Karen Whiddon - The Texan's Return

“Give me fifteen minutes to get there,” he said. “And, Hailey?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.” He ended the call.

Dropping her phone into her back pocket, Hailey looked up to find all three of her siblings openly staring at her.

“Well?” Tara demanded, barely able to contain her excitement. “Was that Mac? Do you have a date?”

The quelling look Hailey shot her should have been intimidating. Instead, Tara grinned. “You do, don’t you?”

“Not a date,” she clarified. “A meeting. He says it will take five minutes. He wants to talk to me about something. Probably about Eli showing up over there uninvited and unannounced.”

Eli shook his head. “No, I doubt it’s about me. If he wanted to say something about my visit, he could have done it over the phone. It’s got to be more personal than that if he needs to say it to your face.”

What? Now Hailey stared. How had Eli gotten to be eleven going on thirty? Sometimes he acted older and wiser than both of the fourteen-year-old twins combined.

“You’re right!” Tara jumped up. “He probably wants to ask you out on a date.”

“I doubt that.” Hailey was quick to respond. “And once again, that’s also something he could do over the phone.” She made a show out of checking her watch. “I’d better get going. He’s on his way over here right now.”

“Here?” Tara squeaked. “We get to actually see him, in person?”

Oh, geez. “No. Settle down. I’m meeting him at the end of the driveway. To talk. Alone.” She met each of their gazes. “Got that?”

One by one, each kid slowly nodded. Satisfied, Hailey headed to the bathroom to check her reflection in the mirror. She excused this little bit of vanity, refusing to think about it. Then, with one last warning glare at Tom, Tara and Eli, she headed out to walk down the driveway and meet Mac.

* * *

Unaccountably nervous, Mac made it to her place in record time. He considered himself lucky he hadn’t received a speeding ticket. She wasn’t there yet, which was good. Parking at the end of her driveway, he got out and sat on the tailgate of his truck. Though it had been a different pickup, he and Hailey had spent a lot of time sitting on tailgates. Football parties at school, summer bonfires out near the lake. Then, she’d nestled close to him, fitting so perfectly under his arm. He wished he’d been able to capture those moments somewhere other than his memory.

They’d been perfect for each other. He couldn’t help but believe they were meant to be together. All he needed to do was help Hailey see that.

Waiting, his heartbeat slowed, resuming its normal steady rhythm. The pine trees lining the curving drive formed a picturesque canopy while the setting sun sent golden fingers of light through their branches, dappling the pavement with flecks of gilt.

A moment later, he saw her, strolling down her driveway toward him, and his pulse picked up again. Hailey. Everything else ceased to exist as he focused on her.

She still walked with the loose-limbed saunter, her quiet confidence sexy, though she didn’t realize it. She wore her long blond hair in a ponytail, which swung jauntily with every step she took.

Longing had his entire body clenching. Breathing deeply, he forced himself to relax again, to appear expressionless. Because he knew if he gave away the depths of his need and longing, she’d be frightened.

“All right,” she drawled, by way of greeting. “What was so important that it couldn’t wait for another day?”

He cleared his throat, and then dove right in.

“I need to hire someone to help out with my dad.” His tone matter-of-fact, he held her gaze. “I need to work, at least part-time, and I can’t leave him alone. I was hoping you’d consider it.”

At first she didn’t respond, didn’t say anything, only continued to watch him from those bright blue eyes of hers.

“It’s a paying job,” he offered, deciding not to bother trying to pretend he wanted someone else to do it. “I thought I’d ask you first, since I know you could use the income.”

She looked down and heaved a sigh. “I do need the money, but I don’t think I’d be the right person for the job.”

He hadn’t expected her to decline. “Why not?” he pressed. “You used to want to become a nurse. You might still go to nursing school one day. This would be good practice.”

Hurt and disbelief flashed across her face. “That’s not likely to happen.”

“You’re not too old,” he argued. “In four years you’ll only be thirty-one. That’s not too old.”

“No, it’s not. But you’re forgetting a few things. Eli is only eleven. I can’t leave him alone with Mom. It’ll be a long while before I’d be able to go to school. Assuming I could even afford it, which I can’t.”

His heart hurt for her. All her dreams had been put on hold, her entire life shattered, because some murderous SOB had taken her sister’s life a decade ago.

His dad had paid, too. Paid for something he hadn’t done. So help him, the police had better catch the right person this time.

“I really need the help,” he reiterated. “I can’t be with him twenty-four hours a day.” He was telling the truth. If Hailey wouldn’t do it—and he prayed she would—he’d have to hire a stranger.

“What about hospice?” Hailey asked. “I thought they came out periodically and relieved you.”

“Two or three times a week. That’s not nearly enough.”

She wanted to say no, he could tell. But he knew how badly she needed money. “I’m willing to pay fifteen dollars an hour.” He threw that out there, hoping it would help her make up her mind.

Her sigh told him how much it cost her not to say yes. She tilted her head, considering, which sent a quick flare of hope through him.

“What are the hours? Because I have to take the kids to school in the morning, and pick them up after.”

“We can work around that.” He thought for a second. “Nine to two? That’s five hours a day. Would that be good for you?”

Still considering, she frowned. He could see her doing the math in her head. “That’s seventy-five dollars a day.” Shock rang in her voice. “And if I worked five days a week, that’d be three-hundred seventy-five a week. How could you afford that?”

“If it makes my father’s life easier, it’s worth it.” He meant his words. “And I make much more than that doing my work. But I should warn you, if you’re considering doing it, that it won’t be easy. My father is already very sick. Right now, his pain level is manageable. I’m not sure how long that will be the case.”

Clearly torn, she swallowed hard. “I can’t do any heavy lifting. You’d have to help me with that.”

“I would, of course.”

Again she went silent. He knew that kind of money would go a long way toward putting food on her table. And possibly more.

“Maybe Eli could finally join Little League,” he said. “That extra money might enable you to pay for that.”

“No.” Mouth set in a grim line, her chin came up. “Don’t you bring him into this. I don’t want him getting his hopes up. If I let him do Little League, Tara will want to be a cheerleader. And Tom’s been wanting to join the band and play trumpet. It wouldn’t be fair to give to one and not the others. So, no, the extra money will go to pay the bills and buy groceries.”

Stunned, he nodded, well aware he couldn’t let her see how badly he wanted to offer to pay for them all to do those things. “Sorry. I didn’t think.”

Her shrug was meant to make him feel better. “You’ve never had three kids. I think you learn this kind of stuff through experience.”

It obviously escaped her that she didn’t actually have three kids either. But he supposed in her mind, it was sort of the same thing. She also took care of her mother. Now he was asking her to add one more person.