17. Gauntlet #2
Considering, Haley chewed her cheek for a moment, then cleared her throat.
“The layout is perfect for that. They’ve got some great couches for sale at Mountaintop Furniture that have loungers and cupholders.
We’ll see what you have that might look good on the walls.
With all the natural light in here, this wall would look great in a deep blue tone, but we’ll need to add more lights on the inside wall to take the ‘cave’ out of ‘man-cave.’” She continued to float on-the-fly ideas, hoping she wasn’t missing the mark.
It had been tough designing her own home, finding the line between classy and cozy and disallowing anything that wasn’t inviting.
All ears, Scott nodded as she spoke. “You’re hired,” he said. “I have no idea what to pay an interior decorator, but I’ll more than happily pay at least the going rate.”
“What?” she asked. “No way would I charge you. This is fun, not work.”
Scott shook his head. “But there’s a lot of work to it, even for something fun.”
“Yes, but I’m still not accepting anything.”
Before Scott could insist again, Finn cleared his throat.
“Wait a sec, I have an idea. Why doesn’t Haley take some before and after shots and do a feature series for her blog.
Then, Haley, let me know if this is crazy, but maybe someday if you’re interested, you could offer e-consults for a reasonable fee.
For people like Pops that wouldn’t dream of hiring someone normally, but would appreciate a natural eye and a few mock-ups for less than a formal consultation would cost? ”
Her heart flipped in her chest as she thought about what he’d said.
“Wow. I could do that. Add a whole series of unique styles to build a portfolio. Maybe some kind of tele-consults. Even just ads on the portfolio pages could generate more income.” It would be slow going to start, but if she advertised well…
she picked up her beer and drained it by half, too flummoxed to say anymore.
Evan announced that dinner was ready. Zoe was plating the baked sweet potato fries, spinach salad, and fried halibut while Evan set out silverware at the farm-style wooden table off the kitchen.
Overlooking the backyard, the expansive windows made it feel like they were sitting out in the windy summer evening.
Dinner was surprisingly… fun. The Halseths laughed heartily, genuinely enjoying each other.
Stories bounced around the table, supportive yet ripe with teasing.
While Brenda was clearly missed, her life was laced through their conversation, and, she suspected, their mannerisms, as Finn and his brother and sister were a lot like Scott, but all seemed to share a left cheek dimple, rebellious cowlicks, and quirky jokes that were unique to only those three.
However she helped create this man cave, traces of Brenda would be necessary, or something would be missing. Just not the pastel fabrics.
Until the meddling Finn had mentioned. Not near Patricia-severity, but classic.
“Finn? Did you schedule those interviews yet? Pete’s got that baby coming soon, and I’ll be busy with football season starting back up. I need to know if I should be planning on hiring another bartender.” Scott scooped a dollop of barbeque sauce on his fries and chewed nonchalantly.
Finn set down his beer, his jaw clenching tight. “Not yet.”
“Season’s started. Hiring’s pretty much wrapping up for the year. The longer you wait, the better chance they’ll find somebody else.”
Roaring cheers erupted on the TV, a heavy metal rift rocked the tinny speakers as the Seahawks made another touchdown. Finn hopped up from his chair, bringing his plate to the sink. “I’ll make some calls in the morning.”
“Keep your options open. Just let me know as soon as you decide.”
“’K.” Finn rinsed the plate, grabbing the nearest dirty dishes to load the dishwasher.
Silence.
Evan cleared his throat and said, “So, Haley. You grew up around here, right?”
Nodding, she was grateful for the subject change. Finn still hadn’t turned around. “I did. Sounds like I moved away right as you guys were moving in.”
“I wonder if we had some of the same friends.” He grinned, chattier than she’d seen him all night.
Helping steer the conversation from Finn, she suspected.
They were a unit in so many ways. As she and Grady and Ryder had tried to be for each other, until their lives had drifted apart, but she felt they were slowly coming back together.
Turning on his heel, Finn appeared before she could answer and snagged empty plates from the table. “Of course she did. She’s Grady and Ryder Mallory’s little sister.”
Zoe lit up, flipping her hair back and adjusting her posture. “I had such a crush on Ryder. What’s he up to these days?”
Laughing, Haley hadn’t heard that one in a while. Where Grady had the blond hair and blue eyes like he’d grown up surfing in Honolulu, Ryder was pure slick style.
Each had coped with a rough start to life very differently.
Patricia wasn’t exactly the world’s best role model.
Grady and Ryder’s dad had died young, but the divorce had already been finalized.
Haley’s dad was good to his stepsons, but it had been tough on Grady and Ryder to lose him to a brutal divorce as they were on the cusp of adulthood.
Husband number three was reasonable, but not very involved.
Too little, too late. Grady had fought Patricia’s superior influence, eventually levelling out into the guy he inherently was. Ryder was… working on it.
“He’s busy. He’s living in Arizona and working his way up the ladder at a marketing firm.”
Evan rose from the table, taking his plate to Finn at the sink. “Sounds about right. I heard he and Claire were engaged until she met Grady.”
Haley hadn’t been around for it, but she’d suspected the gossip had run rampant. “Not exactly. Yes, she had been with Ryder, but they’d broken up.”
Biting the edge of her tongue, Zoe nodded. “Still, must have been awkward. Swapping brothers like that. Could have been worse, like if they’d been best friends or something. I mean, brothers will fight it out and move on, but that would have destroyed—”
Finn snatched Zoe’s plate and grabbed her half-consumed beer right from her hand. “I’m sure Grady, Claire, and Ryder would prefer to stay out of gossip circles.”
Haley rose from her chair and brought her plate to Finn. “Grady felt awful, falling for what he thought was his brother’s fiancée.”
Taking her plate, Finn rinsed and added it to the dishwasher. “I would imagine Claire felt terrible, moving on so fast, and not with just anyone, but her nearly-brother-in-law.”
Dishes nearly done thanks to Finn’s efficiency, Zoe and Evan filtered out of the room, and Scott returned to the game.
Grabbing a rag, Haley dampened and rang it out, wiping down the countertops while Finn worked at the sink. “Sore subject for all involved. Which is why you and I have chosen to rebound; no fuss, no muss. Just fun.” She stood on her tiptoes and planted a teasing kiss on Finn’s jaw.
“Yeah,” he said with a half-smile, his jaw muscle ticking from the effort. He’d been off since Scott brought up the interviews. Haley wanted to pick his brain about it, but he shut off so severely, she’d have to find the right moment.
When they were down to the last plate, Zoe popped back in via the slider to the backyard and flagged her down.
Haley set down her rag and crossed the kitchen. “Hey,” she answered.
A mischievous twinkle in her eye, Zoe gestured outside. “Come see if you want starts of these shrubs.”
Following Zoe to the park-like backyard, a veritable maze of fruit trees, winding paths, and eventually opening to a native forest, she mentally took notes on ideas for her own yard.
As they neared a rose garden, Zoe crossed her arms over her chest. Rather than talking gardening as expected, Zoe didn’t beat around the bush, so to speak. “Finn is really happy.” Zoe scowled, her foot tapping against the gravel path.
“That’s great.” Haley nodded, unsure what Zoe was getting at.
With how her jaw was clenched tight like Finn’s when he was upset, she didn’t mean that in a good way.
The wind was still fierce, blowing her hair across her face.
Haley ran her hands through her hair and held her hand on her head to pin her hair in place.
“I like you, Haley. You’re really good for him.”
And this is why this rebound thing was so tricky and so filled with rules. Why they should have kept it a secret. Not that she’d want him to lie to his family. “He’s been really good for me, too.”
“He wasn’t happy with… her. When he came home, we were so caught up in managing the pub for Mom and Pops, then…
then letting Mom go. He’d worked damn long hours to get things caught up like the rest of us, as things had been stretched thin without our parents running the business firsthand.
He was in and out of surgery, physical therapy, dealing with the end of his career.
I mean, football was his life. In the middle of all this, he reconnected with his old girlfriend and that was a disaster. Nobody’s fault, but you can’t go back.”
Haley didn’t dare respond, but goosebumps spreading over her bare legs in the menacing wind.
Crossing her arms again, Zoe looked back at Haley. “Then he met you. Admittedly, I encouraged him, thinking a fling was just the thing to get his mind off everything.”
She shoved her fingers back in her wild hair as another gust threatened to blind her. “Is this why you brought me here? Not for dinner or my professional opinion, but to blitz me?”
Zoe bit her lip, her eyes red and puffy. “Can you see why I have a problem? Dammit, you even speak football. I know your divorce isn’t even finalized yet and you two both needed something easy. But whatever he wants to call this, a fling, rebound, whatever… he cares about you.”
Heat pounded in her cheeks, her veins, behind her eyes as she was bombarded by emotion she couldn’t acknowledge. Haley backed a few steps toward the house. “Whatever you think, I care about Finn. If leaving him will spare him from further heartache, then I’ll go.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
Haley shook her head, refusing to stomp her feet and demand the easy way out.
“I’ve spent the last ten years of my life under someone’s boot.
Ignorantly following the path of least resistance while I slipped away.
While I let some asshole destroy my confidence.
I’m done answering to anyone else.” She turned back toward the house.
Zoe caught up and grabbed her arm. Haley shook her off and kept walking.
Running ahead, Zoe blocked the path. “I like you, too, dammit. You’re so good for him.
I don’t want you to leave him. I just… I shouldn’t have said anything.
What I really wanted to say is… First, will you not leave my brother? ”
Blinking away the tears that threatened, the hollow pit in her stomach eroding from the inside out, she shoved her hands in her pockets and stood frozen in the path. “I lost myself. I’m still trying to figure out who I am. To rebuild the strength I gave up for someone else.”
“I understand. You should always come first. If you need to walk away, then walk away. But talk to him. Watch his actions. If you’re not standing on your own two feet with Finn, then he’s not worth it.
Whatever you two decide… please don’t walk away because you think you should, make sure you’re walking away in the end because he’s not the one.
” With a watery smile, Zoe added, “Second, we have a bunch of forget-me-nots and rose campion and daffodils that need dividing. Would you like some for your yard?” She grinned pathetically.
Breathing in the gust of wind, Haley smiled. “I would love some.”