Her mom turned to Joe. “What do you think?”
Joe smiled, his brown eyes warm and tender. “Beautiful. And the rose is nice too.”
Her mom sighed dreamily. “Oh, you. Such a sweetheart.”
Joe cupped her mom’s cheek, and her mom closed her eyes, leaning into his hand.
Hailey’s stomach rolled, the ninth circle of hell in all its ironic glory—a love junkie revolted by romance. It was probably partly due to the fact her mom treated her more like a friend than a daughter and overshared the details of her sex life. Needless to say, Hailey knew way too much about Joe and his animal instincts. Also, his use of handcuffs. As her mom had said in her giddy state, what could you expect from a former cop?
Hailey cleared her throat loudly, hoping to break what was now a goggle-eyed staring contest between the nauseatingly happy couple. Finally they returned their attention to her. “Why don’t we get started? Mom, tell me how you envision your perfect wedding.”
Her mom’s first marriage to Hailey’s father had been a courthouse wedding brought on by the fact that her mom was pregnant with Hailey. Her dad had been a rock star lead singer. He’d died while flying his prop plane in bad weather when Hailey was three. She had only a vague memory of him since she was so young when he died, and her mom said he wasn’t around much anyway. Hailey took no pleasure in his music and disassociated herself with her rock royalty lineage, declining to attend his band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As far as she was concerned, her dad was a sperm donor and didn’t deserve the honor of being called dad.
Joe Campbell, on the other hand, was the dad she’d always wished she had. Mad had no idea how lucky she was to have him. The man had showed up at a designer women’s boutique during their girls’ day out to help Mad pick out her wedding shoes. He was probably the only man who had ever stepped foot in the ultrafeminine shop, which was how he met her mother, who worked there as a salesclerk. Fate or bad luck? Hailey fervently hoped her mom didn’t flake and dump him. The man had already been dumped by his first wife.
Hailey’s gut clenched. She so wanted to believe her mom had changed and matured into a responsible person. Different than the mom she knew as a kid, who couldn’t hang onto a job, which was why they’d been evicted from their apartment more than once, not having the money for rent. Though her mom had been at the same job at the boutique for years now. It was just that Hailey loved the close-knit Campbell family. They were the kind of family she’d always longed for, the way they all got along, hung out even as adults, and had each other’s backs. Josh Campbell was the irritating exception to their wonderful family. Where did he get off playing overprotective big brother with her? Twice! An unsettling thought occurred. Did he actually see her like a little sister? Because she’d thought there’d been some chemistry there. Unless it was completely one-sided, which would explain why he’d turned her down flat. How embarrassing. Deny, deny, deny. I am a fortress of Josh resistance.
“Hailey?” her mom asked.
She jolted, alarmed that she’d lost focus. She never lost focus with a client. “Yes?”
Her mom and Joe exchanged a concerned look.
Hailey pasted on her pageant smile. It had seen her through many a difficult situation. Besides, she didn’t want frown lines. “Sorry, I’m a little tired. Could you repeat that last part?”
“Sure,” her mom said. “We want to get married at St. Joseph’s here in Clover Park and have the reception at Garner’s. Something small and intimate.”
Joe chimed in. “We want to throw business Josh’s way. He put in an offer on Garner’s and it was accepted today.”
Hailey’s jaw dropped. Josh could afford to buy Garner’s after paying Mad’s tuition these past four years? He lived so modestly she never would’ve guessed. He must be really savvy with his money, a man who understood the importance of saving. Like her. That stable foundation was so important. “Wow. Good for him.”
Joe smiled proudly. “He’ll take full ownership on May first. We thought we’d get married the Saturday after that.” That was three and a half weeks away.
Hailey checked her online calendar. Since they didn’t need Ludbury House for the wedding, they were easier to accommodate. She’d ask Ally, her friend and part-time employee, to take over for the wedding already booked for Ludbury House that day so Hailey could attend her mom and Joe’s wedding. “Would an afternoon wedding ceremony and reception work for you?” That way she could make sure things were running smoothly with Ally before she stepped out for their wedding.
“Works for me,” Joe said.
“Me too,” her mom said. They smiled and cooed at each other. Hurl.
Hailey made a note in her calendar. “I’ll check in with the church and Garner’s first thing in the morning, though I’m fairly certain the church is available. Let’s call it a go, unless I tell you otherwise. Just a few more questions for you.”
“Whatever the bride wants,” Joe said.
“Smart man,” her mom said.
Hailey’s teeth hurt from the sweetness. She cracked open a binder and got down to business. Half an hour later, they finished. It would be a small wedding with only their immediate family and closest friends invited. Nothing fancy or elaborate. Simple and easy.
Joe reached across the table to Hailey, offering his hand. She went to shake his hand, but Joe’s big hand enveloped hers and he gave her a squeeze instead. “I’m thrilled you’ll be part of my family soon, Hailey. I couldn’t ask for a better daughter. You’ve done so much for Mad. I mean, with all the girl stuff she missed out on in our family. We’re damn lucky to have you on board.”
Hailey’s eyes stung unexpectedly, and she swallowed over the lump in her throat. “Thank you. I’m happy to be a part of things. Mad’s been—” Her voice choked. Do not cry. Mad was the first friend she’d ever had who really saw the person Hailey was on the inside. Never catty or judgmental, Mad—just by being the tough kickass woman she was—had helped Hailey claim her own strength as a woman. Mad had also taught her self-defense and had attempted to share her love of basketball by inviting Hailey to her Saturday game with her brothers, opening a whole new world to Hailey with big brothers and feeling like part of a team. Not that she was any good at sports, but it had been so nice to be included. She was used to working solo. “You have a lovely family,” she croaked.
Swear to God, if her mom flaked and ruined this thing with Joe, Hailey would wreak vengeance.
Her mom smiled brightly. “Why don’t we all head over to Garner’s to congratulate Josh on his new bar? Then we can find out right away if the reception date works for him.”
Hailey froze. She hadn’t seen Josh since their confrontation at the café five days ago. She’d been so rattled after that, she’d had trouble focusing on her conversation with Phillip. Maybe that was why he’d rushed back to the city. She’d bored him away. “You two go. I, uh, have to take Rose for her nightly walk.”
Rose heard her name and woke from her nap under a sunbeam by one of the large floor-to-ceiling windows. She stood and stretched, blinking her big dark eyes.
“We’ll have dinner,” Joe said. “My treat. And don’t worry about Rose. Her legs are so little she’ll get plenty of exercise walking to Garner’s.”
“But my mom’s allergic,” Hailey said, grasping at straws.
“I took some allergy medicine before I came here,” her mom said. “I knew Rose would be nearby for our meeting.”
The happy couple stood, smiling and looking at her expectantly.
There was no easy way to say no. Unless…
“It’s probably crowded over at Garner’s,” she said. “I’m not sure they’d have a table. Maybe somewhere with a larger dining room?”
Her mom frowned. “It’s Wednesday night. How busy could they be?”
“I got this.” Joe pulled out his phone and tapped it a few times. “Hey, Josh, it’s Dad. You got a table for four free? Great! Be there in five.” He hung up and met Hail
ey’s eyes, his dark eyes gleaming with triumph. She was starting to see where Josh got his devious side from.
“I’ll get my purse,” she said.
~ ~ ~
Josh tucked his phone back in his jeans pocket. Party of four. Probably his dad, Brandy, and another couple. His dad had become more social since he got together with Brandy. It was great to see. At fifty-five, his dad was enjoying a new carefree phase in his life after years as a single dad raising six kids and mentoring so many more through the Police Athletic League. It took a certain strength of character and a huge heart to be the kind of hands-on dad he’d been for all of them. Josh hadn’t appreciated it as a kid. He’d taken it for granted, but now watching the hard work of being a dad up close through his brothers Ty and Alex, he finally understood. Truth was, the results of his dad’s efforts were an integral part of Josh’s life. Now that everyone was grown up, their family, including his honorary brothers from the Police Athletic League, remained close.
He heard her musical laugh first, all of his senses on high alert as he turned toward the door. Hailey walked in with Rose in her purse, laughing at something his dad said. She looked stunning as usual in a pale pink dress that clung to her gorgeous body. Brandy followed close behind. This was the party of four? Did they think Rose was going to sit in a chair like a person? Then he remembered he was supposed to be winning over Rose. He dropped to his haunches, pulled out the stick of butter he’d stashed in the mini-fridge under the bar, and quickly rubbed some butter on the inside of his wrists and then added a dab behind his ear for good measure. It didn’t show, had only a slight scent, but Rose would lap it up. He hoped.
He stashed the butter and straightened to his full height, quickly grabbing a rag to wipe the bar like it was his intention all along.
“Josh!” his dad boomed, striding toward him. “Congrats on the bar!”
He smiled so big he felt his eyes crinkle at the corners. “Thanks, Dad.” The owner, Clive Garner, had accepted his offer—the same offer he’d given a little over a year ago—with enthusiasm. Josh had figured he’d start there and raise the offer if Clive was on the fence, even if he had to take out a huge loan. He needed this to happen that badly. It was part of his strategic plan. He wanted to show Hailey that he had a stable foundation, owning his own business. He knew she’d respect that since it was what she worked so hard at with her business. Fortunately he didn’t have to go bankrupt in the effort. As Clive had said, the timing was right and he’d rest easy, knowing Garner’s was in good hands.
“Yes, congratulations!” Brandy said, hurrying to the bar, all smiles.
Hailey took her time walking over, her expression completely neutral. He’d hoped she’d be excited for him. No time for wallowing in disappointment because his dad reached across the bar top, shaking his hand and pulling him in for a hug.
His dad pulled away and met his eyes directly. “Damn proud of you, son.”
Josh pressed his lips tightly together, the words hitting deep inside. Of course he knew his dad was proud of him, of all of them, really, but something about hearing the words spoken out loud got to him. “Thanks,” he managed.
Brandy beamed at him. “We’d love for you to join us for dinner. Our treat as congratulations, plus there’s a few wedding things we want to run by you.”
It wasn’t too busy on a Wednesday, only two guys nursing beers at the bar, watching the game.
He checked in with Hailey, who stood very still, looking extremely uncomfortable. Their squabble last Friday was probably still on her mind. He hadn’t seen her since because he’d been working hard to get this bar deal done. In fact, he’d planned on telling her his big news tonight, but their parents had beaten him to it. He suddenly got the feeling this was a setup, a parent-arranged date to get him and Hailey together. Was it possible he’d been trying to protect their parents from the Josh-Hailey fallout when they were actually all for it?
He looked over to his dad, who jerked his chin at Josh and moved a few feet away from the women.
Josh joined him. “Yeah?”
His dad kept his voice low. “Brandy and I think it’s time you and Hailey stop fighting. We want you to be friends, or at least civil to each other. There’s going to be a lot of family events—birthdays, holidays, parties, all that good stuff—and the last thing we need is to be taking sides in a war.”
“No war. I’m making amends. I like her.”
His dad did a double take that said he knew exactly what Josh meant by that. “Don’t even go there. That’s even worse. Be civil, but keep your distance, okay? For the sake of the family. The last thing I want in my new marriage is drama.”
Josh clenched his jaw and looked away. Turned out his first instinct had been right. Stay away from Hailey for the sake of their family. What had made him think they’d work out anyway when they fought so much? Just because he wanted her? Just because he’d gotten jealous of the stupid prince?
“Okay?” his dad prompted.
“Yeah, I got it. Civil.” He called over to the women, “I’ll get someone to sub for me and join you for dinner.”
“Wonderful,” Brandy said with a big smile.
Hailey pasted on her fake smile. Rose popped her little white furred head out of Hailey’s purse and growled at him. Her fur was clipped in a ponytail on top of her head with a dark pink bow that matched her thin doggie sweater. The color coordinated with Hailey’s dress. Whatever floats your boat.
He headed back to the kitchen to see who could sub. Well, this sucked. At least Mad had been on his side, giving him some inside info on Hailey, which had resulted in one extremely embarrassing purchase. He hadn’t decided yet if he had the nerve to give it to her, and now that would never happen.
By the time he got to the dining area, his dad and Brandy were sitting next to each other on one side of a booth. Hailey had wedged herself into the corner of the other bench seat with Rose sitting on the bench next to her. The woman knew how much Rose hated him. Well, the joke was on her. The Rose barrier was going to crumble tonight in a butter-induced fall. This should count toward making amends and keeping the family peace. He was sure Rose would accompany Hailey to all of their family functions.
He slid his hand close to Rose’s nose, letting her sniff the butter on his wrist before taking a seat. “So how’s the wedding planning going?” he asked, fighting to keep his expression neutral as Rose’s raspy tongue licked his wrist, tickling him. Hailey hadn’t noticed Rose’s licking yet. She stared straight ahead.
“Great!” Brandy exclaimed. “Hailey has made everything so easy for us. We were hoping to have the reception here at Garner’s the Saturday after you take over as full owner.”
“Late afternoon,” his dad said.
“Sure, no problem,” he said, trying not to laugh. Rose held his wrist in both paws and was lapping at it like he was a juicy bone. “Construction starts the following Monday, so the timing is perfect.”
“Excellent,” his dad said.
“Construction?” Hailey asked.
“Yup. I’m having an addition built on the back with room for a dance floor and a couple of pool tables.”
“Ambitious,” Hailey said softly.
He lifted one shoulder up and down. “It was always my plan. My dream bar.”
“I remember,” she murmured. “Congratulations. It must feel great to realize your life’s dream.”
He inclined his head. It did and it didn’t. Because his dream wasn’t complete without Hailey on board, and now she never would be. There was no way to hide the energy between him and Hailey—both good and bad—if they got involved. He had to back off to the civil-acquaintances corner. He didn’t kid himself he could spend time with her as friends. He wanted her too much.
Brandy smiled. “Hailey, maybe you and Josh could work out some of the logistics for the wedding reception.”
“I’ll take care of everything, Mom,” Hailey said in a bland tone. “You just enjoy being a bride.” Clearly Hailey didn�
��t want to plan with him. No problem. He was happy to leave it all up to her.
His dad and Brandy exchanged a look that said, Well, we tried. Like he and Hailey were a hopeless case.
The waitress stopped by to take their order, one of his new employees. She did a good job, though he was a little distracted by Rose’s paws marching across his lap to sniff out his other wrist. She went to town on it, stretching across his lap, her little tongue tickling his wrist.
“Oh my God!” Hailey exclaimed. “Rose is sitting in your lap!”
Rose didn’t even react, just dug in further, holding his wrist with both paws and licking like crazy. He shifted his wrist so it was less obvious, and Rose rolled to her back, trying to get her head under his arm again.
“I guess she likes me,” he said casually. The butter had to be gone by now, but Rose wouldn’t stop licking.
Hailey stared at Rose, who was now sniffing up his bare arm in a T-shirt, probably looking for more delicious butter. Just call me dognip. He scratched Rose behind the ear and she licked his wrist enthusiastically.
“She’s giving you kisses,” Hailey whispered in an astonished voice. “She must trust you.”
Rose went up on her hind legs, rested her front paws on his shoulder, and licked the dab of butter behind his ear.
“She’s hugging you just like she hugs me!” Hailey exclaimed.
“She likes me.” He turned to Hailey. “Maybe she knows I got her a present.”
Hailey’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide. “You did?”
He held onto Rose with one hand as he shifted to pull the small collar from his back jeans pocket. It was pink with rhinestones. Just the kind of sissy dog-wear Hailey put on Rose on a regular basis. He handed the collar to Hailey. “For when she attends weddings.”
Hailey snatched it from his fingers. “It’s darling! She’ll love it. Thanks so much!”
“No problem. I know she’s a big part of your business.” Rose’s tongue wandered, licking his neck. He must be covered in dog slobber at this point. He handed Rose to Hailey. “Here. Try it on her.”
An Inconvenient Plan (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 10) Page 7