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

by Theresa Paolo

  “I already helped her, so you can go home now.”

  Hadley looked at him, her lips turned downward, sadness etching the corners of her eyes. He missed her smile, and to see her like this, lacking the upbeat air that naturally radiated off of her, ripped apart his insides. It was just that he could feel his resolve weakening, and he needed her to leave before he lost control completely.

  “I mean…”

  Matt waved his hand at Sam. “Don’t mind him, he’s just gloating after his epic summer fail.”

  “Hey! Hotdog cupcakes could be a thing,” Sam said, grateful for Matt’s interference.

  “Crap!” Matt’s hands patted each one of his pockets. “I forgot my phone. I’ll be right back.”

  Sam’s body tightened as Matt made his way back to the house. Lady sniffed his hand, and he looked down at the golden cocker spaniel. “Sorry, girl. I don’t have any treats on me.”

  “That’s okay. We’re getting used to you disappointing us,” Hadley said, and though her tone was humorous, the words cut him deep.

  “Hads.” He reached out to her, not thinking, but before he could touch her, she sidestepped him.

  “It’s fine. I have a treat in my truck you can give her.” Hadley didn’t even look at him as she made her way back to her truck. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, Sam followed.

  Hadley opened the door and reached into the glove box. She retrieved a small treat shaped like a bone and straightened. Sam moved closer, pressing his chest to her back and resting his mouth against her ear. “You should’ve went home,” he said, his hand running up the side of her leg before settling on her hip.

  With his other hand he took the treat from Hadley’s grasp and tossed it to the ground.

  She sucked in a breath, letting it out in a slow jagged stream. A piece of hay was tangled in her blonde strands, and he chuckled against her ear before fishing it out. He loved how even when she was put together, beautiful as ever, she still had the quirks that made her Hadley.

  “Sam,” she said, her voice a mere whisper.

  He dabbed his tongue against the curve of her lobe then suckled it between his lips. She pressed against him, her hand reaching behind him and sinking into his back. She urged him closer as he kissed a path down the length of her neck.

  A moan slipped from her lips, and it was like he won the goddamn lottery. He spun her around, a crazed man delirious with want. His hand snaked around her head, and he crushed his lips to hers, devouring her with every stroke of his tongue.

  Her fingers crawled up his neck, fueling the already out-of-control inferno blazing inside of him. He grabbed her thigh, pulling it around his waist as he pressed her against the truck. He needed her to feel the raging desire she created just by being near him.

  His fingers crept beneath the tight cotton of her tank top and sprawled across the soft skin of her back. The need to touch every inch of her body, trace his tongue along the bare skin of her thigh and feel the heated trail he would leave behind intensified with each passing second.

  A tremor wracked his body as his hands slipped out from beneath the back of her shirt and roamed across her stomach before moving higher. The round curve of her tit sat perfectly in his hand as if they were made for only him to touch. His fingers traced the puckered bead straining against the thin material of her bra until she cried out.

  He crushed his lips to hers, hard and fast, devouring the sound with his mouth. She whimpered against him as he pinched the tight bud, and her hips thrust into him.

  The need to take her was frantic and strong, but somehow, he managed to fight the urge, remembering where they were.

  He pushed her away. What the fuck had he been thinking? That was the problem whenever Hadley looked at him with those pretty slate blue eyes, her kissable mouth begging for his—every conscious thought streaming through his head vanished. All he could focus on was feeling her against him, tasting her and pushing her to the point where she was moaning against his mouth.

  She shoved at his chest, hard. “No! You can’t keep doing this to me. It’s not fair.”

  “Hads, please…”

  She shook her head. “No, Sam. You need to decide what you want, and until then, keep your hands off of me.”

  He stared at her, a desperate plea sitting on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down before it could fall out. No matter how badly he wanted her, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t just because of Matt, but because of who he was.

  It was simple. Hadley deserved better than him.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I won’t touch you anymore. You have my word.”

  She sucked in an infuriated breath and stormed off toward the house, Lady fast on her heels, just as Matt walked out.

  Matt flung a finger over his shoulder. “What’s her deal?”

  Sam shrugged. “I told her Lady likes me more. I mean the truth hurts sometimes.”

  Matt laughed. “You two are out of your minds.”

  If he only knew, Sam thought.

  Chapter 13

  As the sun began its ascent, Hadley was ready to get back to work. They had their first noteworthy snowfall overnight, and she was excited to get outside.

  She loved the snow and always had. There was just something about it that made everything seem so peaceful and serene—a picturesque view that warmed her soul. She loved to see the tree limbs coated in a thick blanket of white, the cardinals bright red feathers vibrantly standing out against the glistening background.

  “Come on, girl.” Lady jumped down from the s10 pickup and followed Hadley onto the farm that represented Hadley’s entire life. Every favorite memory started or ended right here on this land.

  She looked across the fields to where her parents’ house sat and smiled, thinking of all the trouble her brothers and sisters had gotten into when they were children. They all had lives of their own now, and Hadley was the only one who still spent her days tending the chickens, feeding the horses and Dominick the Donkey, running the farm stand, and helping their parents with all the other day to day operations.

  Not that she minded; she loved her job and couldn’t imagine her life any other way. She just wished she had someone to share it with. Being single had never bothered her before, but watching how happy her brothers and sisters were with their significant others, it made her crave a love of her own.

  She thought about trying online dating again, but she’d lucked out last time and her date had been great. The problem was her. She gave her heart away when she was only a girl, and even though the man had no idea until recently that he held it, she didn’t have a clue how to get it back.

  “Morning.”

  Hadley turned to see her dad walking across the field, a steaming mug of coffee in his hands.

  “Morning, Dad.”

  Jonathon Hayes smiled back, his gray eyes bright with the start of a new day. A dirty blond strand stuck out from the navy-blue wool knit hat that hid the rest of his graying hair. He bent down and scratched Lady behind the curls on her ears and the attention-loving dog melted into his hand.

  He took a sip of his coffee and nodded toward her truck. “How was the drive over?”

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

  He laughed. “What do you have on your agenda today?”

  “Have to bring Terry some fresh eggs then I was planning on boarding up that hole where the house wrens were getting in so we don’t wind up with another nest in the barn.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I know. I’m full of them.”

  “Smartass,” Jonathon said. “Mason and I are starting on the hop trellis this morning.”

  Mason had been purchasing his hops from a local farm, but now that the brewery was more established and the day to day operation ran smoothly without him always there, he wanted to spread his wings farther.

  When he presented the idea a few Sunday night dinners ago, the entire family agreed it would not only be great for him, but an opportunity for the farm to expand the
ir operations and offer to local and home brewers.

  “I’m excited,” Hadley said. “That market has taken off in the past few years and to tap into that will only benefit us.”

  “Don’t get too ahead of yourself. None of us have ever grown hops before. Anything can go wrong until we get the hang of it.”

  “You grow everything else, and at the end of the day it’s a plant. There’s no way you can mess that up.”

  “I appreciate your confidence.”

  Mason pulled up onto the property, and Hadley waved.

  “We’ll be over on the north side of the farm,” Jonathon said. “In case you need us.”

  “Once I get everything out of the way, I’ll come by and see if you guys need help.”

  “I’m sure Mason has everything planned out, down to where each screw will go. I’m probably just going to be handing him tools while he works.”

  “That’s probably true, but we’ll call it supervising; just don’t tell him that.” Hadley winked then reached down and patted Lady on the side. “Come on, girl. Time for you to torture the chickens.”

  Twenty minutes later, Hadley had the eggs boxed in cartons and ready to be delivered to the Happy Apple. She held the door open and waited for Lady to jump up on the seat

  She took the long way and pathetically drove past the firehouse. Sam’s truck wasn’t there, and it was probably for the best. She hated that after everything she still wanted him with every ounce of her soul.

  He kept baiting her and then pushing her away when he should’ve been pulling her closer. She could tell from his kisses he wanted her, too, that the passion that sparked to life when he touched her didn’t only live within her. She knew it was in him as well by the way he devoured her with each relentless stroke of his tongue, how he held her close like he was scared if he let her go she would disappear. But for some reason, he kept managing to put up a wall between them, breaking their connection and keeping them apart.

  He agreed he wasn’t going to touch her anymore, and it cut deep into her soul, even though she had been the one to say it. The words had come out in the heat of the moment, hoping that he would fight for her. She never expected him to agree and now she looked at it as a challenge.

  Every time they came together, he was in control, completely throwing her for a loop. Not anymore. She was going to turn the tables and give him a taste of his own medicine. Show him what it was like to be taken advantage of when you’re vulnerable.

  More than anything, she wanted him to realize that he couldn’t resist her no more than she could resist him.

  She pulled into the parking lot of the Happy Apple and grabbed the eggs before slipping out. She left the truck running and let Lady finish her nap. She only planned on running in and out anyway. Having Lady in the truck was a good way to make that possible.

  The scent of cinnamon apples wafted out to the parking lot, and Hadley’s stomach growled. She had already eaten breakfast, but she couldn’t deny how good it smelled. She managed to open the door while balancing the eggs in her other hand.

  Terry met her at the door, her big red hair matching her lipstick and nails. The black shirt she wore was lined with leopard print that accented the pockets on her pants, and an apron was tied at her waist. She was standing five inches taller in a pair of leopard print pumps.

  Terry reached for the two cartons on top. “Let me help you with those.” She took them from Hadley, and they placed them on a table.

  “Thanks, Terry. How you doing today?”

  “Woo honey, my legs are killing me!”

  “Did you hurt yourself?”

  “I went to the Zumba with Cassie.” Cassie and Terry had become close ever since Cassie moved to Red Maple Falls with nothing but a duffle bag and a tent. Terry took her under her wing like she’d done for many others in the small town.

  “The Zumba? You mean the exercise class?”

  “Mmhmm, and let me tell you, it is not as cute as it sounds. By the time I was done I was sweating like a whore in church.”

  Hadley snorted. “Does that mean you won’t be going back?”

  “I’ll be there next week. Have to keep the doc off my back, and since I had to put my baby away, I have to find some way to stay active. Bikes don’t handle all that well in the snow.”

  Terry had a custom-made bike she ordered at the Chain and Spoke, and Caleb had made it his own personal project. Terry and her leopard print bike had become a staple to the town over the past year, causing people to do double takes as she pedaled down Main Street without a care in the world.

  “So, Zumba?”

  “Yup, the Zumba. I told Walt”—she nodded toward her husband who was walking out of the kitchen holding two steaming plates of apple pancakes—“he better watch out. In a few more classes I’ll be bikini ready for our cruise.”

  Walt grunted. “You want to scare the people into jumping off into the Atlantic?”

  “You hush your mouth.” Walt continued walking, mumbling under his breath, and Terry held up her hand and whispered. “He’s just jealous.”

  “That’s what it is,” he called over his shoulder.

  Hadley laughed and spent a few more minutes talking. “I need to get going; Lady is in the truck waiting for me.”

  “Why didn’t you say so? Hang on.” Terry teetered away on her heels and disappeared into the kitchen, coming back a few moments later, holding a to-go bag.

  “There’s an Apple streusel French toast in there for you and a few pieces of bacon for Lady.”

  Hadley knew there was no use arguing, or even bothering to try and offer money to Terry— she wouldn’t take it. So instead, Hadley smiled and thanked her before heading out.

  In the truck, Lady greeted her with a happy wag of her tail, her snout going right for the to-go bag.

  “You hungry, girl?” Hadley asked, reaching into the bag. “What’s this?” Hadley’s voice rose in excitement, and Lady’s head bobbed up and down. Hadley pulled out the bacon and held it out to Lady. “Is this what you want?” Lady snatched it from her hands before she finished speaking and Hadley laughed.

  She was about to put the truck in reverse when her cell rang. She looked down at the screen and answered.

  “Hey, Grandma. What’s going on?”

  “Oh Hadley, I’m so happy I got you. Listen, your grandfather is outside trying to shovel and I’m afraid the old geezer is going to slip and break a hip.”

  “Matt didn’t come by this morning?” Usually Matt made a special trip to his grandparents to clear their driveway and clean their cars off whenever it snowed.

  “Apparently your grandfather told him not to come since we weren’t going anywhere and the temperature is supposed to go up later today, but then he decides he has to get his lotto tickets because Lord knows that can’t wait.”

  “I’m on Main Street; I’ll head over there now. Try to distract him until I get there.”

  “What do you want me to do, show him a boob? That might give him a heart attack.”

  Hadley’s face flushed and an uncomfortable laugh rumbled up her throat. “No Grandma, don’t do that. We don’t need you catching frostbite.”

  “That would be my luck. Okay, then hurry. I’ll see what I can do.”

  Hadley put her truck in drive and headed straight to her grandparent’s house, but instead of finding her grandfather outside with a shovel in hand, she found Sam.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as he lifted a huge shovelful of snow and tossed it onto the lawn. He was wearing his black Fire Chief jacket with a pair of jeans and his black work boots.

  He froze with the shovel in midair and turned, his eyes more green today. If he was surprised to see her he didn’t act like it. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she said, heat rushing to her cheeks. She looked down, suddenly shy as she thought about his lips on hers, his hands roaming across her body, his fingers tracing the hard peaks of her nipples. She thought about all the things she wished she could do to him a
nd he would do to her.

  “Your grandfather called me.” Sam nodded toward the house. “Said he was too old for this shit and to get my young ass over here and help him out.”

  “That’s funny because Grandma called me saying he was out here shoveling, and she was scared he was going to break a hip.”

  “Very possible. I got here and the shovel was thrown across the lawn and there was a very small area dug out.”

  Hadley walked over to the open shed and grabbed a shovel. “I’ll help you.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “It’ll get done a lot quicker, and you can get back to work.”

  He gave her a nod, and they worked in silence; the only sound was the shovels hitting pavement.

  Hadley watched Sam out of the corner of her eye. She detested how awkward and uncomfortable it was between them. They’d always had an easy rapport that was as natural as mother nature herself, yet there they were, working in silence like two strangers.

  It was ridiculous. This was Sam—the same guy who carried her home after she twisted her ankle jumping out of a tree, who brought her dinner and sat with her for hours when her favorite pig was in labor and Hadley didn’t want to leave her. He was the guy who comforted her and managed to make her laugh when that same pig died years later. They didn’t do awkward, and she wasn’t about to let them start now.

  Hadley scooped up a mound of snow and molded it into a ball. She waited until Sam straightened then launched the snowball at his back.

  “What the…?” he exclaimed, spinning around and looking at her in annoyed disbelief. “Did you seriously just throw a snowball at me?”

  She shrugged, incapable of keeping the smile from forming on her lips. “Maybe.”

  “Stop.” He turned back to his shovel and got back to work, but Hadley had only just started. She bent down again, scooping up a bigger mound this time, and when he turned toward her she threw it with all that she had, smacking him square in the chest. The snowball exploded, showering Sam in snow.

  A loud laugh burst from Hadley’s mouth, and she slapped a hand over her lips. Sam’s eyes met hers, and the edge of his lip curved upward. Hadley went to run at the same time he leapt forward, reaching out to grab her. She managed to evade his grasp and run off the sidewalk and through the snow in the yard.