowed. “I spoke with Mitchell.”
“He’s our family lawyer,” I explained to Hailey, standing next to her and linking our fingers.
“Right. He got Kurt to drop the suit. It’ll all go away like it never happened.”
“Wow, that was quick.”
“Mitchell gave Kurt a list of eye-witnesses who said he started the fight.” Dad’s eyes flashed to her. “Also, he presented some things Kurt didn’t want to go public.”
“What kind of things?” My eyes flicked between the two of them.
“Hailey?” Dad asked.
Her gaze rested on the ceiling for a few beats. “Let’s just say there might have been a few permit issues on a couple of his projects.”
Dad chuckled. “That’s putting it mildly. The biggest issue was the eagle’s nest found on a high bluff property he bought here to build his house.”
“Get out.” I set my bottle down on the wood a little too hard and it wobbled precariously before I caught it. “Eagle’s nest?”
She dropped my hand and scratched her cheek. “He moved, and probably destroyed, a nest.”
“Holy shit,” I said. “You knew about this? Does Fish and Wildlife know?”
“I’m the one who spotted it on the property before he bought it. He kept telling me it wasn’t a bald eagle’s nest, and wouldn’t be an issue. Then one day, gone.” She frowned.
“What an asshole,” I growled.
“I know. It’s a long list of many questionable things he did. When you told me he was suing you, I got in touch with Mitchell, hoping with the witnesses and other stuff, I had enough to scare Kurt away for good.” She sounded hopeful, but I wasn’t so sure.
“Appears you did,” Dad said, smiling. “I have more good news.”
“What’s that?” I put my arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head before whispering, “Thank you.”
“It appears the property is recently home to a mated pair of eagles. Guess they rebuilt.” Dad studied his fingernails.
“He won’t be able to build there.” A smile crept across my face.
“Not in the near future. Shame really. The good news is Mitchell convinced him a reputable but anonymous buyer would be happy to take the property off his hands, for a fraction of what he paid, given the nest and all.” Dad’s eyes twinkled with triumph. He loved nothing more than sticking it to the big guys who wanted to turn Whidbey into another Seattle suburb.
“Oh, really?” I matched his smug grin. “Anyone we know?”
Dad clinked his bottle against ours. “I’m sure you do. It’s a small island.”
“All’s well that ends well.” A weight lifted from my shoulders.
“Next time let me know when you get sued. I don’t like hearing these things from Mitchell.”
“I love that you think there’ll be a next time.” I pouted out my bottom lip.
“There’s a reason we keep a lawyer on retainer. You never know. If not Kurt, there’ll be someone else who wants to develop more land, ours or someone else’s. For the right price, most people would sell.” He frowned, knowing preserving the island he loved against development was an uphill battle.
“Hey, Dad?” I stepped away from Hailey’s side. “I’m sorry. I should have told you about the fight and the stupid suit. I was too embarrassed. I mean, hell, I sat in jail for hours. Pops would’ve killed me.”
Dad cupped my shoulder. “Nah, he would’ve done the same thing if he were a younger man. Bad enough to talk smack about a man’s family, but to insult a lady? No way would Pops have stood for any sort of disrespect.”
The last bit was news to Hailey from her soft gasp. I grimaced and ducked my head.
“You got in a fight over me,” she whispered, embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
“Um, yeah.” I lifted my eyes to hers.
“Really?”
“Don’t cry. It wasn’t a big deal.” I swiped my thumbs under her lashes to catch the gathering tears.
With a quick hop, she jumped into my arms. Her elbows rested on my shoulders and she stared in my eyes for a beat or two before I couldn’t stand it anymore and kissed her. I lifted her and rested her on the bench, kissing her as if everything depended upon it.
“Well, I should be going,” Dad laughed.
“Ohmygod, I jumped you in front of your father,” she whispered against my lips, trying to hide her face on the other side of mine.
“You totally did. I told you, quit attacking me.”
She tried to slide down, but I held her in place.
“Nothing to worry about, sweetheart. Tom’s mother used to do the same thing to me all the time when we were dating.”
I groaned and instinctively stepped away from Hailey, who made her escape, laughing at my horrified expression.
“Thanks for the visual,” I said to my amused father.
“No problem. You kids should come to Sunday dinner when you’re ready. Hailey, we’ve always liked you.”
Family dinner was the ultimate Donnely blessing. If we were homesteaders back in the day, I think Sunday dinner and Dad’s blessing counted as matrimony.
I waited for the panic attack at the thought of getting married. Anxiety scuttled around in my chest and then dissipated. I felt neither a fight nor a flight urge. Instead, laughter bubbled up and I let it escape. Happy, I felt happy.
Both Dad and Hailey stared at me curiously.
“He’ll be okay,” Dad said. “I was the same. When I fell for Teri, I laughed all the time like I was on the funny gas at the dentist.” He gave me a slap to my shoulder, and walked out the door. “Don’t let your mother hear about this from Connie. She’ll be madder than the Sibley’s bull if you don’t tell her yourself.” With a laugh and a wave he was gone.