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

by Theresa Paolo

  “It’s just coffee, Sam.”

  “It better be just coffee.”

  “And why is that?” Kate asked, popping her hip and planting a hand firmly on it.

  “Guys on the internet have an agenda. Everybody knows that.”

  “Maybe on the sites that you frequent, but some guys actually are looking for someone to settle down with.”

  Sam scoffed. “That’s a load of shit. I bet that guy is some sleaze who thinks he’s going to get lucky tonight.”

  “What if you’re wrong?” Kate’s eyebrow rose toward her hairline. “What if this guy is everything Hadley has been looking for?”

  “Some guy scoping girls out from behind a computer screen is not what Hadley is looking for. Hadley barely even uses a computer. I can guarantee she’s wasting her time.”

  “I’m sure you’ll let her know, just like you did with the last guy.”

  “Betty agreed with me; the guy was a douche.”

  “You think they all are.”

  “Not going to sit back and let her date someone who isn’t good enough for her.”

  “If nobody is good enough for her then why don’t you ask her out?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just looking out for her that’s all. I would do the same thing for you.”

  Kate choked on a laugh. “Maybe you should think real hard. I know that might hurt, but do it anyway, and dig deep. Ask yourself why no guy is ever good enough for Hadley.” Sam went to say something, and Kate held up her hand. “No, no. Don’t talk. Just think.”

  “You know you’re just annoying at thirty-four as you were at ten.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. Now get your ass in the kitchen and put those potatoes away.”

  Kate flashed him a smile and turned back to the table, grabbing a few stray utensils that were left behind.

  Sam found Betty manning the sink in the kitchen, her arms up to her elbows in soapy dish water.

  “Need a hand?” he asked, knowing everyone else was terrified to get stuck alone with Betty. She liked to ask questions, pry into lives, and do everything in her power to guarantee great-grandbabies. Sam wasn’t afraid of some probing. Besides, he and Betty were alike in that they just wanted the best for the people they loved and neither didn’t think twice about what came out of their mouth.

  “Grab a towel and get to drying,” she said as she shoved a wet plate into his hands.

  Sam opened the top drawer on the right-hand side where Carol Hayes’ kept all her dishrags and got to work, drying all the dishes Betty had already washed.

  “Where’d everyone go?” Sam asked.

  “Don’t play dumb with me, boy. We both know they’re avoiding me.”

  He laughed. “If you know that then why do you nag them? Poor Kate looks like she’s going to breakout into hives every time you walk into a room.”

  “I know I can come on strong.”

  “You? No.”

  Betty jokingly swatted his chest with a soapy hand leaving a wet spot above his pec. “I just want to see my grandbabies happy and settled with their own families before I kick the bucket.

  “You plan on doing that anytime soon?”

  She pointed a dripping wet spatula at him. “You bite your tongue.”

  “Exactly. You’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Why don’t you lighten up a little? Besides, you’re getting predictable, and that makes you lose your edge.”

  “You’re right. I can’t sneak attack anymore because they’re always on the defense.”

  “Who are you fooling? You had poor Cassie cornered before dinner.”

  “She’s too polite to pretend like she doesn’t hear me and keep walking.”

  Sam laughed as he took another plate from her and dried it down. They worked in silence for several minutes, forming a system that worked until there were no dishes left.

  “Thanks for your help. You’ve always been one of my favorites,” Betty said, reaching up and pinching Sam’s cheek. She went to walk away when Sam called out to her. “What is it, sweetie?”

  “You never try to match me up with anyone or tell me to go knock some girl up.” She had done so several times to Matt, Mason, and Cooper. “You seem to work angles with everyone, but not me. Why is that?” Sam might not have been Betty’s grandkid by blood, but he was as much a part of the family as everyone else. For some reason, Betty’s antics never extended to him. For the most part he was grateful to be able to evade her web, but sometimes it made him feel like the outsider that he was. Made him think Betty didn’t think he was worthy to be a husband or a father.

  An amused gleam passed through Betty’s blue eyes. “Some projects just take longer than others.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You’re just going to have to wait and see,” she said, flashing him a wicked smile.

  ***

  Hadley pulled into her driveway, and her breath caught when she spotted Sam’s truck. Dinner had to have been over hours ago so why was he still there?

  Someone up in the great big sky must’ve really hated her, or they drew pleasure from watching her discomfort. After a date, she should be riding a high, but instead she felt like she was at the bottom of a wave as it crashed down into the shore.

  She threw the truck in park and sat back in the seat. If she was going to see Sam and act like everything was okay then she needed a minute to gather her wits. The minute turned into three when she finally took a deep breath and got out of the truck.

  With the little will power she had left, she opened the door and stepped inside. Lady greeted her first, and Hadley dropped down to give the pup some love.

  Her skin prickled as she sensed Sam behind her. His shadow engulfed her, and she turned her head to look at him. “Thanks for bringing her back, but what are you still doing here?”

  “I wanted to make sure you got home okay. How was the date?”

  She shrugged. “It was okay.”

  “Just okay? Do I have to go kick someone’s ass?”

  “He was a nice guy. Great, really.”

  “Good. Are you going to see him again?”

  She looked down at the hem of her shirt, suddenly fascinated by the material. “Probably not.”

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you just say he was great?”

  “I did, but…”

  “But what?”

  She hated when he did that. He could never just take her word for it and leave it at that. No, he had to push until she cut herself open and spilled all the details. She wasn’t going to do it this time. He didn’t need to know that she was pitiful when it came to the dating world. “I really don’t want to get into it right now.”

  “Why are you acting weird?”

  “I’m not acting weird.” Her resolve broke. She was so sick and tired of hiding from the truth. “It’s just no guy, no matter how great he is, will ever be enough.”

  “Maybe you should lower your standards.”

  She let out a humorless laugh. “I wish I could. Trust me. My life would be a hell of a lot easier. Hell, I’d probably be married by now, but once the bar is set so damn high it’s impossible to lower it. I’ll forever be a spinster. But like you said, at least I’ll have my dogs.”

  “I was just kidding about that.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe the joke’s on me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  She took a deep breath. It was now or never. Maybe if she just put it out there into the universe, even if he rejected her, at least she’d be able to finally move on. Kate had a point. If she never said anything, he would never know.

  She glanced up, catching his gaze.

  “What is it, Hads? Talk to me.” Those pretty eyes turned serious as his hand took hold of hers, warm and gentle… almost too much for her to handle.

  Now or never. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  She shook her head, annoyed that he couldn’t see beyond the surface to what reall
y lay within her heart. “No, you don’t understand. The reason no guy is ever good enough for me, the reason I find fault with every single one of them… is because of you. I don’t just love you. I’m in love with you.”

  “What do you mean you’re in love with me?”

  She ripped her hand from his. “If I have to explain that to you then we have bigger problems.”

  “I mean… Fuck, Hads.” He turned away, running his hands through his hair. His shirt pulled tight across his muscles. “How long have…?” he said then stopped himself from finishing the question. She didn’t need all the words to know what he was asking.

  “Since you carried me home after I jumped out of the tree and hurt my ankle.”

  He spun back to her, eyes wide with disbelief. “That was twenty fucking years ago.”

  “Yeah, well, who’s counting?”

  “Why have you never said anything before?”

  “It wouldn’t have made a difference.”

  “Then why now?” he asked.

  “Because I’m sick and tired of harboring that secret. I can’t do it anymore. Now that’s it out, maybe I can finally let you go.”

  He paced back and forth before stopping in front of her. She wanted to press her finger to the bridge of his nose and massage away the creases.

  He let out a breath and shook his head. “I can’t believe this.”

  “It’s not like I have some sick fantasy that you and me are going to ride off into the sunset. I have no expectations from you.”

  “I don’t know what to say. What am I supposed to say?”

  “Nothing,” she said, keeping her tone as neutral as possible as she fought with the rising emotions. “You should go, though. I appreciate you waiting for me, but please just leave.”

  “Hads…”

  “Don’t. Just go.”

  He grabbed his coat then turned back to her momentarily before heading to the door. It was obvious he had no idea what to say, but if his first reaction wasn’t “I’m in love with you, too” then there was nothing left to be discussed.

  His hand settled on the doorknob.

  “Sam?” she called out, her voice cracking.

  His back rose and fell then he turned to look at her. She hated the confusion in his eyes, hated that the carefree ease he always exuded was missing. “Yeah?”

  “Forget I ever said anything.” There was desperation in her words that she knew was also clear on her face. Sam might not be in love with her, but he would always do as she asked.

  “Okay,” he said before slipping out into the night, leaving her with thoughts of what would never be.

  Chapter 9

  Sam turned into the middle school parking lot and pulled behind a minivan. He’d been picking Missy up from school every Wednesday since she was in kindergarten.

  He was hoping some time with his half-sister could get his mind off of Hadley.

  Did Hadley honestly think he’d be able to forget what she said to him? All he could do was think about it every damn second of every damn day. He couldn’t even get a reprieve in his sleep. No. Every time he closed his eyes, there she was, looking broken and lost as the words slipped from her lips, and all he could do was stare at her in disbelief.

  He wanted to go back in time and fix things, but he had no idea how to do that.

  It had been a month, four full weeks, since he’d seen her. No matter what he did he couldn’t bring himself to even call her. It was stupid. He was notorious for staying friends with girls he’d slept with, but this was different. He didn’t sleep with Hadley. He couldn’t. Whether he wanted to or not, she was strictly off limits.

  What the hell was she thinking? Anger coursed through his veins, tension pulling irritatingly tight at his neck as he cursed under his breath.

  The passenger door opened, and Missy slid in, her brown hair pulled back in its usual ponytail and her green eyes lined with too much black crap.

  “Who died?” she asked as he turned to her.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You look like shit.”

  He ran a hand through his hair and put the car in drive before giving her a quick glance. “Language.”

  “Because you never curse.”

  “I’m older; I earned the right.”

  “I’m fourteen, I’m practically an adult.”

  Sam let out a loud laugh. “When you start paying your own mortgage, driving yourself around, and can watch a scary movie without sleeping with a nightlight for a week, come and talk to me.” Missy stuck her tongue out, and he chuckled. “That’s mature.”

  “Learned from the best.”

  “What do you want to do today? We can go to the outlets, like I owe you.” He thought maybe getting out of town would be good for him, help him clear his head, but the minute he mentioned the outlets his mind drifted to Hadley. He’d asked her to go with them, and damn if he wouldn’t feel guilty for going without her.

  “Not yet. I want to save a little more money first.”

  “I told you I’d buy you something.”

  “I know, but what if I want to buy two things?”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  Sam might not have made a shit-ton of money, but he learned at an early age the importance of saving. There weren’t many things he needed to be happy, and he lived well within his means. Every now and again he would splurge, but it was rare. Though, he would never hesitate to give his sister whatever she wanted.

  “That wasn’t our deal.”

  “I made the deal, I can change the deal. Besides, where are you getting money from?”

  “I’m babysitting.”

  “How can you babysit when you’re just a kid yourself?”

  “Coming from the guy who has made it a habit to dump water on people.”

  “That’s a ritual, not a habit.”

  “Tomato, tamato.”

  Sam stopped at the stop sign at the end of the road. “If we’re not going to the outlets, where are we off to?” he asked.

  “It’s the last week of October.”

  “And your point?”

  “The fall festival ends this weekend, and we haven’t been.”

  Sam’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He’d spent a month doing everything in his power to avoid Hadley, and now Missy was asking to go to the one place Hadley was guaranteed to be.

  Basil Hill Farms, also known as the Hayes’ family farm, was famous for their annual fall festival. It was the time of year when all hands were on deck to make sure operations ran smoothly. Hadley held the reins for most of the planning and would no doubt be on site. It was how he was able to avoid her so easily, taking advantage of the fact that she was busy at the farm while he purposely avoided it.

  It did nothing for his guilt. Every year he always volunteered his time to help out with the pumpkin field, and instead he’d picked up a few extra shifts at work.

  “I don’t want to drop in unannounced.”

  Missy turned in her seat, narrowing her eyes at him. “We always drop in unannounced. In all the years we’ve been going there, I don’t think we’ve ever called. And it’s a fair, which means anyone can go within business hours.” She tapped the time on his truck’s radio. “So, like… right now.”

  “It’s just…”

  Missy tilted her head and crossed her arms. “Just what?”

  Sam scratched his chin trying to prolong the time before he accepted defeat. He did bring his sister to the farm every year to get a pumpkin to carve for Halloween. If he’d been speaking with Hadley she probably would have called him by now and asked when he was planning on stopping by. That was the thing Missy didn’t know—Hadley always knew when they were coming.

  “Nothing,” Sam said as he put his blinker on and took the turn toward the farm.

  Missy clapped to herself and bounced up and down in her seat, reminding him of the excited kid she always was. He missed those years when everything made her smile and she didn’t talk about bo
ys and whatever popstar she was currently obsessing over.

  He loved who she was growing into, but there was something about the sweet innocent girl he couldn’t help but miss.

  “I hope they still have some of Betty’s caramel apples left. I’ve been dreaming about those things.”

  “Then we better go and get you one.”

  Sam pulled his truck into the parking lot and found an open spot. Even though it was a Wednesday, the place was still packed. Everyone was getting in their last bit of pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and Carol’s famous pie.

  Missy was out of the car and outside of his door before he even pulled the key from the ignition. “What are you waiting for?” she asked.

  Sam reluctantly shoved his keys into his pocket, sending up a silent prayer that Hadley was off on a delivery or picking up a foster dog in another town.

  “Look, there’s Hadley,” Missy said, and any hope Sam had was gone as Missy’s arm shot up in the air. “Hadley!” Missy waved.

  Hadley was squatting in front of a small boy and handing him a caramel apple lollipop—her favorite—and then pushed to her knees and searched the area. Her blonde hair was longer than usual, her jeans a little tighter, and the t-shirt she wore clung greedily to her chest.

  Sam swallowed as each little detail jumped out at him as though he was seeing her for the first time. She spotted them, and the pretty bright smile that always seemed to be a permanent fixture on her lips fell.

  He could barely make out her slate blue eyes and wondered if the ring around them was dim or bright. If he could just get closer and see, he’d know how she felt about seeing him.

  Missy made the first move, walking across the market area and closing in on Hadley. Sam shoved his hands into his jean pockets, took a deep breath, and followed.

  “Missy!” Hadley exclaimed as they got closer. She opened her arms up and pulled Missy into an embrace. “I was starting to worry that you were too cool for something like this.”

  “As long as Betty keeps making her caramel apples, I’ll never be too cool for this place.”

  Hadley laughed, and it shocked Sam how the sound floated into his ears and went straight to his heart, leaving a trail of heat behind it. She looked at him then, the slate blue of her eyes surrounded by a fading black ring. “Hey,” she said, and man he hated how painful that single word sounded.