Hung Up on Hadley (Red Maple Falls, #5)

by Theresa Paolo

  The picture represented more than anyone could understand.

  He’d made her feel like the prettiest girl there. Every girl’s eyes had been on his, but he hadn’t looked at a single one. They’d danced the night away, and Sam made her forget how her date stood her up for his ex.

  “I found it when I was home for Matt and Shay’s wedding,” Daisy answered. “I was looking for a hair tie.”

  “You could’ve asked,” Hadley mumbled.

  “You weren’t there. You were busy helping Mom with preparations.”

  “Who cares where you were,” Kate interrupted. “The point is you have a picture of him in your nightstand drawer. This is worse than I thought. You need to tell him.”

  “I can’t tell him.”

  “Then you need to move on.”

  “Have you ever thought about online dating?” Daisy asked.

  “Definitely not,” Hadley said.

  “Why not?” Kate asked. “It could be good. Who knows? Mr. Right could be sitting behind his computer, waiting for you to find him.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Hadley scoffed.

  “My friend Dominique met her boyfriend online, and they’re really happy,” Daisy said. “And my coworker met her husband online.”

  “Coworker?” Hadley asked. “One of the actresses in the play?”

  Daisy hesitated. “Yes. I mean. My coworkers are actors, so of course. But that’s not the point. Online dating might be good for you, Hads. If anything, it’ll give you a chance to see what else is out there.

  “Maybe even make Sam jealous,” Kate suggested, and Hadley froze in place at the idea. Sam jealous? Was it even possible? She had no clue but it was a tempting thought.

  “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

  “I already signed you up,” Daisy said.

  “What? How?”

  “I only needed your email address and your name. I’m filling out your profile now. Must love dogs, obviously.”

  “That should be bolded and at the top,” Kate said as she grabbed a pair of tweezers and began to manipulate the heated glass.

  “Definitely. I know I can’t be picky, but I could never date a guy who didn’t like dogs.” She thought about Sam and how great he was with animals. Hadley honestly believed she could learn a great deal by a guy’s character depending on his fondness of fur babies. “Yup, total deal breaker.” Hadley bent down to Lady, took the old dog’s head into her hands, and rained kisses on her snout. “Right, girl?” Lady answered her with a lick to the face and Hadley laughed. “That’s what I thought.”

  “I need a picture of you,” Daisy said.

  Kate grabbed her phone and held it up. “Smile.”

  “Now?” Hadley ran a hand down her flannel shirt and mud-stained jeans. “I look like I’ve been working on a farm all day.”

  “You have been working on a farm all day,” Kate replied. “I bet there’s a farmer’s only dating site.”

  “No,” Hadley deadpanned.

  “Never mind. Got one,” Daisy chimed in.

  “What picture?”

  “One from Matt and Shay’s wedding. You look good, don’t worry.”

  “She’s also in a dress, nice shoes, and her hair doesn’t have hay in it,” Kate said. “Don’t you think that’s kind of like false advertising?”

  “Hey! I don’t always have hay in my hair.”

  “Uh huh,” Kate said before turning back to the fire and placing the metal rod inside.

  Hadley slumped against Kate’s desk and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t.” At least she didn’t think she did but then she thought back to that morning with Sam when she had the flat tire. The way his hand reached for her with purpose only to pluck a piece of hay off her sleeve. “Oh god. I do, don’t I?”

  “We love you anyway,” Daisy said.

  “And dog hair,” Kate added.

  Hadley’s eyes drifted to her pant leg, and sure enough, she was covered. She went to swat at her jeans, and Kate held up her hand.

  “I don’t need it to go airborne and get stuck in the glass. I have a roller in my top drawer.”

  Hadley walked over to Kate’s desk and retrieved the roller. “No wonder I can’t meet anyone.”

  Kate laughed. “You just have to find the right guy.”

  Hadley ran the roller down her leg. “I already have.” Sam never judged her for having dog hair on her pants or hay in her hair. Maybe a laugh or two, but it was never from a cruel place.

  “Yeah, well, he’s a dumbass who can’t see what’s right in front of him, and you won’t tell him. So until either of those things happen, you have to be on the lookout for another Mr. Right.” Kate was never one to beat around the bush and while her honesty sometimes stung, Hadley couldn’t argue with her.

  Kate gave her a smile. “And who knows… maybe Sam isn’t Mr. Right. Maybe you’ve just had him on a pedestal for so long that you’ve convinced yourself he is.”

  Kate’s words caused Hadley pause. Was Hadley in love with a memory?

  “And done!” Daisy announced. “You’re officially a part of the online dating community.”

  “Oh goodie.” Hadley never thought she would have to resort to such measures in order to meet a guy. The movies and TV made it look so easy, like Mr. Perfect just magically showed up on your doorstep one day, practically hand delivered with a bow. What a total lie that was.

  The door opened, and Caleb walked through the doorway and ducked slightly to accommodate his tall frame. He had dark chocolate brown hair that always sat just right. Kate notoriously referred to it as pretty boy hair that defied gravity.

  Kate’s eyes moved across the room and met her husband’s. She got a goofy grin on her face as Caleb made his way across the studio toward her, holding a to-go bag from the Happy Apple. Kate finished what she was doing then made her way to her husband’s arms. Her face lit up when Caleb bent down to kiss her, and his arms instinctively wrapped around her in a warm, loving embrace.

  Hadley smiled at her sister’s happiness, but couldn’t ignore the tinge of jealousy that tugged at her. It wasn’t an emotion she was used to, and it truly bothered her that seeing how happy all of her siblings were made her hurt just because she was alone.

  “How was old Man Simpson?” Kate asked him.

  It was strange not to see the old guy driving his tractor drunk down Main Street in his underwear. His antics were legendary, but since Caleb befriended him, the old man was getting his act together even trying to distribute his famous moonshine.

  “He’s good. Talking big plans for the future.”

  “It’s really great what you’ve done for him,” Hadley said.

  “Just gave him something to live for.” Caleb clapped his hands together as he settled into the chair behind Kate’s desk. “What’d I miss?”

  “We just signed Hadley up for online dating,” Kate said as she swapped the bag from Caleb and reached in.

  “I thought you were in love with Sam.”

  Hadley’s eyes widened as she turned them to her sister. “Are you kidding me?”

  “What? He’s my husband. I tell him everything.”

  “I’m your sister, and I’d appreciate if what you share with him didn’t extend to my personal life, thank you.” Hadley turned to Caleb. “No offense.”

  “None taken. Besides you’re my sister now, too, and unlike my wife, I can keep a secret,” Caleb said.

  Hadley gave Caleb a smile. Ever since Kate brought him into their lives he had become a part of their family. Hadley might have been jealous of her sister’s relationship, but she was also grateful, because at the end of the day she had another brother she could count on for anything.

  ***

  Hadley settled into bed with Lady at her feet and a hot cup of chamomile tea on her nightstand. She opened her laptop and took a deep breath as she clicked into the online dating site.

  Her eyes practically jumped out of their sockets when she saw that she had multiple messages.
<
br />   “Look at that! Five messages,” she said then clicked the first one open.

  She let out a squeak as her laptop nearly went flying across the bed. Lady looked at her like she’d lost her mind, and maybe she had, because why in all that was holy would a guy send a picture of his private parts to some unsuspecting woman? “What is wrong with people?” She let out a sigh and leaned forward to Lady. “Sorry girl. Hopefully that won’t happen again.”

  Hadley quickly x’ed out of that message and went to the next, then the next, and the next. She was about to give up all hope when she opened the last message and was pleasantly surprised by the nice, bashful response.

  She clicked into his profile. “Cute,” she said. “Thirty-four, single—well, I would hope so—nice smile, and likes animals. I think we have a winner here, girl.”

  Lady turned her head away and yawned as she settled into the comforter. “I’d have you know that I’m doing this for the both of us.”

  Hadley clicked back to the message and decided to respond. What was the worst that could happen? Almost as soon as she hit send, a new message appeared.

  “Wow, he doesn’t waste any time.”

  She reached into her nightstand to grab a hair clip, and her fingers grazed the glass of a picture frame. She abandoned the hairclip and took the picture out, staring down at the memory.

  She’d worn a beautiful light pink strapless gown, tailored to fit her slender frame perfectly. Her hair was pinned into a loose up-do, courtesy of Kate, and on her side was Sam, handsome as could be in the tuxedo.

  A smile touched her lips as she thought about how much dancing they’d done, how many laughs they’d had, and how Sam had made her forget all about Kurt Stapleton, her no show date. Maybe it was true. Maybe she wasn’t in love with Sam anymore. Maybe he was just still on the pedestal she’d placed him on this night.

  It was time for her to move on. With one last glance, she put the picture back into the nightstand, grabbed her hair clip, and shut the drawer on the past.

  Chapter 6

  Sam pushed a broom across the engine bay of the firehouse, doing his part to keep the place clean. They didn’t have extra funds to hire someone to do it, but Sam didn’t mind. He liked to pitch in and found it necessary for his guys as well. It kept them grounded and responsible so when they decided to pull a prank—like dumping a bucket of ice water over Sam’s head—they knew they had to clean up the damn mess.

  Also, basic tasks like cleaning helped pass the time when the town was peaceful and there were no accidents, fires, or cats getting stuck in trees. Sam loved the action of putting out fires and prying car doors open to free a trapped driver, but he also appreciated the quiet. It forced him to slow down and take a moment to realize how lucky he was to have this job and this town—two things that he could credit from keeping him off a road of failure and destruction.

  He turned around to go over the floor one last time when he spotted Rich Morgan and his son Travis outside. Rich stood in front of the firehouse, his young son clinging to his leg and looking up at the building with awe. Sam had been stripped of his innocence at such a young age, and he admired little kids who got the opportunity to just be kids. He felt a sudden need to make this kid’s experience the best damn one he’d ever had.

  Sam stepped out into the sun and walked toward the duo. Sam greeted Rich before kneeling down to Travis’ height and holding his hand out. Travis stepped away from his dad’s leg and took Sam’s hand.

  When he pulled away Sam flexed his fingers. “Wow, you have some grip there, buddy.”

  Travis’ face lit up, his brown eyes glittered with delight, and he beamed with pride as he looked up at his dad.

  Sam slapped his knees then pushed on his thighs as he stood. “You ready for the tour?”

  Travis nodded enthusiastically, and he dashed ahead like he couldn’t wait another second.

  “Head straight on in.” Sam pointed toward where the truck was parked and glistening in the midmorning sun. Chase, his right hand man and mentee, had just given it a good polishing. He could practically see his reflection in the red paint.

  Rich came up beside Sam. “I just want to thank you again,” he said. “Travis hasn’t stopped talking since yesterday. I think he’s more excited about this than when we went to Disney World last year.”

  Sam patted Rich on the back as they followed Travis. “I’m happy to do it.”

  Travis came to a stop, his mouth agape, eyes widening to capacity. “Wow!” Travis exclaimed as he tilted his head up and slowly turned his brown gaze, drifting over every surface before settling on the truck.

  Sam remembered how much he loved getting up close with a fire truck for the first time. The exterior was impressive, but there was nothing quite like the inside. Sam opened the door and stepped to the right. “Want to check inside out?”

  Travis didn’t hesitate, peeking around the door frame and glancing up.

  “Can I go in?”

  “Of course,” Sam said.

  Travis looked back at his dad clearly needing reassurance.

  “Go ahead, I’m right here,” Rich said as he fished his phone out of his pocket and held it up to take a picture. “My wife gets mad at me that I don’t take enough pictures. I’m trying to make it a habit.”

  As silly as it was, Sam didn’t have a dad who stuck around, no less tried to make an effort, so Sam appreciated Rich’s efforts. It would give Travis something to look back on.

  Sam held his hand out to Rich, motioning to the phone. “Why don’t I get one of the two of you?”

  “That would be great.”

  Rich moved toward the truck and helped Travis climb inside. He pointed toward Sam, but Sam shook his head.

  “Something’s missing.” He grabbed his helmet then placed it on Travis’ head. It was way too big for the kid, but Travis didn’t seem to mind one bit. “Better.”

  “Dad, look! Do I look like a real fireman?”

  “You do, buddy.”

  Sam stepped back and after counting to three snapped the picture, preserving the memory for a lifetime.

  After an hour, giving Travis the ultimate tour and introducing him to the rest of the guys, Travis and Rich left with an invitation to stop back anytime they liked.

  “You’re recruiting even younger.” Chase laughed. He had been sixteen when Sam offered him a junior firefighter position at the firehouse. Sam had seen a lot of himself in the kid and couldn’t sit back and watch him throw his life away because he had a hard life. Once Chase’s older brother left for the military he didn’t have a father figure and his sister Layla couldn’t control him. Sam had stepped in—just like Chief Willis did for him all those years ago—and brought him into the brotherhood that was the Red Maple Falls fire department.

  The department gave Chase hope, but more than that, it gave him a purpose. His days of cutting class and getting into trouble came to an end, and he’d grown into one of the best firemen. When Sam went into a fire he felt confident and safe, knowing Chase had his back.

  “Just securing our future.”

  “If the kid’s smart he’ll get into computer graphics or some shit. Go where the money is.”

  “Money isn’t everything,” Sam said.

  “That’s what you always say.”

  “Because it’s true. But at the same time, I get it. We have lives to live and bills to pay. The budget has been tight and I’ve worked every angle over the past few years to try and free up some funds for payroll, but it’s just…”

  “I know,” Chase said with a slight curve of his lips. “And we all appreciate it. We really do. Besides, you’re right. Money isn’t everything. If we did this for the money we’d have left a long time ago. Unfortunately for you, you’re stuck with us.”

  “Lucky me,” Sam joked.

  “You have no idea,” Chase said, and as Sam cocked an eyebrow in Chase’s direction, a stream of ice cold water poured over his head.

  Sam shook his head, causing the water t
o fly off of him in every direction. He hoped he got the bastards. Sam reached for Chase but he jumped back and took off with Miguel—the two of them laughing like kids in the schoolyard.

  “Payback is going to be a bitch!” Sam yelled after them as he shook water from his arms and stepped away from the massive wet spot on the floor. “Stupid assholes,” Sam mumbled as he stripped his shirt off.

  As he lowered his arms, he caught sight of Hadley and Lady in the doorway. Hadley’s lips were slightly parted, her slate blue eyes meeting his.

  “Hey, Hads,” Sam said, flinging his soaking wet shirt over his shoulder as he walked toward her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I…I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop and see how Miguel is doing with Chester.” Chester was a pit-bulldog mix Hadley had fostered for a couple weeks before Miguel adopted him.

  “If I had to guess, he’s currently hiding so I don’t kick his ass.”

  “I don’t know… Miguel has been hitting the gym a lot.” Hadley quirked her lip, her teeth sliding over the bottom one like some horny housewife who was hot for the pool boy.

  “He’s married,” Sam said as he rung his shirt out and laid it flat to dry. He grabbed another shirt he kept on supply and pulled it over his head.

  “I was there as your guest if you’ve forgotten.”

  How could he forget? Getting Hadley out of her jeans and t-shirts and into a dress was a very rare occurrence. But lately it seemed everyone was getting married, and they’d become each other’s go to plus one.

  It was perfect, really. There were no expectations at the end of the night, no attempt at small talk because they always had something to talk about, and a guaranteed dance partner. He also liked the fact that he wouldn’t be the guy with a different girl in every wedding album.

  “How can I forget those killer cotton-eyed Joe moves?” he asked.

  “Don’t be jealous just because you can’t figure that dance out to save your life.”