Chapter 42
CHAPTER 42
HAYES
T he buzz of the intercom dragged me from my half-focused state. I’d been nursing a glass of scotch and staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows of my living room, trying to figure out how someone like Dixie had wedged herself so firmly into my life. Into my head. Hell, into my heart.
Was I actually considering taking the plunge into matrimonial bliss? It was so crazy to me to think the idea actually sounded good to me. I liked that it was just the two of us figuring it out together. For the first time in my life, the idea of spending my life with one woman didn’t terrify me. It felt right.
I glanced at my phone again, smiling at the picture she’d sent earlier. She looked breathtaking in that dress, but it wasn’t just the dress. It was her. She was a force, and I was completely captivated.
But was I ready for this? Was I really ready to leave behind the life I’d built—the parties, the freedom, the endless string of women who never stuck around long enough to matter? The truth was, I’d been ready for a long time. I just hadn’t realized it until she came along. I knew this was what my brothers had gone through. They met their ladies and hung up their bachelor status. They all seemed pretty happy.
The scotch burned a slow path down my throat as I swirled the glass. My thoughts were a tangled mess, but one thing was clear: Dixie wasn’t just another woman. She wasn’t someone I could walk away from, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. And hell, I wasn’t even trying to convince myself anymore.
The way she looked at me, like I was someone worth trusting, worth leaning on, twisted my guts in the best way. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. I’d spent so much of my life avoiding anything serious, but Dixie? She’d bulldozed her way right into my heart without even trying.
The phone rang. Not my cell but the phone for building security. I assumed it was Dixie. I had told the doorman to let her in.
“This is Hayes Bancroft,” I answered.
“Mr. Bancroft, we have a gentleman here that says he needs to speak with you.”
“What’s his name?” I asked, wondering if it was one of my brothers. Again, security knew they were allowed up.
“Simon,” the doorman said. “He says he’s friends with Dixie.”
I had no idea who he was. “Send him up.”
I waited in the foyer. When the door opened, I looked at him. I didn’t recognize him. I was thinking maybe it was a jealous ex in Dixie’s past, but one look at him and I knew there was no way she dated him.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“You Hayes Bancroft?”
“That depends. Who’s asking?”
“Simon. We need to talk.”
I considered him for a moment. I didn’t like the way he looked—wound tight, like he was ready to blow. But something in his voice hinted at urgency, and curiosity got the better of me. Against my better judgment, I invited him into the living room.
He was younger than me, probably mid-thirties. I gestured for him to have a seat, but he stayed standing. Something told me this wasn’t a friendly visit.
“Who are you?” I asked. “And how do you know where I live?”
“It’s not hard to figure that out,” he said.
That was true.
“And why are you here?”
“I’m Frankie’s boyfriend,” he spat. “Well, I was her boyfriend until you came back into the picture.”
I raised an eyebrow, already regretting letting him in. “Frankie and I haven’t spoken in a long time. I’m not in the picture .”
“You’re with her sister,” he said.
“Yes, I am.”
“And Frankie is pissed about it,” he said. “She’s acting like a crazy person.”
He was talking like I had some control over Frankie’s feelings.
“Whatever is going on with her now has nothing to do with me,” I said, holding up my hands to demonstrate just how hands-off I was. “I don’t know why she’s pissed. That’s on her.”
Simon’s laugh was humorless. “Yeah, that’s what she said, too. But guess what? She’s still hung up on you. Obsessed. You have no idea what kind of damage you’ve done.”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. This was exactly why I avoided revisiting the past. “Look, I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you two, but Frankie and I were never serious. We went on a few dates. We talked about taking a trip to Sun Valley for a ski trip, but then business got in the way and I called it quits. That was it. She might’ve thought it was more, but I didn’t. I broke it off because it wasn’t the right fit. End of story. She has no reason to be pissed at Dixie. The few dates Frankie and I had were a long time ago.”
Simon’s jaw clenched, making a nerve on his forehead pop out. “That’s not what she thinks. And now, you’re tangled up with her sister. You’ve walked back into Frankie’s life and it’s causing some serious drama.”
At that, my posture stiffened. “You’re overstepping.”
“She’s keeping secrets from you,” Simon said, his voice low and sharp. “Just like Frankie kept secrets from me. Ask Dixie to tell you the truth. See what happens. You’re in way over your head with these women. They’re fucking nuts.”
I stepped forward, narrowing my eyes. “I’m only going to say this once: watch yourself.”
Simon raised his hands like he was surrendering, but the smirk on his face said otherwise. “Good luck, man. You’re gonna need it.”
Without another word he turned and walked back to the elevator. I followed to make sure he left without breaking anything. He stepped into the elevator and turned to look at me. “If Dixie won’t tell you the truth, ask Frankie. I know she’d love to spill her guts. She seems pretty set on getting you back.”
The doors slid closed, leaving me standing there with a sour taste in my mouth.
I wanted to brush it off, but his words burrowed under my skin. Dixie keeping secrets? It didn’t sit right. She wasn’t like Frankie—she was honest, straightforward. But then I thought about last night, how she’d hesitated before telling me she was falling for me. I remembered the way her voice wavered, the way she seemed to retreat into herself. And the night she asked me to come over, she looked like she wanted to tell me something. Last night there were a couple of times I caught her looking at me with a worried expression.
Was there something she’d been too afraid to say?
I shook my head, trying to push the doubt away. Dixie wasn’t like that. Why would I ask Frankie? She was clearly trying to start shit. This could all be her trying to come between me and Dixie. For whatever crazy reason, she was determined to keep me away from her sister. To me, that didn’t sound like a supportive sibling.
By the time Dixie arrived later that evening, I was no closer to shaking off the weird feeling I had since Simon left.
Dixie walked in with a bright smile, her arms full of shopping bags. “Hayes, you won’t believe the dress Diana found for me. It’s stunning.”
I forced a smile, taking the bags from her and setting them on the counter. “Let’s see it.”
“Really? You want me to try it on?” She was beaming, but I couldn’t match her energy. Not with Simon’s words looping in my head.
“Of course,” I said, hoping my enthusiasm sounded genuine. “I want the full fashion show. Show me everything you got.”
She giggled. “You don’t really care.”
“I do,” I said. “Go. Get dressed. Let’s see what you ladies got up to today.”
She disappeared into the bedroom with the bags. I sank onto the couch, my elbows resting on my knees as I waited. When she emerged a few minutes later, wearing the emerald green dress she’d described, my breath caught in my throat. She looked incredible—like she’d stepped out of a dream.
“What do you think?” she asked, twirling slightly so the fabric swirled around her legs.
“You look… amazing,” I said.
“This isn’t for the wedding. We decided to go with a different dress.”
“Let’s see it,” I said, forcing another smile.
She laughed and rushed back into the room. I was dying to ask her what Simon might have been talking about.
When she returned, I nearly swallowed my tongue. “What do you think?” she asked and slowly did a turn.
“I like it. A lot.”
As much as I tried to lean into how sexy she was, I couldn’t stop my brain from focusing on the secret Simon said she was keeping.
Her smile faltered. She crossed the room to sit beside me. “What’s going on?”
I hesitated, weighing my options. I could let it go, chalk it up to Simon being bitter and petty. Or I could address it head on. But the look in her eyes—the worry, the vulnerability—I couldn’t ignore it.
“I had a visitor today,” I said finally.
Her brow furrowed. “Who?”
“Simon. Frankie’s ex-boyfriend. Or current boyfriend. I wasn’t really following.”
I watched as the color drained from her face. “Simon came here?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“He had a lot to say. Said there was something I needed to know about you and Frankie. That you guys were keeping something from me.”
Dixie’s hands clenched in her lap. She looked away, her lips pressing into a thin line. That was all the confirmation I needed.
“There’s a secret, isn’t there?” I asked. There was a knot in my stomach I couldn’t get rid of. A little voice in the back of my head was laughing at me for being dumb enough to think this thing was ever going to be real.
She blinked rapidly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Yes,” she whispered. “There’s something I need to tell you. But I’m scared, Hayes. I’m scared it’ll ruin everything.”
I reached out, covering her hand with mine. “What is it?”
She shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I just… I need more time. Please, give me a couple more weeks to figure out how to say it. I promise I’ll tell you.”
“No, Dixie.” I hated how firm my voice sounded, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I’m sorry. I wish I could give you more time, but I need to know now. Clearly, I’m the last to know.”
She looked at me, her expression crumbling. “You don’t understand,” she said, her voice breaking. “If I tell you now, everything will change.”
“Then let it change,” I said, my hand tightening around hers. “But I can’t keep going like this, wondering what you’re not telling me. I need the truth, Dixie. Whatever it is.”
Her lower lip trembled as she stared at me. It was killing me to see her upset, but I had to know.