Linda slid the empty plastic tray under her arm and looked at Ben. “I can’t recall Haley going out with anyone. At least not around here. Can you?”
“Like I said… Nope.”
“Not in Thunder Canyon. If she did we’d know.”
That was pretty much what Marlon figured. But her behavior when he’d kissed her made him suspicious. Something was up. “What does that mean? Not here in Thunder Canyon?”
“She went away to college.”
Marlon tried to remember if he’d known that and couldn’t. Now it seemed vitally important.
“It was just for a couple of months,” Linda continued, her forehead creased as she thought back. “Then her mom was killed and she had to come back for Angie and Austin. Poor thing.”
He knew that. What he wanted was current events in her life. He was impatient for information and tamped down the urge to hurry them up.
“Now that you mention it, wasn’t there a guy at college that she talked about?” Ben pushed a pat of butter over the top of his pancakes and poured on syrup from the small glass container on the side of the plate.
A guy? In college?
“Were they…close?” Marlon asked, hearing the edge in his voice.
“Must have been if she mentioned him to you,” Linda commented.
“But you never met the guy?” Marlon looked from one to the other, trying to figure out what all this meant.
Ben took a bite of egg and chewed thoughtfully. “I’d remember if he’d showed up. Never did. And believe me, that girl could’ve used another pair of shoulders to hold up all the crap going on.”
Marlon’s imagination went full throttle and filled in the blanks. She’d gone away to school and hooked up with someone. It was hot and heavy then tragedy brought her home. For good. But the guy wasn’t there to support her during the worst time of her life. He’d disillusioned her. Broke her heart.
Marlon stabbed his fork into the stack of pancakes. “The bastard wasn’t there when she needed him most. That would make it pretty hard for her to trust anyone.”
“That’d be my guess.” Ben nodded. “She tries to hide it, but there’s a sadness in her eyes. Too much. She’s been hurt pretty bad.”
And she didn’t want to take a chance again.
It made sense.
Then Marlon had to go and kiss her. Just like he’d done all those years ago. He’d kissed her at the football fundraiser. Just like that, quiet and timid Haley Anderson had really gotten his attention. He’d been surprised at the passion simmering beneath her shy surface and wanted to get to know her better. Asking her for a date had been the plan and she’d seemed eager for him to call.
But apparently Ben Walters had heard about it. Gotta love the way things spread in a small town. It had ticked him off when Ben warned him away, told him not to mess with Haley. He’d wanted to tell the old meddler to mind his own business, then changed his mind and told Ben he wouldn’t make trouble. That’d be a first, the old man had said.
Marlon met the older man’s gaze and knew he was remembering it, too. “All those years ago… Staying away from Haley was the best thing to do. You were right about me.”
Ben shook his head. “Nope.”
“Excuse me?” Marlon had thought he’d agree and rub it in.
“Frank and Edie Cates are good parents. All you boys grew up to be fine men.”
“I didn’t think you liked me. I’m flattered.”
“Don’t be.” Ben shifted his bulk on the bench seat. “Not trying to be your friend. Just honest. Word around town is you’re taking responsibility for what you did wrong and actually helping those kids at ROOTS. Not to mention Haley. Just saying…I was wrong about you. You’re a good man.”
Try telling that to Haley, Marlon thought darkly. She’d been smart to push him away. He had a reputation with women. The kind he dated were into fun, games and publicity. But Haley was different. Not so shy and timid anymore, but solid and sweet and sexy. She was an all or nothing kind of girl who had him thinking more about all while the nothing part looked less and less inviting.
Something about Haley pulled at him with a steady strength that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. But she’d had more bad stuff happen to her than most people did in a lifetime.
The last thing he would do was be one more thing on her bad list. While he was stuck in Thunder Canyon he had to find the willpower to leave her be before he had to leave for good.
Chapter Ten
It was getting late, almost time to close ROOTS up for the night. But the three teenage girls, two flanking Haley on the sofa and one leaning over the back of it, were really into critically assessing her drawings in general, and handbag designs in particular.
In the corner of the room opposite the TV and video games, Roy and Austin were huddled around the donated computer on its donated desk. The girls had teased them about hiding in their “man cave.”
Haley picked up a red pencil, made a few strokes and added a bow on the evening bag. “This would look really nice in black satin. Maybe some sequins on the bow.”
“Ooh,” the girls all said together.
“I’ve never seen anything in the store as cute as that,” said Becky Harmon, a hazel-eyed brunette new to ROOTS.
Kim and Jerilyn had brought her with them tonight. Haley had heard rumors about her older brother, a senior running back on the Thunder Canyon High School football team. Word on the street was that he’d been caught using performance-enhancing drugs to increase his chances of getting notice from college scouts and possibly a scholarship. Money was tight since their dad was out of work. That would mean even more trauma and tension at home.
It made Haley feel good that she’d provided somewhere the girl could go and forget about real-life problems for a while. She could laugh, be silly and talk about girly stuff.
On her sketch pad, Haley drew a small, slim bag with a shoulder strap and snap closure. Then she sketched a rear view of the same purse. “What do you think about a decorative zipper?”
“Awesome.” Kim was leaning over the back of the sofa.
Jerilyn tapped her lip thoughtfully. “Maybe a sort of big, chunky one with fringe on the tab.”
“Great idea.” The scratchy sound of Haley’s pencil was the only sound in the room as the teen audience watched her bring the idea to life on paper. “There. What do you think?”
“I want to buy one,” Kim said, enthusiastically. “It’s just the right size. Not too big. Not a murse.”
“A what?” Haley glanced over her shoulder at the pretty blonde.
“You know. Murse. Mom purse.”
No, she didn’t know and the thought made her a little sad. That flash of pain at missing her mom only happened rarely now, but this was one of those times. Some of it was hearing the kids talk about their parents and remembering why this program was so important to her. She glanced over at Austin, who was pointing something out to Roy on the computer monitor. Her mom would be proud of this place and her three kids, who had turned a horrible loss into something positive.
The thought didn’t take away her fear of going through more pain and darkness again. She had her family and would protect them with everything she had. But the remembered sadness made her more determined than ever not to let anyone else close.
The front door opened and Marlon Cates walked in, all loose-limbed dash and swagger. Her heart skidded and popped, a completely involuntary reaction. It seemed loud and felt like an earthquake aftershock, but when she glanced around no one else seemed to notice.
“Hi.” He lifted a hand in greeting and everyone responded. “I saw the lights still on. Obviously this is the happening place on a weeknight in Thunder Canyon.”
“That’s for sure. Come see what Haley is drawing.” Becky waved him over. “Look at how awesome these purses are. She even designed different linings, with a coordinating trim on the outside. Just small touches of it.”
“I like the paisley,” Kim commented.
; “My favorite is the sun, crescent moon and stars,” Jerilyn said.
“You’re such a brainer geek.” Becky looked at her friends and added, “I mean that in the best possible way.”
The girls’ chatter faded as Marlon moved closer to see what she was doing.
“Can I see?” he asked.
“Sure.” Heart pounding in spite of her resolve not to react, she handed him the sketch pad.
While he flipped through it, she worked on getting her reaction in check. The spicy, clean scent of his aftershave wasn’t making it easy.
Finally he looked at her. “These are good.”
“Thanks.”
“Good?” Becky sounded miffed. “That’s the best adjective you can come up with?”
“They’re awesome,” Kim said again. “We’d buy them in a second.”
“Haley knows how much I like her—designs,” he added, his eyes dark with a thrilling intensity.
His slight hesitation before that last word had her pulse racing again.
“I do.” Haley managed to keep her voice steady and normal. “He told me they have promise.”
“I also said I’d like to send them to my assistant in L.A. Get her opinion on whether or not they’re marketable.”
“Of course they are.” Jerilyn slid to the edge of the sofa in her earnestness. “They’re different. Young. Fun and funky.”
“Elegant, too,” Becky added.
Kim came around and sat on the sofa arm, presenting a united female front. “Haley’s designs are really good. If your assistant doesn’t get it, then you need a new assistant.”
“Down, girl.” He handed the pad to Haley, then backed up a step. “I said I’m on board. So far Haley hasn’t given me the go-ahead.”
Only because he’d kissed her and she freaked out. He’d invited her to dinner to discuss the possibility of doing business, but they didn’t talk much after that kiss. It wasn’t his fault she’d come unglued, then got sidetracked by insecurity and humiliation. Come to think of it, the idea of putting her designs out publicly brought up those same kinds of feelings.
“It’s not an easy decision.” She started putting her art supplies away in the pencil box.
“Why?” Kim demanded.
“Seems like a no-brainer.” Jerilyn’s dark eyes narrowed.
“You’re scared.” Becky nodded knowingly.
Haley looked at each girl in turn and finally nodded. “Yeah, I am. What if they’re really awful?”
“That would mean we have no fashion sense,” Kim said. “And that’s just not possible.”
“You don’t understand,” Haley protested.
“Sure we do.” Jerilyn met her gaze. “It’s like when I tried out for chorus at school. I didn’t know if I was good enough. And I wanted so badly to make it because a lot of my friends belonged. I wanted it enough to risk someone telling me I was terrible. And this is high school where public is really public, if you know what I mean.”
“They nailed you,” Marlon said to Haley.
She saw laughter in his eyes and knew there would be no support from him. “But this is like putting my baby out there and giving the public a chance to say it’s ugly.”
“You need a name for the line,” Marlon said, clearly unsympathetic to her insecurity. “A brand.”
“Use your initials,” Becky suggested. She picked up the last pencil—a green one—and wrote H-A on the sketch pad. “HA!”
“I like it.” Marlon nodded approvingly. “All you have to do is give me the go-ahead.”
A horn honked outside and through the window they could see a car at the curb.
“It’s my mom,” Kim said standing. “She’s here to pick us up.”
“Good.” Haley was relieved that they had transportation after dark, and that she’d gotten a reprieve from the pressure.
Kim walked to the door with Jerilyn and Becky trailing behind. “See you, Roy. Austin. Bye, Marlon.”
“Take a chance, Haley.” Becky poked her head back in. “What have you got to lose?”
Then they were gone and Marlon watched from the window as they got safely into the car and drove away. Haley thought about what the girls had said and wondered who was mentoring whom. They were wise beyond their years.
Roy walked over and dropped into the chair. “Can we be done talking about chick stuff?”
“That works for me,” Haley answered.
Austin joined them and shook hands with Marlon. “I hate to agree with Roy, but women’s purses are boring. And the fact that you don’t think so scares me.” Her brother slid Marlon a skeptical look.
“It is boring,” Marlon agreed. “But potentially lucrative. And I don’t have to talk about it. That’s what I have an assistant for.”
“Lucrative? As in lots of money?” Austin was interested now.
“Some designers can get upwards of a thousand dollars for a handbag.”
Austin’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding me.”
“No way,” Roy said.
“Money is something I never joke about.” Marlon looked dead serious.
“Me, either,” Austin agreed. “Especially when you don’t have any.”
Haley knew what he was getting at and felt the need to explain. “Austin is talking about going to graduate school. To get a master’s degree in engineering.”
“Really?” Marlon looked impressed.
“Yeah.” Austin rubbed a hand across his neck. “Green energy is the way of the future. We need to be oil-independent and I’d like to be a part of finding a way to do that in an environmentally responsible way.”
“Good for you.”
“Boring,” Roy said.
Marlon reached over and ruffled the teen’s hair. “Don’t listen to him. If that’s your dream, go for it.”
“I’d like to, but—” Austin hesitated.
“The Anderson family budget spreadsheet doesn’t have a column for graduate school tuition.” Haley tried to make a joke, but it was hard when she knew how much her brother wanted this. It hurt that she couldn’t give it to him.
Marlon folded his arms over his chest. “I could help. A loan maybe.”
“Thanks,” Haley said. “But we’ll figure it out.”
“A thousand dollars a pop?” Austin picked up the sketch pad and stared at her drawings in amazement. “I don’t care what Haley says. Take this with my blessing. If someone says they’re ugly, I’ll beat them up for her.”
Marlon laughed. “It’s her decision. And nothing may come of it. There are no guarantees.” He looked at her. “What do you say?”
She blew out a long breath and met his gaze, then echoed Becky. “What have I got to lose?”
“I’ll send them to my assistant tomorrow.” He nodded. “Good for you. There’s no harm in trying.”
Unlike giving in to her attraction for him. That could be incredibly harmful. She knew how it felt to lose someone she loved, how the sadness never completely went away. Marlon simply walked into the room and her body reacted as if she hadn’t just warned herself not to care. Adrenaline-fueled hormones flooded her system and it was exciting. He was acting as if nothing was wrong between them and that felt good, too.
How was she going to be okay when he left town? How would she be all right when she couldn’t look forward to him walking into the room anymore?
“I’m surprised that Roy left with Austin.” Marlon looked at the front door the duo had just walked out of, then back at her.
Haley hit the Off switch on the computer and monitor. “I guess he needed a male bonding moment after all the chick talk without his wingman. C.J.’s dad had just picked him up before you came in and the girls and I started talking fashion.”
“Has Roy given you any clue about where he’s from or why he ran away?”
“Nothing.” She turned away from the now dark monitor. “I tried to torture it out of him by forcing him to help me bake chocolate chip cookies.”
“You made cookies?” He looked aro
und the room.
“Sorry. The kids ate them all before you got here.”
“And making them is an ordeal?”
“Yes for those of us who don’t love baking. But this method of extracting information has sometimes been wildly successful.”
“Austin doesn’t count,” Marlon said wryly.
“Darn.” She turned serious. “It didn’t count much with Roy, either. And he had the nerve to say I wasn’t subtle, followed quickly by a declaration that no facts would be forthcoming.”
“Too bad.”
“Although he did say something about having to live with disappointment and I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean the kids here who wouldn’t have homemade cookies if we didn’t bake.”
Frowning, Marlon slid his fingertips into the pockets of his jeans. “He wasn’t more specific?”
She shook her head. “For a teenage boy, disappointment could be anything from not getting a coveted video game to being shut down by the head cheerleader.”
“I remember.”
“Which one?”
“Both,” he said ruefully. “You might not believe this, but I was fooled by a pretty face once.”
“No. Really?” That shocked her. It didn’t seem like bad ever happened to him. But the dark and angry expression on his face told her differently.
“I thought it was love at first sight, but she was after money.” He shrugged. “I fell for it.”
“Wow, Marlon, I don’t know what to say.” She wasn’t happy he’d been hurt, but it made him more human somehow. Less godlike and untouchable.
“It was a long time ago.”
“I guess she didn’t get the Marlon magic?” she said, trying to tease a grin out of him.
It worked and his expression turned wry. “Not even a little bit. A guy never forgets something like that.”
“Even an old guy like you?” Apparently she liked teasing him. The words just fell out of her mouth.
His gaze jumped to hers as he grinned. “Yeah. Even an old guy like me can remember that high school is like the wild wild west of hormones.”
She hadn’t been in high school for years, but every time he was near, her hormones zigged and zagged, dropped, rolled and ducked like a shootout at the OK Corral. “I’ve never heard it put quite like that.”
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