Squeezing him hard, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Grandpa. But, wrong or right, you can’t do this for me. No one can. I have to fuddle my way through all of this on my own. No,” she amended. “I take that back. You can pray that God will lead me.”
An hour later she walked out of Sam’s. Still fuddled and feeling restless, she’d excused herself ahead of the crowd. Outside, bowing her head against a blast of cold air, she’d only walked a few steps when she heard someone call Will’s name. She looked up to see Ashby Templeton, the owner of the dress store, waving at Will as he stepped from his truck.
Irrationally panicked, Haley practically dove off the sidewalk to hide behind a truck so that Will wouldn’t see her. It was the silliest thing in the world for her to do. But after not seeing him for three days and suddenly to be confronted with him like this, she reacted all…Haley Bell-ish!
She enhanced the image further when she peeked around the edge of the truck cab to watch him.
“Will,” Ashby called. “Could you help me for a minute?”
The smile he gave Ashby curled Haley’s toes, and as he strode purposefully across the street toward the willowy brunette, Haley felt a stab of jealousy slash through her. When he laughed at something she said as he stepped up onto the sidewalk beside her, Haley felt sick. It was worse when they disappeared into the dress store, and Haley wanted to follow them.
Jealousy—the very idea irked Haley. Will Sutton could help every single woman who lived or came to visit Mule Hollow, and it shouldn’t matter to her. Not in the least. After all, they were done. Weren’t they?
The sound of an approaching truck reminded Haley that she needed to move on. She certainly didn’t want anyone to see her hiding between trucks and start a new Haley Bell story, so she stepped back onto the sidewalk and hurried toward the community center. Berating herself all the way. Really, what did it matter to her if Will had been beaming like a lantern when Ashby had called his name? If there was no future for them, then she should be prepared for someone else to make a play for Will’s heart. The idea didn’t sit well with her. Still, as she let herself into the building, she reluctantly glanced back across the street. He was still inside the store. What could he be doing?
Pushing the question away, she went to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. Since everyone would be working late, she knew coffee would be needed. She needed it. She saw that Dottie or one of the ladies from the Sweet Shop had dropped off a pan of brownies and some fudge as a treat for everyone. Haley thought that was really nice since they were working overtime trying to get enough stock made up to sell over the next two days. Haley opened the cabinet and pulled out the coffee canister and filter. Within moments she had the coffee brewing, but her attempt to distract herself with the task didn’t do the job. The tickle at the back of her mind was hard to ignore. What was he doing over there at Ashby’s?
Unable to stand it any longer, she stomped to the large front window and peered out like a nosy neighbor. She saw immediately that dinner was over at Sam’s and there was a stampede of people coming down the sidewalk to report for dress rehearsal.
She also noted that neither Ashby nor Will were part of the group.
Seized by an irrational wave of guilt, despite no one knowing she’d been spying on Will, she spun from the window. Searching for something to do, she grabbed up a tablecloth and unfurled it over a table just as the doors flew open. People flooded inside in a rush of laughter and jokes.
It was a loud few moments of hustle and flow as people separated into their places for the night. All those with parts headed to the back of the building to the dressing rooms where they would change into their costumes for the first time. Adela went with the cast, since she was in charge of fitting and altering costumes. To Haley’s dismay, Esther Mae hurried over to help her.
“I thought you were helping with costumes?” Haley said, trying not to sound too hopeful. Her head was too full of the sudden idea that if she wasn’t careful, she might lose Will forever.
Esther shook her head. “Adela will call me if she needs me.”
Haley nodded, her attention snagged on Molly as her dark-headed husband, Bob, gave her a quick kiss. Haley watched the way they looked at each other before he headed to the back to change. As if not wanting to be away from her too long, he teasingly tugged on one of her dark curls before striding toward the dressing rooms. It was a sweet, endearing exchange that suddenly caused a lump to form in Haley’s throat. Overwhelmed with sentiment, she busied herself with smoothing out the tablecloth, her thoughts swinging to Will. She was filled with a sense of urgency that she didn’t want to feel. She’d been praying and asking the Lord to guide her, calmly. She didn’t want to fall into her old pattern of making overly emotional decisions. Easier said than done when thoughts of the man hounded her. Again.
Everything made her think of him. As if he’d heard her, he slipped into the building a moment later, tall, breathtakingly handsome and smiling down at Ashby. He was carrying a box, and they looked so much like one of the other couples that Haley lost her breath.
“They are the cutest couple,” Esther Mae sighed. “They remind me of me and my Hank twenty years ago.”
Haley shot a glare at the older woman, only then realizing Esther Mae was watching Molly and Bob, referring to them, not Will and Ashby. Haley should have felt relieved—well, technically she shouldn’t have been feeling anything. But that was moot at this point because she was startled by the sheer force of emotion raging through her. Even her hands trembled.
Thank goodness no one beside her seemed to notice her dilemma. Norma Sue’s appearance that instant was a blessing.
“Everything reminds you of you and Hank,” she said in a hushed whisper coming down the aisle from the dressing room. “Now, what’s up, Haley? We figure things must be going pretty good between you and Will, you know with you moving back and all,” she said, looking at Haley expectantly.
So much for thinking she was going to swing through the night untouched. Haley picked up another tablecloth and held on to it like a shield. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’ve sworn off men for at least a year. And Will Sutton for life!” Where had that come from?
“A year?” Esther Mae shrieked, immediately drawing looks from everyone as she made a beeline around the edge of the table to hover beside Norma Sue, who was looking flabbergasted herself.
“Did you say a year?” she grunted disbelieving. “Where in the world did that come from?”
Haley felt a little put out, especially since the words had just popped out of her mouth. She’d been just as surprised to hear the news as they had, but now that she thought about it, maybe it was for the best. She needed to get her head on straight before she thought about moving forward romantically with anyone. Particularly if she were going to make sensible decisions and give the Lord a chance to guide her.
“Yes. A year,” she said forcefully. “And I just decided it this minute.” It wouldn’t be the first time she’d made a spur-of-the-moment decision, and she’d come to realize that it probably wouldn’t be her last. But this at least sounded like the right choice, despite her heart telling her she was a fool.
“And no Will?” Esther Mae whispered, a hand coming up to rest against her cheek.
Haley nodded emphatically. No Will. Absolutely!
“Well, this will not do. Not do at all,” Esther Mae said, fanning herself with her hands, her brow furrowed.
Norma Sue patted her friend’s arm. “Now, calm down, Esther Mae. It’s just time. Time changes everything.”
“Time,” Ester wailed, then ducked her chin in an effort to be inconspicuous.
Too late for that—everyone was watching them. Including Will and her frowning grandpa. Haley got a lump in her stomach that knotted up and burned like fire. She was probably getting an ulcer. She was realizing that coming back to Mule Hollow was going to be harder than she thought. Spinning away from Will’s observant eyes, she attacked the slightly wrinkled tableclo
th with a vengeance, feeling more foolish and lost than ever. Wasn’t trusting the Lord supposed to make things better? Norma Sue and Esther Mae jumped into the fray, smoothing wrinkles down the long table.
“Haley, obviously you haven’t noticed how Will looks at you when you aren’t looking at him,” Esther Mae said, almost breathless from the fast pace they were all working at in their wrinkle smoothing. “Why, the man gazes at you so wistfully that it makes my heart go pitter-patter.”
“It doesn’t matter to me how he looks at me,” she snapped, while her heart did a little of its own pitter-pattering thinking about Will watching her wistfully. She pushed the idea away.
Lacy called all actors to the stage—which meant that Norma Sue would at least have to give up her harassment for the moment. She gave Haley a come-on-get-yourself-together-girl look before she headed off to join the cast. When Esther Mae started to speak, Haley beat her to it, needing space to try and clear her head. “I’m going to go get some supplies from the back, Esther Mae.” Her hands were shaking as she hurried toward the back. Halfway there she had to pass by Will, and despite everything, her eyes were drawn to him. He was watching her, too, with somber dark eyes. She wished she’d kept her eyes to herself as she tore her gaze away and quickened her steps.
The storeroom was past the kitchen on the opposite side of the big room from the dressing rooms, so it was a safe place to go for some much-needed peace. Almost in panic mode, she would have kept walking straight out the back door, which was directly to the back of the storeroom, if she’d had her car waiting. But she’d ridden in with Applegate, saving her from an easy escape. Still, as she slumped against the wall, it was all she could do not to run. Reeling, she slid down to sit on the top of the metal trash can squeezed between a wall of wide shelves and a row of cabinets. With only the mop and broom to see her, she dropped her forehead into her hands. What was she doing?
Maybe Sugar was right. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
No.
She was a big girl, and despite the convoluted feelings that seemed to be stopping up her lines of communication between her head and her heart, Haley knew moving home was the right thing to do. If she could just make it through the holidays, then it would be easier. After all, the holidays were hard on her every year. No matter where she was and despite having denied it to Applegate, it had everything to do with tomorrow.
The day that would have been her wedding anniversary if she’d married Will ten years ago.
“Haley.”
The sound of Will’s voice sent ripples of unwanted happiness coursing through her. He stepped around the doorway and blocked her exit, filling the room with his presence.
“What do you want?” The words sounded harsher than she’d meant them to. “You said you would stay out of my way.” He couldn’t know how much she needed to keep distance between them.
“Everyone giving you a hard time?”
He’d read between the lines and she shot him a disgruntled look that said it all. How could she find her own way with so many trying to give her directions?
“It will get better, Haley.”
Easy for him to say. She rammed her hands though her hair and closed her eyes. “I hope so,” she sighed, wishing he would leave. Needing him to leave.
After a moment of silence, she got her wish and, though her eyes were closed, she felt him turn to go.
Her eyes flew open. “Wait.” The word tore from her, stopping him. He turned slowly. “Why did you do it? Why did you move away after you were going to make me stay?” She didn’t have to elaborate. He knew what she wanted to know. What she needed to know.
His expressive brown eyes softened. “Because running isn’t something unique to you, Haley. I may have tried to keep you here out of a misguided effort to love and protect you but…” He paused, his beautiful voice drifting away as his gaze sharpened with emotion that tore at her defenses. “After you left there was nothing for me here. And everywhere I looked I saw you. I couldn’t take that day in and day out.”
“Then why did you come back?” She pulled her eyes away from his gaze and studied her tightly clasped hands.
“I didn’t realize it then but I think a part of me was hoping you would come home. I came back for you, Haley.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The play went well on Friday night. The house was packed. Women were everywhere. After all, Mule Hollow was the little town that advertised for wives. It was the little town that Lacy Brown had painted the colors of the rainbow and Molly Popp wrote about in her weekly newspaper column, and it was the place a bunch of women hoped to find their one, true love.
Yeah, right, Will thought sullenly. He’d hoped for the same thing. And he’d found it, but so far, it hadn’t done him a bit of good.
Tonight he watched from behind the scenes, literally, as he and Applegate took care of changing the scenes between acts. He watched the play on autopilot, his thoughts with Haley instead. After his revelation to her the night before, she had looked at him with such disgust that he’d left her there. After all, he’d promised her he’d stay away from her. For the rest of the night they’d kept their distance and, despite Applegate’s hounding that he needed to do something, Will went home from rehearsal feeling like his world was once again crashing in around him.
His commitment to the show and a long talk with the Lord had helped him make the drive into town tonight for the opening night of the production. Even Applegate was quiet as they managed the scene changes together. Both of them knew that it should have been Will’s ten-year anniversary. Until last night when she’d looked at him with such disdain, he’d held hopes that today would be different. That today might have dawned with hope in it for a new beginning. The reality was that any future for them looked bleak.
When the play was over and the lights went out, Will escaped to his truck with every intention of disappearing for the remainder of the night. The play had gone well. The attendance was staggering, and the remainder of the evening promised to be a festive celebration.
All the more reason for him to leave. He was getting into his truck when Clint stopped him.
“Buddy, are you okay?”
“Hey, Clint.” Will glanced at his friend. They were alone since everyone was already down at Sam’s for cookies and punch. “Honestly, I’m not doing okay. I’m tired, Clint. It seems like I’ve been trying my whole life to build a life. But it boils down to this—if Haley isn’t going to share it with me then I’m just spinning my wheels. I know that and am at a loss as to what to do.”
Clint studied him. “Every relationship has obstacles to overcome, Will. Admittedly, the two of you have a hard history to overcome, but it can be done. It’s going to take time.”
Will gave a caustic grunt. Time. He felt like he’d wasted half his life and time was running out.
“Trust the Lord, Will. It might not seem like it, but He’s got your back.”
Will studied the dark sky. He knew it was true. That God hadn’t forsaken him. He knew in his heart that if it was His will, anything was possible. Even Haley being able to forgive him. If she could ever do that then maybe she could love him again. But it was the maybe that pained him.
“So, why are you leaving?” Clint asked.
“I’m not feeling very sociable. And I promised her I’d stay out of her way if she moved back to Mule Hollow.”
Clint looked at him as if he were loco. “Well, why would you want to do something like that?”
“Desperate, I guess. Only thing I could think of to keep her from running off again.” Will started the engine of his truck and shifted to Reverse.
Grinning, Clint stepped away from the truck. “Sounds to me like you need to come up with another plan.”
Will drove off wishing someone would give him a better plan because at the moment he was all out of ideas.
The production had gone well Friday night. Haley had purposefully taken her car to town in case she’d needed to
leave. Not run, but leave to go back to Applegate’s. She’d committed to not running and she wasn’t no matter what.
She’d helped Adela take tickets at the door and thus hadn’t needed to have any contact with Will, though she’d found herself watching him in the shadows for most of the evening. He’d looked grim the entire night. His eyes, troubled, almost pained.
The look cut Haley as nothing else had. He was hurting and it was plain to see. But at the rehearsal when he’d said he’d come back for her, she hadn’t said anything. She’d been afraid to trust the emotions his words stirred within her. Watching him on Friday night, still unable to understand the emotions bashing around inside of her, she left as soon as the program was over.
By Saturday morning she was a wreck. She’d had a hard night and the day didn’t get any better. Her emotions were so raw and conflicting that she spent most of it out riding her horse. Hiding out from Applegate and also needing to distance herself from the pain she’d seen in Will’s eyes. The pain, which just a few weeks ago would have made her feel vindicated, but today made her feel empty.
She arrived at the second and final presentation knowing something had to change, because she couldn’t continue with turmoil. She prayed for God to lead her.
When Will didn’t show up for the final performance, she found it hard to concentrate on anything except worrying about where he was.
She’d hoped to see him, had wanted him to be there.
The realization came as she watched Molly and Bob portraying Mary and Joseph in the play. Haley was suddenly struck by the bond that built between them as they shared in the extraordinary experience that God had chosen them for. Though they faced much trial and tribulation along the nine-month journey to Jesus’s birth, God had blessed them with His love, strength and faith that they were the chosen couple. He’d also blessed them with each other’s strength.
Operation: Married by Christmas Page 17