Hayes looks unconvinced, and I admire his desire to save a chick in need.
“Honey is like my mom,” I say, wanting him to understand. “She feels empty in a way nothing fills. Mom let life beat her down, and love was the weapon. Every man broke her heart and killed her a bit more. She used to ask if she was wearing a 'kick me' sign and I’d always think yes. She wore it on her face. My mom was so obviously desperate for love and attention that people knew they could do almost nothing and gain everything from her. Honey will end up that way too if you or I solve her problems.”
Hayes sips his shot of whiskey and thinks about what I said.
“Fine, I’ll hold off for now, but Honey is my assistant’s sister. If she’s getting her ass beat and I don’t step in, that makes me look bad. Life’s not all about you and your curse crap, Candy.”
I smile and pat his hand. “Naw, you’re just a cuddle bear.”
Hayes rolls his eyes. “I checked up on Toby Eddison when I hired you.”
“Of course, you did.”
“He got married and had a kid. You think that one was a trick baby too?”
“No. His wife, Alice, isn’t someone who’ll trick anyone. She wanted him, and she got him. She’s the classic, determined gold digger. Of course, she probably didn’t expect her meal ticket to get indicted on fraud charges.”
“Do you ever worry her kid will get all the family’s cash and leave your kids out in the fucking cold?”
Hayes knows how to nail me straight at my biggest worries. “When I was pregnant, Toby’s parents didn’t talk to me. They wanted to wait until there was proof the babies were his. If you want to understand the Eddison family in a nutshell, they did a paternity test on both babies. You know, in case I was a hussy sleeping with several guys and only one baby was Toby’s. They don’t mess around with the family money.”
I steal one of his fries and get a dirty look for my efforts. “Anyway, after the twins were born, Toby’s parents wanted to put me somewhere nice. Apparently my apartment wasn’t good enough for their grandkids. They offered me an apartment near their home, or I could setup shop in their guest house. I suspected they wanted me close so they could keep an eye on me. The apartment sounded like a better deal, but I chose the guest home. I wanted them to bond with their grandkids, so Toby couldn’t convince them to ditch Chipper and Cricket down the road when he had a family. Years later, my worries came true, and they got a legitimate grandchild. By then, Grandpa and Grandma Eddison were in love with the twins. They still Skype with them every night before bed. It’s pretty cute how much those uppity bastards love the kids.”
Hayes watches me in a strange way, and I realize I can’t read him nearly as well as I thought. I have no clue what he’s thinking.
“What?” I ask when he says nothing.
“You’re an odd broad.”
“Said the weird guy.”
The corner of Hayes’s mouth curves into nearly a smile. While we finish lunch, he often looks ready to speak but chooses to remain silent instead. I don’t know what he’s thinking, and that scares me. I never worried before about offending Hayes. Now I’m anxious about his silence.
“So you haven’t fucked anyone since coming to White Horse?” he asks suddenly while I enjoy my dessert.
“No.”
“When did you last fuck someone?”
His tone startles me, but I smile. “Well, my twins are nine so…”
“That’s a long fucking time.”
“How about you?”
“Last night. She was excellent.”
Frowning, I look at my ice cream. “I’m assuming it’s a professional.”
“Why would you assume that?”
“You want to fuck without emotional ties and prostitutes are good about not getting clingy.”
“Would it make you feel better if I said she was a whore?”
Rolling my eyes, I think I sell my indifference. “What do I care?”
“You care. That’s why you’re grinding your teeth.”
I eat a scoop of ice cream, hoping the sugar will steady my nerves. “Is this where I pretend I met a hot neighbor and maybe I’ll knock boots with him? You made me jealous, so I’m supposed to make you jealous. Is that the game?”
“There’s no neighbor,” he mutters, jaw clenched.
“There are a lot of men in Tennessee and someone is bound to interest me,” I say and then add, “besides you.”
Hayes blinks a few times quickly. His long arms stretch along the curved back of the booth.
“Sooner or later, this is happening,” he says, studying me. “You best prepare yourself.”
“Prepare myself?” I ask, laughing. “Do you mean with yoga or stretching techniques to prepare for your massive… What’s a classy word for penis? Ooh, I know, I’ll call it a super, big humdinger.”
“Giggle all you fucking want, babe. You know I’m not kidding.”