Page 152 of Holding On To Good

“But you were with someone?” At Willow’s nod, Hayden asked, “Caleb?”

“Hardly. He’s an engaged man.”

“Engagements can be broken. For all I know, he and Jessa called it quits and you came home from your date to find Caleb, crying and in desperate need of sexual healing, on your doorstep.”

“Your thoughts,” Willow murmured, “truly boggle the mind. I didn’t have sex with Caleb.”

“Good. Sex with your ex always seems like a wonderful idea until the sweat dries. Then you’re kicking yourself for not just turning to your vibrator in your time of need.”

“Amen, sister,” a middle-aged brunette in a floral maxi-dress murmured in agreement as she passed them, hand raised to testify to Hayden’s truth.

Hayden nodded at the woman then continued, “Not to mention all the messy feelings a hook up like that can invoke.”

That hysterical laugh was back, trying once again to burst free. Willow contained it to a short, humorless snort. “Last night invoked a whole slew of messy feelings.”

“A slew of ‘em, huh?” Hayden went flinty-eyed as she studied Willow.

Willow shuddered and wished she wasn’t holding her plate so she could make a cross with her fingers to ward off Hayden’s freaky Evil Eye. “Knock it off. It’s like you’re trying to steal my soul.”

“Just trying to figure out who put that pink in your cheeks and that pep in your step.”

Willow lifted her hand to her cheek. “I’m not pink,” she insisted, though from the warmth of her face, she was probably glowing neon fuchsia. “And I’m not peppy.”

“Not a first date,” Hayden murmured, as if trying to work out a particularly difficult riddle. “Not a one-time-thing. Not Finn. Not Caleb…” Her eyes widened with shock and sudden clarity. “Holy shit,” she whispered in what could only be described as pure, unadulterated glee. “You slept with Urban.”

Willow groaned.

And took a huge bite of scone.

“I can’t believe it finally happened.” Hayden looked up to the heavens and mouthed, “Thank you.”

Willow gaped at her. Unfortunately, she also had a bite of scone in her mouth. Crumbs drifted from her lips. She brushed them off her chest. “Please tell me you didn’t actually pray that I’d have sex with Urban.”

Hayden managed to somehow look pious—not easy when she was wearing the miniest of red miniskirts and grinning the devil’s own grin, but she somehow pulled it off.

She really was filled with a wide variety of talents.

“What goes on between me and God is nobody’s business but ours,” she told Willow.

“Hey,” Lily said, joining them. “Mom wants to know why you’re huddled in the doorway, whispering and looking guilty.”

Willow glanced over her family’s table. Saw her mom watching them through narrowed eyes. Analyzing the situation even from across the room.

Their mother always could sniff out when one of her daughters had done something she shouldn’t have.

“Willow slept with Urban,” Hayden said, all merry and bright, as if imparting glorious, good news to the world.

“She did?” Lily asked Hayden, more irritated than surprised. “Great. Now I owe Rose fifty bucks.”

Willow gave her head one quick shake. “Wait. What?”

“Worse, I’ll never hear the end of it,” Lily continued as if Willow hadn’t spoken. She took a slice of bacon from Hayden’s plate and jabbed it in Willow’s direction. “You know how Rose gets when she’s right about something. So obnoxious.”

“Why do you owe her? And what was she right about?”

Lily bit into the bacon. Spoke around her mouthful. “After you dumped Caleb—”

“It was a mutual decision.” Willow spoke through gritted teeth because she’d told everyone, at least a hundred times, that she hadn’t dumped him.

---