Chapter 35
CHAPTER 35
DIXIE
I busied myself in the kitchen, the kettle hissing faintly on the stove as I prepared tea for the three of us. From my vantage point, I could see my mother perched on the edge of the couch, her posture as straight as a board, practically glowing as she talked with Hayes. Correction—kissing his ass.
Her voice was high and syrupy, the tone she reserved for people she wanted to impress. I rolled my eyes as I dropped teabags into mugs. She was asking him about his job, his hobbies, his upbringing—everything short of his blood type.
Give her time. She’d know if he was O positive or negative by the end of the visit. When I warned him about being interrogated, I wasn’t lying. I knew my mother.
Hayes, to his credit, handled it all with effortless charm. He nodded and smiled, answering her questions with the same polite ease I imagined he used in business meetings. God, why did he have to be so good at this? The fact that my mother had never been this nice to any guy I’d brought around before only made it worse. Was it because Hayes was stupidly attractive? It had to be. I could practically see the gears turning in her head as she decided he was good enough to earn her approval.
So annoying.
Watching her sitting on the couch where I had been in the throes of passion just minutes ago was unnerving. I tried to be cool, but I was certain there was a neon sign flashing above my head announcing we just had sex. If my mom was picking up on it, she wasn’t saying anything. I wasn’t sure what I would do if she mentioned the fact we were both flushed. And Hayes’s hair was a mess. I couldn’t imagine what I looked like.
I carried the tray of mugs to the coffee table, sat down, and tried not to make a face as I handed my mother her tea. She took it with a gracious nod and immediately turned her attention back to Hayes.
“So, Paul,” she began, her tone as smooth as butter, “we have a family dinner every Sunday. You should come. It would be a wonderful chance to get to know everyone better.”
Before I could object, Hayes smiled. “I’d love to. That sounds great.”
I cringed inwardly. This was not great. The last thing I needed was Frankie and Hayes at the same table. If my mother found out about the love triangle, she would obviously take Frankie’s side.
And I couldn’t forget the fact Frankie had a little piece of information that could disrupt my life. Obviously, I was going to have to reveal my little secret, but I wanted to do it on my timeline. I wanted to make sure Hayes wanted to be with me before the baby entered into the equation.
“Actually, we can’t,” I blurted out. “Remember, Sunday is the rehearsal dinner for the wedding.”
Hayes didn’t miss a beat. He turned to my mother with an apologetic smile. “She’s right. I completely forgot. I’m so sorry, but maybe we can take a rain check?”
My mother looked mildly disappointed, but she covered it quickly with a wave of her hand. “Of course. Another time, then.”
Crisis averted—for now.
My mother sipped her tea, her gaze shifting back to me. “So, Dixie, what was so urgent earlier? When you called, you sounded like you were falling apart.”
I stiffened, gripping my mug a little tighter. I had too many balls in the air. I wasn’t good at subterfuge. I didn’t know how to lie. “Oh, that.” I forced a smile. “It was nothing. I just had a moment of weakness. I was having a hard day, but I worked through it.”
Her expression softened, and for a moment, I thought she might actually say something supportive. Instead, she smiled knowingly. “PMS, right? Your sister has been a beast and you two were always synced up.”
I swallowed my pride. “Yep. Let’s talk about that in front of my guest.”
Hayes shot me a quick glance, but thankfully, he didn’t say anything. I kept my eyes fixed on my tea, praying this conversation would end soon.
I wanted to crawl into a hole.
“Who’s getting married?” Mom asked.
“What?” I asked, my mind still struggling to stay in the conversation. I had a whole other conversation running in the back of my mind.
“My father,” Hayes answered.
“Oh, how nice,” Mom said.
“Yes, my dad’s been seeing someone for a while now. They’ve decided to make it official.” Hayes was keeping his tone casual.
“Oh, how lovely!” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up like she’d just been handed the juiciest piece of gossip. “And who’s the lucky woman?”
Hayes hesitated for a fraction of a second, and I could see the gears turning in his head. He was trying to decide how much to share. “Her name is Kathy,” he said finally. “She’s wonderful. Really great for him. They are very happy together. We’re all glad they’re going to live out their days together.”
“Do you have siblings?” Mom asked.
It was more of the interrogation I knew was coming.
“I do,” Hayes said. “Many brothers.”
“Oh my,” Mom said, giving him another onceover. “Are you all here in New York?”
“Not all,” he answered smoothly. “I have a few brothers still in Vancouver.”
“Washington?”
“Canada,” he said with a smile.
I was waiting for her to ask for his social security number. She was going to run a full background check on him. When she found out he was a Bancroft, she was going to run me down the aisle with no prenup. She was going to be thrilled to know I hooked up with someone of his status.
“Canada!” Mom looked at me then back at Hayes. “But you live here now?”
“I do. I get back home to visit a few times a year. With my father and several brothers here now, I tend to spend most of my time here.”
“And what did you say you did for a living?”
“Mom, will you stop?” I said with a sigh. “You don’t need to give him the third degree.”
“Relax, Dixie. This is what people do—they talk. You spend too much time inhaling paint fumes.”
Hayes chuckled softly, his eyes flicking to me with a hint of amusement. “It’s fine, Dixie. I don’t mind.” He turned back to my mother, his tone easy and conversational. “I work at a nonprofit and dabble in financing. It keeps me busy, but I enjoy it.”
My mother’s eyebrows lifted, and I could practically see the dollar signs flashing in her eyes. “Finance,” she repeated, as if the word itself was coated in gold. “That must be fascinating work. And lucrative, I imagine.”
“It has its moments,” Hayes said diplomatically, though I could tell he was trying not to laugh. He was enjoying this far too much.
I shot him a glare, but he just grinned at me, completely unapologetic. Traitor .
“How did you two meet?” Mom asked.
“At Pamela’s housewarming party,” I said. “Remember, I told you that.”
It wasn’t a surprise she had forgotten. She rarely listened to me. She was so busy hanging on every word Frankie said, my stories were dismissed.
“Oh, this is him!” Mom exclaimed.
“This is him.”
Mom leaned forward, her tea forgotten, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Hayes with renewed interest. “So you’re the one Dixie couldn’t stop talking about after that party. I remember now. She said you were—what was it? Oh, yes. ‘Impossibly charming and annoyingly perfect.’” She smirked, clearly enjoying herself.
I felt my face heat up. “Mom,” I hissed, mortified. “I did not say that.”
“Something along those lines,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “Clearly, he lived up to the hype.” She turned back to Hayes, her smile widening. “You must be something special to have made such an impression on my daughter.”
Hayes chuckled, his gaze flicking to me again, making my stomach flip. “I think I’m the lucky one,” he said smoothly.
After a little more awkward small talk and surface-level pleasantries, my mother finally stood to leave. She kissed me on the cheek. “I guess we’ll have to catch up another time,” Mom said. She patted Hayes on the arm. “I do hope we’ll see you at dinner one of these days. I’d love to get to know you more.”
She breezed out the door with a promise to call me later in the week.
The second the door clicked shut, I let out a long, frustrated sigh and sank back into the couch.
“Well, that was something,” he said with a small laugh.
“Understatement of the year,” I muttered.
He chuckled softly, his hand finding mine. “Why did you lie to her?”
I stared down at our joined hands, guilt twisting in my chest. “About the rehearsal dinner?”
He nodded.
I hesitated, then let out a heavy sigh. “Because I can’t go to family dinner. Not with things the way they are with Frankie.”
Hayes frowned. “What do you mean?”
I hesitated again, trying to find the right words. “When I chose you… it hurt her. A lot. She didn’t take it well, and we both said some things. Right now, I don’t think we should be in the same room. I definitely don’t want you in the same room with her. That is family drama I do not want to expose you to.”
Hayes was quiet for a moment, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand. “I don’t want to come between you two,” he said gently.
“I know,” I said. “And you’re not. This is between me and her. I just need some time to figure out how to fix it. And let hot tempers cool.”
He nodded. “Okay. But you should fix it, Dixie. She’s your sister.”
“I know, but honestly, why should I have to keep making sacrifices?” I asked. “If she gets to call dibs on every man she likes, has drinks with, or takes to bed, I’m going to have to move to Australia to find a man.”
“I never slept with her,” he quickly said. “I can’t make that any clearer.”
“I know. I believe you. I’m just saying, she has this idea that she can call dibs because she saw you first. I believe you when you say you guys weren’t serious. I know my sister and she can be a little… dramatic. What you thought was casual, she thought was serious. My sister is beautiful and successful, but she’s not the princess of New York. Not all men are hers. I love her but dammit, I want this for me.”
Hayes was quiet for a moment. He squeezed my hand gently. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Dixie. I get it. Family stuff is messy. But you’re right—you deserve this. You deserve to be happy. And if that means standing your ground with Frankie, then that’s what you need to do. I’m still willing to talk to Frankie. I can let her down easily. I’ll apologize. Maybe that’s what she needs to hear from me.”
“It’s just… she’s always been the one who gets what she wants. Always. And I’ve always been the one who steps aside, who makes things easier for everyone else. But this time… this time I don’t want to step aside.”
“Good,” Hayes said firmly. “You shouldn’t have to.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you didn’t. Of course, I might be a little selfish here.”
I smiled. “You get to be.”
After a few seconds he grinned once again. “If you’re coming to the fake rehearsal dinner, you’re definitely coming to the real wedding.”
I smiled, despite the weight still pressing on my chest. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
He leaned in, his lips brushing against my forehead. “Good.”
“Can we order that Thai food now? All that stress made me hungry.”
“So, what do you want?” he asked with his phone in hand.
“Pad Thai,” I said. “And maybe some spring rolls. And definitely a Thai iced tea.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to eat all that?”
“I haven’t eaten today.”
He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Fair enough. We worked up quite the appetite.”
After he placed the order, I couldn’t help but stare at him. He was leaning casually against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest, and there was something about the way he was looking at me that made my breath catch. I totally understood why Frankie was so bummed she didn’t land him.
But he was mine and I wasn’t letting him go.
We spent the rest of the evening curled up on the couch, Thai takeout spread out on the coffee table. We vegged out watching Netflix and cuddled under a blanket. For a little while, it was easy to forget the guilt gnawing at me.
I knew I couldn’t keep this secret forever.
But for now, just for a little while longer, I wanted to hold on to this moment.
It was happening to my body, after all. Didn’t I deserve to keep it close for now?