Page 58 of All Signs Point to Malibu

Mr. J nods as we pick up our club bags and head off across the green. “First thing me and the old battle-axe have agreed on in years.”

That’s actually a term of affection he used for Marsha when they were blissfully in love, so it’s not said with any malice. I believe he still loves his ex-wife. He’s never remarried and I know he still wears his wedding ring when no one is around because there’s a very obvious tan line on his ring finger from days working in the sun.

I know the divorce hit him and Liam hard—making them both a little gun-shy about matrimony and lifelong commitment—but if Liam has moved beyond that emotional hang-up, I’m curious why Mr. J is so against his son getting married. Does he just not want him to get hurt or is there more to it?

“Can I ask why?”

He shrugs. “It’s the wrong decision and we refuse to support wrong decisions. Simple as that.”

“But why do you think it’s wrong?” Sonia has zero flaws as far as I can tell and Liam seems stressed, but with an aggressive resort build schedule, that’s par for the course. Otherwise, he seems to be happy and in love. If he was going to marry someone, it could definitely be worse.

“Because he should be with Hailey.”

I stumble over the uneven turf. “Hailey? Really?” My heart pounds slightly as the memory of yesterday’s sports training resurfaces. We’d successfully managed to keep it casual and platonic, unlike that day in the pool. It was as if we both knew we were wading into dangerous waters and needed to pull back a little. We didn’t argue, which was also good because arguing with her has the same effect on my attraction to her as flirting with her does.

Safe neutrality is the only way to keep things PG.

But I can’t deny that even when I’m not around her, I’m thinking about her more than I want to these days. And that’s never happened to me before with a woman. Out of sight, out of mind was a concept that I was very familiar with, but it’s different with Hailey and it’s messing with me.

Mr. J nods confidently as we reach his ball. “That girl was perfect for him.”

“Hailey? Really?”

“You sound like a broken record, son,” Mr. J says, lining up his next shot. “Hailey challenges him and doesn’t put up with any bullshit, but she’s as loyal and committed to that boy as it comes.”

Something in my gut stirs and I pray it’s the lukewarm beer not sitting right. Hailey not being supportive of the union seemed like a way to get Liam back for herself, but is Mr. J right? Does she have Liam’s best interests at heart? Either way if Liam is single again, it frees him up for another shot with Hailey.

I wipe beads of sweat from my forehead with the back of my arm. “But they decided they weren’t right for one another years ago.”

Or at least Liam did...

“Because he moved to New York. But when he came back, I thought...” He shrugs. “That’s why I sent him to fix her pool.”

“Playing cupid?” I say wryly.

“Hoping they’d reconnect. I thought maybe time and distance would have given them both a better perspective and if they saw one another again—now as mature, successful people—they’d see that a second chance might be in the cards.” He pauses as he grips the putter in his hands and bends slightly at the knees. “Didn’t bank on that Banks girl insisting on tagging along for the ride.”

“You want the two of them to get back together?” Maybe it’s just his own soft spot for Hailey making him feel this way. I know he was as much of a father figure to her back then as he’s always been to me, so maybe he just misses that connection.

Why is this revelation bothering me so much?

He hits the ball and it sails into the cup. He turns to me with a grin. “I know you’re not a Hailey fan...”

I wasn’t. I still shouldn’t be...but she has been growing on me in the last few days. She’s different than I thought she was and I’m forced to re-evaluate everything I believed about her. She’s actually funny and I always knew she was smart, but getting to know her through the eyes of some of her clients has been enlightening.

And after much, much internet searching, I did find the articles Sonia had mentioned about Hailey’s other clients—the ones she doesn’t publicize—which makes her that much more endearing.

She’s a good person and I like being around her, which has blown my fucking mind, but here I am—in a situationship with Hailey Harris that I never in my wildest dreams thought was possible.

And shouldn’t be.

Letting my guard down, getting to know her and starting to feel things for her I can’t quite label yet is even more clearly a bad idea if Mr. J thinks she should be with Liam. Hell, until now, I hadn’t even given much thought to the history between the three of us. I’ve been too busy resisting and denying my attraction to Hailey to really work out what it means.

“But that girl is truly special,” Mr. J says, cutting into my thoughts. “And I think Liam should open his damn eyes and finally see it.”

Unfortunately,I’mstarting to see it, but Mr. J has raised a good point. Even if I could wrap my mind around the fact that I’m attracted to Hailey. And even if in some wild stretch of fate, she might actually be attracted to me. Even if the stars aligned and we could somehow move forward—past our tumultuous history—and open up to the idea of being together and not just right now in a half truce until this wedding happens...

How could I possibly go for my best friend’s ex?

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