Page 55 of Right Number, Wrong Man
If only she realizedhowmuch. And I’ve used my timehome to gather every bit of new information about her I could get.
Hailey’s brows rise. “And didyouforget that you hated me from the day we met? Why would you have cared about what I like?”
“To you, I might’ve been a grumpy jerk and a bully, but I always cared.” I laugh wryly. “I still do. Why do you think I offered you a job and a promotion?”
Her head jerks. “Uh, you think it’s your duty because I’m your sister-in-law?”
“Right…”
I look back at the road.
Awkward silence fills the car while Riley Green and Ella Langley sing about heartbreak and second chances. I’ve said too much, but her being so nice throws me off balance. I should’ve known she wouldn’t believe that I care.
“Growing up, your mom always cooked the most delicious meals. I loved coming over for dinner,” Hailey says out of the blue, like our previous conversation stirred her memories. “Did you know my parents called your house little Texas?”
I grin, relieved about the topic change. “I think it was mentioned once or twice. Momma being Momma, she took it as a compliment.”
She snickers. “Oh, it definitely was!”
“We moved away from Fort Worth when I was five. Before Momma convinced Dad to settle down in Sunridge Hollow so Mike and I could finish school in one place, his job dragged us all around the country. I don’t remember much about my early childhood, but my parents took a piece of Texas with us wherever we went. Dad with his hats and boots, never hiding his accent. Momma with her father’s cowboy sayings and her grandmother’s cookingrecipes handed down through the family. They made sure I remember my roots.”
A flicker of fond nostalgia crosses Hailey’s face and I realize we’ve never talked like this, swapping stories and reminiscing. Now that we ain’t wasting our time arguing, we’re having a pleasant conversation. No, it’s more than pleasant.
The connection between us is effortless like we’ve been friends all our lives—not enemies.
It’s everything I hoped for and everything I was afraid of.
I thought we’d get along well if we stopped fighting over bullshit, but I always brushed it off as wishful thinking. Now I have confirmation and leaving in a few weeks seems more and more impossible.
“For as long as I’ve known your dad, I’ve only ever seen him in his military uniform or in his Stetson and boots. More of the latter since he retired. I think he’s rubbed off on you,” Hailey says.
“He’s of the old stock and I like keeping up some of his traditions. I’m proud of my Southern heritage, but I don’t agree with all of Dad’s ideals. Some of ‘em are a littletooold fashioned for me.”
She hums. “Hm, I feel the same about my parents. I love them, but I don’t want to turn into a carbon copy of them.”
We pull up to my folks’ house and the front door opens before I’ve properly parked in the driveway. Momma waves with a big smile on her face, but she’s got bags under her eyes.
“Wow, Sara Jean looks tired…” she whispers.
“Mike’s death has been hard on her, but she tries to keep her spirits up for Dad’s sake.”
Her head snaps to me, fear in her eyes. “Do you thinkthey blamemefor what happened?” she bursts out like she’d been holding her breath.
Suddenly it makes sense that Hailey stopped coming to dinner and never returned Momma’s calls. She feels responsible for my brother’s demise and the grief it caused my folks.
Pain arcs through my chest. I wish I could tell her that Mike would’ve died anyway. If not that night, then another, cause I never would’ve let him get away with hurting her.
I shake my head. “They’d never think that, even if they knew about your fight. Mike was a grown man. He liked to go out and get high, and that’s dangerous in itself. He could’ve gotten killed any other day.”
“So Sara Jean and Earl still don’t know about the cheating and the breakup?” she asks.
“I promised that I wouldn’t tell a soul and I haven’t. I keep my word. Besides, knowing would hurt Momma more, anyway. Dad would disown Mike posthumously. They don’tneedto know. It’s better this way.” I run a hand along my jaw and sigh. “They’ve been looking forward to seeing you, though. Let’s make this a nice, peaceful night for their sake, alright?”
Hailey gives an enthusiastic nod and a small smile. “Damn right we will!”
20
HAILEY
