Page 80 of Craving You

She’d been a brat and completely unreasonable and mildly unhinged at times, and yet he still was right there for her. With every little thing he did and said, he proved that he wasn’t just there for the baby; he was there for her.

“Me,” she whispered. “He cares about me, and he won’t walk away. I know that now.”

And while it was great that she had the confidence to believe in herself and him, now she wanted to not just tell him, but show him.

But…how?

“Ooh…I know! I’ll call Sloane. She’ll help me figure it out.” Her sister led with her heart in everything she did. She wasn’t afraid to go after whatever she wanted, and Hailey always thought her sister was the bravest person she’d ever known. She had a zest for life and, even though some things she did seemed a bit over-the-top, people responded to it. So, whatever her sister suggested, Hailey was going to do it.

She just hoped it wasn’t something completely crazy.

Stepping out of the shower, Hailey quickly dried off, threw on her robe, and went downstairs to see if Max was anywhere in the house. It was after ten and he was usually in his office, so she hoped that was the case today.

Down in the kitchen, she grabbed a muffin and made herself some tea before texting him.

Hailey: Good morning! Are you up in the office?

Max: Good morning! And yes. I have a call with a client that I’m getting ready to hop on.

Max: How are you feeling?

Hailey: I’m good! Making some tea right now and having one of the muffins

Max: Be sure you’re drinking more water today! Fill up one of the sports bottles and keep it near you!

Max: Lol! I know I’m being bossy, but I just want to make sure you’re okay.

“Aww…” Smiling, she messaged him back.

Hailey: Not bossy, just incredibly caring. Thank you.

Then she sent a heart emoji.

Hailey: Will you be down for lunch?

Max: Definitely! Hoping to be done by 12:30

Hailey: Sounds good! I’ll see you then!

And then, she sent another heart emoji.

“Hopefully he’ll see them as a good sign.” Taking her tea and muffin over to the kitchen table, she sat down and tried to decide if she should call or text her sister. Sloane worked as a digital marketing manager at a large advertising firm. Some weeks her schedule had her traveling to different locations to create content, and others had her sitting at her desk and putting it all together. Right now, Hailey had no idea what her sister was working on or if she’d even be free to talk, but she was so eager to come up with a plan that she was willing to risk interrupting Sloane’s morning.

Hailey: Hey! Are you free to chat? I need your help with something.

Putting her phone down, she took a sip of her tea.

Sloane: Is everything okay?

Hailey: Are you busy? Lots to tell you!

She’d barely taken another sip of her tea when the phone rang. Smiling, she answered. “Hey! I hope this isn’t a bad time!”

“Not at all,” Sloane assured her. “I’ve been staring at this video I’m working on for over an hour and desperately need a break. You’re saving my sanity. So what’s up?”

For the next few minutes, she updated her sister on life in Sweetbriar Ridge and then about her trip to the ER.

“Oh my God! How scary! I can’t believe you didn’t call me! What the hell, Hales?”

---