31. Hadley
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Hadley
“Hold still,” Sienna says, trying to pin another piece of my curled hair into the loose bun at the base of my neck.
I would have been fine curling my hair and calling it a day, but when I showed her a picture of the dress I picked out for the gala, she refused.
She insisted I wear my hair up to show off the back of the dress. Or I guess just my back because there isn’t much dress back there to speak of.
We decided to get ready together since she’s going to the gala as well. Most of the business owners in town are.
It feels like we’re getting ready for prom in my old bedroom. My mom laughed hysterically and said just that when Sienna hauled in an armful of beauty supplies.
I really need to start looking for my own place to rent here in town.
“Done,” Sienna says, stepping back. I twist my head from side to side, taking in the way she pinned my hair away from my face—it looks effortless.
“This looks way nicer than anything I would have managed on my own,” I tell her, making sure my makeup hasn’t smudged. “I think you missed your calling.”
She giggles, putting the final touches on her own makeup. “No, I like animals way more than I like people.”
“I’m a person,” I huff out in mock disgust, grabbing the bag my dress is hanging in from my closet.
She looks at me through the mirror as she pins one side of her red curls away from her face with an embellished clip. “You don’t count. I actually like you.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “I like you too, Sienna.”
We both shimmy into our dresses and shoes. She looks gorgeous in a dark green gown that’s fitted against her petite frame.
I peek down, seeing a text from the guys saying they’ll be here in a few minutes to get me.
“It really is unfair that you have three dates while I have none.”
I can tell she’s joking, but there’s a level of sadness layered under her words. “I could loan you one of them for the night.”
“And have them pining over you all night while being forced to be at my side? Nah. I’m good,” she says, laughing.
Walking downstairs, I find my brother standing in the living room wearing a suit. Something I’ve only seen a few times in my life.
“Oh, hey Grayson,” I tell him, but he isn’t looking at me at all. His eyes are solely focused behind me as Sienna walks into the room.
A glance over my shoulder shows me her attention is locked on him, too. Where he looks like his brain has evacuated his skull, she looks like he was the very last thing she wanted to see when she stepped off the stairs.
“Uh, hi,” my brother finally stammers out as a few of his brain cells make their way back to functioning order.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
He shakes his head, looking at me like he’s trying to forget the woman in the green dress is no longer standing beside me. “I wanted to see if Mom needed anything, since we’ll both be at the gala tonight.”
“You two worry too much,” Mom groans from her spot on the couch, where she’s undoubtedly been watching this whole interaction like a tennis match. “I’m going to watch a movie and make a grilled cheese. Get out of here.” She looks at Sienna and me. “You two cleaned up nice.”
“Thank you,” we both mutter.
“Don’t they look nice?” my mom says, glowering at Grayson.
He glares at Mom but finally relents. His eyes dance between the two of us, but when he says the words, his attention is focused on Sienna. “You both look beautiful.”
Interesting…
There’s a soft knock before Brooks’ smiling face pokes in from around the screen door. He opens his mouth to say something, but then he just freezes. His eyes track up and down my body.
“What the hell are you doing?” Austin’s voice grumbles from behind him. Brooks stumbles forward when the door is swung all the way open.
Austin glares at Brooks, but as soon as he glances at me, he freezes, too. Conrad steps in beside them. He seems to be the only functioning one out of the three of them. A smirk plays at the corners of his mouth.
He steps toward me, pulling me into his arms.
“You look stunning, sweetheart.” He leans in, whispering in my ear. “I told you you’d make those two go stupid wearing that dress.”
I giggle, glancing over my shoulder at them.
Brooks snaps out of it first, stepping closer and swinging me up into his arms. “You look amazing, Hadley. Damn.”
“Thanks,” I say, laughing, as he sets me down.
“Shit. Did I mess up your dress?”
“No, I’m good.”
A whirl of emotions blazes through Austin’s eyes as he stares at me. I step over to him. “Hey, you,” I say, grabbing one of his hands in mine.
He traces his free hand down the side of my face. “Angel,” he says breathlessly. “I have no words.”
He leans down and kisses me, saying everything that he can’t find the words for at the moment.
“Oh my god, you all are too freaking cute,” Sienna says.
Shit. I forgot anyone else was in the room besides the four of us.
“As much fun as it is seeing all three of you fawn over my little sister and swap spit with her, I think it’s time for me to go,” Grayson grumbles.
“We should go, too,” Conrad says, looking at his watch.
“Okay. Sienna, why don’t you ride with us?” I suggest.
“It’s fine. I’ll just drive myself.”
“What if you want to have a few drinks tonight?”
She pauses, contemplating her options.
“I can give you a ride,” Grayson says from where he’s standing already half out the front door. “I can’t drink anyway because I’m on shift in the morning.”
Sienna nervously looks between me and my brother.
“Unless you want to see a live orgy, I suggest coming with me,” Grayson says, holding the door open for her.
“Grayson,” I shout at him. To which he just closes his eyes like he’s praying for patience.
“Fine,” Sienna mutters under her breath, making her way to the door.
As they move to my brother’s truck, I hear her mutter something about needing several drinks after being forced to be in a car with him.
I don’t know what the hell’s going on with them, but it’s sure entertaining to watch.
I’m breathless after a few dances with each of the guys. Brooks and I leave the dance floor hand in hand.
“You want some water?” he asks as I sit down at our table along the edge of the room.
“Yes, please.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead before moving toward the bar. I look around for my other two guys, finding them talking to Will Kingston in the corner of the room.
My attention is jolted to my other side when a man aggressively sits down in the empty chair beside me. Instinctually, I withdraw to the far side of my chair.
I haven’t been back in town long enough to pay too much attention to local politics, but I’m pretty sure this is the mayor, Kevin Sheridan.
He looks out at the people milling about, but his voice is a sneer when he speaks. And the words are directed right at me.
“Are you planning on staying in my town?”
His town? What the actual fuck?
When I don’t respond, he continues, “This is a wholesome small town that thrives on tourism. Anything that taints that pure small-town image will hurt this community.”
Where is he going with this?
“Your relationship with three men is certainly tainting our image.” He sneers the word “relationship” like what the four of us have together couldn’t possibly be that.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
“That’s really none of your business,” I tell him.
He leans in closer, but this time I stand my ground, staying right where I am. “Oh, but it is. This is my town now.”
“Oh, get off your high horse, Kevin,” an aged voice says.
Martha and Louise walk up to our table, glowering down at the middle-aged man beside me. I might have imagined it, but I swear he retreated into himself for half a second when he saw them.
Good, you dick.
“You’ve only lived in this town for a few years, and it most definitely is not yours,” Louise spits out at him. “For some unknown reason, you won the election, but that doesn’t mean you know anything about this town or the people who live in it.”
“Hadley grew up here and is more a part of this community than you’ll ever be,” Martha adds in. “She’s in love with three men. Who cares? If you do, then maybe the problem is you and this isn’t the town for you, sir.”
The way she says “sir” is so condescending, I want to give her a high five and a hug all at the same time.
He grumbles words that I frankly don’t care to decipher as he pushes away from the table and toward the exit.
“Thank you,” I tell the two older women. They are both town gossips for sure, but seeing their smiling faces daily was a big part of my childhood.
“Don’t mind a word that man says,” Martha says, rolling her eyes.
“He’s an idiot,” Louise says, which makes me laugh.
Brooks slides into the seat the mayor just vacated, placing a glass of water in front of me. “Is everything okay?” he asks, glancing between me and the ladies.
I open my mouth to explain, but Martha beats me to it. “Our idiot mayor had some choice words for your lady.”
Brooks’ normally smiling face hardens in an instant. “Do I need to go punch him?”
I grab his hand, laughing again. “No, these two set him straight.” I gesture toward Martha and Louise.
“Oh, good. Thanks, ladies,” he says, holding up his fist towards them.
To my absolute surprise, both of these women with permed white hair and dresses that probably came from Grandmas-R-Us knock their fists against his.
I guess I’m not the only woman affected by this man’s charms.