Haley looked at the shimmery blue top she had on. “I don’t know, Missy. Isn't it too dressy?”
Melissa frowned. “You’re dating now, not hanging out with a friend. It’s okay to be more dressed up sometimes.”
“But I’m cooking him dinner at my apartment tonight.” This dating business was beginning to seem more complicated than Haley had anticipated. “He’ll probably be wearing jeans.”
“So will you.” Missy crossed her arms in a stubborn stance. “That top will look fantastic with a pair of skinny jeans.”
Wait a minute. “I don’t own a pair of skinny jeans.” And she wasn’t sure she wanted to, either.
Determination was in Missy’s eyes. “You will when we’re finished shopping. Maybe more than one pair.” She gestured toward Haley’s reflection. “With your build, you’ll look fabulous in them.”
Over an hour later, Haley found herself laden with bags containing six new tops, including the blue one, and four new pairs of skinny jeans, as they walked along the concourse of the mall. She still couldn’t believe she’d let Melissa talk her into buying them in different colors. But she had to admit, her legs looked even longer in them.
“Now, how about shoes?” The eager look in Melissa’s eyes made Haley laugh.
“I have enough shoes.” Who looked at feet, anyway?
Melissa clucked her tongue while shaking her head. “You can’t wear just any shoes with those jeans and that blue top.”
Haley started to protest, but one look at her friend’s face told her she would be wasting her breath. “Lead the way.” Her savings account was taking a beating.
They had just come out of the shoe store when a voice spoke from directly behind them.
“I’m glad you bought those heels, Haley. You look pretty in them.”
Both women whirled around, Haley mortified, to find a grinning Wyatt Millan.
“Were you watching us try on shoes?” Melissa asked incredulously.
He slid his sunglasses down his nose and looked over them. The expression in them sickened Haley. “I saw Haley when I was walking by, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her sexy feet.”
Haley honestly couldn’t think of anything for a Christian woman to say. She grabbed the gaping Melissa’s arm and pulled her around. “Let’s go, Missy.”
“Stalk much?” Melissa muttered as the two women practically jogged away from the offensive man.
Haley cast a furtive glance over her shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Wyatt walking in the opposite direction. “Is he acting like this just because I invited him to church? I’ve never done anything to lead him on, have I?”
“He’s weird.” Melissa was blunt. “Did you notice how he acted at church last week?”
“Not really.” Haley had been so content sitting beside Beau she hadn’t paid attention to Wyatt Millan. “What did he do?”
Melissa steered Haley down the hall leading toward the food court. “He practically knocked Evelyn Carmichael off the end of the pew, squeezing in between Mel and Clay Richmond. Then he kept whispering to Clay all throughout the service.” She grimaced. “I tried not to let him distract me, but you know how it is. Once you notice something like that, it’s hard to ignore.”
“I’m glad I didn’t see him.” In all honesty, Haley hadn’t worshiped very well herself; she’d been too busy silently praying Beau was getting something out of it. "Where are we going?” The bags in her hands weren’t light, and if Melissa gripped her arm any tighter, the circulation was going to be cut off.
“I need a cookie.” Missy came to an abrupt halt in front of Cady’s Cookies and Coffee, causing Haley’s bags to swing wildly in front of her.
Before Haley could stop her, Melissa ordered a giant double-chocolate-chip cookie and café latte for each of them. She started to ask Missy how she was going to fit into her new jeans after eating a late afternoon snack like that. But after seeing the look of sheer delight on her friend’s face, Haley didn’t have the heart.
They had barely sat down before Melissa had her cookie out. She moaned with pleasure as she took her first bite.”Thith ith good.”
Melissa must have seen Haley hide her smile.
“My manners are atrocious.” Missy now had nothing in her mouth. “You just try growing up with an ox. If I didn’t grab what I wanted, Mitch would have eaten it.”
Haley had heard many of Missy’s giant twin woes. She broke off a piece of her cookie and put it in her mouth. Her friend was right; it was extraordinarily good.
The two women ate in silence for a few minutes before Missy spoke.
“So, Hardy broke a date last night.”
“He had to.” Haley immediately had to defend him. “Mitch needed him down at the reservoir. I think all the deputies were there.”
Missy seemed satisfied with Haley’s response. “So, tell me what it’s like to date Beau Harding. What does he like to do?”
“I think he likes everything.” If there was any dating activity Beau didn’t like, she’d yet to find it. "I still can’t believe he took me to Six Flags.”
“That’s not very romantic for a first date.” Melissa blew on her hot coffee.
Haley had to object. “It was perfect. It was one of the last weekends of the season, so it wasn’t crowded, and we talked a lot.” She paused to catch her breath. “He took me on every roller coaster there except the one that takes you upside down. I refused to ride that one.”
An amused expression was now on Missy’s face. “You sound like a teenager.”
“I feel like one,” Haley had to admit. “We’ve gone bowling and roller skating. On Thursday night, he took me to the movies, and we went to the new Robert Harper film. You know, that love story.”
Melissa sighed. “I’m jealous. Joe likes to watch action movies, and that’s about all we ever go see.” A wry smile appeared. “I probably know more martial arts moves than a black belt. And if you want to know about guns, just ask me.”
Haley chuckled at her friend’s woebegone expression. “Maybe we can double date sometime, and Beau will rub off on Joe a little.”
“Joe said he’s going to invite Hardy out to the pond to fish.” Missy used a napkin to wipe off her latte mustache. “He says they need to get to know each other since you and I are best friends. They’ll be stuck together anyway.”
“Hey, I forgot to ask,” Haley slid her coffee aside. “Did you decide on a dress?”
As usual, Melissa was excited to discuss her wedding. The two of them shared ideas and made plans as they finished their shopping trip. And before she knew it, Haley was at home waiting for six-thirty, and Beau, to get there.
Chapter 41
Hardy turned over and looked at the clock with disbelief. He hadn’t slept this late since the early days of recovery from his gunshot wound. But since it had been nearly ten o’clock when he finally got home this morning, four-thirty didn’t seem that bad.
As he took his shower a short while later, he found himself picturing the van as it came out of the reservoir, water gushing out. Mitch had called every single one of his deputies to be there, and the state police were there in full force. They all thought they would be close to solving the case when they looked in the vehicle.
As soon as it was possible, Mitch located the VIN and radioed it in. Then it didn’t take long for everybody’s hopes to be dashed. The van had been reported stolen nearly six weeks ago. It disappeared from behind the owner’s plumbing business in a small town near Elkhorn, Wisconsin. The van was now at the state crime lab, but there was little hope of finding any viable evidence after sitting under water for days. It was another piece of a very confusing puzzle.
As soon as Hardy was dressed and ready to go, he set about taking care of an important task. It took him a minute to retrieve the small black notebook he kept hidden in a shoe, and another few moments to locate the number he needed.
Just when Hardy was sure he would be sent to voice mail, a woman answered.
“Anne?”
“Yes.” A hint of uncertainty was in her voice.
“It’s Hardy Davis.”
“I don’t know who you are, but Harding Davis is dead.” Now Hardy could hear a touch of defiance.
“It’s a long story, Anne, but it’s me. I tricked Derek with the fake drug bust, remember?”
There was a moment of silence, and then a timid voice came back. “How do you know about that?”
Hardy sighed. While he hadn't expected this to be easy, he hadn’t anticipated it being this difficult. “I know because I’m the person who set it up, Anne. Derek cried like a baby. I was the only person there to see him other than you and Buck. Nobody else knows what happened. We promised Derek we wouldn’t tell. Remember?”
“But how…Hardy, is it really you?” Anne Swanson sounded shocked.
“Yes. I can’t give you any details, and as far as everybody else knows, I’m still dead.” Now if he could convince her husband who he was. “I need to talk to Buck. It’s important, or I wouldn’t have bothered you.”
“Hardy?” Buck Swanson’s ear-splitting voice boomed over the phone.
“Hi, Buck.” Now he’d have to see if Coach Swanson needed convincing.
“Something told me you weren’t dead.” And if anybody were within four city blocks of the man, they knew Hardy was alive, too. “How are you?”
"I'm great.” He may not be able to hear out of his right ear for a few days was all. “But I need to ask you for a favor.”
“Anything.” The older man hadn’t hesitated. “Derek is a senior at Virginia Tech. He’s going to graduate with high honors, and it’s all because of what you did. I owe you everything.”
“Like I told Anne, as far as everybody else knows, I have to stay dead,” Hardy cautioned him.
“Of course, you do!” Buck declared. “You don’t want that Dohner fella after you.”
“I’m living in a small town in Illinois, and there’s a young man here who needs some help. He made some poor choices and ended up serving some time in jail.”
“How can I help?” The coach eagerly offered.
“I haven’t seen him play, but the word is he’s an excellent quarterback. He earned a GED while he was in jail, and finances might be a problem, but if he can get into ICC next year, will you let him try out for the team?”
“Give me his name and telephone number,” Buck directed Hardy. “I’ll see to it he starts school next semester, and then he can try out for football next season. If he doesn’t qualify for financial aid or a scholarship, I’ll finance him myself. Anne and I have been talking about becoming foster parents since Derek’s gone, so I don’t see much difference in helping a young man get a good start in life.”
Hardy was deeply touched. “Thank you, Buck. But if he doesn’t qualify, let me know. I’ll take care of him.”
They argued good-naturedly and ended with the decision that in the unlikely event Sammy Lewis wasn’t a good enough player for a scholarship, the two of them would split the cost of his education down the middle. Hardy gave Sammy’s phone number to Buck before thanking the coach and ending the call.
After making sure he had time, Hardy made another phone call.
“Hello?” His mom sounded tired.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, Beau.”
“How are you?” Hardy once more found himself wishing he could see his parents.
“Your dad had a rough night.” She then went on to describe twelve hours with frequent fits of nearly hysterical babble, none of which Sharon or the nurses could understand. It went in cycles all night. H.B. slept for twenty or thirty minutes and then awoke to carry on for as long as fifteen minutes. Hardy could tell it had taken a lot out of his mother.
After giving her as much emotional support as he could over the phone, he promised to come and see them soon. Even though Sharon protested, Hardy could tell she wanted him there.
Try as he might to get rid of them, the worries about his dad stayed with him as he drove to Haley’s apartment a short while later.
The smile on Haley’s face when she opened the door an hour later made everything else fade away.
“You look beautiful.” Hardy was awestruck by the startling color of her blue eyes, brought out even more by the sparkling top she was wearing. And she had on a pair of jeans and high heels that made it look like her legs went on forever. She literally took his breath away.
Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “Missy and I went shopping. She picked this stuff out.” She smiled shyly. “Do you think it’s too much?”
He was pretty sure his mouth had been hanging open. “It’s perfect.”
Haley’s smile was instant. “Thank you.” Then she sobered. “I heard about the van. I’m sorry you didn’t get more information from it.”
“I’m sorry I had to cancel,” he told her as she led him into the living room. “I just couldn’t tell Mitch no.”
Haley turned to look at him. “It’s part of your job. I understand.”
For some reason, Hardy had known she would. “Thank you.” Then he smiled at her. “Can we talk about something besides work? I’d like to think about other things.”
Haley didn’t hesitate before she nodded. “I hope you like slightly overcooked garlic bread.” She smiled wryly. “I kind of forgot to shut the oven off.”
“I like it crispy.” He smiled and followed her to the small dining area of her apartment. Something caught his eye. “Did you get a new fish tank? I don’t remember this being here before.”
Her eyes lit up as she nodded. “I wanted to have a pet, and fish are the only things allowed in this building.”
Hardy looked more closely at the two fish swimming around. “What are they doing to each other?”
Haley laughed. “They’re kissing fish. Ozzie and Harriett kiss a lot.”
It seemed to him those fish had the right idea. He wasn’t going to rush things with Haley, though.
He soon discovered the woman who had captivated him was a remarkably good cook. And best of all, while her food was delicious, it wasn’t fancy or complicated; it was just regular spaghetti with homemade sauce. And slightly burnt garlic bread.
After they talked and laughed their way through dinner, Hardy found himself sitting comfortably across the table from the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He found himself fascinated by her. “What are you doing tomorrow?” An idea had come to him, and now he felt the need to make it happen.
Haley rolled her eyes. “Fighting with my vacuum. The silly thing tried to eat my bedspread last weekend.”
Hardy carefully considered his words before he made a suggestion. With all that was happening, he couldn’t see it hurting anything. “Will you come with me to meet my mom and dad?” He hurried on before she could respond. “We’ll probably have to leave at a horrible hour, and who knows how they’ll have us travel, but I want them to meet you.”
“Really?” He could see tears welling in her eyes. “Why?”
He told her the truth. “Because you’re the most important part of my life. I've never felt like this, and I want to share you with my family."
“I’d love to.” Her eyes were glowing, and her smile would have lit the darkest alley.
Hardy looked across the table at the woman who was rapidly becoming the nucleus of his existence. For the first time in his adult life, he felt satisfied. He was doing what he wanted to do with the person he most wanted to experience it with. Everything would work out. It had to.
Chapter 42
Haley pushed the clear reading glasses more firmly on her face. She was starting to get a headache, due, she suspected, to the tight bun her hair was pulled into under the brunette wig.
“You okay?” Beau touched her arm to get her attention. “You’re squirming around an awful lot.”
She looked at him again, still not understanding his appearance. The FBI agent they’d met, Rex Towers, had insisted she dress in these ugly clothes and did ever
ything she could imagine to make her look like a different person. And Beau appeared to be an older version of himself. “Why aren’t you in more of a disguise?” she finally asked him.
“You only recognize me easily because you know it’s me,” he calmly explained. "A middle-aged man with gray hair isn’t going to catch the attention of somebody looking for me.”
Haley knew what he said was logical, but still . . . “I don’t want to meet your parents looking like this! They’ll think you’ve chosen to date a . . . a . . . bag lady!”
She nearly kicked his shins when he laughed. She was pretty sure he’d been holding back his laughter ever since they boarded the train and he’d gotten a good look at her. “Your bag is overhead, honey. You can change in a bathroom and get back to your stunning self before we see Mom and Dad. Okay?”
An annoying yawn surfaced before Haley could answer. She'd always thought five o'clock was early, but three-thirty in the morning was pretty much the middle of the night as far as she was concerned. “Won’t your parents be sleeping when we get there?”
Beau shook his head. “They know we’re coming, so Mom will be pacing the floor waiting for us. Dad sleeps for hours on end and then stays awake for a while. He doesn’t abide by day and night rules right now.”
“What did you tell your mom about me?” Haley still felt the urge to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. That she had, in fact, gone from pure misery because she had no future with this man to being part of a couple looking ahead and planning a future.
A teasing light entered his eyes. “That I’m dating a bag lady.”
She swung her left leg forward and brought it back sharply, her heel landing solidly on his shin. “You deserve that,” she informed him when she heard his grunt of pain.
He reached out and captured her hand, lacing their fingers together. “I told her I’m bringing the most incredible woman I’ve ever seen--the person who makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before, and who somehow managed to talk me into going to church.”
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