32. 32 #2
“He’s still traveling, doing press for the new album, so it’ll have to wait until he gets back in town. But, ugh… I don’t know how to tell him. It isn’t exactly an easy conversation to have, you know?”
“Have you talked to your therapist about it?”
I laugh mirthlessly. “Ad nauseam. My poor therapist is probably sick of the topic. It's the only thing we discussed at this week's session.”
It wasn’t a straightforward decision. In the early stages of my relationship with Hayes, I wavered and waffled. Should I tell him the truth? Or should I continue honoring Kyle’s request for secrecy?
It felt like a no-win situation. Choosing one meant sacrificing the other.
But with my therapist’s help, I came to see that protecting Kyle was costing me a lot.
I was stuck carrying a burden, and honestly, it was a burden that never should have belonged to me.
I had to prioritize myself and my future, and I couldn’t continue to allow Kyle to control my life from the grave.
And after Hayes told me he loved me at the ranch over Christmas, everything crystallized. If we were to have any chance at a real future, I needed to tell him the truth. I won’t keep putting Kyle’s wishes ahead of my own, especially not if it jeopardizes what I have with Hayes.
I just haven’t found the right moment to tell Hayes yet. While he’s been traveling for work, it’s been easy to put off the task because it’s a conversation that needs to happen in person. But he’s due home in two days, and the thought of saying the words out loud makes my stomach twist with dread.
“Since you pay your therapist good money to listen to you, don’t feel too bad about it,” Laura teases with a smile before her smile slips. “But if you’re going to move in with him, you need to tell him, Anna.”
“I haven’t decided for sure that I’m going to move into Hayes’ condo. It’s just one of many options I’m considering.”
“One of many?” Laura smirks. “Keep telling yourself that, babe.”
Just to spite her, I make a mental note to talk to Dave about looking at his house.
“Hayes!” My startled eyes widen. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in New York until tonight!”
It was early in the morning, and I'd just poured my first cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. I figured it was just an Amazon delivery or something equally mundane. What I didn’t expect was to open the door and find my jet-lagged boyfriend standing there, grinning like a fool in love.
“I’m right where I’m supposed to be, Yankee.”
When I hear those words, something inside me settles. My anxious thoughts, my feelings of dread, while still present, stop swirling in my stomach .
He drops his bag at my feet and pulls me into his welcoming arms. He clasps the back of my head, holding me to him. “I rearranged things so I could fly back early. I missed you too damn much to stay away any longer.”
I fall into his arms, closing my eyes, breathing him in. “Hayes, you did that for me?”
Smoothing my hair back, he cradles my cheek in his rough palm. “Of course, I did. I could tell how stressed you were with the looming deadline for the move.”
“You didn’t need to do that, but… I’m glad you did,” I grin, ecstatic to see him. He’s not the only fool in love. Pushing onto my tiptoes, I brush my lips with his. “Thank you.”
“Always, baby. Where are the girls? They have school today, right?”
“Yeah. They’re upstairs getting ready.”
“Put me to work. Can I make breakfast or get their backpacks packed or something?”
“I’ve taken care of that already.”
“Do they need their hair braided?”
I smile again. “Maybe. We’ll see, Hairdresser Hayes.”
“We’ve talked about this, Yankee."
“Oh, that’s right, you prefer Bambi,” I reply, a hint of a giddy smile on my lips. I just can’t contain my smile when Hayes is around. “Or Kitten.”
We hear the chatter of the girls’ high-pitched voices as they run down the stairs wearing their uniforms. Claire shrieks happily when she sees Hayes, but Grace plays it a little cooler than her enthusiastic little sister.
“Hey rugrats,” Hayes greets them. “Long time no see. ”
“Wusty! I missed you.” Claire runs over for a hug, and he kneels to give her a proper one. He lays his head on hers, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
Good lord, will I ever get over watching Hayes fall in love with my girls? Probably not.
“I missed you too, baby girl.” Standing up, he smiles at Grace, ruffling her hair.
I love how instinctive he is with the girls, offering Claire the physical affection she craves, while understanding that sometimes Grace needs a little more space.
“Missed you too, Gertie. And I brought you some postcards from California, and a couple from New York.”
“Did the rest of the guys sign them, too?” Grace asks, her voice tinged with excitement.
“Sure did, Gertie,” he winks at her as he ushers the kids into the kitchen.
“Now, c’mon. Grab your backpacks so I can take you to school.
Hopefully, we’ll be on time this morning or else I’ll probably have to give Ms. Rogers front row tickets to get you out of yet another tardy.
” I follow the trio, clutching my mug of coffee to my chest as my heart beats in a happy rhythm.
After they leave for school, I lean against the kitchen counter, sipping my coffee.
Looking around, I see boxes piled up everywhere; some are already packed, and some sit empty, waiting to be filled.
Items are scattered haphazardly across my countertops, and cabinet doors hang open, but despite the mess, I feel content and at peace.
Yes, I still have a ton of work left ahead of me, but it seems less daunting now than it did yesterday. And I know why.
Hayes.
I’ve come to depend on him, and with every turn in the road, he’s shown up and proven that he’s dependable .
Half an hour later, the front door slams and I hear Hayes holler, “I’m back!”
“In the kitchen,” I call out.
"We even made it on time today." Hayes tosses my car keys down on the counter, rubbing his hands together. “What’s on tap for today? More packing? Since the rest of the band is still in New York, I’m free to help however you need me.”
“Well, that works out great because I called work and took a personal day, so I could spend time with you.”
Hayes ambles over to the coffeemaker and pours himself a cup before throwing a glance my way. “Good. You need some downtime, Annabelle.”
I make note that he doesn’t use any sugar, just a touch of cream. Seems fair that I should know how he takes his coffee since he has my preferences memorized.
“I know. Laura’s been urging me to take a couple of days off from work so I can finish packing and look at more houses.” I twist my lips to one side, feeling a little awkward as I make my next request. “So, I’m supposed to go look at Dave's rental house today at lunchtime. Would you go with me?”
“Of course.”
Hayes has been adamant about moving into the condo, so his simple acceptance takes me by surprise. “Okay, thanks.”
He glances at the clock on the oven. “How do you want to spend the morning? Want to see if we can finish banging out the rest of the kitchen before we leave?”
If I have my way, we’ll be banging, but it won’t have anything to do with packing.
Striding up to him, I take the mug from his hand and place it on the counter. Then, I curve my finger around the belt loop of his jeans and pull him toward me. I don’t have to pull too hard because he comes willingly.
“I have a better idea of how to spend our morning.” I wrap my hands around his neck and kiss him, coaxing his lips open with my tongue.
Between kisses that grow increasingly hotter, Hayes mutters, “Damn, I like your idea. Much better than mine.”
Then we stumble from the kitchen to the bedroom, discarding items of clothing along the way.