She glanced around. It was odd that Kinley hadn’t come out to welcome her. The shop usually had an assistant during busy times, but it felt like it was completely abandoned.
Hadley moved toward the private hallway that led to the offices and heard the sound of someone throwing up.
She ran down the hall, stopping at the open bathroom door just as Kinley stood up and groaned.
“You okay?”
Kinley nodded and went to the sink to rinse her mouth out and wipe her face. Hadley handed her one of the monogramed towels that was in the handbasket and then stood back while Kinley composed herself.
“Please don’t mention this to anyone,” Kinley said when she turned around.
“I won’t... I’m guessing you’re pregnant?”
“Yes. Nate has been on me to have another kid and even got Penny in on it. At first I was hesitant because of our history, you know?” Kinley said as she opened one of the drawers in the cabinet next to the porcelain washbasin, took out a cosmetic bag and touched up her makeup. Kinley and Nate had first met on a wild weekend in Vegas. After he’d gone back home she found out she was pregnant, and he didn’t find out until she came back to Cole’s Hill for her job—with the child.
“I do know,” Hadley said, thinking about Mo and her, and how she’d sort of wanted a baby but was also very relieved when she found out she wasn’t pregnant. “How did you handle it the first time on your own? I mean that had to have been hard.”
“I had no choice. And this time I wanted it to be perfect.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Well, Penny is going through a new phase and really testing our temper. Nate’s trying to be the doting daddy, but he also doesn’t want us to raise a brat. In the middle of all this, I went off the Pill without telling him because I thought it’d be a nice surprise, but then last night in bed he let it drop that he thought it was good we only had one kid because they’re a lot of work...”
Hadley walked over and hugged her friend. “Worst timing ever. Men are so good at that.”
Kinley nodded. “They are. The thing is, I know it’s a phase and he’ll be back to pestering me about having another one in a week or something, but it did drive home how much work it is and it never seems to get easier. I mean, I thought once Penny could walk and pee by herself I had the motherhood thing in the bag, but it’s always something new.”
Hadley hadn’t even considered any of the things that Kinley was talking about when she’d thought about being pregnant and having a child. She’d thought it might bring her and Mo closer but now it sounded like that might not be the case.
“I had no idea parenting was that hard,” Hadley said.
“It’s also the best damned thing that ever happened to me. I was a straight up mess before I had Penny and I’d probably still be partying and moving from job to job if I didn’t have her. But enough about me. Why are you here early?”
Hadley took a deep breath and looked into the mirror to make sure she didn’t have lipstick on her teeth. “I came early to apologize for my mom. She’s going to be difficult today.”
“It’s not like I haven’t experienced mothers of the bride before,” Kinley said. “I can handle her. My mother might not be Texas-raised but she knew enough about Southern charm to teach me how to deal with the good women of Cole’s Hill.”
Hadley shook her head. “You’re going to need all that learning today. She called your boss on Monday and wants to conference her in on this meeting.”
Kinley just smiled as both women left the bathroom and went down the hall to the bridal showroom. “Oh, I know about that. Jaqs is going to be at the meeting this morning. I asked her to come.”
Hadley couldn’t help but laugh at that. Kinley did indeed know how to handle the women of Cole’s Hill. Marrying into one of the Five Families meant she had to deal with them on a daily basis. Her family weren’t part of the original five who founded the town but her mom was part of Cole’s Hill society so she knew all about the importance the townspeople placed on status.
“Nicely played,” Hadley said.
“Like you mentioned, I have to be able to hold my own and I knew she was going to demand to speak to my boss so I saved her the hassle. Also, Jaqs gets off on going toe-to-toe with the tough cases as she calls them. Between the two of us, we will make sure she gets everything she wants from the meeting.”
Hadley was impressed that her friend was ready to do whatever it took, but then she guessed that was why Kinley and Jaqs were so successful. “I way underestimated you.”
“Happens all the time,” Kinley said with a wink. “Want a coffee while you wait? Jaqs ordered a new machine and I’m dying for someone to try it out since I’m not having caffeine while I’m preggers.”
“Sure.”
Hadley watched her friend as she left the showroom and went to make the coffee. Today had been a revelation on a couple of levels. She realized that when she was at home, she fell back into the behavior of a good Cole’s Hill daughter. Talking to Kinley this morning had reminded her that she had been also a total badass when she was in Manhattan and she needed to find a way to blend those two personas.
* * *
Mauricio started the morning with a run and then headed into the office. When he got there, he was surprised to see Malcolm waiting by the front door. He was kind of slouched over and leaning against the building. When he got closer, it was plain to see his friend was sleeping standing up.
He looked like a mess but didn’t smell of booze.
“Malcolm.”
His friend’s head lolled to one side, and when he looked up, Mauricio could see his eyes were bloodshot and there was a cut on his cheekbone.
“Dude, are you okay?”
“Yeah...”
Then Malcolm shook his head as he stood up. “Fuck. I’m not. I thought I could handle this but everything is spiraling out of control.”
Mauricio squeezed his friend’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of here. You need breakfast and a shower and then we can talk and figure this out.”
For a split second it looked like Malcolm was going to argue but he just conceded, showing none of his usual determined spirit. That worried Mauricio. He led him to his sports car, and once Malcolm was seated, he drove toward Arbol Verde. His brother Diego lived there but he was in London with his wife for the next few weeks, and Mauricio had the feeling that getting out of town would be good for Malcolm.
His friend drifted off as Mauricio drove to the ranch. When they arrived, he parked the car, texted his assistant and told him that he and Malcolm were taking the day off, and then woke his friend and directed him to the guesthouse where he’d be able to shower and change into some clean clothes.
Diego’s housekeeper was visiting her family in Dallas while he was gone, so Mo had the place to himself as he went to make breakfast in the main ranch house. He texted Diego to let him know he’d come out to check on the place, something that Mo had promised to do, and that he and Malcolm were going to take a couple of horses for a ride.
His brother called instead of texting back.
“What’s up? Why are you at my place on a workday? Is anything wrong?” Diego asked in that spitfire way of his.
“Mal is in a bad place. I figured riding would help him sort some stuff out. Otherwise, things are fine here,” Mauricio said. “How’s London?”
“Cold and wet,” Diego said. “But Pippa is launching her new product line of Classic H jewelry for House of Hamilton on Friday and she’s so excited that the weather doesn’t matter.”
“Of course, it doesn’t. When your woman is happy, all is right in the world,” Mauricio said. He wished that he’d learned that lesson a bit sooner. Maybe then he wouldn’t have to work so hard to get Hadley back.
“That sounds very mature coming from you. Are you back with Hadley?” Diego asked.
“We’re still working that out,” he said. “But I’m hopeful this time I won’t screw it up.”
“You’re too hard on yourself,” Diego said. “Sure, you’ve had some issues, but you always owned them.”
He tried. But there had been times in the past when he felt like all he did was fail. “Thank you for saying that.”
“That’s what big brothers are for,” Diego said. “I’ll be home this weekend for the polo match. I’d like to make this an annual event.”
“I’ve been doing some work around that,” Mauricio said, then caught his brother up on the corporate sponsors he’d reached out to. A lot of them he worked with in conjunction with his housing charity work. Diego was impressed and Mo, who’d always been happy being the hothead, realized that he liked getting attention for doing something that was good. He liked not always being the brother who was in hot water. He thought that was Hadley’s influence and he realized how much she was changing him...or maybe helping him to change. He doubted she’d even realize just how much she had.
“See you on Friday, Mo,” Diego said. “Love ya.”
“Love ya too,” he said ending the call as Mal walked into the breakfast room.
His friend still looked like crap but his eyes were clearer.
“Are you using?” Mo asked without preamble.
It was the only thing he could think of that could explain how messed up Mal looked and the money that had disappeared from the wedding account he and Helena had set up.
“No. I’m not. Why do you think that?”
“You look like shit, you still haven’t paid back your wedding account, your fiancée is freaked and you aren’t manning up. Something is definitely up with you. And I’m not about to go all Dr. Phil but you need to fess up and get straight.”
Mal turned one of the breakfast chairs around and straddled it. He put his elbows on the ladderback and his head in his hands. “God, when you say it like that I can see how out of control my life has gotten.”
“Yes, it has. So what the hell is going on?”
Mal rubbed the back of his neck but still wouldn’t look Mo in the eyes. He honestly feared for his friend. This wasn’t the man he’d known. This person was evasive and there was something, almost a desperation to him.
“I can’t...”
“Just say it. You know I’m going to find out,” Mauricio said. “You were the one who found me at the Bull Pit and told me if I got into one more fight, Sheriff Justiss was going to put me in jail on a thirty-day hold. You said don’t screw your life up.”
“I did say that,” Mal said, looking him in the eye for the first time in weeks. “I guess it’s easier to give advice when you see your best friend crash and burn than to take it yourself.”
“Definitely. I thought drinking and fighting was the way to get over Hadley, but it wasn’t. And I don’t even know what demon you’re battling.”
He put a mug of black coffee and a plate of food in front of his friend before sitting down across from him.
“It sounds stupid when I say it out loud,” Mal said.
“Fair enough, since you’ve been acting like an ass.”
His friend gave him a faint smile. “I started thinking about the future. My in-laws have a really nice life and I knew I had to provide at least that level of comfort for Helena. And you know me. I work hard, but I play hard too.”
“Nothing wrong with that. Helena loves you, not your money.”
“You think?”
“Of course! It’s an insult to Helena and yourself if you think otherwise. If she wanted a trust-fund man, she could have found one. She loves you.”
Mal rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I had a line on a sure-thing bet that would double our wedding fund and give her the extras she’d been scrimping on so I took the money and placed the bet...”
“And lost,” Mauricio said. “Who did you gamble with?”
“No one you know. Anyway, I’ve been working extra hard to try to make back the money, but we saved for two years to afford our wedding and I lost the money in one night... I mean, if I lost it in one night—”
“No. Stop. You’re never going to win it back like that. Damn. Why didn’t you come to me?”
“Why would I? This is my problem,” Mal said.
“Well, screw you too. I thought we were friends.”
“Sorry, Mo. I didn’t think of it that way. I just was damned mad at myself. I don’t know how to get out of this. I’ve been working odd jobs around the area—not in Cole’s Hill—to try to make up the money. I told Helena I’d get it back in our wedding account before we had to make all the payments, but I’m not sure I can,” Malcolm said, pushing his plate away. He stood up and walked over to the French doors, putting his hands on his hips and staring out at the rolling hills.
“I’ll help you. Alec is really good at investing and together the three of us can figure out a way that doesn’t involve gambling to get your money back.”
“Really?”
“Hell, yes. But you have to do something first,” Mauricio said.
“What?”
“Come clean with Helena. She’s freaked out, and I think only by being honest will you be able to fix this. She needs to know what’s in your head and your heart.”
“I thought you weren’t going to go all Dr. Phil,” Malcolm said wryly.
“I can’t help it. I’m the wisest of our group.”
“You keep telling yourself that,” Malcolm said with a bit of humor in his voice.
Mo felt like he was seeing his old friend come through for the first time since the engagement party.
Mal reached over and awkwardly hugged him. “Thank you.”
“No problem. You call Helena. I’m going to text Alec and maybe we can get something going with your investments.”
Thirty minutes later Helena was at the Arbol Verde. Mauricio stayed in the house while his friends went for a horseback ride.
* * *
Helena had been surprised to get the call from Malcolm. He hadn’t been home in two days and she hadn’t slept in that time. She was worried, angry and edgy. Her mom was in a power play with Jaqs Veerland, and honestly at this point she wasn’t sure she even wanted to get married. But there was no way she was backing out of the wedding of the year unless she was sure that Malcolm was truly gone.
So this call... Well, it was exactly what she’d been both hoping for and dreading. Whatever was going on with him, it sounded like he was going to come clean. She hoped it wasn’t another woman. She knew she wouldn’t be able to handle that. Or at least she thought she wouldn’t.
“You haven’t said a word since we left the barn,” Malcolm said.
She wasn’t going to lie, she was afraid to start this conversation. She shook her head. She was the strong sister, the one everyone could pile stuff on and she’d deal with it, but here she was riding next to Mal, pretending he didn’t look like hell. None of it made sense. The knot in her gut got tighter.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m scared,” she said, pushing her sunglasses up on her head and glancing over at him. He had on a straw cowboy hat and dark glasses so his face was pretty much hidden from her. But she’d seen his bloodshot eyes earlier.
“I’m sorry, Hel. I never meant to do this to you,” he said.
“What have you done? I mean, I know the money is missing. Is it gone? What did you do with it?” she asked.
He pulled his horse to a stop and dismounted. She did the same. The horses at Arbol Verde were trained to stay when their leads were on the ground so she dropped them and went over to him.
Suddenly all the anger she’d been pushing down since she’d first seen that low balance in their account exploded and she couldn’t help it—she shoved him hard on the shoulder. “What the hell are you doing? If you don’t want to get married, just say th
at. Don’t dick around and screw up everything so I’m the one who has to be the adult and break things off. You were never a douchebag before.”
He stood there and let her rant at him, which made her stop. She hated losing her cool, so she stepped back, wrapping her arms around her waist, and just waited.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t ladylike.”
“I deserve it,” he said. “The truth is, I know I’m not the man your family wishes you’d fallen for. I can’t keep you in the same style as your parents. I saw a chance to change that, to give you what you needed and it didn’t work out.”
“What I needed? Let’s deal with that BS first. When have I ever said I needed more than you?” she asked. She wasn’t going to be able to keep her cool, especially if he was trying to play this like it was all her fault.
“Never. You’ve never made me feel like I wasn’t enough. But you are... Well, you are my heart, Helena, and I want to give you the world, but I can’t. And I wanted more for you and for me. For us,” he said.
Damn.
Of course, he wasn’t making it about her. Malcolm always had big dreams and a big heart, which was why she’d fallen for him. “I don’t need more. We don’t. What did you do?”
He sighed, shoving his hands through his hair, which knocked the cowboy hat to the ground. They both ignored it.
“I took our money and placed a very large bet on a sure thing and lost it all,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get the money back—”
“By gambling?”
“No. Not that. I don’t have a large enough stake to make it work,” he said. “I’ve been doing odd jobs all over the county, working nights to try to get some of it back.”
“Malcolm, you should have said.”
“I couldn’t. I felt dumb enough that I lost all of our wedding money and then you had to go to your parents, which I know you didn’t want to do,” he said. “And I made the mess so I had to fix it.”
One Night with His Ex Page 11