Resisting Fate

by Kylie Gilmore

  “Sounds good to me,” Lexi called.

  “Hailey, could you come in here?” Sabrina asked. “I wanted to talk to you about the new year.”

  “Just a minute!” Hailey caroled. “Let me just…” Some dishes banged into cabinets and then Hailey appeared in the living room. “Okay! What’re you planning?”

  Missy shifted to the arm of the sofa and Sabrina patted the empty spot next to her. Hailey headed over and sat, crossing her legs, and turned to Sabrina. “What can I help you with?”

  The room quieted. Everyone prepared to take Sabrina’s lead. She was the counselor, after all.

  Sabrina spoke in a gentle tone, her words direct. “Hailey, now that the holidays are over, it’s time for you to slow down.”

  “You’ve been scary hyper,” Missy put in.

  Hailey huffed. “I’m not scary hyper. I’ve just been—”

  “Working hard,” Sabrina interrupted. “Ever since—” she paused and Missy held her breath, wondering if Sabrina would confront Hailey on Josh “—well, ever since you decided to be open to relationships, ending your friends-with-benefits situation, you’ve had lots of loving energy pouring out.”

  “All over the place,” Lexi said.

  Sabrina sent Lexi a quelling look before turning back to Hailey. “And we all think you need to…focus that energy. It’s your turn to be loved.” She texted Mad for the signal while the rest of them chimed in with all of their good intentions.

  “She’s right!”

  “You deserve love!”

  “We want you to be happy!”

  Hailey gulped, her eyes shifting around the room nervously.

  There was a knock at the door. Hailey jerked upright, stiff as a board, staring at the door like the devil himself might walk through, Josh being the devil.

  “I’ll get it,” Sabrina said, rushing to the door and opening it.

  Mad stepped inside carrying two duffel bags. “I’m back!”

  Hailey sagged on the sofa. “Gah! I thought you ladies were doing some matchmaking, reversing the tables here.”

  “We totally should’ve done that!” Lexi exclaimed. They all shot her a dark look. “What? Turnabout is fair play.”

  Mad carefully set the duffel bags on the floor, opened one and pulled out a little scrap of white wiry-haired dog with too-big pointy ears and huge black eyes. The dog looked around curiously. Rose was a one-year-old terrier-Chihuahua mix, a little homely with her spare wiry tufts of fur, but they’d all thought Hailey would enjoy prettying her up with lots of grooming and doggy accessories. The dog was small enough for an apartment, feisty like Hailey, and already trained from her previous owner, an elderly woman who’d died unexpectedly.

  “You got a dog?” Hailey exclaimed. “Cool!”

  Mad didn’t reply, instead carrying Rose over to Hailey. “We thought a dog would calm you down.”

  “For me?” Hailey whispered.

  Sabrina piped up. “Dogs offer unconditional love, and that’s what we want for you. If you don’t want the responsibility—”

  “Are you kidding?” Hailey took Rose from Mad’s arms and cuddled her against her chest. “I love him already.” She got nose to nose with the dog, who licked her mouth. “He kissed me!”

  “It’s a her,” Missy said. “Her name is Rose, but you could change it.”

  “It’s perfect.” Hailey stroked the dog behind the ears. “Aren’t you so precious?” Tears leaked out of Hailey’s eyes, which Rose promptly licked. Sabrina stood, rubbing Hailey’s back, and smiled at the little dog. If Hailey hadn’t wanted Rose, Mad had planned to keep her. Or Sabrina. They both thought she was great.

  Hailey gave them all a watery smile. “These are happy tears. I’m just so touched that you thought of such a wonderful present for me.” She laughed and cooed to the dog. “Yes, you are a wonderful present! Who’s a cutie? You are!” She cuddled Rose against her, and the dog reached her front paws up to Hailey’s bare shoulder and rested her head between them. “She’s like a furry baby!”

  “Wire-hair dogs are supposed to be more hypoallergenic,” Sabrina said, “so you might be able to take her to work with you. Your clients should be okay.”

  Hailey stroked Rose’s little head. “Of course I’m bringing her to work! I’ll get her a little doggie bed and she can stay in my office. That’s one of the perks of owning my own business. In fact, she’s such a tiny thing, I’ll bring her everywhere. I’ll get one of those purses for dogs.”

  Mad held up the duffel bag with mesh sides. “This is her carrier.”

  “Great! I’ll put her in that with the top open and take her to the party tonight. It’s a good idea for her to get used to lots of people. After all, she’ll probably be attending a lot of weddings.”

  “Uh, sure,” Mad said uncertainly, looking to Sabrina.

  “You should probably check in with each client before you do that,” Sabrina said. “And give it a little time to see how Rose will feel about that.”

  “She’s fine!” Hailey declared. “Look, here she is with all of us and she’s so calm. She’s nearly asleep on my shoulder.” She turned to show them Rose, who was indeed resting, eyes droopy, on Hailey’s shoulder. Probably a pretty warm spot. “Thanks again, ladies, this is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”

  “She’s pretty good,” Mad said. “She’s been at my place for the last couple of weeks. She’s housebroken and knows how to sit, beg, and lie down.”

  Hailey stroked Rose’s tiny body. “She’s smart. I can tell already.”

  Mad retrieved the other duffel bag and put it on the kitchen counter. “This is her food, bowls, leash, and treats.”

  “Thanks, Mad,” Hailey said, her voice choked. “Thanks all of you. Group hug.”

  They all gathered close, hugging Hailey and petting little Rose, who didn’t bother to open her eyes. She’d found her safe spot with Hailey.

  After their hug, Hailey shifted Rose into her carrier, zipped it up, and made more baby talk at her through the mesh panel. She straightened. “I feel more relaxed already. Who’s ready to party?”

  “Party!” Lexi shouted, which made Rose growl in warning.

  “It’s okay, baby,” Hailey cooed to Rose. “Mama’s here.” She pulled on her white wool coat. “I’m driving over so Rose doesn’t get a chill. I’ve got room for two more if you want a ride.”

  They all piled into the available cars and drove the short distance to Garner’s. Hailey rented a basement apartment in an old Victorian in Clover Park only a few blocks away.

  By the time she got to Garner’s, Missy couldn’t wait to tell Ben how great their doggy intervention had gone. He’d been skeptical, saying Hailey might not even like dogs. The bar was crowded, noisy with conversation and rockin’ music from some speakers set up around the space. The tables had been cleared from the dining area on the right side to make room for more mingling. Along the half wall separating the dining area from the bar, a long table of appetizers had been set up. All the usual culprits—hot wings, pigs in blankets, and warm tortilla chips.

  She went on tiptoe, trying to find Ben. She knew the guys were here somewhere, but the bar was open to the community, so there were tons of people here she didn’t know too. She texted him, telling him she was here.

  Hailey came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Can you hold Rose for a minute while I take off my coat? I don’t want her to get accidentally stepped on.”

  “Sure,” Missy said, putting the carrier strap over her shoulder. Rose was so light.

  Hailey shrugged off her coat. White fur clung to her chest where Rose had been resting.

  Missy gestured to Hailey’s shirt. “You should probably get a lint brush.”

  Hailey glanced down at what was no doubt a designer shirt and picked some off with her fingers. “Guess I better get used to it.” She took the carrier back and unzipped it. Rose sat up, looking all around, her nose twitching as she sniffed the air. “Come on, I think Rose would like one of those p
igs in blankets.”

  “Sure.” Missy followed her over there, checking for a text from Ben. On my way. That was weird. She’d thought for sure he’d be here by now.

  They got to the table, and Hailey took Rose out of her carrier.

  “What is that?” Josh asked, appearing suddenly, staring at Rose. He poured fresh tortilla chips into the warming bin.

  Rose growled.

  “What do you mean, what is that?” Hailey asked. “This is my dog, Rose. She’s learning socialization.”

  Josh closed the distance between them. “You sure she’s a dog? She looks like a rat.”

  Hailey gasped, indignant beyond words. Rose bared her tiny teeth at Josh, growling, making the little dog look even more homely.

  “Not much of a looker,” Josh said, reaching out to pet Rose. The dog barked and barked and barked. Ear-piercing, high-pitched, teeth-jangling barks.

  Hailey stepped back from Josh, staring at Rose, who finally quieted, then at Josh. “She doesn’t like you.”

  Josh bared his teeth at Rose. “Maybe I don’t like her.”

  Hailey stroked Rose, talking to her soothingly as she retrieved a pig in a blanket, feeding Rose a tiny piece.

  “Those are for paying customers,” Josh said.

  “I’m paying,” Hailey said.

  “No dogs allowed,” Josh said, crossing his arms.

  Missy took a quick peek around for signs of Clarissa. If Josh and Hailey were going to get into it, Clarissa would surely intervene. She didn’t see her.

  “Is Clarissa here?” Missy asked Josh.

  “No,” he said, his eyes glued to Hailey’s dog. “There are health codes, you know.”

  Both Hailey and Rose growled at Josh.

  “Will Clarissa be here soon?” Missy asked Josh.

  A muscle ticked in Josh’s jaw, but he remained quiet, staring at Hailey.

  “She’s no trouble,” Hailey insisted, wiping Rose’s muzzle clean of flaky pastry crumbs from the pig in a blanket. “Are you, babykins? You just stay in your little carrier, happy as can be.”

  Josh stepped closer and Rose erupted in ferocious earsplitting barks.

  Hailey stared at Rose and eased away from Josh. “My goodness, that is some bark.” She looked to Josh. “You’d better go. She really doesn’t like when you get close.”

  “This is my bar!” Josh snapped. “If anyone has to go, it’s that little rat.”

  Hailey scowled. “It is not your bar. You just manage it.”

  Josh clenched his jaw, glaring at Hailey before stalking off.

  Missy watched him go, hoping Clarissa would be here soon because Missy had never seen Josh in such a foul mood. Josh retreated behind the bar and went back to work, filling drink orders.

  “Maybe you should take Rose home,” Missy told Hailey. “Josh said no dogs allowed. It is a restaurant.”

  Hailey lifted her chin. “Rose is my therapy dog. You’re allowed to have therapy dogs in restaurants.”

  “How can she be your therapy dog when you just got her? Don’t you have to have special training for that?”

  “We’ll start our training right after the new year. In the meantime, she’s my emotional therapy dog. I do feel more relaxed and calm when she’s with me.”

  “But Josh—”

  “Can pry her out of my cold dead hands.” Her icy tone was surprisingly intimidating coming from the normally perky woman.

  “Your call,” Missy said. Her phone vibrated with a text from Ben. I’m here. Meet me by the front door. “Gotta go,” she told Hailey, who didn’t notice, she was so busy cooing to little Rose.

  Her eyes locked on Ben standing in the entryway in his usual black leather jacket, faded jeans, and hiking boots. Her heart thumped a happy beat and she practically ran into his arms, hugging him. “Happy New Year!” she exclaimed.

  He smiled, his eyes warm and tender. “Not yet. Soon.”

  “What took you so long?”

  “I had a few things to do around the house.”

  She stared at him in confusion. “You were late for the party because you were cleaning?”

  “You’ll see,” he said mysteriously.

  They joined their friends, everyone in good spirits. Soon she was dancing crazy with her friends, Ben watching her with open amusement and affection, Missy’s heart full to bursting with all the love and friendship in the room. The time just flew by.

  Next thing she knew, it was nearly midnight, and Josh turned off the music for the big countdown.

  “Almost time!” Hailey shouted. She handed Rose’s carrier to Mad and stood on a chair, holding up ten fingers for the countdown. All eyes were on her—the women shocked that Hailey would climb up on a chair in a miniskirt. With her hands in the air, her midriff was exposed too. She was in great shape, all toned and curvy. The men stared at her bared belly while Hailey stared at the time on the TV over the bar with the Times Square New Year’s Eve countdown.

  Hailey started the countdown. “Ten…nine…eight—ah!”

  Josh had appeared out of nowhere, lifting her by the waist off the chair. Rose barked ferociously at Josh, and Hailey took her dog from Mad, talking to her soothingly and quickly moving away from Josh.

  Josh took Hailey’s place on the chair, continuing the countdown, the volume in the room getting louder with excitement. “Five…four…three…two…one!”

  “Happy…” Missy trailed off. The room was utterly silent. What happened? Why was everyone so quiet? She sucked in air. Ben was down on one knee in front of her, holding up a diamond ring.

  “Missy Higgins, my first and last love, will you marry me?”

  She slapped a hand over her mouth, trembling in shock. She nodded, her vision blurry from tears.

  He smiled. “I need the words, sweetheart.”

  She dropped her hand. “Yes.”

  The room erupted in cheers. Ben slipped the ring on her finger, rose to his feet, and pulled her into his arms. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Wild applause rang through her ears, confetti raining down over them. By the time they came up for air, grinning like fools, their friends were busy wishing each other happy New Year.

  All of the couples were kissing—Mad and Parker, Charlotte and Ty, Lauren and Alex, Carrie and Zach, Ally and Ethan. Sabrina accepted a kiss on the cheek from Marcus, as did Lexi. Logan elbowed Marcus out of the way and hugged Lexi. Logan then held out his arms to Sabrina, smiling and letting her come to him. Sabrina held out her arms awkwardly, all stiff, her arms at weird angles. They engaged in the world’s most awkward hug—Sabrina patting his back with one hand, the other hand on his elbow—before breaking apart, both of them looking away. Weird. Missy had thought Sabrina, being a relationship counselor, would be much smoother with men. Well, she was a little shy. Maybe she didn’t have a lot of personal experience. Sabrina had never shared much about men, but Missy had assumed that was because she was a private person.

  “Let’s get some champagne,” Missy told Ben.

  “A toast to a new year and a new life.” He brushed his thumb over her lower lip and pressed on it before kissing her gently. “With my soon-to-be wife.”

  She beamed. “I love you so much I want to yell it to the world.”

  “Feel free.”

  “I love Ben Wright!” she shouted.

  “We know!” her friends shouted back. Everyone laughed.

  They headed to the bar, where Josh was already hard at work, pouring fresh glasses of champagne. They had a fantastic chaotic toast, everyone talking and laughing all at once before Hailey took control to properly toast to Missy and Ben. She was such an awesome friend.

  Clarissa never did show up.

  After a private toast with Ben that was more kissing than sipping champagne, she and Ben left, eager to go back to his place. Which would soon be her place too; Ben was moving her in tomorrow.

  When they got there, he guided her into the house from the garage, one hand on the small of her back.

&nb
sp; She stepped into the dark kitchen. “Turn on the light.”

  Ben put a hand over her eyes and turned on the light. “We’re moving, we’re moving,” he said in her ear, guiding her through the house.

  “What in the world are you up to?”

  “You’ll see.” They moved quite a distance before he finally stopped. “This is why I was late.” He dropped his hand from her eyes at the foot of the stairs. Rose petals were strewn on the stairs, making a path through the upstairs hallway. No one had ever made her a rose-petal path. It was so beautifully romantic. Her throat tightened.

  “Ben,” she whispered. That was it. She had no more words.

  “I wanted our first night as an engaged couple to be special.”

  She turned to him with a smile. “You were pretty sure I’d say yes.”

  He kissed her and spoke against her lips. “We both know it was a done deal.” He took her hand, entwining his fingers with hers, and walked upstairs with her. “You can’t resist me. Besides our informal engagement in front of my grandmother is binding in a court of grandmom law.”

  She laughed. “I was not aware of that.”

  “Oh, yeah, serious stuff.”

  They reached the upstairs hallway and he gestured for her to go ahead. She followed the rose petals to the bedroom. The petals made a path to the bed, where he’d put more petals in the shape of a heart. He turned the light on, dimmed it, and then lit white candles set around the room.

  She would’ve swooned if she were the type. As it was, she was overwhelmed by the generosity and tenderness of this man. She’d never experienced anything like it, and now she’d have the rest of her life with him. She was so damn lucky she could hardly believe it was all real. She watched him take off his hiking boots and set them to the side, still in a state of shock. How was this her life? The most amazing sexy loving thoughtful man in the world was her fiancé?

  She blinked away tears, clearing her vision. He got in bed, lying sideways near the top of the heart and gesturing to it. “Climb on board, the love bed is ready.”

  She didn’t know whether to laugh or burst into happy tears.