Winn shifted uncomfortably. “Plans are for them to fly in on the third and stay until the fifth.”
“When were you going to tell me?” Hurt snaked its way around her heart. Why hadn’t Winn said anything to her?
“Ah.” Liam pulled out his cell phone and held it up, though neither of them was paying him much attention. “Excuse me. I need to make a call. Nice to see you, Winn. Good seeing you again, Hailey.”
Liam was already backing up. Apparently a man with a PhD in child psychology knew when retreat was the best option.
Hailey was glad to see him go. There was so much she needed to say to Winn. The trouble was, now that they were alone, her thoughts were such a tangled mess she wasn’t sure where to begin. Perhaps the second Crazy Coyote had been a mistake.
“It appears you and Liam have decided to renew your...friendship.”
It took her a while to catch on to what he was implying.
“Oh, that’s rich.” Hailey slammed her now empty margarita glass on the patio table, the movement making her sway slightly. “You’re trying to turn this on me so I won’t see what’s going on. Let me tell you right now. It. Won’t. Work.”
His brows pulled together as if she was speaking an unfamiliar language. He cast a hand in the direction of the empty glass. “How many of those have you had tonight?”
“You know how many?” Her voice rose menacingly as she took a step closer. Putting both hands against his chest and giving him a not-so-gentle shove. “Not nearly enough. You...you jerk.”
Her head swam, but she had herself focus. “When were you going to tell me about Cam’s grandparents?”
“Nick only got back to me with the confirmation this afternoon,” Winn protested, looking puzzled at her irritation. “I’m still undecided if having them come is a good thing or not. That’s why I didn’t say anything. There’s still time to cancel.”
“If you’re not saying anything, how did Liam know?”
Winn’s gaze never wavered from her face. “We talked about it after Cam’s session yesterday. I thought it’d be best for Dr. Gallagher to know their arrival was a possibility.”
Hailey put a hand to her head. Maybe his explanation made sense. But then she thought about what Josh had said.
“What other things haven’t you told me?” Her breath came hard and fast as if she was nearing the end of a race, headed for a finish line she’d never wanted to cross.
Confusion blanketed his face. “Nothing. I’ve been straight with you.”
“How about the con you and your father have going? The one I fell for—hook, line and sinker.”
Warily, he stepped closer. “My father and I don’t have any con going on.”
“Not according to Josh.” She slapped a hand to her forehead and swayed again. “I’m such a sap.”
A muscle in Winn’s jaw jumped. “You’d actually believe anything that sniveling weasel has to say?”
“He is a weasel, but he makes sense.” Her laugh ended on a sob. But when Winn stepped forward, concern etching his brow, she held up a hand and shook her head in warning.
“Tell me what Josh said.” Winn’s voice was quiet, but his tone brooked no argument.
“Why?” she cried out. “So you can deny it? Explain it away?”
Winn raked his hand through his hair, frustration evident in the movement. “So I can clarify any misunderstanding.”
“My head is swimming. I’m not sure I can process this right now.” Tears stung the backs of her eyes. She blinked rapidly and rubbed her temples, wishing again she hadn’t chugged that second Coyote. “I need to stop and think. But I can’t think.”
“Hailey, let me explain.”
She started and kept walking, only stopping when she reached the door to turn back. “I don’t know if I can trust you.”
“If you walk away now we may never get this fixed.”
“I don’t even know if there is anything to fix,” she told him honestly. “I just don’t know.”
The alcohol allowed all the fears and worries she’d tried to ignore to rise to the surface. From everything she’d observed with her friends, the course of true love usually hit a few boulders. But with Winn, the path had been smooth. Too smooth?
Though she wished she could take his words at face value, Hailey worried she was missing something. If Josh was right and Winn was using her, this time her heart wouldn’t simply be bruised, it would be broken.
Chapter Seventeen
When Winn arrived home, Cam was already in bed. Kate and Chloe were at the kitchen table playing a board game.
“You’re home early.” Kate’s smile faded and Winn realized he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding his emotions. She pushed back her chair and stood. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing that can’t be fixed,” he muttered. He would get to the bottom of what had happened between him and Hailey this evening. He had to be missing something, because Hailey’s behavior didn’t make sense.
Chloe busied herself picking up the pieces of the game and putting them back in the box.
Two lines formed between Kate’s brows. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Winn shook his head then flashed a smile that felt foreign on his lips. “How was Cam for you?”
Kate’s eyes were too sharp and her expression too sympathetic. Right now, he had to hold on to his anger at whoever and whatever had caused Hailey to doubt his feelings for her.
“Ah, Mr. Ferris.”
Grateful for the distraction, Winn focused his attention on Chloe.
“Cameron was a good boy,” the girl reported in a tone that reminded him of Mrs. Burk, his third-grade teacher. “We played with Lego and then with his trucks.”
From the way her nose crinkled, Winn discerned Tonka trucks weren’t high on her list of fun activities.
“We watched a movie, then he had a snack.” The teenager, the spitting image of her dark-haired mother, consulted a notepad. “Cameron was in bed at nine and asleep by nine-fifteen.”
Winn didn’t care what time his son had fallen asleep. Right now he was just glad that once Kate and Chloe left, he could pour himself a stiff drink and try to figure out what had happened tonight.
“Thank you, Chloe. You did a fine job.” He pulled out his wallet and handed her a couple of bills.
Her eyes widened when she saw the amount. “Wow. But this is too much. I only charge—”
“Keep it,” Winn said abruptly, then softened his tone. “I appreciate you filling in on such short notice.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ferris.” Her sweet young face glowed. “Please call me again.”
“You’ll definitely be hearing from me.” Winn shifted his gaze to Kate as they walked to the door. “It was good to see you again.”
“Winn.” Kate touched his sleeve, keeping her voice low, though there was really no need. Chloe had already put on her earbuds and was listening to music. “If there’s anything Joel or I can do—”
“Thank you.”
“Both you and Hailey mean a lot to us.”
So much for keeping secrets, Winn thought. But her offer touched him. Of all the places he’d ever lived, Jackson Hole was the only place that felt like home. And Hailey was the only woman he would ever love.
That was why he had to solve this mystery and make things right between them. Because when everything you wanted was within reach, failure wasn’t an option.
* * *
Winn was at his father’s door at 9:00 a.m. He’d called ahead and told his dad he needed to speak with him and he’d be right over.
Upon their arrival, he’d asked Elena to take Cam to the pond on the southern edge of the property to see the ducks. She’d immediately spirited Cam away.
“You could have at least let her
stay long enough to get you some coffee,” Jim groused.
His father must have a meeting scheduled for the morning, because his suit coat was on and gold cuff links winked just above his wrists.
“I’m capable of getting my own coffee,” Winn informed his father. “And I didn’t come to socialize.”
“You made that clear.” A look of displeasure crossed his father’s face. “You have to speak to me about an urgent matter. Well, make it quick. My schedule is full and—”
“Tell me what you said to Josh about Hailey and me,” Winn interrupted, his voice sharp enough to slice steel.
“I don’t discuss personal matters with my assistant.” Jim lifted a hand in a dismissive wave. “You should know that. Now, if that’s all, I—”
“That’s not all. Sit down,” he snapped when his father began to rise.
Perhaps it was the look in Winn’s eyes or the edge in his voice, but his father complied.
“I don’t appreciate your tone, boy.”
“I don’t appreciate you screwing with my personal life.” Winn’s tone had his father’s eyes widening. “Tell me everything you said to Josh.”
Jim hesitated for so long Winn had to fight the urge to lunge across the table and wrap his hands around his neck.
“I may have mentioned that you cozying up to the mayor’s sister was a smart move.” Jim appeared to deliberately take his time lifting the mug of coffee to his lips. “That’s all.”
Winn’s gaze slid over his father’s face. Over the years he’d become somewhat of an expert at reading expressions. His gut said this was the truth. Still, he pressed. “Was anything said about a con?”
Puzzlement slithered across his father’s face. “A con? No.”
Winn pushed back his chair and stood. “I’ll need Josh’s address. And he’s off your payroll as of today.”
Jim’s eyes flashed, his brows pulling together like two dark thunderclouds. “You’re not in charge. You don’t get to tell me who I can have on staff.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, Granddad and I together have controlling interest in Ferris Inc. Push comes to shove, he’ll side with me on this.” Winn met his father’s rigid gaze with an implacable one of his own. “I won’t mess with the company if you get rid of your assistant. It’s a small price to pay.”
Jim’s anger seemed to deflate like an untied balloon. He chuckled and shrugged. “Assistants are a dime a dozen, anyway. What did this one do to get you so riled?”
Winn’s lips set in a thin hard line. “Let’s just say no one screws with Winn Ferris and gets away with it.”
“That kind of talk makes a father proud.”
Winn gave a disgusted snort and headed out the backdoor to round up Cam.
* * *
A call from Meg on the way back into town had Winn making a detour to the Lassisters’ mountain home.
Despite Josh’s address burning a hole in his pocket, Winn had known he couldn’t take Cam with him when he confronted Josh.
Cam was excited to see Charlie, even more excited when he was asked to spend the night. Winn thought of what had happened the last time Cam had spent the night.
But before he could decline the offer, Cole put a hand on his shoulder and said in a low tone that the past shouldn’t determine the future. He urged Winn to give the boy another chance.
Winn agreed to let Cam stay, and thought about what Cole had said on the drive to Josh’s downtown apartment.
He acknowledged that his response last night had been driven by what had happened with Vanessa and Brandon. Liam had also been Hailey’s first love.
The shock of finding her with the psychologist, his hands on her, had brought out old fears. But Hailey wasn’t like Vanessa, he reminded himself. In the time they’d been together he’d learned Hailey wasn’t capable of such subterfuge.
He owed her an apology.
That could wait, he decided. Until after he and Josh had a talk.
* * *
Josh opened the door to his apartment and Winn brushed past him into the small efficiency without speaking. Since it was Saturday, he thought he’d find the man at home.
“Hey,” Josh protested. “I didn’t invite you inside.”
It was almost eleven and Josh wasn’t even dressed for the day, Winn thought with disgust, eyeing the man’s rumpled pajama bottoms and T-shirt.
Winn strode to the middle of the living room and turned, planting his feet. “Tell me what you said to Hailey last night.”
The words were spoken as an order, one that Josh didn’t appear to take seriously. With an insolent smile on his face, he strolled to the refrigerator. After getting a bottle of water for himself, he leaned against the counter. “Hailey and I used to date. We had a lot to say to each other.”
“Don’t screw with me, Gratzke.” Winn clenched his hands into fists at his sides. “You made it sound as if I had some sort of con going with my father.”
“If you know so much,” Josh sneered, “why do you need me?”
“You’re right,” Winn said. “This is a waste of my time. You’re a waste of my time.”
“Glad I could be of assistance.” Josh’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “Hope I didn’t mess things up with you and the babe. She’s a hot little number. Given a little more time, I’d have gotten her into—”
Winn’s right fist shot out, connecting solidly with Josh’s eye. He gave a yelp of pain and staggered back.
“That hot little number is my future wife, you little weasel.” Winn strolled to the door, turned and paused with his hand on the knob. “By the way, you’re fired.”
“You can’t fire me.”
“Oh, I can. And I just did.” Winn smiled faintly. “It appears my father forgot to mention that ours is a family-owned business and I control the majority of the shares.”
Winn pulled the door shut behind him with a firm thud.
Future wife?
Winn’s thoughts drifted to Hailey. He’d never known such a beautiful, smart and caring woman. She made him a better person. She made him happy. He couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.
The words he’d uttered had come from the heart. He loved Hailey. He wanted her to be his wife.
Now he needed to make sure she knew it, too.
* * *
Weddings normally made Hailey feel gooey and romantic inside. Today all she felt was depressed. The happy face she’d painted on this morning was in serious danger of slipping.
There was only so much gushing she could take about love and romance and happily-ever-after. The sad thing was, only twenty-four hours earlier, she’d been having all those happy thoughts about Winn.
Not anymore.
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them back and focused her attention on transforming Karla Anderson, her high-school friend, into the most beautiful bride ever.
She’d done the makeup for Karla’s six attendants, all family members, before focusing on the bride.
“I’ve got to quit yammering.” Karla’s cheeks turned a dusky pink. “It’s just that I’m so happy...when I once never thought I’d be.”
Hailey wasn’t sure how to respond. She knew Karla’s complicated history with her fiancé, Justin. She remembered when Karla had fled to Jackson Hole from Kansas City.
Justin and she had broken up and he’d gone back to his old girlfriend around the time Karla had discovered she was pregnant. Though he’d begged her to get back together, she’d refused. It wasn’t until after their baby was stillborn that they’d begun to mend their shattered relationship.
Now, a year later, they were getting married.
“I’m happy things worked out for you,” Hailey said, and she meant it. “He loves you, Karla. I see it in his eyes whenever he looks at you.”
“Learning to trust each other wasn’t easy.” Karla twisted a lace-embroidered handkerchief between her fingers. “We’d said some pretty hurtful—and unfair—things to each other. But we learned from our mistakes.”
Karla’s words hit a little too close to home.
Trust was at the heart of what had happened between her and Winn at the party. Hailey thought of the accusations she’d leveled at him. Accusations flung out in fear. Fear that she’d fallen in love with someone who could be using her.
She wanted to trust Winn. Deep down she believed he was someone she could trust. But what if she was wrong?
Hailey busied herself with the makeup, desperately wanting to change the subject. “Which one of these shades do you like best?”
“Hmm.” Karla chewed on her lip as they studied the palate Hailey had thrust before her. “You’re the expert.”
“I think if we put this gold shadow on your lids, and use a violet or cranberry as a highlight, the green in your eyes will pop.”
“Let’s go for it.” Her friend lifted her admiring gaze to Hailey. “How is it you always know the right thing to do?”
If only that were true...
Hailey’s heart swelled, the pain making breathing difficult.
“What lipstick are you going to use?” Karla asked.
One step in front of the other, Hailey reminded herself. That’s the only way she would get through the day.
“Mauve. Paired with the eye shadow colors we’ve selected, your skin will glow.”
Securing the smile back on her lips, Hailey picked up the palate and went to work to transform her friend into a beautiful bride.
* * *
Winn didn’t let a lack of an invitation stop him from attending the wedding of two people he’d never met. Besides, as far as he knew, Hailey had never retracted her invitation for him to be her plus one.
He hadn’t been sure of the proper attire for an afternoon wedding in Jackson Hole but figured he couldn’t go wrong with dark pants and a white shirt. He left his jacket in the car when he didn’t see anyone else wearing one.
Ready, Set, I Do! (Rx for Love) Page 18