Chapter Eight
Hailey put the air conditioner on full blast. She was overheating, but it had nothing to do with the temperature of the air. Seeing Spencer again had been a million times more intense than she’d anticipated.
People don’t meet up after nearly a decade apart and—bam—feel like that for each other again. That doesn’t happen. Does it?
She clenched the steering wheel as she drove. Holy shit, no wonder I slept with him in college.
But that doesn’t mean I will this time. I’m older, wiser. I understand now that just because something feels good doesn’t mean it is good. One good conversation does not make a relationship, or even a friendship.
I have too much to lose to jump into anything.
She stopped at a red light and cursed. Why did he have to say all the right things? Why couldn’t he be the dick he describes himself as? It would have been easy to know what to do then.
Friends. Who am I kidding? Her thoughts went back to how his kiss had seared through her. One touch. One look. That’s all it had ever taken with him, and her body was as eager for him today as it ever had been. Their chemistry was unapologetically primal.
I’m not being honest with myself or him.
I should have told him I’m working for his grandmother—the coldhearted one he never wants to see again.
As she drove, her thoughts went to the woman she was both grateful for and afraid of displeasing. What are you really doing, Delinda? Why did you hire me? Was it really a coincidence?
Her hands tightened again on the steering wheel. Please, Delinda, please be just a nice, lonely woman who cares about Skye and me.
Hailey’s mind was still racing when she parked in front of the guesthouse at Delinda’s. She stopped and breathed in a sigh of relief when she saw Skye and her teacher seated at the kitchen table, working. The talk she’d given Delinda must have sunk in. “How is she doing?”
Mrs. Holihen waved Hailey over to show her the result of Skye’s math unit test. “I wish all of my students were as easy to teach as your niece is.”
Hailey kissed Skye on the top of her head. “I’m so proud of you.”
Skye beamed with pride. “Math is important. Do you know why?”
Hailey could have listed reasons, but she was more interested in what had put that spark in her niece’s eyes. “Why?”
“Delinda said people use math to draw the houses they build. You can actually build a house that you draw, Auntie Hailey. And if I learn math and draw a really good house, Delinda is going to build it. A house, Auntie Hailey. A real house. For me and you.”
Delinda, how do I show you that you don’t have to do this? Hailey groaned inwardly. She kept a smile on her face, though. “She means a dollhouse, but I’d love it if you design my dream bathroom. I’ve always wanted one of those showers that’s so big you don’t need a door.”
“I can do that. It will be perfect. I promise.”
“I know it will be.” Hailey looked around the guesthouse. “Don’t forget that you have chores before you’re done for the day. Did you put the dishes away?”
“I did.”
“And your bedroom. Did you clean it?”
“Some of it.” Skye smiled, reminding Hailey so much of the mischievous child she’d once been.
“Mrs. Holihen, I’m going over to see Delinda. When Skye finishes her work, could you remind her to clean her room before you take her outside? That is, if she wants to go to the barn tonight.”
“I do! I’d better get back to work,” Skye said cheerfully. “I have carrots for Clover.”
Both Hailey and Mrs. Holihen laughed in surprise.
Mrs. Holihen said, “See, easy.”
For bribes as big as ponies and houses, yes.
“Auntie Hailey, can Delinda come with us again tonight?”
“We’ll see. She might be busy.”
“She won’t be. Did you see how happy she was when she was brushing Clover? She loves ponies.” Skye stopped and tilted her head to one side. “Do you think it’s funny that Delinda and I have so much in common? It’s like she really is my grandmother.”
“But she’s not, honey.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth Hailey regretted them. Skye’s face crumpled, and she turned her back to Hailey. Mrs. Holihen busied herself with rearranging the papers on the table. Trying for a cheerful voice, Hailey said, “I’ll see you two when your lessons are finished.”
Skye didn’t answer her.
Mrs. Holihen looked across at Hailey, her eyes full of sympathy. “I’ll bring her over at four. After she cleans her room, I was planning to take her down to the beach for a French lesson.”
“That sounds perfect.” Hailey stepped forward and went to hug her niece, but Skye pulled away. Hailey dropped down to her knees beside her. “Skye, look at me.”
Skye reluctantly turned to face Hailey, but she didn’t meet her eyes.
Hailey touched her own chest lightly, then tapped Skye’s. “The same team. You and me. Always. Even when we’re angry with each other. Nothing changes how much I love you.”
Skye raised her eyes. There was a heartbreaking amount of confusion in them. “Why don’t you want me to be happy?”
Hailey’s heart flipped, and she pushed back the tears that surged to her eyes. Is that what she really thinks? “I do. I want you to be happy more than I want anything else in the whole world.” She tucked one of Skye’s curls behind her ear. “But I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Delinda would never hurt me.”
Not on purpose.
Or maybe not at all. She’s been so kind to us. What would it hurt to let the two of them go on pretending? So far, doing things my way hasn’t worked out that well for any of us.
“You’re right. She wouldn’t.” Hailey straightened and smoothed Skye’s hair as she did. “Be good for Mrs. Holihen. I’ll see you at the main house later.”
“Okay. Then we’ll eat with Delinda? And take her to the barn?”
“If that’s what she wants—yes.”
Skye’s smile returned. “It will be.”
Hailey wished she were that certain about anyone or anything. I used to be. There was a time when I trusted myself and other people. Instead of doubting every good thing that comes my way, I should be grateful for how kind Delinda has been to us. Skye used to be as afraid to believe in anything as I am. Look at her now. Who knows, maybe there’s even hope for me.
She nodded to Mrs. Holihen and left so they could get back to work. As she walked over to the main house, she thought back to what Spencer had said about Delinda. His version didn’t match the side of Delinda that Hailey had seen.
Yes, she could be cutting.
Yes, she was controlling and had difficulties with boundaries.
But coldhearted? No.
Michael opened the door of the main house. “Welcome back, Miss Hailey.”
Hailey had told him several times to just call her Hailey, but Michael took pride in remaining formal. “Thank you, Michael. Is Delinda in the solarium?” It was her favorite afternoon place.
“She is.”
“Was she asking for me?”
“Yes, but she seemed quite pleased to hear that you had gone out.”
“She did?”
Michael didn’t volunteer more.
Once inside the foyer, Hailey hesitated. “Michael, could I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Why don’t any of Delinda’s family visit her?”
Her question rocked Michael back onto his heels. “Her son takes her out to lunch now and then. Her oldest grandson visits her, also.”
“I haven’t met them, and I’ve been here for weeks.”
“Brett is engaged—getting married at the end of the summer. She recently learned he and Alisha are expecting a baby. It’s not a wonder he hasn’t been around much.”
Why didn’t Delinda tell me her good news? “And her other grandchildren? She talks about them a lot, but they don’t come by.”
Michael cleared his throat. “Every family is different.”
“Do you know her grandson Spencer?”
“I have met him many times.” Michael adjusted the collar of his dress shirt as if it were suddenly choking him.
“Were they ever close?” Something must have happened to give Spencer that impression of his grandmother. Delinda had spoken of Spencer too many times for Hailey to ever see him as not part of her family.
“It’s really not my place to say.”
Although that was true, Hailey justified her perseverance by reminding herself that Delinda would not have let that stop her. “I care about both of them, Michael. I just want to understand.”
Michael considered her request, then shook his head. “Your questions would be best answered by Mrs. Westerly. I’m sorry.”
“Would she tell me the truth if I asked her?”
Michael smiled. “Her truth, yes.”
“I was hoping for something a little less subjective.”
“Life is subjective, Miss Hailey. From the moment you wake up in the morning to the moment you close your eyes at night, you interpret what happens to you through the lens you choose to use. The challenge is realizing the way you experience any event is not necessarily how the people around you do. The older I get, the more I realize what I once considered lies are really someone else’s truths.”
Hailey’s eyes rounded at his unexpectedly deep response. “Are you saying that it would be a waste of time to ask Delinda anything?”
He gave her arm a pat. “I’m saying that Mrs. Westerly loves her family very much. What is her relationship with them beyond that? I’m not sure you could get two Westerlys to agree, but that doesn’t change what I know.” He chuckled and started walking. “Did I ever tell you that I studied philosophy in college?”
Hailey almost asked him how he’d gone from college to working as a butler, but she didn’t. How did I go from college to being a paid companion? Life happens.
As they moved forward, he said, “I’ve worked for Mrs. Westerly for over thirty years, and I hope to work here twenty years more. When I first started here, I was fresh from a divorce. My son had health problems I couldn’t afford. I was desperate. Mrs. Westerly covered his medical bills and never said a word to anyone about it. She paid for him to go to college without him ever knowing the money came from her. He’s healthy now, with an impressive job as a broker in New York City. Beautiful wife. Two children I spoil as much as I’m allowed. My son has offered to let me live with them or buy me a place of my own. He doesn’t see my employment here the way I do. I wouldn’t have a son if it weren’t for the generosity of Mrs. Westerly. To her, I’m a butler. To me, she’s an angel. A lonely angel. How could I ever leave her?”
Hailey waved a hand at her suddenly misty eyes. With a choked laugh, she said, “Her generosity scares me a little. My biggest concern is Skye and how she’d handle it if we had to leave.”
“Then don’t leave,” Michael said as they arrived at the door of the solarium.
Delinda noticed her and waved her over. “Well, it’s about time you returned. How was your lunch?”
Hailey took a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs next to her. “It was nice.”
Delinda leaned forward. “Just nice?”
She couldn’t know where I was, could she? I didn’t tell anyone. I made sure not to use the driver. No, of course she doesn’t know. Spencer said they aren’t close. “Very nice?”
“Humph.” Delinda called out, “Michael, could you bring some tea?”
“Of course,” Michael answered from the door.
“Skye wants to know if you’d like to go with us to the barn tonight.”
A smile lit Delinda’s face. “I would love to. I’ve ordered a helmet for her along with boots and breeches. She doesn’t need a show jacket yet, but when she does, I’ll have my tailor fit one to her. I’m not sold on the barn’s in-house trainer. A friend of mine works with Olympians—”
“Skye may not want to compete. She may simply want to ride for fun.”
“Winning ribbons is fun.”
“Competition is good, but that’s not what’s most important.”
Delinda pursed her lips, then said, “So you don’t believe she could win.”
“I didn’t say that. I just don’t want you to pressure Skye to be someone she isn’t.”
“So you want me to lower my standards for her? Perhaps if you weren’t so willing to expect nothing from her she might have started speaking sooner.”
Hailey gasped. “That was cruel, Delinda.”
Delinda folded her hands on her lap unapologetically. Michael rolled in a tray of tea and scones, assessed the mood of the room, and made a hasty retreat. “Life is cruel. Step up to the plate, Hailey, and start preparing your niece for it.”
Michael’s angel also had horns.
Breathe. She throws barbs when she’s hurting. “Are you upset with me, Delinda?”
“No. I’m angry with myself. I forgot that I’m not supposed to do anything nice for you or Skye anymore. Should I return the helmet and attire? What about the tea and scones? Too much? Throw them at me if it makes you feel better.”
Delinda and Skye actually are a lot alike. The corners of her mouth twitched at the thought. Delinda’s expression darkened, and all humor left Hailey. Working for Delinda was as confusing as seeing Spencer had been, but on a totally different level.
They both made her ask the same question: How do I make you happy without putting aside what I know is important?
“I want to be able to argue with you,” Hailey blurted.
Delinda’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”
Right. Wrong. This is my truth. “I don’t want to be afraid that you’ll fire me if I don’t make you happy every second of the day. I love it here. Skye does, too. But you could let me go at any time. I stay up at night afraid that you’ll ask us to leave if I say or do the wrong thing. I don’t know what you want from us, but I know what I need from you.”
“And that is?”
She needs to hear this. Maybe a little honesty will help her. It worked with Skye. “I need to know that we’re on the same team. My father always started our family talks by telling us that he loved us. It made whatever our issues were feel not as bad because our foundation was stable. I like you. I’m grateful for all you’ve done, but I don’t always like the way you talk to me. I don’t always agree with what you want to do for Skye. I want to be able to say that. If you’re paying me to sit and agree with everything you say, then please stay out of our personal business. But if you want to be part of our lives, then we have to be able to disagree and still be on the same team.”
Delinda pursed her lips. “Is this how your generation speaks to their employers?”
There it was, the little dig. I’m wasting my breath. “This isn’t exactly a conventional job, and maybe that’s the problem. If you want to be part of our lives, I need to be able to trust you.”
Delinda stood and walked to a bookshelf. She returned with a photo of a handsome man in his forties. She handed the photo to Hailey. “This was my Oliver. He had a big heart just like yours. He loved everyone, and there wasn’t a mean bone in his body. He couldn’t walk by a person in need and not help them.”
Hailey accepted the photo and looked down at the man with dark hair and laughter in his eyes. The profound sadness in Delinda’s voice left Hailey unsure of what to say.
Delinda gripped the back of the chair beside her, determined to stand even though she was clearly in pain. “My parents didn’t approve of him at first, but I married him anyway. I was so proud of him when he took over my father’s company.” She took the photo back and seemed to get lost in the past as she looked down at her deceased husband’s face. “He wasn’t very good at business. It was all new to him. He was a good man, but he wasn’t ready for the responsibilities he was given.”
“I can’t imagine anyone would be ready for such a responsibility.”
Delinda shook her head. “He should have been. We should have done more to prepare him. The doctors said he died from an accidental overdose of his heart medication. It wasn’t an accident. The company was losing money before my son stepped in. Oliver was desperate, and he felt he’d failed me.”
Hailey gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. Is she saying that Oliver—
“My son thinks I was oblivious to what was going on, but I knew. Just like I knew Dereck wasn’t ready to step into Oliver’s shoes like he did. It was almost too much for him as well. He had his father’s soft heart. All he wanted was Stephanie, but she made him doubt himself.”
And that’s why you hated her. It makes sense now.
“I couldn’t bear the idea that I might lose Dereck the same way I lost Oliver. So I pushed Dereck to be the man who could succeed where his father had failed. He needed to be stronger to survive. Stephanie saw me as harsh. I could do nothing right when it came to her. Every warning I gave either of them was taken as a criticism.” She walked over and replaced the photo in its spot on the shelf. When she returned, her face revealed none of the emotions that must have been raging within her. “I pushed my son because I love him, and it worked. No one won against Dereck. No one. Brett is head of the company now, and nothing shakes him. We raised him strong. No excuses. No second chances. Yes, I push my grandchildren, but only because I know how harsh life can be if one isn’t prepared for it.”
Hailey got goose bumps listening to Delinda. Her view of life was different, and yet somehow they had the same fears. I’m also afraid of failing the ones I love. Hailey placed a hand on Delinda’s arm. “I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry you lost someone you loved. Have you ever spoken to your family about it?”
“How could I? They barely visit me,” Delinda said, her voice just above a whisper.
“I might be able to help you with that.” Did I just say that?
Delinda’s eyes flew to hers. “What do you mean?”
Hailey hesitated. The solution seems so easy, but who am I to tell her what to do when I can’t sort out my own life?
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, have the fortitude to speak your mind,” Delinda snapped.
Okay, but this is for your own good. Hailey raised her fingers in a measuring motion. “If you tweak the way you speak to people—just a little bit . . .”
“Now you sound like Brett.”
Hailey breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s the grandson you’re closest to, right? He must know you well.”
Delinda’s eyes narrowed. “If this is how you are when you’re afraid you might lose your job, I cannot imagine how you’ll be when you realize I’m too attached to ever fire you.”
Wait. Did she just say something nice? “See, that’s kind of sweet. All you’d have to do is leave off the initial insult, and I would feel all warm and fuzzy toward you.”
“Oh, Lord.”
“And keep some of your thoughts in your head.”
With a sigh, Delinda sat back in her chair. “Anything else?”
“Smile more?”
Delinda glared at Hailey.
Hailey leaned closer and glared back. It all felt so ridiculous that Hailey broke into a laugh and a huge smile spread across her face.
Delinda slowly smiled back.
I wish Spencer could see this side of his grandmother. Blood related or not, they have traits in common.
Hailey’s phone dinged with a message. She ignored it because she’d already made the mistake of checking her phone while visiting with Delinda. Apparently, it was poor etiquette.
“Aren’t you going to check your message?”
“I’ll look at it later.”
“It might be important.”
“Mrs. Holihen would call if it were.”
“There’s no one else who might message you?”
Her phone dinged again. “No one that couldn’t be answered later.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, check your messages.”
Hailey reacted instinctively to the authority in Delinda’s tone. She took out her phone and glanced at it. Spencer. Heat rose up her neck. “It’s not important.”
“Oh, so it’s not who you had lunch with. I thought perhaps you’d been out on a date.”
Taking a page out of the older woman’s book, Hailey said, “For lunch? What a pathetic date that would be.”
Delinda tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair. “I suppose it depends on the company.”
Does she know? Or is she fishing for confirmation? Would she want me with Spencer?
“It was just lunch with a friend.”
“A male friend?”
Hailey tipped her head to the side. “Delinda, you know it’s none of your business.”
Delinda sighed. “I’m bored. I don’t crochet. Hollywood hasn’t made a good movie in fifty years. I’m practically housebound . . .”
Oh, please. She lays it on thick. “Where would you like to go? I’ll take you somewhere.”
“I don’t need to go anywhere, but I never had a daughter, so I missed out on talking about dating and lunches out. Humor me. What was your lunch like?”
“He took me out for pizza.”
“Pizza?” Delinda exclaimed as if it were a heinous crime. “Oh, dear, no wonder you weren’t impressed.”
She has to know. Otherwise, why would she be this curious?
Granted, she is curious about every other part of my life that has nothing to do with Spencer.
I could tell her whom I was with.
She just said she likes me too much to fire me.
But should I test it? Now? When things are just beginning to settle?
“Are you planning to see him again?”
Hailey pictured Spencer’s smile, his beautiful eyes, and the feel of his strong arms around her. “I think so. Yes.”
“I know the perfect designer. I’ll have him bring samples tomorrow. I wonder if he is still in London. He vacations in Tuscany if I remember correctly. I’ll call Alessandro. He’ll know.”
“I don’t need new clothing.”
“You do if he’s feeding you pizza.”
Hailey burst out laughing. “Delinda, you’re so bad.”
With a skyward roll of her eyes, Delinda said, “I’m sorry I don’t know a nice way to say that you won’t get your man if you continue to dress older than I do.”
This is her being nice. Hailey laughed until her eyes began to water. “Stop.”
“I’m trying. Is there a polite way to tell you that your hair is due for a trim and a treatment, and those fingernails . . . ? I’ve seen better on Michael’s feet.”
Hailey laughed harder still, until her sides began to hurt. “Oh my God, Delinda. No. No, there isn’t a nice way to say any of it.”
“Enough silliness. Let’s have a spa day tomorrow. I’ll have a foot rub.” She waved her hand in a wide circle. “And you can have everything else done.”
Gaining control of herself, Hailey dabbed the corners of her eyes. She took a calming breath and agreed if for no other reason than curiosity about what having “everything else done” entailed. “I think I’ve figured it out,” Hailey said suddenly.
“What?”
“Watch and learn.” Hailey sat straighter in her chair and clasped her hands on her lap in a mimic of how Delinda often sat. “Hailey, dear, let’s pamper ourselves tomorrow.” She wasn’t one to pat herself on the back, but she was nailing her Delinda impression. “We’ll get our nails done, our hair done. I even know a designer. You’d look stunning in anything from his line. What do you say? Will you indulge an old woman? A very, very old woman?”
Delinda nodded a few times slowly, but she was smiling. “I’m not sure you’ve mastered polite, either.”
“We’re all a work in progress,” Hailey said, feeling more lighthearted than she had in a long time.
Hailey’s phone beeped again, not because a new message had come in, but as a reminder that she had one waiting. “Do you mind if I step outside for a moment?”
“Not at all. I have a few phone calls to make for our day tomorrow. Should I plan for Skye to join us? There’s no reason she couldn’t do her lessons and get her nails done.”
She’s asking? Now there is progress. “I’ll speak to Mrs. Holihen. She might be able to fit the lessons around what we have planned.”
“Considering what I pay her . . . if she balks at all—”
“Delinda—”
“It’s just to make sure we get exactly what we want.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“That’s how I came into the world, and it’s likely the way I’ll depart it. Now go, answer your friend. Don’t say yes to seeing him tomorrow, though. Make him wait until the weekend.”
“I have Skye on the weekend.”
“I’m sure Mrs. Holihen will come by if I ask her to, or I could watch her myself.”
“I’ll ask Mrs. Holihen. If I decide to go anywhere.”
“Whatever you wish. Go on, now. I’m tired. Being nice is exhausting.”
Spencer was back in his office, looking down at his phone like a high school boy waiting for an answer from his crush. He’d made it a lifelong practice to not chase women. There were enough vying for his attention that worrying about which woman he’d end the night with was unnecessary.
Hailey is different.
He’d spent a pathetic amount of time crafting his text to her. It had to be warm without making it seem like he wasn’t willing to honor his promise to go slowly.
He’d written: Today was nice.
When no response came back, he regretted not saying more.
It’s Spencer.
As soon as he sent it, he groaned. She knows it’s me. I blew my two-line limit on stupid shit. Three unanswered texts spells desperate. All I can do now is fucking wait.
He sat at his desk and placed his phone in front of him. She’s at work. She might not even know she has a message.
“What are you doing?” Jordan asked, taking a seat in front of his desk.
Spencer would have put his phone away, but he didn’t want to miss her response if she wrote back. “Nothing much. Does this mean you’re back?”
“Yeah. I tried to get some stuff done at home, but I ended up watching every season of Dr. Who and a disturbing number of reality shows. I was knee-deep in half-empty pizza boxes, and I started to wonder why there were no beer cans. Why would someone like me not wallow in alcohol when he’s unhappy? Then I remembered that ass kicking you gave me our junior year when I got drunk instead of working on the coding you’d asked me for, and I started to miss you. You’re an asshole, but you’re still my best friend.”
Spencer pretended to dab away tears. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“Whatever. You don’t look hungover today, which robs me of the opportunity of kicking your ass back toward sobriety.”
He hadn’t thought much about it, but Jordan was right—he hadn’t looked at another woman or had a drink since he’d met up with Hailey again. He wanted better than the life he’d fallen into.
“So you really liked my album simulator?” Jordan asked.
“I told you, it’s fucking genius. There’s nothing on the market that can compete. The way it isolates and creates specific 3-D holograms from merged video is mind-blowing. It’s a game changer.”
“Thank you. And the volleyball-babe simulator?”
“No.”
Jordan laughed. “It was worth a shot. You’re probably right about it being a slippery slope to porn. Not that I wouldn’t buy the program if someone else made it, but it’s not what I want to be remembered for.”
“See, sometimes I’m right.” Spencer glanced down at his phone.
“Waiting on a call?”
“No.”
“Fucking liar.”
It was Spencer’s turn to laugh. “I had lunch with Hailey today.”
“And?”
“And it was good to see her. Really good.”
“Tell her I said hello.”
“I will. When she answers me.”
Jordan sat forward and grabbed Spencer’s phone. “That’s what you’re doing? Sitting here waiting for her to answer a text?”
Spencer was on his feet and around the table in a heartbeat. “Give me the fucking phone.”
Jordan read aloud: “Today was nice. It’s Spencer.” He laughed. “Wow, I thought you had more game than that.”
Spencer grabbed his phone back and pocketed it. “She’s going through a rough time right now. We’re starting off as friends.”
“Ouch.”
“It’s not like that.”
“I’ve been friends with plenty of women, so I’d argue that it’s exactly like that.”
“Fuck you.”
“Everything okay?” Brett asked as he strolled in.
“Where’s Lisa? I thought I had a secretary who would at least slow the revolving door down.”
“He’s in a mood,” Jordan said as he walked over to shake Brett’s hand.
“That’s nothing new,” Brett said cheerfully.
Jordan returned to his seat and put his feet up on the corner of Spencer’s desk. “A woman he likes just kicked him to the friend zone.”
Brett grimaced in sympathy. “That’s rough.”
“She didn’t kick me anywhere. I told you, she has a lot on her plate, so we’re taking it slowly.”
“Is she married?” Brett asked.
“No,” Spencer said impatiently.
“He’s not even sure she’ll answer his text. That’s as slow as it gets.”
“You know who misses you, Jordan? Your office. You should go see it,” Spencer spit out.
“Is this a party someone forgot to invite me to?” Nicolette asked as she entered the room. “I didn’t see Lisa at her desk, so I figured it was okay to come right in.” She nodded at her brother. “Brett.” She smiled when she saw Jordan. “Hi, Jordan.”
Jordan dropped his feet to the floor as he stood, looking flustered. “Nicolette.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Nicolette said, gauging their expressions.
“No, everyone was just leaving,” Spencer said.
“I wasn’t going anywhere,” Jordan said.
“I just got here,” Brett supplied.
Spencer slapped his forehead before going over to hug Nicolette in greeting. “Or they were staying. I’ve lost control of my office.”
“I’m so sorry,” Lisa said breathlessly from the doorway. “I stepped away for a moment to use the ladies’ room.”
“It’s fine,” Spencer growled.
Jordan nodded at Lisa. “Hey, Lisa, what do you tell a guy when you don’t want to date him, but you know he likes you?”
Lisa went three shades of red. “That I just want to be his friend?”
Spencer threw up his hands. “You need to leave. All of you. Now. Some of us actually work.”
“By ‘work’ he means he wants to sit at his desk and stare at his phone until she answers his text.”
“She?” Nicolette asked. “Are you dating someone, Spencer?”
This might drive me back to drinking. “Thank you, Lisa. We’ll talk later.” Lisa closed the door behind her as she left. “I’m not dating anyone. Jordan is being an ass. Which I probably deserve, but let’s move on. Brett, did you need something?”
“Just dropping by to see how you’re doing.”
“Wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to play the doting big brother,” Nicolette said under her breath, but everyone heard her. Her cheeks turned pink when she realized how far her voice had carried.
Brett’s face tensed, but he said nothing. He looked genuinely hurt by her comment.
Jordan looked away.
For the first time, Spencer felt sorry for Brett. “It’s not that we don’t appreciate it, Brett; we’re just not used to it.”
After a long moment, Brett said, “Well, get used to it, because we’re family, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Why would you? You got everything you wanted,” Nicolette said. “Guilt-free.”
Jordan said, “I can come back later.”
Spencer put up an arm to block him. “Oh no. You wanted to stay.”
The ding of an incoming message echoed in the awkward silence. Spencer fumbled for his phone.
“Is it Hailey?” Jordan asked.
Brett stepped closer. “Hailey?”
“Do I know her?” Nicolette leaned in.
I had fun, too. Spencer was about to reply when he told himself that doing so would make it seem like he’d been waiting for her response. He stood there, frozen.
Jordan answered, “Hailey from college.” When Nicolette didn’t immediately recognize the name, Jordan put his hand over his heart and feigned agony. “Hailey.”
“Now I remember her. The one who used to hang out with you guys in the garage all the time.” Nicolette peered over to see what Hailey had written.
Spencer turned away and walked back to his desk.
Jordan shrugged. “I read the first message. She probably answered, ‘Hi, it’s Hailey.’ So far their dialogue isn’t exactly earth-shattering.”
“We should go,” Brett said, waving them toward the door.
“Are you kidding?” Nicolette sat down in front of Spencer’s desk. “Do you know how many of my dates Spencer interrogated? I distinctly remember him giving Todd Manx a lecture on why birth control wouldn’t be necessary because if I missed curfew he would remove his genitalia. I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s hard-core,” Jordan said, sitting on the arm of Nicolette’s chair.
“I was serious,” Spencer said. And just because the last thing he needed was to see his best friend get his heart broken by his little sister, he added, “You don’t mess with a man’s sister.”
Nicolette rolled her eyes.
Jordan swallowed hard and stood up.
Brett stayed where he was, halfway to the door. Spencer didn’t like seeing his normally confident brother looking unsure of himself. I could throw him a bone. I am trying to be less of a dick. “Brett, what do you think I should say back? She said, ‘I had fun, too.’”
“Ask her to dinner,” Brett suggested as he walked over to stand with them.
“That’s unimaginative,” Nicolette said.
“Ask her to go in the simulator with you,” Jordan suggested.
“That’s creepy,” Nicolette countered.
“Have you already been on a date?” Brett asked.
“I took her to Mangiarelli’s for lunch today.”
Jordan chuckled. “Now that you have money, you sure know how to throw it around. Did you order a whole pizza or just a slice?”
“None of you are helpful,” Spencer said with a sigh.
S: Meet me tonight.
H: I can’t tonight.
S: Tomorrow then.
H: I have plans already.
“She doesn’t want to see me.”
“Ask her why,” Jordan said.
Nicolette slapped his thigh. “He can’t ask her why she doesn’t want to see him. What is she saying?”
Feeling about as ridiculous as a man could when he was sitting at his desk reading text messages to his family, Spencer asked exactly that. “I don’t get it. We had a real connection. I felt it.”
“I feel the same way every time I look at a centerfold.” Jordan sighed. “Then I remind myself they’re just one-dimensional, anyway.”
Nicolette slapped his leg again. “You’re such a dork.”
Brett took another step closer. “Wait.”
“For what?” Spencer asked.
“Just wait,” Brett said.
The longer they all just stared at each other, the more Spencer wished he hadn’t told them anything. Just when he was getting ready to wrap up all the fun, another message came in.
H: I could get a babysitter for Saturday.
“She could get a babysitter for Saturday,” Spencer announced triumphantly.
“She has a child?” Brett asked.
“She has custody of her niece.”
Brett went to stand beside his desk. “Tell her you’ll pick her up at noon. Close the deal.”
Spencer did, but then frowned when he saw her response. “She says she wants to meet me somewhere.”
“That’s not a good sign,” Jordan said.
“It’s because of her boss. She was telling me about the situation. The woman is a control freak with no boundaries. I hate the idea of Hailey working for someone like that. She wouldn’t even tell me her employer’s name. Jordan, can you find out where she works? You know, hack into something and just check if she’s safe there.”
Nicolette waved a hand in the air. “You think that would be respecting boundaries? I can’t believe you would ask Jordan to do something like that. I mean, that’s stalking.”
“Yeah,” Jordan said. “I’m offended that you’d even think I’d get involved in something like that.”
Really, Jordan? Like you haven’t done a complete social background investigation of every woman you’ve ever dated.
Brett said, “You could always help her find a new job.”
“I could.” He let the idea sink in and repeated more emphatically, “I could. I have a friend who owns a chain of department stores, and he owes me a favor. I’m sure he’d hire her.”
“I’d look into it,” Brett said firmly.
“After you ask her if she wants you to,” Nicolette corrected.
Jordan pointed toward the phone. “For now, you might want to just answer her.”
Brett said, “I have a two-hundred-fifty-two-foot yacht sitting in Boston Harbor.”
Jordan added, “I have a motorcycle. Sure, it’s not two hundred feet, but it instantly gets her wrapped around you and holding on.”
Shaking her head, Nicolette said, “Seriously?” She waited, but none of the men in the room had a response to that. She threw up her hands in surrender. “Of the two, I’d choose the motorcycle. It’s less pretentious. Take her for a picnic in Plymouth or on the Cape. Friends go for walks on the beach. And the beach can be romantic.”
Oh no, don’t get Jordan started.
“You like the beach?” Jordan asked.
Spencer sent him a look that shut him down. “The beach sounds good.” He texted the question to Hailey and waited. “She said yes,” he announced. “Looks like I’ll be borrowing your motorcycle, Jordan.”
“That’s fine. You can pick it up Friday.”
Spencer looked at each of them. “I don’t know about any of you, but I actually do have work waiting for me.”
Brett nodded. “Will we see you at Mom’s on Sunday?”
“Please,” Nicolette templed her hands in mock prayer.
“I don’t know,” Spencer replied, hedging. He might have met his family quota for the week. Especially if Sunday became an extension of this.
Jordan said, “This has been fun. I suppose I should try to get something done today.”
Nicolette stood. “I’ll walk out with you. I have a question for you, Jordan.”
Spencer leaned over his desk. “Nicolette—”
Jordan looked back and forth between brother and sister.
“I wasn’t going to ask him that,” Nicolette protested. She walked out in a huff. Jordan followed.
Brett lingered. “What are you afraid Nicolette is going to ask Jordan?”
“You know how siblings are. You do something stupid, and instead of watching and learning, they want to try it themselves.”
“What?”
“If Jordan gets engaged to her, I’ll fucking kill him.”