Snapdragon Way (Firefly Hollow Book 8)

by T. L. Haddix

  John winked at him and stole another fry.

  For the first time since he’d come home, Eli felt like the past was truly behind him. Like what he’d done to his parents was something he could be forgiven for. And if the day hadn’t been as awful and devastating as it was, he’d have laughed with pure joy.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  By the time she’d finished touring the trailer, Haley was ninety-nine percent certain she’d end up renting it. But she was so tired emotionally from everything that had happened the last few days, she knew better than to agree to anything at the moment.

  “Do you mind if I let you know tomorrow whether or not I want it?” she asked John and Zanny as they all headed out onto the porch.

  “Of course not. Like we told you earlier, take your time. We’ll send the rental agreement over to Eli’s e-mail tonight so you can look it over if you feel like it,” Zanny said. She touched Haley’s arm. “Do you need anything else?”

  Haley shook her head. “We’ll probably head back to the house. I don’t want to be away for too long. Thank you again.”

  Zanny hugged her. “You’re more than welcome. Call if you need us.” She reiterated the message to Eli, and then she and John were gone.

  Haley and Eli stood on the porch and watched them go. It was after four, and the sun was fading across the sky, the valley cast in shadow with only the tips of the mountain across the way gilded in bronze sunlight.

  “I need to run up to the house and grab some clean clothes,” Eli said. “Is that okay?”

  “Sure.” She followed him to the car. “You said it’s at the top of the mountain?”

  “It is, but there’s no direct route. We have to drive around.”

  “Okay.”

  As they went along, he casually pointed out this landmark or that. Haley listened with half an ear, she was so tired. A few minutes later, they reached a turnoff from the main road, a driveway marked with Private Property and No Trespassing signs.

  Eli gestured to his left. “That goes to Grandma and Grandpa’s. We’re to the right.”

  They weren’t quite to the top of the mountain when they reached the clearing a minute later, but they were close. The gravel road led to a decent-sized metal building, with a spur going off to the left to a smallish, modern-style wood house. A tall privacy fence separated the parking area from the rest of the clearing.

  “Here it is. Noah’s sanctuary.” Eli turned off the engine. “Want to come in?”

  She nodded. “I’m tired, but I’m also curious,” she admitted with a soft smile.

  Eli grinned. “It’s surprisingly normal given that the two of us live here. The metal building is the shop. Obviously, this is the house,” he said as he led her inside.

  The room opened up, the ceiling soaring up to allow for a loft area on the right, with two doors in the wall below. On the left, an elaborate yet modern kitchen was laid out. And directly across from the door was the living room, with a small dining area to the left.

  “This is nice,” she said, not bothering to hide her curiosity. “Not at all what I expected. Oh, my goodness. Who’s this? Is this the cat in the video?”

  A huge, long-haired, mostly white cat with calico patches was coming down the stairs, meowing with each step. She stopped a few feet up from the bottom when she saw Haley, and her meows took on a questioning tone.

  Eli sat down on the steps and started petting the cat. “It is. This is Fig. Fig, this is Haley. She’s a friend.”

  “She’s beautiful,” Haley said, easing closer.

  The cat, who’d climbed into Eli’s lap, gave a loud purr as though agreeing. When Haley held her hand out, Fig sniffed her fingers, then rubbed against them before coming the rest of the way down the steps to press against Haley’s legs.

  “She’s spoiled absolutely rotten,” Eli said with an indulgent smile as he stood. “And it’s close to dinner time, so she’s probably hungry. She’s Noah’s baby. Aren’t you?”

  Fig jumped up onto a stool beside the bar and watched them, purring the whole time.

  “I always wanted a cat,” Haley said. “It just never worked out.”

  Eli touched her shoulder, his hand warm and comfortingly familiar. “Maybe now it will. Do you want anything to eat, drink?”

  “No, but maybe the restroom?”

  He pointed to the first door under the stairs. “Right here. I’ll get changed and get my things while you do that.”

  She was finished before he was, and when she came back out, she carefully approached Fig, who was still on the stool. “Will you let me pet you, pretty girl?”

  The answer was yes, at least for a minute or so until a car door slammed outside. Fig was off the stool like a shot, trilling and singing as she paced back and forth in front of the door.

  “I think Noah’s home,” Haley said as Eli came out from the second door a moment later, bag in hand.

  “Yep. Get ready for a show.”

  When Noah opened the door, he was smiling, his focus on the cat. “Hey, Fig. There’s my girl. Come on.”

  He canted his right leg out, and to Haley’s astonishment, Fig jumped onto his knee, then into his arms. She butted his chin with her head, and Noah snuggled her into his arms like a baby.

  “Oh, my goodness.”

  Noah’s eyes flew to her and his cheeks turned pink. “Haley. Hi. I didn’t know you were here.”

  “I gathered.” The first real, deep amusement she’d felt in days hit her, and a low chuckle erupted, quickly turning into a full-blown laugh. “That’s about the sweetest, funniest thing I’ve ever seen. You should get it on video someday,” she told Eli, who was grinning.

  “I already did,” he said in a stage whisper.

  “Cut that out,” Noah said as he approached. “How are you, Haley?”

  “I’m… okay.”

  He studied her quickly, then looked down at Fig. “I’m sorry I wasn’t at the funeral.”

  She waved the words away. “I understand. Eli explained that you have a phobia of sorts. And I know you would have been there if you could.” Unlike Jenna, she thought, who had come to the- visitation briefly the night before the funeral with thinly veiled excuses to explain her inability to do anything more.

  The glance he exchanged with Eli was complicated, an undercurrent there that Haley didn’t understand.

  Noah shrugged. “Regardless, I know the last few days have been rough. How long are you two staying? I can have food ready in a flash.”

  Haley grimaced and looked at Eli. “Maybe a rain check? Things… got complicated after the funeral today. We need to get back to the house.”

  “Definitely a rain check,” Eli said. “She’s possibly going to be renting the trailer from Mom and Dad.”

  Noah was scowling. “Complicated. That usually means family problems. Do we need to go kick someone’s rear?”

  “No. What’s done is done. Spilled milk and all that.” She sighed. “I guess I need to start figuring out boxes and all the things that moving entails.”

  “I can help with that.” Noah put Fig down on the barstool she’d been on earlier. “How many boxes do you need? I have a ton of them in the shop. I’ve not broken them down yet.”

  She thought about her personal possessions. “Not many. Ten, fifteen? How big are they?”

  “Come on out if you have time. You can pick them out.” He cocked his head toward the door.

  “It won’t take five minutes,” Eli said.

  “Okay.” Knowing she’d be able to get a start on packing, she was more than happy to take the time.

  It took a smidge longer than five minutes, but by the time they left, the back of Eli’s SUV was full of boxes. As they started the drive back to her house, she let out a long breath.

  “How i
n the world am I supposed to differentiate my own things from what goes with the house, Eli? I don’t even know where to start. It’s my home.”

  She was dangerously close to crying as the reality of what she was facing started to set in. It was only because of sheer, stubborn willpower that she managed to hold the tears back.

  He touched her arm across the console. “That’s something we’ll figure out. I think right now, you should try to rest a little. Try not to get lost in the worry. I know that’s easier said than done.”

  Haley nodded tiredly. “Amen, hallelujah, and praise to God Almighty, that’s the truth.” Her voice held more than a hint of sarcasm, but she was too weary to worry about filtering her feelings or offending God at the moment. With the mess she’d been left in, she was going to cop an attitude if she damned well felt like it, even if it was only for a few minutes.

  When Eli saw her rubbing her arms, he scowled. “Are you cold?”

  “A little. Not too much,” she protested as he turned the fan up and the temperature dial farther into the red.

  “You have a seat warmer somewhere here, too.”

  She swatted gently at his hand, which was hovering over the control panel as he searched for it. “Let me find it. You drive.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Within seconds of having found the button, the seat was heating up. It was almost like an embrace, and she sighed with the comfort of it. “Oh, that’s nice.”

  “Wait until this winter. I think yours has them, too.”

  “Mm, it does,” she said around a yawn. Her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton each, and despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stay awake. “Might rest a bit,” she mumbled.

  The stress, lack of rest, and emotional devastation all combined with the heat of the seat to lull her to sleep. The last thing she remembered was Eli slowing down to get back on the main road, and she was out.

  Chapter Forty

  Eli jerked awake, his heart racing, his skin damp with sweat. As he fought for control of his breathing, his gaze shot around his surroundings. It took a minute for him to remember where he was—Haley’s couch. A glance at his watch told him it was close to two a.m.

  Moving as quietly as he could, he sat up, his hands gripping the front edge of the couch as he came to terms with the nightmare. When he thought he could breathe again, he ran his left hand down his leg, almost comforted to feel the stump. He probed the end carefully, swallowing hard when there were no broken bones sticking through the skin, no sore spots that indicated a problem.

  He’d just reached for Fido when Haley’s bedroom door opened quietly, and she tiptoed out. From where he sat on the couch, he had a clear view of the hall.

  She glanced over, and in the faint light shining through the windows, he could see her frown.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Just had a dream, that’s all. Are you?”

  She sighed. “Working on it. Excuse me.” She went to the bathroom and eased the door closed behind her.

  With Fido on, Eli got up and went to the fridge for some cold water. He stood at the kitchen sink as he drank and looked out into the yard, which was illuminated by a security light.

  Haley came into the room a few minutes later. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “You didn’t. Did I wake you?” he asked as she moved to stand beside him at the sink.

  “No. I’ve been tossing and turning. Tomorrow’s the big day. Rather, in the morning. Later today. You know what I mean.”

  Tomorrow was Saturday. She’d decided to accept his parents’ offer to rent the trailer, and since she didn’t have many possessions to worry about, packing hadn’t taken long at all. Zanny’d come through on her promise to rally the troops, and between her, Eli’s Aunt Emma, and Haley, they’d gotten everything in order on the trailer in two days. Noah would be at Haley’s in the morning with his work trailer and a couple of able-bodied helpers, and they’d have her moved by the afternoon.

  “I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I?” she asked.

  Eli turned to face her, his hand coming up to tuck her hair back behind her ear. “I think so. And remember, it’s not like it’s a permanent thing if you don’t want it to be. You’re protected by the lease, it’s a month-to-month, and it’ll give you time to explore your options.”

  When Haley hugged him, resting against him, he felt a pang of pleasure. That she was so willing to trust him, so comfortable touching him, gladdened his heart. He hugged her back, resting his chin on her head.

  “And I can teach Sarah to knit if I’m living so close,” she murmured.

  “Now, now. None of that, missy,” he teased, squeezing her tight.

  She looked at him with a cheeky grin. “What? I’m looking forward to seeing all you grandkids fastened to pillars and posts like you said you would be.”

  Watching her watch him, the temptation to kiss the daylights out of her was so strong, he didn’t know how in the world he was going to resist. He’d yet to take that step, and he was starting to want her with a longing that bordered on obsession. And standing so close to her, the quiet intimacy of the house pressing in on them, his body was starting to have a very real reaction.

  When she pulled back with a yawn, he didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed.

  “I should go back to bed, let you do the same. Morning comes early.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the bedroom, then back at him. “I don’t want to go back in there.”

  Eli caught her hand and laced their fingers together. “At all or by yourself?”

  She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I don’t know. I’m being ridiculous, I know.”

  “You are one of the least ridiculous people I know. Do you want me to go with you?”

  “Would you mind?” Her voice was so quiet, he had to strain to hear it.

  “No. Not at all.”

  “Okay, then.”

  Eli could see that she was uncomfortable with the idea, and he took the lead. He headed for the bedroom, gently tugging on her hand. “Come on. Let’s try to get some sleep.”

  “I’m a grown woman,” she told him. “I shouldn’t be so backward about this. Even if all you’re doing is sleeping in my bed. I’ve just never done this before.”

  He stopped in her doorway, smiling down at her. “You don’t know how happy I am that you’re ‘backward’ about this. Not that I’d mind if you weren’t, but if you think I’m judging you and finding you wanting, you’re wrong.”

  She hid her face, gently pinching his side. “Get on with you.”

  “Hey, you aren’t the only one with a first here,” he said as he sat on the side of the bed that was still made. “I’ve not… This is the first time since the accident…” He left it at that as he eased the prosthesis off.

  “I’ve seen your stump,” she reminded him quietly, touching his back. “It doesn’t bother me in the least if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  That was exactly what his concern was. Well, that and maneuverability during intimacy. “No?”

  “Nope.”

  Moving as casually as he could, he got under the covers and pulled the blankets up around them, wrapping his arm around Haley in the process. He snuggled her back into him and sighed. “Is this okay?”

  “Mm-hmmm. Good lord, you’re warm.” She slid her hand over his, holding on. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

  “Ask away.” He burrowed his face into the curve of her neck.

  “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?” she whispered.

  He tightened his arm around her waist. “Because when I kiss you for the first time, I want the time to do it properly. I want to be someplace that we can enjoy each other, someplace where we can take our time and not have to worry about interruptions. And I want to wait until the
moment isn’t clouded by other things.”

  He couldn’t resist the temptation to nuzzle her neck, feeling the soft skin against his lips. When her breathing hitched and increased, he felt a rush of gratifying relief.

  “But you do want to kiss me?” she asked.

  “Oh, yes. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you,” he admitted. “Do you want me to kiss you?”

  “So much it scares me.”

  Eli rubbed his cheek against her soft hair. “I know the feeling.”

  Haley sighed softly, most of the tension in her body dissipating. “Soon?”

  “Soon,” he promised. “Now, let’s get some sleep. Because this conversation… might drive me to howling at the moon if it goes much further.”

  He could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke. “Yeah?”

  In answer, he moved his hand lower, pulling her hips into closer contact with his.

  “Oh. I’m sorry.”

  Eli laughed, then planted a smacking kiss on the top of her shoulder. “I’m not. Go to sleep, ma’am.”

  “Yes, sir.” She shifted, snuggling down into the mattress. “My Eli,” she murmured, her voice fading.

  The words went straight through him, piercing his heart and turning him utterly inside out.

  “My Haley,” he whispered, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

  He knew a lot of men in his position—men coming off a disastrous first marriage that had left scars—would be feeling the need to run, to escape, to pull back. But being with Haley felt so right, so much like a homecoming, he couldn’t quite bring himself to be concerned. Not even when he realized that instead of running, he wanted to get closer.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Noah arrived a few minutes before nine the next morning, the box trailer bearing the logo for Campbell’s Customs in tow. Haley stood on the porch watching as he backed into the drive at Eli’s direction, skillfully following Eli’s hand signals. A dark-haired man she didn’t recognize was in the passenger seat.