Chapter Eight
Haley poured herself a cup of coffee and meandered into her living room. Was it weird that she’d miss working with Sam today? Definitely. Especially since she’d just seen him last night when he’d stopped by for his not-so-needed drill. Heat filled her face as she remembered how she’d behaved. What had gotten into her?
Oh, she’d known what she’d been after all right—she’d wanted to feel desirable, to be looked at the way Sam had looked at her. Probably a good thing he and his brother weren’t coming today. She needed the weekend to get her head back on straight.
Speaking of being on her own, now would be a good time to get Michael’s contact information. She set her mug on the coffee table, right next to her phone, and checked the time. Virginia and Greg would be up by now. Haley took a seat and ran her palms over her flannel-clad knees. She could do this. She had to, because it was way past time to stamp paid on that box of emotional crap labeled ex-fiancé. She took a deep breath, picked up the phone and punched in their number.
Virginia answered, and Haley’s mouth went dry. “Hey, Ginny. This is Haley Cooper. How are you?”
“My, it’s good to hear from you, Haley,” Virginia said. “Greg and I are fine, just fine. How are you? How’s your family?”
“We’re all doing well, thanks.” She bit her lip, unsure how to proceed. “The reason I’m calling is—” She tried to catch her breath. “—I was hoping you could give me a way to contact Michael.”
“Oh, Haley. We feel so bad about what happened. Greg and I are so very sorry things turned out as they did. We both feel terrible that we didn’t reach out to you after Michael left. We—”
“It’s OK, Ginny.” At the time, she couldn’t have handled their sympathy anyway. Affection for Michael’s parents overcame her, along with a flood of good memories. The tension she’d been holding eased. “What happened wasn’t your fault, or Greg’s.” She cleared her throat. “Speaking of Michael, is he still in Indonesia?”
“Yes. He’s teaching English at a private school.” Virginia paused for a moment. “He hasn’t been home since . . . Well, since the abrupt way he left. Michael has international phone service. Would you like his number?”
“What about e-mail? Does he have an e-mail address?” No way did she want to talk to the man who’d jilted her. She could deal with writing him a letter, but hearing his voice? Did she really want to listen to him refuse to give her the answers she so desperately needed? No thanks.
“He does. Hold on a moment, and I’ll get it for you.”
Haley waited; a sense of calm and rightness settled over her. She should have done this months ago.
“Do you have a pen and paper, Haley?”
“I do.” She picked up a pen and an old envelope sitting on the table. “Go ahead.” Virginia gave her the e-mail address and his phone number, and they chatted for a while before ending the call. Haley went to her second bedroom and sat down at her desk. She stared at the dark screen of her computer. How should she ask her ex what had been running through his mind the weeks before he’d bolted? Keep it light, nonconfrontational. She touched a key, and her computer sprang to life. Words began to form in her mind and she opened her e-mail. She began to write, tweaked it in the places where the anger leaked out, and finally she was satisfied.
Hey Michael,
I hear you’re teaching English at a private school these days. I hope that’s going well for you. I’m writing because I believe you owe me an explanation for the way things ended between us. I deserve to know, as I’m sure you would agree. I’m not angry anymore, just puzzled. If for no other reason than the close friendship we once shared, I’m hoping you’ll respond. I want to put the entire experience behind me, and I can’t without knowing what happened. Thanks.
~Haley
Her finger hovered over the Send button. She was doing the right thing, wasn’t she? In the days after Michael left, she’d racked her brain, going over every moment they’d spent together, looking for clues. Had she said or done something to drive him away, or had he simply fallen out of love with her?
Haley leaned back in her chair. Sam had defended her. He’d called Michael a selfish jerk. Smiling, she recalled the tender way he’d taken care of her splinter, the way he’d taken such pains to instruct her on how to be a carpenter. Her heart fluttered as she thought about the unexpected, mind-altering kiss they’d shared. He really was a sweet guy.
Sam had given her the impetus to finally reach out to Michael for closure. She needed to thank him, and she would. The more she thought about how Sam had invited her to spend time in his world, the more curious she became. What was he like with his family and friends? How did he spend his time away from work? Plus, she hadn’t yet asked him why he never spoke about his parents.
Her kitchen counter and cabinets would be delivered this coming week. Her new kitchen floor would be installed Monday evening. She could hardly wait. To see Sam? Her house would be finished soon. No more working side by side with the hottest handyman in the state. A sinking feeling lodged itself in the pit of her stomach. She’d miss him.
Her phone rang. Sighing, Haley hit the Send icon on her e-mail and hurried to the living room where she’d left her cell. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”
“Hi, sweetie. Nanci and I are going to the Albertville Outlet Mall to do some Christmas shopping, and we were hoping you’d join us.”
“I’d love to. I need to shop.” Wow. Christmas was a few weeks away. Usually, she had gifts purchased and wrapped by now. She hadn’t even put out any of her holiday decorations yet.
“Great. We’ll pick you up around ten thirty. That way we can take a look at what’s been done to your house.”
“Sounds great. See you then.” A wave of protectiveness came out of nowhere, hitting her squarely in the heart. The work she’d done with Sam suddenly seemed intimate. She didn’t want to share the changes they’d made to her house with anyone quite yet, especially not with the two women who’d set her up for a one-night stand with her handyman. My handyman?
Since when did remodeling and construction work have anything to do with intimacy, and when had Sam become her handyman? Shaking off the ridiculous notions, she headed for her new bathroom to take a shower. Unfortunately, every single tile and fixture reminded her of Sam. “Argh. I need professional help, some kind of therapy.”
“Frank, I’m leaving,” Trudy called down the basement stairs. “Do you need anything before I go?” She slipped into her coat and slung her purse over her shoulder. He kept his workbench and tools on one side of the basement, and nothing made her husband happier than creating gadgets or fixing things around the house.
“Nope. I’m fine,” her husband called back from his man cave. “Have fun, and don’t forget, we’re meeting the Meyers for dinner at the club tonight.”
“I won’t forget.” Trudy rolled her eyes. Did he think she was going senile? They’d been meeting their best friends for dinner once a month for as long as she and Frank had been married. “I’ll be home by four.” She left him to his puttering, walked outside to their driveway and climbed into her sister’s Jeep. “Haley is joining us.”
“Good.” Nanci backed her SUV out of the driveway. “We’ll get to see the progress on her remodeling. Has she given you any clue about whether or not the handyman has done the real job you hired him to do?”
“No,” Trudy muttered. “I’m kind of thinking the whole idea is a bust, but at least I won’t have to worry anymore that her house will fall down around her ears.”
Nanci turned onto the parkway leading to Haley’s bungalow. “The job isn’t finished yet. Since Haley insisted on learning how to do things from him, she and Sam have been spending quite a bit of time together, and Haley is attractive. It could still happen.”
“Haley spending time with him isn’t what I had in mind.” Trudy scowled. “According to what we heard on Loaded Question, Sam Haney is extremely promiscuous, an opportunist. I just wanted him to make a pass at her. A pass she’d turn down, of course. That’s all.”
Guilt turned her breakfast into an uncomfortable lump in her stomach. She shouldn’t have set her daughter up the way she had. What if the handyman tried to take advantage of Haley somehow? After all, she was in a vulnerable place. Other than Michael, she hadn’t dated much in high school. What did she know about men like Sam? Nothing. Trudy frowned. Maybe she should confess, tell her daughter what she’d done and why. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about Haley being taken in by the sexy handyman.
By the time she and Nanci parked in front of Haley’s house, Trudy’s hands were shaking and she couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs. “Do you think I ought to tell her what I did?”
“No.” Nanci narrowed her eyes at her. “If you’re right, and the whole thing failed, then why does she ever need to know? And, if by chance Sam does make a pass once the job is finished, Haley still might come out of her funk.” She opened her car door. “Take a wait-and-see approach for now.”
Trudy nodded, though doubt still gnawed at her. Haley waved at them from her front door. Her daughter really was a lovely young woman, and she deserved every happiness. Perhaps she’d think of some other way to help her get past her heartbreak. There had to be someone who knew someone who had a great single son. She’d ask the Meyers at dinner tonight.
“Can’t wait to see what’s been done to your house,” Nanci said as she walked into the cozy bungalow. Trudy followed.
“I can’t wait to show you,” Haley said. “Are you going to take off your coats, or do you just want a quick look before we head to the mall?”
“I think a quick look,” Nanci suggested. “When everything is finished, you can have us all over for dinner.”
“That’s a great idea.” Haley’s eyes lit up. “We’ll be done right after Christmas. I’ll have a New Year’s Day open house for family and a few friends.”
We’ll. Haley had said we’ll be done, as if she and the handyman were partners on the job. Trudy pursed her lips. What did that mean?
“Come see my new bathroom.” Haley led them through her house toward the room and stepped back so they could enter.
Curious, Trudy leaned in and scanned the remodeled bathroom. She gasped. “Wow. It’s—”
“Perfect,” her sister finished the sentence for her. “I love the colors in here. I can’t believe your old bathroom has turned into this.”
“I know.” Haley grinned. “I love it. I might try remodeling the downstairs bathroom by myself now that I know how. Sam has taught me so much, and he’s really good at what he does. He’s a great teacher. Very patient and thorough.”
Trudy’s eyes widened, and she had to force herself not to gape at her daughter. The warmth and pride in Haley’s voice when she talked about the handyman had her stymied. She snuck a peek at her sister to see if she’d noticed too. Nanci raised an eyebrow and canted her head ever so slightly. Yep. She’d noticed.
“Look at the new entryway between the kitchen and dining room.” Haley gestured toward her kitchen, leading them away from her completely new and stylish bathroom.
“Oh,” Nanci exclaimed. “It’s arched.” She looked from the curved entry between the living room and dining room, back to the identical arch separating the kitchen and dining room. “This really opens things up, and I like how it’s the same style as the other entryway.”
“I know.” Haley walked into her bare kitchen. “Creating the matching arches was Sam’s idea. We’ve insulated the outside walls in here, added some much-needed electrical outlets, and we’re laying the floor Monday night. Not long now, and I’ll have my dream kitchen.”
Haley turned a slow circle on the sub-flooring. “Thank you so much for hiring Haney & Sons to do the job, Mom. I couldn’t be happier with their work or with Sam.”
“You’re welcome.” Trudy scanned the room. “Looks like they do good work, all right.”
“Why are you frowning?” Haley asked, a puzzled look on her face.
“I’m not.” Trudy’s frown deepened.
“Yeah, Trudy. Why are you frowning?” Nanci snorted. “I can’t wait to see your kitchen when it’s finished, Haley, but let’s hit the road, you two. The outlet mall awaits, and I have gifts to buy.”
“I wasn’t frowning,” Trudy insisted, following Nanci and Haley to the front door. “I was concentrating. There’s a difference.” Of course she’d been frowning. Her daughter seemed happier than she’d seen her in months, and obviously Sam Haney was to blame. Haley actually liked and respected him, which meant her daughter had no clue about what kind of man she was dealing with. Oh, this is not good—not good at all.
Haley dropped all of her shopping bags on the living room floor, shrugged out of her coat and hung it up. It had begun to snow heavily on the drive home from the outlet mall, and her nerves were on edge. Her aunt always drove as if everyone else on the road should get out of her way—and snow didn’t slow her down one bit. Haley should’ve offered to do the driving today.
At least she’d finished most of her Christmas shopping. Only a gift for her mom remained on her list, and she’d already ordered her present online. Her mom made shopping for her a no-brainer. She always told both her children exactly what she wanted and exactly where to get it.
Haley transferred the gifts she’d purchased to the closet in her office. She’d wrap and tag them tomorrow. Right now, she needed a few minutes to recover from her day of shopping—especially the harrowing drive home part. She glanced at her computer, and her stomach lurched. Had Michael answered her e-mail? She’d fix herself a mug of tea and a frozen dinner in the microwave, and then she’d check.
Haley dropped a tea bag into a cup and added bottled water. She placed it in the microwave, and then she watched the snow outside her dining room window. Fat white flakes were falling thick and fast, and the wind had picked up, sending the snow careening against her house. Her backyard motion light had switched on, turning the precipitation into a bombardment of tiny diamonds against the windowpane.
Her mind drifted to Michael. Did it snow in Indonesia? She didn’t think so. How would he react to her e-mail? Would he respond at all? Her phone rang, jolting her out of her thoughts. She grabbed it from her dining room table just as the microwave dinged. “Hello?”
“Hey . . . It’s Sam.”
Her nerves pinged, and her pulse raced. “What’s up? Did you leave another hand tool here I don’t know about?”
“Nope. No missing tools. Some weather we’re having, huh?”
“When are we not having some weather in Minnesota?” She grinned. “Did you call me to discuss the weather?”
“No, just thought I’d mention it’s snowing.”
“I can see it’s snowing.” Haley took her tea from the microwave. Still grinning like a fool, she slid onto a chair before her knees gave out. “I was just watching out my window. It’s hypnotic.”
“It is,” Sam agreed. “Like a wood fire burning in a fireplace.”
“Is there a reason you called, Sam, or did you just want to chat?” She heard him draw in a breath, and her stomach did that fluttery thing it always did with him.
“That guy . . . Brent. Are you two involved, or . . .”
“No. We’re just friends and coworkers. He and I went to our company holiday party together, that’s all.”
“Ah.” A few quiet seconds ticked by. “If you’ll recall, I issued a challenge.”
“I haven’t forgotten.” Self-doubt, curiosity and attraction churned through her. Dammit, she wanted to spend time with him. “And I accept.”
“Good. I coach a Pee Wee Hockey team with my cousin, and we have a practice scrimmage scheduled for Wednesday evening at Highland South Arena. It starts at six. Would you be interested in watching a bunch of eight- and nine-year-olds play hockey?”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “Sure. Sounds like fun,” she said. Given the way he taught carpentry, he was probably an excellent coach. The fact that he gave up his time to coach sent tendrils of warmth wrapping around her heart.
“What time do you get home from work?” he asked, his voice slightly gruff.
“I can be flexible. What time do you need me to be home?”
“Five would be good. I’ll pick you up then. Jerry and I need to be at the rink before the practice is scheduled to begin, because a few kids always show up early.” He paused for a few seconds again. “After the practice, I thought we could maybe go get something to eat.”
“All right.” Her mind swirled like the snow outside her window. Exhilaration and nervousness cascaded through her all at once at the thought of spending time with Sam in a place that didn’t involve remodeling her house.
“Wear warm clothes,” he cautioned. “It’s an indoor rink, but it’s still cold.”
“I will.” She did a mental inventory of her closet. Had she kept the pair of flannel-lined jeans her mom had given her for Christmas a couple of years ago? “We’re still installing the floor on Monday, aren’t we?”
“Of course. Well, OK. I guess we’re set. I’ll see you on Monday, and you’ll join me and my cousins on Wednesday.”
“Cousins? I thought you said you coached with your cousin, as in only one.”
“I do. My cousin Jerry helps with the coaching, but two kids on my team are my first cousin’s twins. Not sure what that makes them. Second cousins? First cousins once removed, thirds or something?”
“Oh.” She frowned. “I couldn’t say without looking it up.”
“Me either, which is why I just call the whole bunch cousins.”
He chuckled, and more tendrils of warmth wove around her heart.
“I’ll let you get back to what you were doing, Haley.”
“All right. See you Monday.”
“Monday.”
With that, the call ended. Haley stared into space, sipped her tea, and attempted to corral her racing thoughts. Sam had called her for a purely social reason. He could’ve waited until he was at her house on Monday night to ask her to join him for the hockey scrimmage. Why hadn’t he? Obviously she’d been on his mind—like he was so frequently on hers.
She rose, picked up her mug of tea and walked into her office. Still standing, she hit a key on her computer to wake it up and checked her e-mail. No reply from Michael. She calculated the time difference. Maybe he hadn’t read her letter yet.
On the other hand, he might have read it and opted not to respond. What else could she expect from a man who’d chosen to run away rather than face her? “Coward,” she huffed, returning to her kitchen for a frozen dinner.
Scanning the empty space, she grinned. Two weeks from now her dream kitchen would be complete and fully functional. She and Sam would install the floor Monday evening, and she’d also see him on Wednesday and Thursday. Why waste time thinking about her really lame ex, when she had so much more to look forward to? Wow, who knew all it took to change her outlook was getting her house put back together?
Yeah, right. It’s the house, and not the handsome handyman.