Out of the Blue

by Elizabeth Holland

  Go ask her. It was that simple. At least, it was in words. Tom wiped his palms again and then brushed his fingers through his hair. His hand wasn’t as sore, and the stitches were almost ready to come out. A tinge of pain, just the slightest sensation shot through his palm and it made him think of Hailey that night at the hardware store. Things would have been different if he’d just let her take him to the hospital. Maybe they’d have spent that night together, talking about stupid things that didn’t matter, getting closer.

  “Go on,” Jacob nudged Tom in the back. “She’s just standing there.”

  Tom cleared his throat and then took a step toward Hailey. Another few steps and he was starting to feel good. A quick nod back at Jacob, and Tom faced forward and walked right into Matt.

  “Hey, I was hoping I’d see you,” Matt had a grin on his face that made Tom furious. It was that I bested you smile he had when he’d gotten into the car with Caroline last summer and left. “We need to talk about something.”

  Tom was seconds away from leaning back and hitting Matt when his eyes caught Hailey. Standing there as the breeze fluttered the edge of her dress, her hair sliding from one shoulder to the next, he couldn’t dare make a mess of the night.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” Tom walked away.

  “You need to hear this from me and not some gossip queen at the bar.”

  “Hear what?” Tom kept walking. Where he was headed, who knew. Hailey had begun talking to someone about the Cadmon pies, and Tom had gone the other way. They were far enough apart now he couldn’t hear her voice anymore. Well, he couldn’t hear much except for the blaring drums that were now only a few feet from where he stood.

  “Tom, damn it, just let me say this,” Matt grabbed Tom’s shoulder, but Tom pushed him off.

  “I don’t want to talk to you, or see you, or have anything to do with you.”

  “What do you want me to say? She wasn’t in love with you. She wasn’t happy.”

  “Oh, and she is now?” It was a good thing Hailey was far away, because Tom was not himself. The anger and regret of the past year, all the emotions he’d tried to forget, were rising up quickly.

  Matt lowered his shoulders. “Look, I’m sorry. I should have waited for her to end things, but you made me so angry.”

  “I made you angry? Matt, what kind of fantasy are you living in?”

  “The kind where I’m always second best. The kind where you get the girl, the house, the car, everything.”

  “Oh, that’s all just stuff. It doesn’t really matter in the end. Besides, my stuff is junk. You want that old boat and the truck that barely runs, have it. You took the woman I loved.”

  “I didn’t take her, Tom. She isn’t something I just picked up from your boat and stuffed in my car.”

  Tom shrugged, his face and neck hot from embarrassment, as he realized the band had stopped playing. People had gathered to hear the fight, people who had been around when the whole thing had started last summer. The looks they were giving Tom, the sighs and oohs, they wanted an ending to the story. Tom, though, he was sick and tired of it all.

  “Is this what you all wanted to see tonight? Go on, go back to your festival. Go back to your fun,” he stepped away from the band and the people and went toward the beer tent. It was time for a good stiff drink. And thankfully, the people on that side of the lawn hadn’t heard the fight.

  “How’s that hand, Tom?” a woman asked him as she handed him a beer.

  “Becka? What are you doing handing out beer?”

  She pointed to the sign over the front of the tent that read Grab a Beer, Help the Hospital.

  “Oh, fundraising now, huh?”

  “Yep. Whatever it takes to get the new wing built.” Becka grabbed out two beers and handed one to Tom.

  “What’s it for again?”

  “Mental health patients. It’d be nice to have a dedicated doctor someday, too.”

  “Isn’t this town a little small for those things?”

  “No place is too small for this.”

  Tom agreed with a nod, then tossed back half the beer.

  “Rough day?”

  “I think it’s only going to get worse.”

  “We’re having a baby,” Matt’s voice came from behind. “I wanted you to know first. So, there you go.”

  Tom tipped back the other half of the beer, then he set the can on the table. And when he turned around, he landed a solid punch right square on Matt’s jaw. The people closest to Tom and Matt all gasped in one big breath, and a few people even had the idea to clap. Then there was Hailey, coming around by one of the booths with Josie and Ash and a clear cup of his blackberry wine. If she’d heard the whole thing, then he’d be justified. The look in her eyes told otherwise.

  Before he had a chance to say something to her, not that she’d hear him so far away, Becka was at his side.

  “Tom, let me see your hand,” Becka grabbed Tom’s hand as he winced in pain. “You tore the stitch out. Come on, I’ll clean it up.”

  Tom stood frozen as he watched Ash and pull Hailey away from the crowd. He didn’t mean for her to have to see him like that, but Matt had it coming. Of all the nights to cause trouble, Matt had picked the festival. It was only to cause a scene, to make people feel sorry for him. Tom wasn’t stupid, and it wasn’t the first time Matt had tried to manipulate him.

  “Sit here,” Becka placed him in a folding chair. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  “I don’t really care.”

  “I know you don’t.”

  “What happened here?” Jacob came around the back of the tent.

  “Matt happened,” Becka said.

  “Stop laughing, he had it coming,” Tom told Jacob.

  “Oh, I know. Maybe now you can put this all behind you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Jacob took a seat at Tom’s side. “I mean, Caroline, Matt, the whole mess with the bar. It’s in the past, Tom. In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve got a future right in front of you.”

  “I’ve moved on from it.”

  “You’ve ignored it.”

  “So what? It’s not like it’s easy to let go of everything you care about. I worked so hard for that bar, and he just came along and decided it was his. And why? Because he had the money he’d taken from our mom’s savings, money I was also entitled to. But did he leave me anything? No.”

  “Tom, I didn’t mean it was easy,” Jacob shook his head.

  “And Caroline,” Tom paused. “Yeah, she wasn’t happy with me, I know that. I could tell it was coming, that she was going to leave. But why him? Why did he have to come along and take—I mean, step into my life and enjoy the things that I thought were for me?”

  Jacob sighed.

  “Now you sound like a man who’s trying to get over it instead of ignore it,” Becka added as she blotted the last of the blood. “See, no problem here.”

  “Life has a way of changing course when you least expect it. And sometimes, good things come out of it.”

  “Like Mabel,” Becka smiled.

  “Well, I guess it’s a good thing the baby isn’t mine.”

  “There you go,” Jacob said. “Wait, what baby?”

  “Caroline’s pregnant,” Tom lowered his head.

  “Hence the punch,” Becka got up and tossed the tissue. “Here,” she handed Tom a beer. “Go mingle, forget the ex, get some pulled pork before it’s gone, and smile a little. Wouldn’t kill you.”

  “If I were you, I’d take Hailey out for that walk now.”

  “Better now than never,” Josie came under the tent and reached for a beer. She popped it open and guzzled some down before taking a breath.

  “What’s gotten into you?” Jacob asked.

  “Hailey got a call earlier, about a promotion back in Lansing.”

  Josie didn’t look like she was too happy about that phone call, and all it did was make Tom’s heart beat a little harder. He certainly didn’t feel that way when Car
oline left.

  “Well?” Jacob asked. “What happened?”

  “She’s going back to Lansing tomorrow. There’s a meeting she can’t miss on Monday. That’s all I know.”

  “Sounds like she’s got it,” Becka said.

  “I’d spend some time with her before she goes, if I were you,” Jacob said, popping open the cooler and handing Tom a beer.

  “Or maybe I should just let her go.”

  “Tom, get up and go talk to her,” Josie leaned over him. He didn’t really know what to do, he’d never seen Josie point her finger in his face like that. “Don’t mess this up, I like having her around.”

  “Alright, alright. I’ll go talk to her. But if she’s got her mind made up, then I’m not going to get in her way.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Honey, come on,” Hailey called to the puppy out on the side of the house. Even though that little thing had survived out on her own for god knows how long, Hailey couldn’t imagine leaving her behind.

  “Hey there,” Tom’s voice startled Hailey. She jumped back, bumping right into his chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

  “Oh, no, it’s okay. I guess I just thought we were alone.”

  “Will you take a walk with me?”

  “Where to?”

  “Down the path to the creek. Jacob said the lanterns look nice. I bet it’ll be quieter out there, too.”

  “Quiet sounds good. Let me get a sweater this time.”

  “Alright.”

  Hailey ran around to the front porch and grabbed her long cardigan, then she hurried back to Tom. This right here was the reason she’d shaved her legs. It was the reason she’d put on her dress, the one she brought along just in case the meeting with Matt took place somewhere upscale. Blushing Bay, though, didn’t really have an upscale restaurant, and she was sure happy she saved the dress for Tom. Feeling pretty, looking up at the full moon and the clear sky with excitement flooding her veins. Was this what it really felt like? The giddiness in her bones, the trembles in her hands; it was more than a crush, it was a reason to start again.

  “She sure loves it out here,” Tom said as Honey rushed by.

  “Yep. So do I.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Mhm.”

  What wasn’t to love? Seeing the lanterns along the pathway, up close and in their full shimmering glow, gave her goosebumps. The whole night was just perfectly romantic. Walking further toward the creek, Hailey intentionally bumped into Tom a couple of times as she tried to work up the courage to take his hand. Or maybe he’d get the hint and pull her tight and kiss her like he had at the bar.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that back there.”

  “See what?”

  “Me and Matt.”

  “Oh, well, that’s your business.”

  “It looked like it bothered you.”

  “I guess I didn’t expect it, but I wasn’t bothered.”

  How was she supposed to tell him that it was sexy what he did? She had never seen a man act so passionately before. Tom had blushed back there, he’d let his emotions fill him to the brim, and then he acted, swift and strong. Just remembering the punch gave Hailey a chill.

  “Do you want to go back?”

  “No,” she said fast. “This is nice.”

  “It is nice,” Tom looked up to the sky. Hailey copied, seeing the stars more clearly than any night back in Lansing. “I want to thank you for sticking around. I’m sure you could have gone back home to wait for the sale.”

  “The sale?”

  “I mean, I am sorry I asked you to stay when I should have just told you about her will.”

  “Tom, it’s no big deal. I’m glad I stayed.”

  Hailey bumped into him again, and this time he stopped walking.

  “What is it?”

  “Can you hear that?”

  Hailey listened in until she heard the sounds of a George Strait song from the front lawn. Tom came toward her with a different kind of look in his eyes. It wasn’t the kind of look a friend would give to another friend. It was one that represented longing and desire. She could see it surface in his searching eyes, feel it in his touch as he took hold of her hands. Her entire body tingled as he pulled her close to his.

  “Will you dance with me?” he whispered close to her ear.

  “I can’t dance.”

  “No one’s watching. You can just pretend.”

  A step to the side, and Tom had begun. Hailey let herself relax in his arms, moving just as he did, stepping when he stepped. Slowly swaying together, Hailey closed her eyes and took in Tom’s scent. That salty lake aroma hovered just over his natural, manly smell. It wasn’t something found in a bottle; it was real and pure and right there in her hands.

  The more she moved, the more she could feel. Tingles were becoming waves of excitement, and her body felt the rush of blood as it jumped through her veins. Her fingers curled over his shirt, taking in a bit of the cloth as she let him continue to dance her around. It felt so good, too good, and Hailey eventually let out a moan.

  Tom paused to look down over her, taking his time to go from her hair to her eyes to her lips. All the while, Hailey waited patiently for his next move, staring up at him as she bit down in anticipation. She could feel his hands rising up, sliding between her sweater and her dress. Strong hands that held her still as he continued to take her in.

  Hailey wasn’t a patient woman, though. She could stand the teasing only so long before getting to her toes and kissing Tom without a second to think. This kiss wasn’t like the one at the bar. Hailey pressed her whole body against Tom, reaching up and taking hold of his hair as she slowly tasted his entire mouth. With no where to go, Tom backed into a tree, and Hailey kept on kissing. Tom didn’t waste time moving his hands over her. Hailey’s senses sharpened, but she still found a way to relax and let him move her around as he pleased. And with a quick turn, Tom had pinned Hailey to the tree.

  Now she stood beneath him, ready to fall into his arms, watching him as he watched her. His hand felt at her face as he thumbed over her lips. Tracing her neck, Tom flicked the hair from her skin and over her shoulder and went down close and kissed her slow. His warm breath gave her trembles and made her giggle.

  Hailey could hear the people from the festival laugh and cheer far in the distance. The lights were bright enough to shine over the pathway, but not to where Hailey and Tom were. They stood in the shadows, under the lanterns, out near the water. It was something from a dream, the kind of dream Hailey had never fully imagined until that moment.

  Tom pressed closer, moving his hips right against hers. She wanted to yank up her dress right there, no hesitations, no cares. He was all hers, and she was putty in his hands.

  “Mabel?” Jacob’s voice came from the trees and Tom stood tall.

  “Mabel?” Josie called from the other side of the house.

  “What’s going on?” Hailey asked Tom.

  “I don’t know,” he shrugged. Stepping back from Hailey, Tom wiped his mouth and scanned the trees with narrow eyes. The further he moved away from Hailey, the cooler she felt, until a shiver traveled over her arms and down her legs.

  “Mabel?” Jacob shouted.

  Tom didn’t waste time going over to meet up with him. Hailey went to see Josie.

  “Hey, is she missing?”

  “Yeah,” Josie was frantic as she rushed through the trees.

  “Hang on, I’ll get a flashlight.”

  Back at the house, Hailey got into the mudroom and grabbed the two flashlights on the shelf. On her way out, she noticed the light was on in the dining room.

  “Hello? The house is off limits. Officer Gardner is out front if you want to argue about it. Oh,” Hailey stopped and laughed. “Everyone’s out looking for you.”

  “They are?” Mabel was curled up under the table with Honey at her side.

  “Yep. I’ll go tell them. You stay right here.”

  “Okay.”

&
nbsp; “Jacob?” Hailey rushed out to the trees. “Josie?”

  “Did you get the flashlights?” Josie asked.

  “I found her; she’s in the house.”

  Josie exhaled in relief. “Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe she slipped away so fast.”

  “Jacob?” Josie waved him over. “She’s in the house.”

  “Thanks, Hailey,” Jacob said and went running to the side door.

  “I was so worried.”

  “I bet. I can’t even begin to think about having kids.”

  “Well, you’ve got a career to deal with first, right?” Josie and Hailey went up to the house together.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” Tom asked just as Jacob came out with Mabel in his arms. “Hiding in the house?”

  “Yep,” Josie said. “I better go. She looks exhausted.”

  “Thanks for everything today,” Hailey said.

  “Anytime.”

  “Well, that was fun,” Hailey yawned.

  “Are you ready to call it a night?”

  “Not yet.”

  “How about we get a drink?” Tom offered, taking Hailey’s hand into his.

  “That sounds good. But not too many. I’ve got to pack tomorrow and head back to my apartment.” Hailey had a long list of things she needed to sort through before coming back to the orchard. Not to mention a lengthy plea in order to sweet talk her landlord out of three months of her contract.

  “Oh, I thought maybe you’d stay a while.”

  “I’ve got to get back to the museum Monday morning. There’s a meeting—”

  Tom loosened his grip on her hand and took a step back. “Yeah, Josie told us.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’m thinking I might just head down to the bar. I’ve got some stuff to prep before tomorrow’s lunch.”

  “It can’t wait?”

  “No, Hails. I think it’s best if I just go take care of it now.”

  “Okay. Then, I’ll come see you before I go.”

  “You don’t really have to. I know you’ve got a lot to deal with.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “I’ll see you around,” Tom said as he went down the driveway toward the parked cars.

  “See you around.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two