He shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re pissed that I was defending you.”
“It was unnecessary. And seeing the way you react to something that pisses you off, I understand why people are warning me away from you.”
“Go ahead and believe that shit then. I don’t need this.” He turned and walked toward his truck.
She felt bad, but let him go. He obviously had issues and regardless of this mysterious soft side he kept hidden, he just wasn’t a man she should be with.
Chapter 7
Hayes had tossed and turned all night, hating the way things had gone down with Raelyn. She was new here. She didn’t know a damn thing about the assholes in this town. Hell, she thought he was one of them. He wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t rape women like Ray did. That asshole didn’t find anything wrong with pouring liquor down women’s throats until they landed in his bed, barely coherent.
The thought of Raelyn being his newest victim had turned his stomach. He’d watched him ogle her, his eyes like x-ray goggles picturing her naked, and he’d flipped. It had nothing to do with him thinking she was weak or unable to fend for herself. That was the furthest thing from the truth. He hated to admit it, but he’d just wanted to take care of her. Make sure she was safe.
And that terrified him. Maybe it was good that she’d gotten so mad. Maybe she’d stay away from him. That was best anyway.
The sun had started to rise, so he might as well get an early start on his duties at Magnolia Acres. The sooner he got them done, the sooner he could call it quits for the day and get where he really wanted to be. Two ladies were waiting for him and it had been way too long since he’d seen them.
*
Raelyn only worked at the diner until eleven. The rest of Saturday was hers. Since Laney and Sawyer were busy delivering flowers, she was on her own, with tip money burning a hole in her pocket. The Saturday morning breakfast shift had been quite lucrative.
She happened to look down at her toes. Yuck! Her fingernails were looking pretty gross, too. Guess it had been a while since she’d been to the salon. A day of pampering sounded like a fabulous idea.
After a shower, she threw on a floral romper and a little makeup and headed out to Main Street, where pretty much every business in Fort Mavis operated. She walked up one side, eyeing each storefront. Hardware store, barber shop, liquor store, and of course, the diner. She crossed the street. Drug store, gift shop, Laney’s wedding boutique. She continued on. A few others, even a pet store, but no salon? What the hell kind of town was this?
She dialed Laney’s cell. “How is there not one hair or nail salon in Fort Mavis?”
“I don’t know. No one cares about that stuff here. There’s a woman who cuts hair in her kitchen though.”
Raelyn shivered at the thought. “That just sounds…gross.”
“She’s sweet. You should give her a chance.”
“Maybe. But what about nails? And oh my God! I’m gonna need a bikini wax soon. Does she do that?”
Laney cackled loudly in her ear. “I think she’d have a heart attack if you showed up and asked for that!”
“I’m glad you find this funny. What am I supposed to do?”
“Drive to Monroe. It’s a few towns away. Use your GPS. I’m pretty sure they have a salon.”
“Should I call first and make an appointment?”
“I don’t know. I have to go. We just pulled into the church parking lot.”
Raelyn started to say something else but Laney was gone. Looked like it was time for her to explore the world outside Fort Mavis. She got in her car and set her GPS for the center of Monroe. The estimated time of arrival was 1:38 with a driving time of one hour and nineteen minutes. Geez. In Dallas, there’s a salon on every corner. She’d never had to drive this far for a mani/pedi.
Raelyn blasted her stereo as she drove and made it into Monroe two minutes ahead of schedule. It was very similar to Fort Mavis, with lots of little stores lining the main drag. And then it called to her, as if it had a neon arrow pointing above it. Sally’s Salon. She found a parking spot and waltzed in, ready for the intoxicating scent of nail polish and hair dye.
Not exactly what she’d expected. Mismatched chairs lined the walls in the corner for a waiting area, a coffee table with ancient copies of People magazine. The carpet looked like it had seen better days a decade or two ago, but she stepped to the front desk anyway.
“What can I do for ya?” the energetic woman asked, her smile as big as her hair.
“Can you do a pedicure and a manicure?”
“Sure! But Krista is our only nail girl and she’s already doing a pedicure.” The woman hitched her thumb over her shoulder.
Raelyn looked behind her. Krista sat on a plastic step stool in front of a woman, just a regular chair, her feet in one of those home foot spas. No fancy pedicure chair with heated massage. Raelyn was ready to high tail it out of there, but again looked down at her grungy toenails.
“I can wait. How much longer will she need to finish with her customer?”
“Twenty minutes should do it.”
“Great. I’ll…uh…come back.” She wasn’t about to wait there.
Raelyn went outside and told herself to just go with the flow. This was not Dallas, and expecting it to be was setting herself up for disaster. She looked around at the shops nearby, spotting a toy store. She headed inside, welcomed by a giant stuffed giraffe and a wooden rocking horse. The place was adorable. Tons of old-fashioned toys. The kind of things most kids would scoff at. At least the city kids she knew, anyway. There was a lot of charm in this toy shop.
She walked up and down every aisle, but then she entered a form of heaven. Giant doll houses with every single amenity imaginable. She’d had one like this when she was a kid, a guilt present from her dad when her parents had gotten divorced and he’d married his secretary. She hadn’t cared. She’d had an awesome dollhouse and took advantage of every opportunity she could to get him to buy her new furniture and accessories for it. But the stuff they had now was so much cooler. They even had mini flat screen TVs!
“Can I help you, sir?” a woman asked.
Raelyn has been so distracted she hadn’t realized there was anyone else in the aisle with her. She started to glance over, but a mini canopy bed caught her eye.
“God, I don’t know,” he answered. “What do five-year-old girls like to play with?”
She knew that voice. Real well. Raelyn spun around, and there he was. Hayes, in a toy store, doll in his hand, staring at a shelf of clothes and bassinettes.
“That doll is a good choice. It’s one of our best sellers. Maybe just pick out an outfit to go with her. Let me know if you need any help.”
The woman left and Raelyn watched him sort through doll dresses and hats, debating on if she should alert him to her presence or just walk away. But as the debate raged, the questions accumulated. Why was he there? Why was he buying a present for a little girl? How was this the same man who had punched a guy last night just for looking at her?
“I’d go with the sparkly pink dress and matching shoes.”
He looked at her, shock registering in those gorgeous eyes.
“At least that’s the kind of thing I liked when I was five. The sparklier, the better.”
“Um…okay.” He set down the outfit he had and reached for the other. Without facing her he said, “Thanks.”
“So, who’s the gift for?”
“No one.” The sternness she was accustomed to in these types of conversations with him had returned.
“We’re standing in a toy shop and you have a doll in your hand and you’re still gonna refuse to open up to me?”
“It’s none of your damn business,” he muttered, his gaze fixated on a pair of doll shoes.
“Fine. I’m done trying to talk to you. Done trying to get you to tell me things other than your favorite sexual position.” Not the kind of talk for a toyshop, but she didn’t care. “Have a nice life.”
&nb
sp; Raelyn spun on her heel and headed for the exit, but only made it three steps before she heard Hayes’ voice.
“It’s for my daughter.”
She turned, a rush of emotion flowing through her body. This explained so much, but also opened up a huge can of worms.
“Her name is Hannah. She’s five. She lives with my mom in Monroe. I haven’t seen her in a while and I wanted to bring her something when I visit today.”
Raelyn didn’t know what to think, what to feel, but a huge part of her wanted to pull him to her, hold him tight. “I had no idea.”
“No one does so I’d appreciate you keeping it quiet.”
She nodded. “Of course.” And then her brain reminded her of the other rumor Sawyer had told her. The wife and kid. Part of it was obviously true. But where was the wife?
They stood in awkward silence for a moment, their gazes locked.
“Good luck with the doll, but she probably won’t care. She’ll just be happy to see her daddy.”
“I hope so. I don’t get out here as often as I’d like.”
“I’m sure you two will have a fun afternoon.” Raelyn smiled and turned to leave.
“I’m sorry about last night.”
Again his words made her stop.
“Ray Higgins is a piece of trash. I’d kill anyone who treated my daughter the way he treats women, and I didn’t want him hurting you. I may have overreacted, but I hope you understand why that guy makes me so fucking angry.”
All she could do was nod. He may have acted like a crazed lunatic, but he had good reason. Maybe Hayes Turner was misunderstood in a lot of other ways, too.
“I do. Thank you for doing what you did.”
He nodded and she continued to the exit. Everything she thought she knew about Hayes had just been shaken around like dice, and rolled out to reveal something completely different. It made her rethink every interaction they’d had. He wasn’t who she’d thought at all. He was so much more. And she needed to know every detail.
*
“Daddy!” Hannah screamed and ran across the browning lawn toward Hayes. He scooped her up and hugged her tight.
“You look like you’ve grown a foot since I last saw you!”
“I did!”
He put her down and handed her the bag from the toyshop.
“This is for me?”
“Yep.” God, he loved that smile. She had his blond hair and blue eyes, and thankfully none of her mother’s attributes. “Go take a look.”
She ran off and he walked toward the trailer home where his mother lived with Hannah. Some relative had died and left it to her years ago. But the thing was falling apart. Soon he’d be able to buy a house and give them a proper home.
“Hey, Mama.”
She stood and pulled him into her embrace. “You didn’t need to bring her a new toy.”
“I know, but it makes me feel less guilty.”
“Save that money and put it toward the house. Or buy her some new clothes. She’s growin’ like a weed.”
He looked over. She had the doll out of its box, the pink shiny dress on her. Hannah’s shirt was too short, her little belly hanging out. The shorts looked pretty snug. “I’ll get her some new clothes as soon as I can.”
They sat down and he filled her in on the job situation. He told her he should have enough money soon, and had even started looking at house listings. There were a couple in Fort Mavis that he might be able to afford in a few months, as long as the side jobs stayed steady and nothing happened to deplete his bank account.
“I wish I could help, honey. I’m lucky my checks get us food and electricity.”
“I know. You’re doing enough, just by taking care of Hannah. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She covered his hand with hers. “Soon everything will be okay. We’ll be together and it will work out how it’s supposed to.”
He hoped she was right. Part of him wanted to tell her about Raelyn. How he was feeling things for her that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Not since Hannah’s mom, that fucking bitch. But she hadn’t started out that way. They were in love at one time. Happy. But that all changed in the blink of an eye. Which was why he didn’t let his relationships go any further than his bed. Or the bed of his truck.
Something made him feel like Raelyn was different, but was he willing to risk it all again? He wasn’t sure. He had his daughter to think about.
“I’m making your favorite for dinner tonight,” his mom said, pulling him away from thoughts of Raelyn.
“Did you make the cornbread, too?”
“Can’t have beans and ham without it.”
This was what he couldn’t wait for. Every day. A simple life with the girls he loved.
Chapter 8
Raelyn headed into the diner on Monday, after being off Sunday, still in shock. Still trying to comprehend what she’d learned about Hayes, and how it shaped everything about him. He was tough on the outside because he had to be. She’d known there was more to him than everyone thought, what everyone assumed. But there were still so many questions she wanted answers to. She wanted to know him. The real him.
Busy morning at the diner, but every time the door chime sounded, she looked up, hoping it would be Hayes.
After tidying up after the breakfast crew had left, she refilled ketchup bottles and napkin dispensers, salt and pepper shakers. A few people took seats at the counter so she waited on them, chatted some, her eye still on the door. As she turned to grab two lunch specials out of the window, the chime rang. An uncontrollable grin formed as Hayes strolled toward her, but his expression didn’t match. His was even, no twinkle in his eyes. Not the same flirty guy she had become accustomed to. Was he mad that she knew his secret?
“What can I get you?” she asked as he took a seat at the counter.
“Coffee. The more caffeine the better.”
“Everything okay?” she asked as she flipped the cup at his seat and filled it.
“Middle of the night call from my boss at the ranch. Had to help deliver a calf. I don’t function well on two hours of sleep.”
Good. So maybe he wasn’t mad at her after all. “That’s rough. You’ll have to get to bed early tonight.”
“You offerin’ to tuck me in?” There’s the smile and the Hayes she knew.
She shook her head and didn’t even try to hide her smile. “You know what you want for lunch?”
“Burger and fries today.”
“I’ll put it right in.”
The diner got busy after that, so she couldn’t talk to Hayes like she would have liked. When it finally died down, she was glad he was still there.
Raelyn stepped to him, her voice low. “How did it go yesterday? Did she like the doll?”
He looked around, making sure no one was in earshot, and let a smile curl those delicious lips. “Yeah. She did. Thanks for suggesting that dress. It was perfect.”
“Glad I could help.” She loved the giddiness that shone through when he talked about his daughter. There were a million more questions Raelyn wanted to ask. She wanted to know about Hannah. Obviously he adored her. She wanted to see that look on Hayes’ face many more times. “Do you wanna maybe do something tonight? Me and you?” she asked. “If you’re not too tired.”
“What do you have in mind?” By the look on his face now, his thoughts had clearly gone sexual.
“Dinner and conversation. Completely clothed. I want to get to know you.”
“Darlin’, I don’t do dates. If that’s what you’re lookin’ for, you need to look elsewhere.”
Raelyn tried not to be pissed. Tried to remember he was a hardened man for a reason, even though she had yet to find it out. It wasn’t going to be easy to crack that, if possible at all, but damn it, she wanted to try. And maybe she could. Play his game, and maybe get what she wanted, too.
“Okay. How about this? No dinner. I’ll come to your place.” She lowered her voice. “And for every one of my questions you answer,
I’ll take off an article of clothing. When I’m naked, you can have your way with me.”
He eyed her, obviously conflicted. Was his desire for her strong enough to agree to her proposition? Or would he seal up his wall even tighter and find someone else to fill the empty spot in his bed?
“Anything I want?” he asked.
“Within reason. But it’s just you and me, so get any ménage fantasies out of your head right now.”
He breathed deep and she waited.
“Deal. But I’m limiting it to three articles of clothing.”
“That’s barely an outfit.”
“I’m sure you can figure something out.” He stood, tossed some cash on the counter, and pinned her with those seductive eyes. “I hope you’re ready for this, sweetheart. I have a long list of things I want to do to you.”
This was going to be fun. Her questions answered and a night of great sex? A total win/win for her.
*
Hayes smiled as he left the diner. Raelyn thought she had pulled one over on him. Thought she had the upper hand. She’d concocted a little game for him and he’d play, but he’d be the one to come out on top. And underneath. And every other position he’d dreamt of with Raelyn.
He knew what kind of questions she’d ask and he’d answer them. She might not like what she was going to get, but he was in control of this game, not her.
Right now though, he had to concentrate on this side job. He made it to the job site by noon, as promised. He checked in with the supervisor and got to work.
Using a sledgehammer to knock through some ancient lath and plaster walls, he started a list in his head of questions he’d figured Raelyn would ask. First up: What happened to Hannah’s mom? Rage grew within him just thinking about the answer. He swung even harder at the deteriorating walls. Fucking bitch. When he’d finished that room, he moved on to demolishing the rotting cabinets in the kitchen. How could someone abandon a child like that? Because she’s a selfish piece of shit, that’s how.
Hayes finished off the cupboards and started on the sink, yanking it out with his bare hands. He grabbed a wheelbarrow, loaded the debris inside, and trucked it to the dumpster.
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