by Jill Sanders
“Yes, just wonderful,” Alex said, sighing.
As Haley walked across the street, she thought she saw Savannah dig her claws further into Wes’s skin. She would have laughed had the woman not been damaging her man.
“There you are. I thought you’d gotten lost.” Haley walked over and stopped right next to Wes. She could see the relief in his eyes and smiled a little when he bent down and placed a kiss on her lips.
“Sorry, just had to drop that paperwork off at the bank,” he mumbled.
“Yes, isn’t it wonderful?” Savannah piped in. “Our Wes is going to be a property owner.” She playfully slapped his arm, while still hanging onto it. “I was just trying to persuade him to take me for a drive and show me the place.”
Haley’s back teeth clenched together. Is that why he had needed to go to the bank? She had assumed he needed to make a deposit or withdraw. Now, she had to find out that he was actually going through with his plans and buying a place. From Savannah, no less!
She didn’t know what to say. Her jaw refused to release so she just nodded and looked Wes in the eyes. She saw him pleading at her, but after what he’d just kept from her, she could care less if he was stuck with Savannah for the next year.
“Yes,” she said before she realized it. “You should take her there. After all, it’s such a nice day for a drive.”
Haley headed for her car. She didn’t feel like waiting for Alex to get off shift anymore. She was halfway to her car, when Wes caught up with her and took her arm.
“Haley, what was that all about?” He stopped her and frowned down at her.
“What?” She pushed his hand off her arm.
“That.” He motioned to where Savannah was standing at the corner, looking at them and pouting.
“Oh, I just thought that since the two of you had such a wonderful secret together, that you would want to share it together.” She turned to walk away.
“Haley, listen, I told you--” he started.
She shook her head, interrupting him. “No, I’m done listening. I don’t care if you spend your days or evenings with her.” She nodded to where Savannah stood, her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for Wes. “But I won’t be the last to know what’s going on with you anymore. If you cared enough”—her voice lost some of its pitch as she felt the headache building—“you would be the one to tell me, first.” She opened her car door, then looked over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about coming over tonight.”
She knew it was childish, but it felt so good to slam the door and drive away.
When she arrived home, she rushed into the house, but instead of heading up to her room she found herself at the bottom of the attic stairs. She felt her heart beating hard as she took the stairs slowly. She didn't know what sent her up there, but something called her to an old chest she had filled with some of her childhood memories.
When she sat down on the dusty floor, the shoe box of Wes's things on her lap, she could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. Blinking them away, she lifted the lid and saw an image of them at prom.
She took almost an hour looking through the memories; old dried flowers he'd given her, little love notes she'd read over and over again, a small stuffed frog he'd won at the fair. The memories were almost painful when she thought about the new game they were playing.
Then, at the bottom of the stack was a small drawing done in colored ink. She remembered that it was from art class in grade school. One of the first notes he'd ever given her. The child-like handwriting was big and a little faded.
“I like you. Do you like me?” There were the standard check boxes with yes and no beside them.
She'd marked back in purple ink, yes. Followed by a few hearts.
Closing her eyes she remembered seeing his smile from across the room, when he'd read that note. That was the moment she'd lost her heart to him.
She knew she was fighting a losing battle. Hell, she'd lost it that day long ago, in art class. Why was she even trying any more?
Taking the box with her, she walked back downstairs and into her room. When she set the box down on her desk, she looked at herself in the mirror and tried to figure out why it mattered so much that they pick up where they left off.
Flinging herself on the bed, she stared at her ceiling. So he was buying a place. She didn’t know exactly where, or when it was going to happen, but she was almost certain that Savannah did. Flipping over, she crossed her arms in front of her and stared out the window. What other secrets did he keep from her?
She’d hoped to know what he planned for the future, but she’d wanted him to tell her, wanted him to share it with her. She’d never expected to learn them from Savannah. It only made it all so much more terrible.
She must have cried herself to sleep because the sound of someone knocking on her door jolted her.
“Yes?” She sat up as Lauren walked in. Her silver dress clung to her curves, her long hair piled up on the top of her head. Curls hung around her sister’s face.
“Oh, don’t you look wonderful.” She scooted to the end of the bed.
“What’s wrong?” Lauren walked over and sat next to her.
Shaking her head, she smiled. “Nothing, just one of those days.” She patted her sister’s hand, not wanting to spoil their special night. “Go. Have a great night in Tyler.”
“Are you sure? We could—”
“Don’t you dare. You’ve had these concert tickets for two months. Go celebrate. You deserve it.”
Lauren smiled and then squealed. “Okay.” She jumped up and spun around. “Can you believe we’re having another baby?”
Haley smiled as she stood and hugged her sister. “I bet this time it’s a girl. I just know it.”
“Oh, I hope you’re right.” Lauren hugged her back. “Well, we better go. Ricky is downstairs, waiting for his play date with one of his favorite aunts.”
“One? I am his favorite.” They laughed.
An hour later, after playing cars with Ricky, she walked into the kitchen to make PB&Js. Ricky was on her hip and she almost screamed when she saw Wes standing outside the glass doors, ready to knock.
“Sorry,” he said through the glass. “Can I come in?”
She was about to say no when Ricky chimed in, “Wessss, Wessss,” and held his arms out towards the glass.
Caving to the two-year-old, she walked over and flipped open the door.
“Evening.” He smiled and held out his arms for Ricky to jump into. “There’s my little man.”
“Wesss.” Ricky grabbed his face and forced him to look at him. “Peanut butter, jelly.” The little boy pointed to Haley.
“Yes, I’ll stay for some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” Wes said, smiling over the little boy’s dark head at her.
They sat in the living room, a large blanket spread out on the floor, as they watched Scooby and ate PB&J.
Wes looked so funny sitting cross-legged, balancing a paper plate with a sandwich on his knee.
For his part, Ricky had jelly and peanut butter all over his face and fingers. Every time he touched her or Wes, they ended up messier than he was.
By the time the DVD of Scooby was over, Ricky’s plate was empty, and the little boy’s head was drooping.
“Come on, little guy. Time for your bath.”
“Baff.” Ricky jumped up and started running towards the stairs.
“Hang on!” She hurried after him, laughing.
When the water was ready, Haley lowered Ricky into the tub with all his favorite animal toys. Wes stood leaning against the bathroom sink, his arms and ankles crossed as he laughed and watched her play with her nephew.
By the time she pulled Ricky out of the water, she was completely soaked. She helped him put on his Superman pajamas, then he started jumping on his bed, screaming.
“Story, story.”
“Why don’t you go change into something dry. I can read Superman his bedtime story,” Wes said, walking over to Ricky’s bookca
se. Ricky jumped off his bed and rushed over.
“This one.” He pulled out his favorite book, one Haley had read to him at least a hundred times.
“Are you sure?” She looked between the two.
He laughed and nodded. “I can read, you know.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him.
“Story, Wesss,” Ricky said, tugging on his hand as he carried the oversized book to his bed.
“Okay, I’ll be just a minute.” She turned and left the room.
She walked into her room, closed her door, and leaned back against it. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out how Wes had looked playing with Ricky, how great he’d been with her nephew.
Why was he doing this to her? Couldn’t he see that he was making her miserable? She wanted to be with him, forever. But every time she stepped closer, he threw something else at her that shook her belief that he wanted her.
She needed to feel like she could trust him. Like he wasn’t hiding anything from her. She knew there was still so much he was keeping from her.
Chase was right; they couldn’t go back to how they used to be. They used to trust each other completely. They used to be able to tell each other anything. Now she didn’t know if he still felt the same way about her.
Sure, he’d said he loved her, but he’d been on some serious pain pills at the time. Walking over to her closet, she yanked off the wet clothes and pulled on a clean pair of yellow yoga pants and an oversized white T-shirt. Comfort clothes.
Pulling her soaked hair up into a ponytail, she brushed her teeth, trying to convince herself that she was not going to make out with Wes on the couch until Lauren and Chase arrived home.
When she walked down the hall and looked into Ricky’s room, she couldn’t help smiling.
Ricky was fast asleep as Wes read the story in a warm, rich voice. She walked up behind him and laid her hand on his shoulder. When he looked up at her, she nodded and he followed her out of the room.
“He falls asleep fast.” She smiled as she shut the door.
“I think he was out after I read the title.” Wes laughed. “Oh, to have the ability to fall asleep that fast, again.” He shook his head and took her hand.
“Would you like some popcorn and an old movie?” she blurted out, feeling nervous.
He smiled slowly. “I’d love some popcorn and an old movie.”
Wes sat on the couch and listened as Haley made the popcorn. She refused his help, but did allow him to carry in two glasses of ice and some Cokes, and she allowed him to pick the movie out.
He was flipping through the DVDs and stopped when he came to her favorite movie. He knew she’d seen it a million times and knew all the words by heart, but still he dropped it in the player and cued it up.
“Here we are,” she said a few minutes later. She had a large silver bowl in her hands. The popcorn was piled high and covered with salt and butter, just the way they both liked it. “What movie did you pick out?” She sat the bowl down and sat next to him.
“Grease.” He smiled when she smiled back at him.
“Perfect.” She took a sip of her Coke as he started the movie.
By the time the credit song was over, he’d moved her closer. They sat huddled, sharing the large bowl of popcorn, and by the end of the first song, his arm was around her. A few minutes later, he pulled her into his lap as he kissed her breathless.
He’d missed her. Her taste. The feel of her. She was like a drug that he couldn’t live without. He’d let his hair grow a little more, so when she pushed her fingers through it, he heard her groan.
She leaned back and readjusted so that she was straddling him now, her hands on his chest. His hands rested comfortably on her hips.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were buying a place?” she asked, looking down at him. He could see her eyes showed the hurt.
He shrugged his shoulders and looked up at her. “I did, remember?” When she shook her head, no, he continued, “Besides, I had hoped it would be a surprise.”
Closing his eyes, he tried to block out his hunger, knowing that she wanted to talk now instead of continuing with their make-out session.
“Why?” she asked. When he opened his eyes, he saw her frowning a little.
He pulled her down closer, until they looked eye to eye. “Haley, I want to be with you. You’ve known that since the second grade.” He smiled.
She shook her head. “I just don’t . . .” She started to pull back.
“No, please.” He groaned when she brushed up against his desire. He watched her eyes get bigger with surprise and thought he saw heat there as well. “Don’t pull away from me. I’m trying to readjust to being home.” He shook his head.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think about how difficult it must be for you.”
He ran his hand up her back and watched her reaction. “I didn’t have a nightmare last night.”
She smiled and tilted her head a little. “Really? That’s good news.”
He nodded. “I dreamed of our children. Of the place I'm hoping to buy on Bond Drive. Of our family.” He cupped her face. “I wanted it so bad, I forgot to clue you in on my plans.” He smiled, but watched her face drop a little. “What? Don’t you like the old place?”
She shook her head. “It’s not that.”
“Because I’m having a new double-wide moved there as soon as the bank approves me.”
She smiled. “It’s not the house. I just . . .”
“What?”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “I feel like there is this wedge.” She motioned between them. “Do you understand?”
He shook his head.
“There’s something you’re not telling me, a part of you that you’ve been holding back. I’ve felt it ever since you got home.”
He shook his head again. “I don’t understand.”
She sighed and closed her eyes. “Maybe it’s all in my head.” When she opened her eyes again, she ran her fingers through his hair. “I like that you’ve grown it longer again.”
He smiled and pulled her closer until he could feel her breath on his face. When she bent down to kiss him, his hands shook on her hips. The coarse material of his jeans did little to hide the fact that he wanted her. As she kissed him, her hips moved slowly over his bulge, until he wondered if she would cause him to come in his pants without even touching him.
“Haley,” he pulled away a little.
“No, just a little more.” She moaned, and he could see that she was on the verge.
Moving her down underneath him, he pushed her legs wider and rested between her, core to core. Her head rolled back and her eyes slid closed.
Slowly he moved his hands until his fingers felt under the elastic and found her moist and hot for him. Using his fingertips, he pinched her sensitive skin until she purred and moaned, her hips moving with his fingers, which were growing slick from her desire. He wanted to pull down her pants and quickly embed himself, but he knew it wasn’t the time or place.
Dipping his head, he took her nipple into his mouth through her white T-shirt. He sucked until he felt the bud pucker. Then he pushed two fingers quickly into her heat, causing her nails to dig into his shoulders as she gasped.
“More,” he growled as he watched her face. Her checks were flushed and her lips were swollen from his kisses. “More, give me more.”
She shook her head, keeping her eyes closed tightly. “I can’t,” she moaned. “Too much,” she said as her hips rose and fell with each thrust of his hand. “Please,” she begged just before he felt the slickness of her release.
He kissed her until he felt her relax in his arms. “You’re so beautiful when you come.” He smiled down at her.
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Really?”
He nodded. “You glow.”
She reached up and punched his shoulder lightly. “You’re delusional.”
He shook his head from side to side. “When can you come over again?” He moved un
til they lay side by side as the movie played.
“Hmm, tomorrow. No, wait. I’m going to Tyler with Alex tomorrow. Aunties need to go on a shopping spree for the new baby.” She smiled and looked back at him. “It’s sort of our tradition.”
“What about coming over after?”
She nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
“I’d like to drive you up to the place on Bond. If you want to see it.”
She nodded. “I’d like that.” Then she laughed. “How did you get out of driving Savannah up there today?”
He frowned. “I told her I had another meeting. That woman has never shown interest in me before. I don’t get why she is now.”
“Because she can, and she’s desperate. Ever since Travis left town, she hasn’t had a steady bang,” she said, then let out a large yawn.
He let her watch the TV for a while as he rubbed his fingers up and down her arm.
When she was fast asleep, he lay there and dreamed of his new life with her.
Haley woke when she heard Lauren and Chase come home. Wes was fast asleep behind her, his leg pinning her to the cushions. Haley saw the surprise on her sister’s face, then the slow smile that spread. Lauren quickly walked backwards out of the room, giving her two thumbs up as she went.
Haley tried not to laugh, but it was just too funny. She felt Wes stir behind her and snuggled back down for the night on a lumpy couch and in the arms of a man she was desperately trying not to love too much.
Chapter Ten
By morning, she wondered why she hadn’t just moved them up to her bedroom. Her neck was at an odd angle and her right hip was off the couch. Wes’s arms were still wrapped around her tightly, but even so, she was slipping off the couch and soon would be on the floor.
“Mmmm,” Wes said, as he buried his face into her hair. “What a wonderful way to wake up.” His hands started roaming over her, pulling her closer so she was lying over him now. She moved until she was facing him and started raining kisses over his face and neck.
He felt too good not to touch, and she reached up under his shirt and felt his heated skin with her fingertips. He moaned and she could feel that he was totally aroused, which sent shivers down her body in anticipation.