Page 78 of Stay

Shit, shit, shit. “Very cute.” I don’t have the heart to tell her she spelled coal wrong.

“It’s not a mistake,” she says with a wicked little grin, as if she can read my mind. “Cole is spelled correctly. It’s why the name is in a different color than the rest, too.”

What the—

“Can he get the Cole Crush, please? Thanks.” Haley’s smile is all kinds of adorably wicked when she looks up at me.

The bartender places a milky white drink with a candy cane rim in front of us. “Enjoy.”

I’m still stunned. “You named a drink after me?”

“Hey, I’m still celebrating your success. And since I’m the one in charge of this crazy operation, I get to do what I want.” She tilts her head and puts her hands on her hips. “How’s it taste?”

I take a little sip. It’s smooth, and the mint isn’t overpowering at all. I think there’s white chocolate in it too. “Delicious.”

She winks and walks away from me to get back to work.

I snatch her arm before she gets too far from me and kiss her hard. When we draw back, I love that I’ve smeared her lipstick. Dragging my thumb across the bottom of her lip, I fix it and say, “I’m really proud of you, Haley.”

Her cheeks turn pink and eyes get a little glassy. My girl still doesn’t know how to handle compliments. Especially when they come from people she cares about. And the fact that she’s getting emotional over a single crumb of praise speaks volumes for her growth. At least it does to me. I’m glad she shows me her vulnerabilities. I love that she trusts me with them.

“Thank you.” Haley gives me another peck on the mouth. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to switch my shoes, fix my hair, and get ready to make NGC have the best party ever.”

I smack her ass as she leaves me and smile behind the tumbler filled with liquid courage. Tonight’s going to be amazing. The place is stunning, everything’s in order, guests are going to roll in any minute, and I’m on cloud nine.

Nothing can possibly go wrong.

Chapter 25

Haley

I’m killing it.

Slipping through the crowd, making sure everything is going smoothly, and no one needs anything special, I get to hear all the things people are saying about my creativity.

I know this is Cole’s night. Or more specifically, his company’s big night, but it’s mine too. If I can impress these people, maybe they’ll keep me in mind for the future. Event planning isn’t an easy business to get into. Especially in this economy. Good thing I’m really crafty and frugal. Even with this party, I was able to cut a lot of corners and use things that look expensive but were dirt cheap.

Honestly, it’s probably all thanks to my parents that I’m like this. I can make a trash meal look gourmet if I want to.

Ugh, my parents. Even though I have zero regrets about cutting them out of my life, I still think about them. Still worry about them.

And lately, with Cole always hyping me up and telling me how proud he is of what I’ve accomplished, it’s hit hard that I’ll never hear that from my mom and dad. I’m so glad Cole’s parents are better than mine. Hearing his dad whoop and holler on the phone when Cole told him about the Marine Life building definitely patched a hole in my heart that my upbringing made.

To celebrate my man’s accomplishments is as wonderful as celebrating my own. It’s not just exhilarating, it’s healing.

The caterers bustle around, serving appetizers and snatching empty glasses. The signature cocktails are a hit. I’m thrilled. Standing in the corner, monitoring everything, I’m floating with the adrenaline that always hits me when I throw a party.

Cole cracks a boisterous laugh from one of the high-tops.

Aww, he’s so happy.

When I packed my life up and moved to Banner Bay, I never would have guessed our reunion would happen so fast and effortlessly. I owe it all to Cole saying we could start with a clean slate. He meant it and I will forever be grateful he gave us a second chance.

“You’re Haley, right?” a curvy, sexy brunette asks. There’s a mistletoe martini in her hand.

“Yes. Hi.” I hold out my hand for her to shake.

“I’m Tamara. Noah’s assistant.”

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