Chapter 12
At the beginning of March, Whitney’s parents insisted they come out to visit them in Arizona. Not having been to Arizona before, Hayden was excited and a little nervous at the prospect of meeting her parents. Although they had chatted several times via video chat, Whitney officially introducing him to her parents was a big deal to her and therefore an even bigger deal for him.
The dry desert heat assaulted them as they came off the plane at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
“Not in Manitoba anymore,” he commented, taking Whitney’s hand.
Whitney laughed and nodded her head in agreement as they made their way through the arrival gate and Whitney spotted her parents, her mother waving her arms to get their attention. Dan and Betty Faris were both in their early 60s, her father just under six feet tall, was broad and stocky in stature and wore a light blue golf shirt and khaki shorts. He had grey hair cut short to his head in a brush cut, hazel eyes and a full bushy Tom Selleck style mustache. Whitney’s mother was an older version of Whitney. She had blonde hair cut into a bob, deep brown eyes just like Whitney’s and a broad inviting smile. She was a beautiful older woman, and he couldn’t help but think of what Whitney would look like when they were older. She wore a long flowing skirt and flower print tank top over her slim, svelte figure.
“Are you ready for this?” Whitney whispered, leaning into Hayden.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he answered as her parents approached them, emerging through a crowd of passengers.
“Dan and Betty! Nice to meet you.” Hayden said, putting his hand out to shake Dan’s. He took Hayden’s hand in a death grip and gave it a good solid shake. Hayden couldn’t help but laugh internally at his first attempt at intimidation. But he understood and respected it all the same.
“Well, this is Hayden!” Betty Farris chimed as she reached up to cup his face in her hands. “Look at those gorgeous blue eyes. Video chat does not do them justice!”
Whitney glanced at Hayden, and he caught her gaze. Amusement dancing across his face. Her mother wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. No awkward pretense, just full-on affection.
“Oh, and all those muscles. My goodness.” she commented, running her hands over his back.
Whitney rolled her eyes as her mother released Hayden from her hold, who was trying desperately not to burst into laughter.
“Hi Mom. Hi Dad.” Whitney greeted, drawing their attention to her and giving both of her parents a big hug. “I’ve missed you both.”
“Oh, honey, we are just so thrilled you two could spend the week with us!” Her mother cooed.
“We’re happy to be here, too.” Whitney replied.
Dan cleared his throat, fixed his eyes on Hayden, and gestured to the luggage claim, asking in a gruff tone. “Hayden, why don’t we get the luggage?”
Hayden nodded, gave Whitney a quick wink and followed Dan to the carousel, leaving Whitney and her mother to hang back.
* * *
Watching them go,her mother hooked her arm in Whitney’s, and whistled under her breath, “Oh, my goodness, Whitney, Hayden sure is a handsome one.”
“Mom, are you going to flirt with my boyfriend all week?” she teased, squeezing her mother’s arm tighter.
“Perhaps, a lady is never too old to look at a handsome specimen like that.” she winked, making Whitney laugh and shake her head.
Her mother was notoriously flirtatious, which, at times during her younger years, was a huge source of embarrassment. Now, as an adult, she couldn’t help but appreciate her mother’s boldness. She knew her parents, after 39 years of marriage, were still head over heels in love with each other and that her mother had no malicious intent behind any of her flirtations.
After a few minutes, Hayden and her father appeared through the crowd, rolling their two suitcases.
“Ready to go, sweet girl?” Her father asked, putting his arm around his daughter. Whitney reached up and kissed her father on the cheek, and gave him a nod.
* * *
They pulledup to a modern townhome style condominium in a gated community. The yards were immaculately manicured and picturesque, and a golf cart was parked in front of their house.
“Welcome!” Betty announced, her arms spread wide, a huge smile on her face.
“Hayden, do you golf?” Dan asked, pointing over to his golf cart.
“Daddy, please don’t drag Hayden around to every golf course in the area this week. We’re here on a vacation together.” She said with a roll of her eyes.
Dan let out a big huff making his bushy mustache puff out as he grabbed a suitcase. Hayden grabbed the other and answered. “I don’t golf regularly, but I have always enjoyed it.”
“Good!” Dan replied gruffly. “I will book us a tee time.”
Whitney flashed Hayden a look of thanks as they followed her parents to the front door. Walking in, he was greeted by a spacious front entrance painted boldly in southwestern colors, the bright colors making it look more like a hacienda than a modern town home. Everything being on the main floor, Betty led them down a hallway into a large guest bedroom with a queen size bed, large dresser and a window looking out onto the back patio.
“You two can stay in here.” Betty stated. “Do you two sleep together?”
“Mom!” Whitney scolded, her face turning red with embarrassment.
“Yes, Betty, Whitney and I share a bed,” Hayden replied in a serious matter-of-fact tone as he glanced at Whitney, giving her a sly wink.
“Seriously, Mom, I’m 34 years old. Do you even need to ask?”
“Oh, I know Whitney, don’t be so embarrassed. I know sex is an important part of a new relationship, so I just wanted to make sure the accommodations will be sufficient for you both. I would never expect you two to abstain the entire week!” she laughed, swiping her hand through the air as if the thought of them not having sex under their roof was completely absurd.
Whitney shook her head, her face an inferno, and Hayden’s smile took over his face. Betty Faris is a character. Dan just huffed again and walked out of the room. This is going to be such a fun week.
“Okay, you kids settle in and meet us in the kitchen when you’re done. Dad is going to barbeque steaks tonight!” Betty approached Hayden and reached up to pinch his cheek. “So handsome.” She cooed as she floated out of the room.
Whitney collapsed on the bed, her arm over her eyes, her face and neck still red from her mother’s comments. Hayden laughed and sat down next to her, patting her thigh. “I warned you.” She commented, her voice muffled by her arm.
“You just said your mom is friendly and, at times, inappropriate,” he replied with amusement. “But she is definitely next level.”
Whitney groaned. “Are you going to run away screaming after a week of this?” she asked, removing her arm from her face and wrinkling up her nose.
“Not a chance. They’re awesome. Seriously, your mom has no boundaries, but she means well and your dad, well, he is…”
“A hard ass?” Whitney inserted.
“Protective.” Hayden countered. “Besides, I have something up my sleeve to win him over,” he offered, giving her a confident glance.
“You do?” she asked, sitting up.
“I do,” he confirmed, intertwining his hands with hers.
Whitney appreciated his confidence and felt at ease. If they were going to have a future together, he needed to know everything about her, including her crazy family. If Hayden was not having second thoughts after this week with her parents, he was, without question, a keeper.
* * *
“Dan, you grill up a mean steak.”Hayden complimented, sitting back in his patio chair and patting his stomach in appreciation.
“Thank you.” Dan replied, placing his plate to the side. “The key is charcoal. It gives it more flavor.”
“Good to know,” Hayden commented.
“Let me get the dessert!” Betty added, getting up from the table.
“I’ll help you, Mom.” Whitney offered, rising from the table and stacking the dinner plates. She passed behind Hayden, gave his shoulder a squeeze and flashed him a smile.
The sliding patio door closed behind them, Dan cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest, giving Hayden an interrogating look as he asked. “So, what are your intentions with my daughter?”
Wow, he was going to go for it right out of the gate.
“Well, Dan, I love Whitney very much.”
Dan squinted at him and asked gruffly. “And my daughter, does she love you?”
“I believe she does, yes.”
He nodded his head and seemed to contemplate his reply, then spoke, “You know my daughter has been through a lot. I’ve seen Whitney at rock bottom after her first marriage ended.” He explained. “I’ve seen her completely broken and very deeply hurt by her ex-husband. That’s not something a father ever wants their daughter to experience.”
Hayden nodded. “Whitney has shared her entire story with me. I was also with her in Toronto when she had her apartment broken into by Paul.”
“Yes, Whitney told us about that,” he replied with his mouth in a grim line as his gaze met Hayden’s. “She said you were beside her through everything.”
“I was. I couldn’t let her deal with it alone. She needed me and I dropped everything to be with her.” Hayden shared and let out a long-pained sigh. “It was a lot.”
Dan looked off into the distance for a moment and cleared his throat. “Hayden, I believe you’re a good man. I believe you’re good for my daughter. She needs someone who puts her first and appreciates her for who she is. She needs someone she can depend on, who accepts her past and what that past has done to her. I can see you are that person for her.” Dan shared, a smile tugging at his lips.
“Thank you.” Hayden smiled back at him, then continued. “I plan on being there for her the rest of our lives if she will have me.”
“So, I can assume then, that you want to marry my daughter?” Dan asked, his eyes boring into Hayden’s.
“Yes, I do want to marry her. Your daughter is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and I love her very much. I want to give her a beautiful life. A life she deserves to have.”
Dan nodded his head, his eyes glinting with approval fueling Hayden to ask his next question. “I want to ask Whitney to marry me, and it would mean the world to me if I could have your blessing?” Hayden asked, nervous butterflies taking flight in his stomach.
Dan looked off into the distance again, leaving an excruciating pregnant pause between them. Dan’s gaze drifted back to Hayden and his mouth curved up into a broad smile, his hazel eyes twinkling with delight. “Yes, Hayden, you have my blessing.”
* * *
“Mom,what do you think they’re talking about?” Whitney asked, biting her nails as she watched Hayden and her father converse through the living room window.
“Oh, who knows!” her mother replied, waving off her question. “Hockey, golf, I don’t know.”
“It makes me nervous.” Whitney winced.
“Don’t worry Whitney, your dad’s not interrogating him. He already likes Hayden; he’s just doing his protective dad intimidation thing again.”
Whitney rolled her eyes and glanced at her mother, meeting her gaze. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about. He’s going to scare Hayden off!”
Betty put down the cake server and offered her daughter an endearing smile. “Hayden loves you, I could see it immediately, so nothing is going to scare him off, including a little questioning from your dear old dad.” Whitney glanced again at her mom, hoping she was right. “Now let me ask you something,” her mother continued, pinning her with a stare. “What is holding you back?”
“What do you mean?” Whitney countered in question.
“Whitney, my girl, I can see the apprehension in your eyes. You love him, don’t you?”
“Very much. It’s just we’ve only been together five months and I already know I want to marry him and have his gorgeous blue-eyed babies.” Whitney admitted. “Isn’t that a bit too quick?”
“Oh geez, Whitney, your dad and I got engaged after six weeks! I knew within a week I was going to marry him, and we’ve been together for 39 years!”
“You never told me that!” Whitney exclaimed, stunned by this new piece of information.
“You never asked.” Her mother shrugged. “If you love him, time doesn’t have to play a factor unless you let it.” She put her arm around Whitney. “I can see plain as day that the handsome man out there loves you fiercely.”
Whitney smiled and gave her mom a side hug. Picking up the cake and carrying it towards the patio, her mother glanced back at her. “Now stop worrying, overthinking everything, Whitney, snag that looker and get to work making me those gorgeous grand babies!”
* * *
Hayden and Whitneyhad an amazing week with her parents in Arizona. Her parents fell in love with Hayden and by the end of the week they were referring to him as “son”. Whitney rested her head on Hayden’s shoulder on the flight back to Winnipeg, feeling happy and content. She sighed and intertwined her fingers with his.
“What is that big sigh about?” he asked, resting his head on hers.
“I am just so happy.” She replied, giving his hand a squeeze.
“Well, that makes me happy,” he replied. “I really enjoyed your parents.”
“They loved you!” she exclaimed. “You even won over my dad, which is not an easy feat.”
“It probably helped that I got us hockey tickets.”
“Brilliant, by the way.” She complimented, letting out a little laugh. “And my mom may be more in love with you than I am.”
“She’s hilarious.” Hayden commented, an amused smirk on his face. “When we went to the community pool the other day, I was not sure if I should be flattered or disturbed.”
Whitney rolled her eyes. “She patted your abs and counted them right there in front of everyone. I had to ask her to stop pawing my boyfriend.”
“She is awesome.” Hayden laughed.
Whitney lifted her head and looked up at him, her eyes full of adoration. “Thank you, Hayden, you’re amazing. I love you.”
He reached for her chin and lifted it, bringing her mouth close to his then brushed her lips softly with his. “I love you too, gorgeous!”
* * *
“Doors open!”Ever called out.
Whitney entered the farmhouse with two grocery bags in hand.
“Hey Mama! I have the stuff you asked for,” Whitney replied, carrying the bags into the kitchen.
“Can you bring me the jalapeno chips and Nutella?” Ever yelled from the living room.
“Sure.” Whitney replied hesitantly, grabbing both and joining her friend curled up on the couch.
Ever was stretched out on the couch, a stack of pillows behind her and a blanket over her legs. She wore an Aerosmith t-shirt that didn’t completely stretch over her burgeoning baby belly and sweatpants, her mahogany hair in a messy bun at the top of her head. She looked swollen and tired, but beautiful just the same.
Whitney handed her the chips and Nutella and took a seat at the other end, watching her friend open the Nutella jar and break open the chips. She dipped a chip in the Nutella and brought it to her mouth, closing her eyes in satisfaction. Whitney sat there, a bemused smile on her face. “Good?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“So good.” Ever answered, popping another chocolate-covered jalapeno chip in her mouth. “These babies love some weird stuff.”
Whitney laughed and pulled the large blanket over her legs as well, getting cozy on the couch with her friend.
“How was Arizona?” Ever asked between bites. “How are Dan and Betty?”
“Wonderful! They say hello and my mom is insisting on coming out after the babies are born, so she can…” Whitney held up her fingers, making quotations in the air. “Smell their sweet heads.”
“Your mom’s the best!” Ever laughed. “And how did they get along with Hayden?”
“Great! When my mom was not feeling him up or making inappropriate comments about our sex life, my mom was showing him off to her friends or fawning all over him.”
Ever let out a huge guffaw. “Oh, my goodness, I wish I were there to see that! How about your dad?”
“Awesome! He and Hayden golfed, went to see a hockey game. They seemed to get along great.” Whitney shared. “I honestly don’t think it could have gone any better.”
“That is awesome, Whitney. Meeting your parents is a big step in your relationship. Have you discussed the future yet?”
Whitney nodded.
“And?” Ever asked.
“We’re on the same page, marriage, family, the whole thing.”
“Someday you’ll be my sister-in-law!” Ever squealed as she licked Nutella off her fingers.
Whitney smiled at the thought and continued. “I want everything with Hayden, but I need to settle my past first. I heard from my lawyer yesterday and Paul’s trial has been set for mid April.”
“What is the possible outcome?” Ever asked, her brows furrowing.
“Ten years for stalking and five for break and enter. I need a clean slate before I fully commit to Hayden, and I know if it were up to him, we would be engaged and planning a wedding already.”
“I respect that. Close one chapter before opening another.” Ever added.
“Exactly.”
* * *
Hayden walkedinto the Eazy and spotted Ben in a corner booth. Making his way over, he slid in across from him and acknowledged the platters of burgers and fries on the table.
“Thanks for ordering my lunch for me. I don’t have a long lunch today. Short staffed right now,” Hayden explained as he dug into his meal.
“Yeah, no problem.” Ben answered. “How was your trip to Arizona?”
“Amazing,” Hayden replied through a bite. “Whitney’s parents are awesome!”
“Big deal meeting the folks.” Ben commented, leaning on the table, French fry in hand.
“It was, and I seized the opportunity to ask her father for his blessing to ask Whitney to marry me.”
Ben sat back, with a huge grin on his face, crossed his arms over his broad chest and asked curiously. “What did he say?”
“He gave me his blessing.” Hayden replied with a gratified smile as he bit into a fry.
“Wow, okay, when do you plan on popping the question?” Ben asked, picking up his burger.
“As soon as possible, I just need to think of a good way to ask,” he replied. “It needs to be special and meaningful to us. I’m not sure how or where yet.”
Ben squinted at Hayden, giving him his usual scrutinizing look as he questioned, “Is that what Whitney wants? A quick proposal. Doesn’t she have a court date coming up regarding the stalking charges on her ex?”
“Yes, next week.”
“Maybe you should slow your roll a bit then, Brother.” Ben suggested.
“What do you mean?” Hayden asked, feeling frustration rise in his chest.
“I mean, Hayden, that you jump too quickly. Without thought at times. Have you even asked her what she wants?
“She says she wants to marry me,” he replied, now getting agitated with his brother.
“I have no doubt about that, but does she want to marry you right now? When she’s still dealing with her ex-husband.” Ben explained. “Perhaps let her get some closure on that situation before you pop the question.”
Hayden hadn’t thought of it that way. As annoyed as he was with his brother’s line of questioning, Ben was right. I need to find out where Whitney’s head is at.
* * *
“How was your day?”Whitney asked, peeking out of the ensuite, a toothbrush in her hand.
“Busy.” he replied, giving her an exhausted look. “I have to arrange for my day staff, and I’ve not had time to do it yet.”
Whitney emerged from the ensuite, crawled into bed, and leaned against the headboard.
“I need to make sure I have sufficient day staff for when we head to Toronto next week.” Hayden explained.
“Speaking of that, I think I need to go alone for this trip.” She said, meeting his gaze.
“Why?” he asked, turning to face her fully.
“I don’t know how long this whole thing is going to drag out, or how long I’ll be gone. First the court date, then sentencing. It could be one day or multiple days, depending on the judge.” She explained, taking his hand.
Hayden nodded and answered with frustration in his tone, “And that’s why I need day staff, so I can be there with you.”
Whitney gave him a chiding look. “Hayden, last time we had to leave for Toronto, you had to close the store and when we went to Arizona, you were lucky Ben could step in and pick up the slack. With this trip being so unpredictable, you need to stay here. You can’t just open and close your business every time you think I need you to rescue me.”
Hayden squinted at her, his agitation growing with this conversation. “Ben, can step in again if I can’t find staff before we have to leave.”
Whitney let out a long breath, her words and explanations obviously not getting past Hayden’s stubbornness. “You can’t ask that of him. Ever is still on bed rest and they’re going to be on baby watch. Ever is due early May and with twins being unpredictable, they could very easily arrive early.”
“Then I’ll close the store for a few days,” he replied insistently, not wanting to budge.
Whitney rolled her eyes at him and met his gaze, irritated by his inability to reason. “Hayden, no. You have a business; your business pays your bills. It’s not good for a business to just randomly shut down every time something comes up.”
“Isn’t that up to me to determine? Unless you don’t want me to be there with you?” he asked, frustratedly climbing out of bed.
“That’s not what I’m saying, but you need to be logical and listen to me,” Whitney stressed, following him with her imploring eyes. “I can deal with this on my own. I don’t need you to be my knight in shining armor right now.”
Hayden gave her an exasperated look, shadows of concern in their depths. “Paul is going to be there, and you’re likely going to have to take the stand. What if he tries something? What if he tries to talk to you or get close to you?”
“He’s not going to be able to get close to me.”
Hayden swallowed down hard, his eyes imploring her. “I can’t let you deal with this alone.”
“You can’t let me?” she asked, her voice becoming shrill as her annoyance peaked. “Since when do you have a say in what I do? Before you, Hayden, I was a very independent woman and did everything on my own. I built my life back up after my marriage, with next to no help from anyone.”
“I realize that, but why won’t you just concede and let me be there to protect you?” he asked, raising his voice in frustration.
“Because this is something I need to do on my own,” she whispered, tears of frustration welling up. “I need to face my past and get some closure.”
Hayden stared at her and shook his head, then turned towards the door.
“Where are you going?” she asked in surprise.
“To watch TV. I’m suddenly not tired,” he answered gruffly and walked out, closing the door behind him.
That night Hayden didn’t come back to bed and, for the first time since they had been together, they didn’t fall asleep in each other”s arms.