Spencer pushed his own sandwich away, untouched. He hated seeing Nicolette so confused. “I believe we’ve already determined I’m not the best role model for anyone. When did you talk to Dad?” He almost corrected himself, but what he called Dereck Westerly didn’t matter right then.
“We’ve spoken a few times since Christmas. I went with Brett to see him. He’s lonely. I know it’s his fault, but I feel bad for him anyway. Outside of Brett and his mother, he doesn’t really have anyone in his life.”
“And you feel guilty about considering taking his money?”
“Yes.”
Their parents sure had fucked things up for their children. “What does Rachelle say?”
“She thinks the world is a dangerous place, and I should work for the local paper or blog about fashion. My dreams are bigger than that. I know you understand.”
“I do.”
She laughed nervously. “I should do what you almost did and marry one of my friends for my inheritance.”
“No. It was a stupid idea when Rachelle came up with it, and I regret taking it as far as I did.”
“Why? It might have worked. I mean, if Brett and Alisha didn’t . . . the money would free me, Spencer. I could intern for as long as I wanted—guilt-free.”
“Marriage isn’t something you should play at. There are consequences you don’t expect until you do something that foolhardy. Save your vows for someone you love.”
“Love? Since when do you believe in it?”
Caught between what he believed and what his sister needed to hear, he chose to leave her with some hope. “Oh, it’s real, but it has a nasty propensity for coming when you’re least prepared for it.” He thought about Hailey and the look of disappointment in her eyes when she’d asked him to go see her brother with her. Yes, Hailey had left him for someone else, but he hadn’t been there for her. “Especially if you’re not with the person you should have been.”
Nicolette cocked her head to the side. “Is there something you want to talk about? Or someone?”
“No.” His gut twisted at the idea of Hailey married to someone else. Was she happy? He wanted to be the kind of man who could be happy for her. “But we’re talking about you. You want my opinion? Take Dad’s money and stop looking for reasons why you shouldn’t. He never gave us anything. For all you know, he’s buying his own guilt-free ride. That’s what you end up doing when you spend your life making shitty decisions.”
Nicolette reached across the table and put her hand on his arm. “I wish I knew what to say that would bring us all back to how we were before. I hate seeing you like this.”
“Like what?”
Her eyebrows rose and fell, but she didn’t say anything.
“Jordan called me an asshole right before he went MIA, so you may have a point.”
Nicolette smiled sympathetically. “Recognizing the problem is half of the solution.”
“Thanks, Nik.”
“It figures that you’re fighting with Jordan. He was the only one I thought I could handle being fake-married to.”
“Jordan? The two of you could not be more different, and you can barely stand each other.”
“That’s why I was going to have you talk him into it. He was perfect. He has his own money, so he wouldn’t want in on my inheritance; he doesn’t even like me, so there’d be no chance that it could get confusing. It would have been a purely legal arrangement. One he would have done as a favor to you.”
“No.”
“It’s moot now anyway if you’re not even talking.”
“Hell no.”
“Okay, okay. Eat your sandwich. You’re getting hangry.”
Spencer took a bite and frowned. “Stupidest idea you’ve ever had. Forget it.”
“Whatever you say,” Nicolette said with a roll of her eyes.
Chapter Four
After days of intensive interviewing of candidates, Hailey was back in Braintree exchanging the package with a secretary who seemed inappropriately amused by the confusion. Hailey shrugged her reaction off. Nothing was going to ruin her mood that day. She’d left Skye at the main house with her new teacher. Mrs. Holihen was a multilingual retired teacher in her sixties who had not only taught college-level courses on early childhood development, but was also a grandmother. Her easy smile and quick wit were selling points, but Hailey’s decision had been made when Delinda had asked her where she imagined herself in a few years. Mrs. Holihen had said, “Hopefully spending more time with my grandchildren and perhaps tutoring on the side. Our goal is for Skye to return to school, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Hailey had said.
“I can’t imagine how difficult the past year was on her, but children need to be around other children, don’t they? They’re happiest when they have friends.”
“I want that for her,” Hailey had said barely above a whisper. She was beginning to believe it was within reach for Skye again.
With a nearly identical gift-wrapped package in her hand, Hailey walked out of the office smiling. Things are finally turning around.
“Hailey?” a male voice asked.
Hailey came to an abrupt halt. Her eyes raked over the man. The boy she’d known was gone. His shoulders were broader, his features more defined, but the biggest change was in his eyes. There was a hardness she would have never associated with him. “Spencer?”
“Holy shit, it is you.” He stepped closer. The frown on his face was anything but welcoming.
Unexpected desire shot through her. She stepped back. Her body remembered his and craved it with an intensity that scared her. I should feel nothing after all this time. “Holy shit. You can say that again.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked harshly as he looked her over. There was a boldness to his appraisal that normally would have offended her, but her skin warmed beneath his gaze, and she found it difficult to think straight.
“I—I—I’m picking something up.” Yeah, that’s the best I can do. I’m a witty one. How was it possible that the years away from him hadn’t diminished the connection she’d felt? She remembered feeling this same way the first time he’d kissed her. They hadn’t taken it further that night, but they’d both wanted to. She’d been with other men since, but none made her feel the way he could with just a look. When she’d said as much to her friends, they told her that she’d romanticized Spencer and used his memory to sabotage her other relationships. I believed them, but it wasn’t that. Whatever else we didn’t have, we had this. “How about you?”
“I own the building.”
“Of course you do,” she said and took a deep breath. Delinda, what are you up to now?
“I was told there was a woman out here asking for me.” There was a look in his eyes she recognized. He still wanted her. It was too easy to remember another time when a look like that would have led to them sneaking off to anywhere they could be alone.
“That wasn’t me,” she said, her voice suddenly husky.
“No?” He didn’t look like he believed her.
“No.” Is this a test, Delinda? Am I supposed to prove I don’t have a problem with him? She took another step back. She couldn’t do this.
He stepped forward, not taking his eyes off hers. “So you’re here by coincidence?”
She clutched the package to her chest. “Yes.” A little lie was forgivable in such a situation, wasn’t it?