Page 8 of The Bourbon Bargain

I sigh, giving Cerberus one last ear scratch, and untangle myself from his paws to stand. I think Hayes deserves a chance to tell his story, and I’m going to try my hardest to hear him out this time. He rises from his crouch and stands awkwardly on the welcome mat that saysChallah At Ya Boyin pretty script next to a braided loaf of bread.

“Come in. No use standing in the hallway and letting the nosy neighbors listen in.” I look around Hayes and catch a door shutting abruptly.

I step back and cross my arms as I move into the apartment and hear the bedroom door open behind me.

“What’s going on?” Alex asks, sleep gravely in his voice.

I look back over my shoulder at Alex, wearing oversized pajamas, curly hair rumpled, holding the earplugs he sleeps with, then back to Hayes, not sure how to explain.

“I’m here to get my wife back,” Hayes answers instead, his voice not exactly threatening, but not completely comfortable, either. It’s a small difference I learned in our time together, and likely why Hayes is considered as formidable as he is—he has the male equivalent of a resting bitch face and the voice to match.

Alex’s eyes open wider as he becomes fully awake, straightening up and walking into the living room to stand next to me.

“Well, shit. Do you want him here?” The fact that Alex is allowing me to tell Hayes to get lost is a wonderful reminder that he has always had my back, no matter the situation, or the imposing man who towers over both of us.

“It’s okay with me if it is with you, Alex. This is your apartment and I’m just a guest.”

Alex gives me a long look and I try to coax my features to imply that I am confident and ready for this, whatever it is. He nods slightly.

“Give me a minute and I’ll go get bagels and coffee for the three… um, four of us,” he says, taking in the giant black dog sitting at my feet giving him a level stare that says back the heck up. “Holy shit, what in the hell is that?”

I squat down and give Cerberus face scritches. “This is Cerberus, and he is the best dog ever. Cerberus,” I say, addressing the dog now. “Alex is my best friend, and we love him, okay? You don’t have to be so menacing.”

Cerberus looks past me at Alex and after a pause, he finally settles onto the ground with a sigh. I stand back up and give Alex an apologetic smile.

“He’s very sweet and loving,” I offer.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Alex says, his eyes not leaving the dog. He retreats to his room where I hear drawers opening as he gets dressed.

I turn back to Hayes and have to fight the urge to run directly into his arms and bury my face against his chest. The urge is so strong I have to fist my hands in the sleeves of my sweater to keep myself from reaching for him. I want to hear him out before I fully open my heart to him again. It’s better to keep my traitorous body out of this.

“I’ve missed you,” Hayes says, his gravelly voice low and connecting straight to my lady bits.

Well, there goes that holdout; my body is right on board with whatever he has to say. I shake my head to clear it and keep from falling down that path.

“Hayes,” I start, bracing to tell him I’m not sure I’m ready.

Alex bustles out of the bedroom, pushing his arms into a coat. “I’ll be back in an hour. If you need me before that, I won’t be far, just call,” he tells me, with all the care of a protective best friend who also wants to give me time alone with my husband. Gosh, it’s still weird to think that I have a husband, no matter how estranged we have become, and he’s standing here now, patiently waiting for a chance to talk to me.

“I’ll be fine, but thank you,” I say, wrapping him in a hug. “I appreciate you so much.”

Alex pulls away and approaches Hayes. “Don’t fuck this up. This is your only second chance.”

Hayes’s face darkens at being scolded and told what to do, but he just nods and lets Alex pass through the door before closing it.

“I’m glad you have a friend like that,” he says to me, without sounding like he means it at all.

“Alex is as good a friend as they come. We grew up together and he saved me from a whole lot of heartache in high school.”

I catch a shift in Hayes’s features and wonder if he is thinking about us now or what Garrison did to me in high school.

“Come in and sit down.”

I curl up on one end of the sofa, pulling a throw blanket down and patting the cushion for Cerberus to join me. I’m extra indulgent with him because it feels so good to have complete acceptance and love from a big animal who didn’t go out of his way to buy out my legacy.

Hayes hesitates, looking around the room before finally settling his big frame into a chair across from me. It’s pretty impressive to see him out of his element and not completely in control of himself, or the situation, for once.

“Paige, I’m so sorry. I think that’s the most important part of anything I have to say to you, so I want it out there first.” He pauses to gauge my reaction, and when I lift my chin, he continues. “I messed up. I put my interests first and you were the collateral damage on my way to getting what I wanted.”

---