Chapter 21
REID
“I can’t believe Mom and Dad got to meet you first,” Bianca exclaimed the next morning. We’d started the day with breakfast. The girls had hit it off easily.
“Well, it wasn’t planned,” Hailey said, but Bianca waved her away as if it didn’t matter.
Bianca had already seen the article this morning, and Hailey had schooled her on how to block potential questions.
Rage coursed through me just remembering that fucking article.
I knew why Marion did it: if she kept making headlines, she’d have an easier time convincing investors to back her show.
Especially since she was playing the victim card.
Knowing the reason didn’t make me any less angry.
In fact, I’d decided that I was going to turn over a new leaf, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.
But I had family to protect. I had Hailey to protect.
Playing fair wasn’t going to cut it. I’d already made a few calls this morning while Hailey was in the shower, set a few things in motion.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize the girls were talking about me.
“How long do you think he’ll last before he bails?” Hailey whispered.
“Well… I’d like to give him credit, because he’s usually super patient with me, but he’s already phased out. I give him two hours.”
“Nah, let’s make it three,” Hailey countered.
I grinned at them. “I hear you, you know.”
Hailey grinned back. “We were just checking. You were thoroughly ignoring us.”
“Let’s start,” Bianca said. “We have lots of shops to see.”
I almost asked how many exactly, then decided I’d rather not know from the get go. Sometimes ignorance was bliss.
Ten shops later, I was starting to regret my decision. How many dresses could one try on before buying one?
“Okay, new rule,” Hailey told me when we entered yet another shop. Bianca was already checking out racks with dresses. “No more brooding and rolling your eyes.”
I stared at her. “We’ve been at this for seven hours.”
“I know. I warned you.” With a coy smile, she added, “You said you’re brave, remember?”
I shook my head. “Fine. I’ll wait in this chair and pretend I don’t exist.”
“Excellent plan.”
Mortification aside, it actually was fun watching Hailey with my sister. Bianca had made no secret that she wished she had a sister. And Hailey, well… I couldn’t watch her and not admit to myself that I was completely in love with her.
When she walked over to me, rubbing her hands in excitement, I almost kissed her against the wall, right here, right now.
“Bianca’s decided on a dress. Are you ready?”
“Sure.”
“Look.” Hailey pointed to the changing room. My sister stepped out in a floor-length dark green dress. It looked great on her, but I’d thought the same about almost everything she’d tried.
“You look beautiful, Bee-Bee.”
Bianca winced. “Reid, I told you not to call me that when there are others around.”
“That’s his nickname for you?” Hailey asked, perplexed.
“Yep.”
Hailey rubbed her hands over her cheeks. “Oh, boy. So he’s one of those brothers.”
“Can you help?” Bianca put her hands together as if in a prayer.
“Afraid not. My brother Landon still calls my sister Val munchkin sometimes.”
Bianca pouted. “So there is no hope, then.”
“Afraid not.”
I shook my head but didn’t interrupt. I enjoyed this too much.
“I’m going to bring you a few pairs of shoes.”
The second Hailey was out of earshot, Bianca said, “I love her. I really, really do. Now I can see why Mom was going on and on about grandkids.”
I groaned. “Bianca.”
“Oh, now I’m Bianca again, huh? Well, this is payback for calling me Bee-Bee in front of Hailey.”
Bianca looked as if she was going to say something else, but Hailey returned with five pairs of shoes.
While they were discussing the pros and cons of each pair (thankfully they kept me out of it, because they all looked the same to me), Mom called.
I stepped away from the girls to answer.
“Hey, Mom!”
“Darling, how is shopping going?”
“We’re almost done. I think.” I hoped.
“You sound exhausted.”
“Shopping with Bianca isn’t for the fainthearted.”
“Why don’t you all stop by for dinner? We’d love to have Hailey too.”
“Hailey and I already have plans for tonight.”
“Plans can change,” she said. “Just ask her and let me know. I’d really love to chat with her again.”
I caught Bianca’s expression and had the nagging suspicion that she knew with whom I was talking.
When she disappeared back into the changing room, I pulled Hailey aside.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mom called. She asked if we’d like to stop by for dinner. I know we have plans, so we don’t have to go.”
“Uhhh… dinner with your parents? I feel like that’s a good opportunity for me to make a second first impression.”
“You did fine the first time around.”
“You think? Well, then. All the more reason to go to dinner. Cement that impression.”
“Did you and Mom plot this?” I asked Bianca while we waited in line to pay.
“Of course. You never tell anyone anything. We had to invent our own way of guessing what’s going on. So I spied on you two the whole day, reporting to Mom.”
At least I was in the clear about that.
“Fantastic.”
“Oh, don’t be so insufferable.”
We headed straight to the car after paying, and Bianca climbed in the back seat with all the bags. Hailey glanced at her reflection on the car door.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Trying to convince myself I look okay. It’s not working. Can we stop by my house so I can change?”
“Why?”
“This isn’t appropriate for dinner with your parents.”
I cocked a brow. “Why not?”
“I’m wearing flip-flops and a strapless dress.”
“It’s just a dinner.”
She laced her fingers in front of her, fiddling with her thumbs.
“Are you nervous again?”
“Obviously.”
“Don’t be. And you look beautiful. In fact, if my sister weren’t in the back seat, I’d show you exactly how much this dress is doing it for me.”
She playfully shoved me away. “Doing it? Well, it has to do it for your parents. Keep your mind out of the gutter. This is serious.”
“I am serious.”
Sighing, she rolled her shoulders. “Okay. Let’s go, then. Being late is worse than being underdressed.”
The second we arrived at the mansion, it was clear this hadn’t been planned at the last minute. Dinner consisted of five courses. The dead giveaway: there were fresh flowers in the centerpiece of the table. Mom only prepared centerpieces for guests.
“So, yeah. I’m all set for prom,” Bianca said.
“I don’t understand why you’re not letting me help you with the preparty,” Mom complained.
Bianca and I exchanged a furtive glance before she politely said, “You have enough to do, Mom. That’s all under control.”
“You’re intentionally keeping me out of it, aren’t you?”
Oh, shit. How could she tell?
With the skills of a PR pro, Hailey stepped in. “It’s good to make older brothers feel useful, Mrs. Davenport. Otherwise they get… restless.”
Mom laughed. Hailey winked at me.
“Hear, hear,” Dad said. “Hailey, I think you’re finally going to bring peace to this table. These two have been bickering ever since Bianca started high school.”
“Well, to be fair, I don’t think I can help much with that. I am still bickering with my brothers. I just have two sisters who band with me against them.”
Mom and Dad both smiled, and Bianca looked at Hailey as if she walked on water.
How did she blend in so well with us, get my parents to effortlessly talk to her? They usually kept my dates at arm’s length, but I think they realized how special Hailey was for me.
“Bianca, how is school?” Hailey asked. “Anyone still giving you trouble?”
I straightened up, glancing at my sister.
“Well, your tactics have helped. But some still like to talk.”
“It’ll fade away eventually,” Hailey said confidently. I wasn’t feeling as confident as her.
After dinner, Mom suggested she could give Hailey a tour of the house. Before Hailey could reply, I offered to show her the pantry first. We needed more brie and camembert cheese, which we were having for dessert with fruit, but it was also pretext to have a few minutes alone with my woman.
“Holy shit. I can’t believe there’s an actual section for cheese here,” Hailey exclaimed, glancing up at the red-brick arch. “Val needs this. I mean, I need it too, but my house is tiny.”
“Want to choose the cheese?”
“This is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.” She clasped her hands together, turning away from me to study the different types.
“Want to get out of here?” I asked.
“Your parents have great cheese, and they’re pretty awesome. What gave you that idea?”
“I promised you an evening out and about in the city. You wanted to go to that open-air cinema. We can still make it in time for the movie. Or we can do something else. I’m up for people-ing too if you want.”
She turned, staring at me. “Reid, do you think I need a reward for spending time with your family?”
“No.” Fuck, I did, didn’t I? “Maybe. I promised you excitement today. Not just time with me and my folks.”
“I happen to like your broody ass. And I don’t need the rest, Reid. I’m an adaptable person. And so are you. Sorry to break it to you, but you’re not this ogre you think you are. Nope.”
She doesn’t need all those other things. I matter more.
I kissed her with all I had, exploring her mouth with mine, her body with my hands. The more I lost myself in her, the easier it became to push away the fear that she might change her mind later down the road.
She was mine, and I planned to keep her. I’d never wanted anything more.