Hailey would have his back. He knew that, deep in his gut. Even though he’d been an asshole, she’d taken care of his dog and rushed to get to him. No questions, no recriminations. He’d needed somebody and she’d been there. It was that simple.
His dad sighed, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the pond. “That’s what’s important, son. When you’re knocked down and on your knees, you want a woman who’ll help you up. And, if you’re not ready to get up yet, she’ll wrap her arms around you and not let anything or anybody kick you while you’re down.”
He’d had a glimpse of what that felt like the other night. The fear and general shittiness of the day hadn’t been able to withstand the comfort of Hailey’s arms around him. “What if she doesn’t want me, Dad?”
“Then she’s the idiot.” The certainty in his dad’s voice made Matt smile. “Worst case, you nurse a broken heart and start looking for a different place to live so you don’t have to see her every day.”
“I can’t imagine not seeing her every day.”
“And there you go.” His dad stood up and squeezed Matt’s shoulder. “I’m going to take a leak and see if you left any cans of beef stew in the cupboard. If you’re smart, you’ll get in your truck and haul ass back to Whitford before she gets too worked up.”
*
TWO DAYS. TWO days Matt Barnett had been gone and Hailey wanted to strangle him. Or hug him. Maybe she’d just hug him really, really tightly and fulfill both urges at the same time.
While he’d gone off to hide, she’d worked. She’d smiled and told everybody who’d asked that he was just fine. She’d told Tori and Paige and anybody else who was worried about her that she was fine, despite the fact she’d cried more tears than she’d thought a body could hold.
When she heard his truck pulling into the driveway, she was torn between wanting to march over and demand to know what his problem was, and wanting to hide in her room and pretend she wasn’t home.
Assuming he’d care, of course. Nothing said he had any intention of darkening her doorstep.
But she couldn’t stop herself from looking out the window. He was wearing that damn red flannel shirt, unbuttoned over a T-shirt, and a hat that had seen better days, though it wasn’t the really gross hat he’d been wearing the day they met.
She wasn’t on her game, though, and when he turned to look her way, she didn’t close the curtain in time. They made eye contact and he held it until she turned away from the window.
Jerk.
When the loud knock echoed through her house, she wasn’t surprised. The doors were locked. An unusual occurrence during daylight hours, but she didn’t want him to think everything was okay and he could come on in. It wasn’t business as usual.
Then the doorbell rang and made her jump. She’d honestly forgotten the thing worked because nobody ever used it. She didn’t jump the second time, and the third time just pissed her off.
She yanked open the door and it must have been obvious she wasn’t happy to see him because Bear stopped wagging his tail and sat down next to Matt’s feet. “What do you want?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you for your apology.” She started to close the door, but he put up his hand to stop it.
If he’d actually made contact with the door and prevented her from closing it, she probably would have lost her temper. But he stopped short of it, his hand turning into a pleading gesture.
“Please hear me out, Hailey. Let me explain.”
“I asked you to talk to me two days ago. You ran away.”
“Because I was scared. I got scared of what I feel for you, so I tried to drive you away by being an asshole. But then Pete’s accident happened and you came for me. It hurts that I can’t be the kind of guy you want.”
Her heart clenched, but she clung to the anger she’d been nursing since he took off. “How could you still think I didn’t want you?”
“To sleep with, yeah. But I think we’ve already established I’m not your Prince Charming. I mean, look at me. I’m a guy who hasn’t shaved in two days and smells like woods and bug spray and the inside of a tackle box, with a dog who may have rolled in something questionable.”
“And I still wanted you.” Bear’s tail thumped against the ground. “Both of you.”
“Wanted. Past tense.”
The look in his eyes tore at her, but she wasn’t giving him a pass. “I deserve better than this, Matt. I asked you to stay and talk to me, but you ran away.”
“I needed to think.”
“Great. You got what you needed. Now I need to focus on what I need, and it’s a man who knows how to compromise and talk things out.”
“Please don’t do this, Hailey.” She could hear the strain in his voice and Bear must have picked up on it because he made a whimpering sound and thumped his tail some more.