Karen Whiddon - The Texan's Return

Since right now, with the need to look after his father, he wasn’t able to work, he knew he’d have to be thrifty. Luckily, he’d been socking away most of his money in the hopes of starting his own construction company. While he still wanted to do this someday, for now it was good to have a backup in a pinch. Most important, he would be there for his father. No amount of money could ever make him regret that. He’d missed out on ten years while his dad was in prison. Damned if he’d miss out on this.

While he took his second shower of the day, he replayed Eli’s words over and over in his mind. Hailey wasn’t happy. The family needed money.

And Mac needed help with his father.

It would be a win-win. He’d get to spend more time with Hailey, she’d get some financial assistance, and maybe she’d even come to accept the truth of his father’s innocence. Especially if he could help the police find the real killer.

And if he was hoping for the moon and the sun and the stars, maybe Hailey could find her way back to loving Mac again.

Feeling more positive than he had in days, he grabbed his phone and made the call. He couldn’t ask her on the phone—this was something he wanted to do in person. But he didn’t want to show up at her house unannounced either.

* * *

“I liked Mac. He was really nice,” Eli enthused on the way home from Mac’s. Either he didn’t understand he shouldn’t have done what he had, or his gushing was meant to hide it.

She shot him a quelling look, but since he bounced up and down in his seat, she doubted he saw it. “Eli, you know you aren’t supposed to go anywhere after school without discussing it with me first.”

His restless movements stilled. “I know,” he said quietly. Then he lifted his chin and met her gaze. “I had to, though. We talked about it, all three of us. I wanted to meet him.”

“Why?”

He looked down, then out the window, anywhere but directly at her. When he spoke again, he spoke in a voice so small she could barely hear him. “I wanted to see if he’d be your boyfriend again. We—Tom, Tara and me—decided that would be a good thing.”

Dumbfounded, she couldn’t figure out their logic. “And why would that be?” she asked.

His sigh sounded much too old for his eleven years. “Because we want you to be happy again. You know, like you were in those pictures from when you were young.”

Any other time, his choice of phrase would have made her smile. She guessed at his age, twenty-seven must seem old. “I am happy,” she told him. “I don’t understand why you’d think I’m not.”

He shrugged. “I dunno.” Which meant he was done trying to explain himself. Either way, she knew just how to fix this mess. She couldn’t have Eli going off to the other side of town and visiting with strangers.

When they pulled into her long drive and parked in front of the garage, she took a deep breath. “Don’t go far,” she ordered, the instant they stopped. With his hand already on the door handle, Eli froze.

“In fact, I want you to go and find your brother and sister. I need to see all three of you in the kitchen. It’s family meeting time.”

Waiting in the kitchen, Hailey saw no sign of her mother. If June had already made her normal afternoon raid for snacks, she saw no sign of it. Usually June would leave open cookie or chip bags scattered around on the counter and table. Despite Hailey’s attempts to get her to eat healthy, they could barely afford junk food. Healthy food was, unfortunately, often way too expensive for their meager budget.

As the kids shuffled in, she noticed them all looking around for signs of June. The relief she saw in their faces mirrored her own, which made her feel sad.

“Sit,” she ordered, pointing at the kitchen table. “We need to talk.”

Eli sat. A moment later the twins did the same.

“Now tell me who thought it would be a good idea to send an eleven-year-old over to a stranger’s house. Especially with everything that’s been going on.”

“I didn’t think he’d really do it,” Tara protested. “It was a dumb idea, and I thought we were all just talking.”

“Uh-huh. But you, Tom.” She speared him with a glance. “You knew, right?”

“No. Not really,” he protested. Then, as she continued to eye him, he swallowed and finally nodded. “As soon as he rode off on his bike, I knew it was the wrong thing to do. That’s why I told you.”

Eli crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out at his brother. “Tattletale.”

“Enough of that.” Hailey kept her voice sharp, though she wanted to smile. Including Tara in a look, she pulled out a chair. “Now I want to know where you got the idea that I’m not happy.”

Still silent, Tara began studying her hands, ignoring the way both her brothers looked in her direction.

“Tara?” Softening her voice, Hailey reached out and cupped her younger sister’s chin. “Honey? Why do you think I’m unhappy?”

Tara bit her lip as she raised her gaze. “Not unhappy, not really. It’s just...”

“You looked different then,” Eli put in.

“Yeah.” Even Tom had a comment.

“Different how?” Hailey looked from one to the other.

“I don’t know. Just...happier. Brighter, even. Like you glowed.” Having said that, Tara returned her attention back to her fingernails.

Brighter. Happier. In love. Hailey blinked. “I’m fine,” she said firmly. “And while I really appreciate everyone thinking of me, in the future, please, discuss with me any other schemes you might come up with, okay?”

All three of them nodded.

“Good. Now that you understand, wash up and get ready for dinner. After we eat, I want everyone to make sure their homework is done, okay?”

Again, the kids nodded in unison.

For the evening meal she made hamburger meat and pasta again. Not the healthiest choice, but an inexpensive one that all the kids liked. June didn’t put in an appearance at all, so they ate without her. Hailey resisted the urge to go check on her, aware that right now she couldn’t handle finding her mother passed out, drunk.

As a treat, she’d bought ice cream. Once they’d finished, she got each of them a single scoop and watched their young faces light up.

After, everyone brought their homework out to work on at the kitchen table, at Hailey’s insistence. Truth be told, she enjoyed this feeling of togetherness, of family. She only hoped their mother didn’t do something to ruin it.

Her cell phone rang. As she glanced at the number, her heart skipped a beat. Mac. She actually considered not answering, or sending the call to voice mail, but in the end she said hello.

“Would it be all right if I came over?” Mac asked. “I have something important I need to discuss with you.”

Nonplussed, she swallowed. Suddenly, she realized she badly wanted to see him. Not good. “When?”

“Now.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the three avid faces shamelessly attempting to eavesdrop. “Now isn’t a good time.”

“Then how about later? In an hour? I just need a few minutes of your time.”

There were several ways she could answer that. If June saw him, that alone might be enough to set her off and on a two-day bender. And of course the kids, playing at matchmaking, would have reason to think they’d been successful.

Yet despite all this, she realized she craved him, with an intensity so powerful, it hurt.

She had to be strong. Too much was at stake. “I don’t think today is good at all.”

Silence. Then he sighed. “I just need five minutes, Hailey. Five quick minutes. I can meet you somewhere, or come there, or you can stop by here. Please. This is important.”

It must be, for him to push so hard. “Fine,” she said, relenting. “Five minutes. Now. I’ll meet you at the end of my driveway.” That way there was zero chance that June would see him. And the kids, despite their attempts to listen in, wouldn’t be able to watch.