“And I saw you looking after Viv instead of enjoying a good party,” Mad returned.
“She’s a sweetheart,” Lauren said with a smile. “I love kids. That’s why I became a teacher.”
“She’s not sweet,” Mad said. “I love her, but she’s not sweet.”
“All toddlers are sweet,” Lauren insisted. “With their chubby little cheeks and their little diaper waddle. And those curls!”
“You only watched her nap,” Mad said. “She wasn’t at full power yet.”
Lauren waved that away. “I think she’s great. When she woke up, she patted my cheek and called me thoo-per. I think she meant super.”
“Or stupid,” Mad said. “Sorry. Just putting that out there.”
Charlotte pulled the candy cane out of her mouth. “Stop trying to change the subject, Mad. What’s up with the love of your life?”
Mad got serious. “I don’t know. It seemed like it was going well. We hooked up, it was awesome, but one word from Ty and Park completely backed the hell off.”
Charlotte’s brown eyes flashed. “You tell Ty to butt out.” She scowled. “That one thinks he’s God’s gift to women.” She sucked her candy cane ferociously.
Mad faced front, feeling a little queasy and not sure if it was motion sickness or thinking about the way Park backed off.
“Ooh, Char,” Hailey chortled, wagging a finger in the air. “So much fire between you two!”
“Don’t even think about it,” Charlotte snapped, cutting off Hailey’s matchmaking tendencies. “Do you know what Ty did at the wedding reception?”
“What’d he do?” Hailey asked eagerly, peeking in the rearview mirror at Charlotte.
“Asked every single woman there to dance except me,” Charlotte announced. “Even Mad.”
“It’s true,” Mad said. “I told him to get lost. But, of course, in a more colorful way.”
“Of course,” Hailey said dryly.
“Do you really think he did it on purpose?” Lauren asked. “Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe he just ran out of songs to dance to. There were a lot of us women there.”
Mad turned back to shoot Lauren an exasperated look. The woman always saw the good in people and Ty had totally played Charlotte. But she didn’t need to say a word.
Charlotte did a classic head swivel and turned to Lauren. “Uh-uh. This was one big dis. He knew exactly what he was doing.”
“But why would he do that?” Lauren asked. “You’re the best dancer of all of us.”
“He’s playing a game,” Charlotte explained patiently. “Trying to get me to go to him.”
“She’s right,” Mad put in. “It was his hard-to-get ploy. My brothers are idiots.”
“Not all of them,” Lauren put in softly. “I wouldn’t have minded having a big brother to look after me. I just had my little sister. I was more like a mom to her than a sister because we’re ten years apart.”
“It’s great until they piss you off,” Mad said. “Then you just want to punch ’em.”
“Oh, I could never do that,” Lauren said earnestly. “Anyway, Josh and Jake are sweethearts.”
Hailey snorted. “Maybe Jake.”
“And Alex and Logan seemed nice,” Lauren added before popping the candy cane back in her mouth. She moved so quickly her long light brown hair got caught on the sticky candy. She carefully extricated her hair.
“They have their moments,” Mad conceded, turning back in her seat and sighing.
“Okay, back to Mad,” Hailey said. “I think her makeover was a hit. She got his attention, drew him in, and danced.”
“Don’t forget hooked up,” Charlotte said. She gave Mad’s shoulder a shake. “Go, girl.”
“Yeah,” Mad muttered. “Hard to forget.”
“But now we have to think about next steps,” Hailey said. “We have to call off Ty, who’s probably just doing his big-brother duty, and then look at how to go from hookup to an actual relationship. You could invite him to the New Year’s Eve party at Garner’s.”
“Sure, or I could just invite him to my bed,” Mad said. “We’re living together until he finds a job.”
“I didn’t know you were living together!” Hailey exclaimed. “I thought he was just there for the weekend. He’s not moving in with one of your brothers?”
“Ty lives in California, normally,” Mad said. “Right now he’s at a hotel in the city. Josh has a one-bedroom apartment, Alex has Viv, and Logan and Ethan share a place. Marcus is in the city. Park hates the city. Anyway, I think he wants to spend time with my dad. They’re close.”
“You can’t expect her to make a move with her dad around,” Charlotte put in.
“That could be extremely awkward for everyone,” Lauren said. “Do you have a trash bag in here? I can’t get my hair off my candy cane.”
“No, sorry,” Hailey said.
“I got it,” Mad said, grabbing some napkins from her messenger bag. She reached back and snagged the candy cane, stuffing it into the side pocket of her car door.
“Hey!” Hailey protested.
“I can work around my dad,” Mad said. “He works night shift and sleeps days. He’s the least of the problem. Park’s just so distant.”
“He’ll come around,” Hailey said confidently, still eyeing the sticky mess in the passenger door. Her zeal for matchmaking, however, could not be denied. “This is brand-new territory for Park. He’s still getting used to the fact that you’re an amazing, beautiful, smart, full-grown woman.”
Mad blinked rapidly. Hailey had a way of suddenly jabbing straight to the heart. “You too,” Mad mumbled. “Don’t worry. I’ll get rid of the candy cane mess when we get home.”
“Thanks!” Hailey said brightly. “But we don’t want Park to keep hooking up with you because it’s convenient and never branching into more intimate territory.”
“We were plenty intimate,” Mad quipped halfheartedly, but she knew Hailey was right. She wanted more with Park. No one had ever measured up. Truth was, she loved him. Always had. Always would. She’d never attempted a relationship with anyone else. Only Park would do.
“Now don’t take this the wrong way,” Charlotte started.
Mad groaned. “No good ever follows that sentence.”
But then Charlotte surprised her when she directed her comment to Hailey. “How do you know so much about relationships, Hailey? Tell us about yours.”
“I know a lot from my experience working closely with engaged couples,” Hailey asserted.
“So you never had a relationship?” Charlotte pressed.
“I’m still very young,” Hailey said.
“You think twenty-six is very young?” Charlotte asked in a tone that said reality check.
Hailey smiled tightly. “I need to establish my business first, create the foundation for a secure future. Believe me, when the time is right, I will search in earnest for Mr. Right.”
The women fell silent.
“That’s troubling,” Mad finally said. “How can I listen to your relationship advice when you’ve never had a relationship?”
Hailey huffed. “I told you—”
“I’m the opposite,” Charlotte said with the voice of hard experience. “I’ve had a series of awful relationships. I finally called it quits on men three years ago.”
“Do not tell me you haven’t been with a man in three years!” Mad exclaimed.
“I’ve been with men on my terms,” Charlotte said.
“Oh, that’s what I do,” Mad said.
“I used to eat my way through heartache,” Charlotte said. “And then I finally said fuck it, what am I doing one hundred pounds overweight over some jerk. I got a personal trainer, changed my eating habits, and got so into it I became a personal trainer myself.”
“Wow, that’s so cool,” Mad said, reaching back for a fist bump. Charlotte bumped her. “I never woulda guessed it. You’re so trim and strong.”
“Damn right,” Charlotte said.
“See, i
sn’t this great girl-bonding time?” Hailey said. “Nobody minds the tiny car, right?”
“Next we’ll be braiding each other’s hair,” Lauren put in.
They all laughed.
“All I can say is don’t make it easy on Park,” Charlotte said. “In fact, make yourself scarce at home so when you do show up looking hawt as hell, he’ll sit up and take notice.”
“She’s good,” Hailey said. “But remember you want to keep wearing pretty clothes and doing your hair. You don’t want him to see you as the same old Mad.”
“And tell Ty to fuck off,” Charlotte said.
“No one tells Ty to fuck off,” Mad said. “He’s a black belt. Serious muscles. Have you seen the man?”
“What’s he gonna do?” Charlotte asked with a snort. “Kick Park’s ass?”
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Mad said.
“When’s he go back to California?” Charlotte asked.
Mad lifted one shoulder up and down. “I don’t know. Probably after the New Year.”
“Then don’t worry about him,” Charlotte said. “If he gives you and Park a hard time, you come to me.”
At the hard tone in Charlotte’s voice, Mad turned to look at her. “And what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to level the playing field,” Charlotte said ominously.
Mad got a chill. That girl was seriously fierce.
The remaining hours passed quickly as they talked about the wedding and Claire and Jake’s honeymoon and where they’d each like to go for a honeymoon. Just before they got to Lauren’s apartment, Lauren confessed guiltily that she’d jumped ahead and finished reading The Princess Bride, staying up late last night to read it.
“Lauren!” Hailey exclaimed. “You know we always read chapter one together.” That was a book club tradition now. Hailey liked them to experience the story as a group from the start.
“Sorry,” Lauren said, not looking too sorry. “But it was so good!”
“Okay,” Hailey said. “Just wait on the movie until Claire can join us.”
“It’ll be tough, but I’ll try,” Lauren said.
“Swear it,” Hailey said.
“Fine,” Lauren said, all cranky like. “I swear.” Clearly she wanted to jump ahead, but they all knew she’d never break a promise.
After Hailey dropped off Lauren and then Charlotte at her house near the edge of Clover Park, she headed to the downtown area of Clover Park.
“Uh, you still have to drop me off,” Mad said. She lived in Eastman in the opposite direction.
“Do you mind stopping by Ludbury House with me?” Hailey’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, making her fingers white. “I got a call this morning that there was a break-in on Christmas. I need to look around and report on what’s missing.”
Mad’s jaw dropped. “You’re just mentioning this now?”
Hailey loosened her hold on the wheel and sighed. “I needed not to think about it for a while. I’m terrified, actually. Clover Park has always been so safe.”
“We’re getting you a security system.”
“Yes, of course. I never thought we needed one before. The police said the person smashed the glass on the back door and opened it that way.”
Mad blew out a breath. “Okay, no problem. I’ll go with you.”
Hailey glanced over. “I’m scared to go back to work after the New Year. I mean, I spend a lot of time there by myself. Sure, there’s occasional cooking classes, weddings, and planning appointments, but it’s also my office, and in between appointments, it’s just me.”
“The security system will help. And I’m teaching you self-defense.”
“I’m not very athletic,” Hailey said in a small voice. She forced a laugh even as her hands shook on the steering wheel. “You’ve seen me play basketball.”
It killed her to see the usually confident Hailey reduced to trembling. “You know how you’re teaching me to be pretty?”
“You’re already pretty. I’m just enhancing it.”
“I’m going to teach you to be a badass.”
Hailey straightened, eyes wide. “You really think you can?”
“Yes,” Mad said firmly.
Hailey stopped at a red light on Main Street and stared at Mad, part hopeful, part uncertain.
Mad barreled on confidently. “It will go against every bit of pageant training you’ve ever had. There’s no room for polite manners or graceful good looks when it comes to defending yourself. You’ve got to hit their weak spots hard. No mercy.”
Hailey’s hand went to her throat. “You’re scaring me.”
“Your eyelash curler scares me, but I still let you near my eye.”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “You knocked it out of my hand.”
“So let me get near you at the dojo and then you knock me away.”
“At the dojo?” Hailey screeched. “I don’t know how to do karate!” She faced front, saw the light was green, and hit the accelerator hard. “Oh, gosh. This all feels like too much.”
“Okay, okay. We’ll take it slow. How about a self-defense class with the book club? We could just do it at the high school gym with some mats. I’ll teach. Keep it simple.”
“Everyone?” Hailey brightened. “Like a singles mixer? Should we invite some single guys?”
“If they’d like to kiss the floor, then yeah.”
“Oh. Maybe we’ll just keep it us ladies.”
“I’ll find one guy to dress up in pads and helmet so we can practice on him. The bigger the better. Otherwise, sure, all girls sounds good.”
Hailey launched into her usual planning mode, which made Mad smile. That was more the Hailey she knew. “I’ll advertise to bring in some more single women. Maybe we can transition them from the class to our book club.”
“Sure.”
“This could be good,” Hailey said, enthusiasm gaining in her voice.
“It will be. I’ll toughen you up.”
Hailey nodded. “Okay. Yeah. Tough.” She bit her lower lip.
A few minutes later, Hailey pulled into the parking lot behind Ludbury House and turned off the car.
“Do you want to call the police to go in with us?” Mad asked. Not that she was worried about a break-in. She’d had them all the time in her old crappy Manhattan apartment. Usually she discovered it after they left and called the cops to report it. A few times she’d walked in on some guy looking for something valuable, but she had nothing worth shit. Just a TV. She’d bailed in a quick exit. Being the daughter of a cop, she always filed a report. Never knew if there was a pattern, maybe involving more people in the neighborhood. Anyway, they never returned. They weren’t there for her and she doubted this break-in on Christmas day in a completely empty mansion had been aimed at Hailey.
Hailey stared straight ahead, a death grip on the steering wheel. “No, I don’t need to call the police. They already checked on it this morning for me. No one’s there. I’m just, you know, spooked.”
Mad peeled Hailey’s hands off the steering wheel and squeezed them. “Repeat after me. Badass babe. Badass babe.” Sometimes you had to reach a person where they were at. She’d never call herself a babe. She was fierce, powerful, strong, a total badass, and she’d earned it through years of martial arts training. Eventually she’d get Hailey to think of herself the same way. It was the only way to live.
Hailey laughed. “Okay, let’s go.”
They went to the back porch. The police had taped over the broken panel of glass on the back door to keep the cold winter air out. Hailey unlocked the door and they stepped into a large kitchen gleaming with stainless steel appliances and a stainless steel prep table.
Hailey grabbed Mad’s arm. “Stay close,” she whispered.
“Yup.”
Hailey gulped, an audible sound.
Mad flicked on the light. They moved slowly through the first floor of the mansion from kitchen to pantry to closets. Mad turned on lights as they moved, causing Hailey to gasp
and look around wildly for intruders each time. She would’ve laughed if she didn’t know just how scared Hailey was. They moved to the front foyer and then to the parlor next to it.
Hailey stopped in front of the parlor fireplace. “The candlesticks are gone!” she exclaimed in a loud whisper. “They were silver, original to the house!” Ludbury House dated back more than a hundred years.
Mad spoke at a normal volume. “Maybe you should write this stuff down. Do you have pictures of them somewhere?”
Hailey stared at the empty spot where the candlesticks used to be for a long moment before turning back to Mad. “You know, I probably do from all the small weddings that happened in here. The larger ones go in the front foyer with the grand staircase or outside. They’d be in my office.”
Hailey headed confidently out of the room, across the hardwood foyer to her office on the other side. Mad followed and Hailey scribbled a note on a legal pad.
“Your laptop’s still here and the printer,” Mad said.
Hailey stopped and stared. “That’s good. But wouldn’t they make more money selling electronics than antiques?”
“Maybe they didn’t make it to this room before they had to bail. No one ever said criminals are smart.”
Hailey bit her lip, her pale blue eyes worried again.
“We need to check upstairs.” When Hailey didn’t move, Mad took the lead. “I’ll go.”
“No, wait! I’ll go with you.”
They went up the grand staircase to the former bedrooms now made into dressing rooms for the bridal party. A few rooms were completely empty. Nothing seemed to be missing. Mad turned off the lights again and they returned downstairs, stopping in the foyer.
Hailey’s brows furrowed. “All they took was the candlesticks. I find that more troubling than if they ransacked the place.” She crossed her arms and shivered. “It’s strange. Isn’t that strange?”
“Maybe it was a homeless person who just needed somewhere warm to crash for the night. They took the candlesticks for a little quick cash for their next meal.”
“A meal,” Hailey said. “That makes sense. Let’s check the refrigerator.”
They headed back to the kitchen. Hailey flung open the refrigerator door. Six yogurts and an assortment of condiments. Hailey just stood there and stared.
Inviting Trouble (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 2) Page 13