No fair. He’d chosen their old college hangout. “I don’t,” she lied.
“Really? Luckily, it’s on Yelp with directions. I’ll see you there at noon.”
“Noon,” she echoed breathlessly.
“Hailey?”
“Uh-huh?” Her head was spinning.
“I’m glad you said yes. See you tomorrow.”
After he hung up, she sat on the couch in the living room and took several deep breaths. I was going to ask Delinda why she’d sent me to Braintree and arranged for me to meet him, but now I can’t. All she’d have to do is ask me one question, and I’d crack and tell her everything.
What had Alessandro said? “Pick your battles.”
Hailey pushed herself off the couch and headed out of the guesthouse and over to the driveway where Delinda and Skye were fawning over an all-white pony. They looked up at her approach, and both expressions became guarded.
The children were standing around in a loose circle, seemingly equally excited about Skye’s choice. I can’t say no.
But I have to say something.
“Skye, come here.” Skye looked from the pony to Delinda, beseeching her to intervene. Delinda opened her mouth to say something, but Hailey didn’t give her a chance to. “Now, Skye.”
Reluctantly, Skye stepped away from the group and over to Hailey. Hailey took her by the hand and led her just far enough away that the others wouldn’t hear, then bent down so her face was level with Skye’s. “I love you more than you will ever know. I want you to be happy, Skye, but you know your behavior earlier was not appropriate.”
Skye glared at her, defensive and angry. Hailey didn’t back down even though it broke her heart to see her niece look at her that way. Eventually, Skye blinked and looked down. “I really want the pony, Auntie Hailey.”
“I know you do, Skye, but we don’t have the money for it.”
Skye’s shoulders slumped. “Delinda will buy it.”
“Look at me, Skye. Delinda’s money is not our money. This is not our house. I don’t want you to get confused.”
Skye glanced over her shoulder at the children who were watching them. When she looked back at Hailey, her eyes were so sad it took everything in Hailey not to burst into tears and hug her. “I understand.”
I could be doing this all wrong, Ryan, but I hope not. “Do you, Skye? Because I’m waiting on an apology for the way you spoke to me earlier. We’re on the same team, you know, and we always will be.”
“I’m sorry.” No seven-year-old had probably ever sounded more dejected.
“That’s why we’ll find a way to afford that pony. You and me. We’ll let Delinda buy it for you today, but we’ll pay her back. I’ll put aside some money, and you’ll pick up chores around the house to earn it. It’s not going to be easy. We’ll need to buy a saddle and brushes, and stabling a pony is probably very expensive. We can only get the pony, Skye, if you agree to work for it.”
Wonder returned to Skye’s eyes. “You’re letting me get her?”
Hailey held out her hand for her niece to shake. “It depends on you. Do we have a deal? Are you willing to work to buy your own pony?”
Skye bypassed the handshake and threw her arms around Hailey. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
“Does she have a name?”
“Clover,” Skye said. “You are going to be so happy you let me have her. I’m going to work hard and be good.”
She hugged her niece tighter to her. Imagine that, we both have the same personal goals. “Ready to introduce me to your new pony?”
“Oh yes!” Skye bounced and took her by the hand, dragging her toward the pony with the same determination Hailey had dragged her away with.
Delinda watched their approach with a carefully blank expression. “Is everything all right?”
“Absolutely.” The curious audience made any other response impossible. There would be time later for what she needed to say.
Skye ran her hand along the pony’s neck, beneath her mane. “You have to feel right here, Auntie Hailey. She’s so soft.”
Hailey followed the same path down the pony’s mane, and the pony threw up her head and whinnied. “She’s beautiful.”
“And she’s mine.” Skye threw her arms around the pony’s neck, and Hailey was relieved to see the calmness with which the pony accepted her affection.
Michael announced that more ice cream was being served on the front lawn. The children cheered and bolted away. The woman holding the pony’s lead line explained that the pony would be delivered to the barn that evening and they could come by anytime.
Skye looked up at her aunt. “Can I—?”
“Of course.” Hailey didn’t need to wait for the question to be asked. She’d be lucky if Skye didn’t ask to sleep there with the pony.
“May,” Delinda corrected firmly. “May I.”
Confusing Delinda’s correction with a request, Skye turned from the pony and threw her arms around Delinda’s waist. “Of course you can come with us. Right, Auntie Hailey?”
One glimpse of the hopeful light in Delinda’s eyes that mirrored Skye’s and Hailey caved. “Would you like to come with us, Delinda?”
Alessandro joined them. With Skye still clinging to her, Delinda blinked a couple of times quickly, then grasped his forearm. “Aren’t they perfect?”
Perfect for what? The hair on the back of Hailey’s neck rose in sudden apprehension.
Alessandro patted Delinda’s hand.
Skye darted off to hug the pony again before it was loaded onto a trailer. While she was out of earshot, Hailey focused on what she’d planned to say. “Delinda, Skye is going to pay you back for the pony. Please allow her to. She’s agreed to do extra chores with me to earn the money for it.”
“I see no need to have her—”
“I do, and since I’m her guardian and aunt, if I say that’s the only way she will get the pony, it’s the only way. And if you ever plan another event for her without consulting me, I will have no choice but to give you my resignation and find other employment.”
“How dare you—?”
“I dare because no one is more important to me than Skye. I like you, Delinda, and I really need this job, but nothing comes before my niece and what is best for her.”
Delinda pressed her lips together in a line, then looked at Alessandro. “It’s no wonder she can’t keep a job. Do you hear how she talks to me?”
Rather than getting angry with Delinda for the barb, Hailey recognized it as an attempt to avoid addressing the threat. “I’m serious, Delinda.”
“I can’t imagine how you could have a problem with me wanting her to have friends and getting her excited about going back to school—”
“Promise that you’ll ask me before you plan anything else for Skye.”
Delinda narrowed her eyes like a petulant child.
Hailey held her breath and raised her chin.
The second standoff of the day ended much as the one with Skye had—Delinda blinked first, then nodded her concession. Alessandro bellowed out a hearty laugh that had Delinda spinning to wag a finger at him. “Don’t you dare laugh at me.”