“I guess since I cooked, you guys can clean up.” Even Granny hightailed it out of the room so fast it made Haley’s head spin.
Jayden pushed back his chair and stood.
Her heart tumbled in her chest. Surely he wasn’t leaving her, too?
“How long were you standing there?” Jayden asked.
“I need to see Haley. Alone.” Barrett’s voice was calm and low and Haley didn’t like it.
“Barrett, she was just joking.” Jayden stepped in front of Haley.
“It’s okay, Jayden.” Haley stood and gave him a nod.
His face was fierce, her warrior standing up for her. “I don’t want him to lecture you about that some stupid story you made up at dinner.”
“This isn’t about that.” Barrett kept his gaze on Haley. “I need to talk to you about your parents.”
Nausea swept across her stomach. For a brief second she thought her heart had stopped.
“Are they okay? Did the stalker hurt them?”
“They’re fine. As far as we know the stalker has never made contact with them. This concerns something else.” Barrett cut his eyes at Jayden. “Something I would like to discuss with Haley privately.”
“Do you want me to stay?” Jayden took her hand.
“I think I better hear this alone.” She didn’t miss the hurt in his eyes. “I need to start facing some of my fears on my own.”
He nodded once and cast a glance at Barrett before stepping out of the room.
She braced herself waiting for him to speak.
Barrett pulled out her chair for her to sit. She sat. It struck her as strange that despite his reputation as being a lethal ruler of Arkansas there was a refinement, a gentlemanly element to him.
Barrett eased his large frame into his chair at the head of the table.
“You’re starting to scare me.” Haley laughed nervously.
“Your parents contacted me. They demanded to see you.” His stern gaze locked on hers.
“What?” All the air in her lungs disappeared. The last thing she needed right now was to deal with her parents.
“They didn’t say why. They just said it was urgent.” Barrett frowned and looked away. “I told them no.”Haley snapped her head in Barrett’s direction.
“You did what?”
“I don’t need them here, getting in the middle of this whole situation.”
Haley wanted to throw her arms around Barrett and hug him. But something in his expression told her the conversation wasn’t over.
“They went to the Louisiana Pack Master and told them I refused to let them see you. He sent some of his Louisiana Guardians to Arkansas and check things out. They went back and told the Pack Master you were staying here at my house. They know where you are.”
“When will they be here?” Haley felt the blood drain from her face. The last thing she wanted to see was her parents. Not now. Not after what they had done.
“In a couple of days.” Barrett looked away.
She frowned. The drive was long but not two days’ worth. They must not have been in that big of a rush to see her.
“I am making them stop in Little Rock to fill out some paperwork first. That should take a good long time. I thought you needed some time to get prepared to see them.” Haley looked up as Barrett stood. “I’ll let you know when they are near.’
She nodded, touched at his thoughtfulness. He was preparing her for their arrival. He had considered her feelings when her biological parents had not.
She cleared her throat before he walked through the door. “Barrett?”
He turned, leveling that cool gaze at her.
“Thank you.”
He cocked his head. “Oh, and Haley. Damon’s right, sharks don’t swallow people whole.”
#
Jayden clenched his fists and stared out into the black night sky. He’d been waiting on the deck for Haley to finish talking to Barrett. He hadn’t expected the news he got. Haley’s parents were coming to see her. He didn’t like it. But it didn’t matter how he felt, all that mattered was how Haley felt about it.
“At least Barrett gave me a couple days to prepare.” Despite her attempt, her voice still sounded shaky.
“You don’t have to see them.”
Haley lifted her chin. “No, I don’t. I wish I could tell you that I don’t care if I don’t ever speak to them again. But something inside me thinks they are coming here to make things right. Maybe they realized they were wrong and are coming to apologize and take me home.”
Jayden froze. Would they take her back to Louisiana? He felt like he’d been hit in the stomach with a baseball bat.
Would she do that? Go back to Louisiana?
“Maybe they just missed me.” The hope in her voice was enough to make his chest ache.
He pulled her into his arms. She melted into him. He loved how she fit him, like they were made for each other. He nuzzled her hair and inhaled her soft feminine scent.
“Jayden, will you stay with me when I see my parents?”
“If you want me to, I will.”
“I want you there with me.” She wrapped her arms tighter around his waist.
“I’m there then. Right by your side.”