Independence: #4 Hayley (32 page)

Hayley scowled at him over her shoulder, her hand back and rubbing the spot while her feet hustled over the floor to the stairs. She ran lightly to the large, open loft and yawned, the evening catching up with her in a rush. Her knee touched the bottom of the bed and she crawled up and slipped beneath her set of quilts.

She’d arranged the bed for three. Hoping or knowing, she wasn’t sure. Jack liked the window side and Dane, the other. Jack liked hugging her from behind and she liked cuddling against Dane’s arm, so somehow, maybe it was magical, they fit together, even inside the bed.

“Good set up with the blankets,” Dane said as he checked the quilt he’d pulled from the closet several days ago. His was flannel and thick; Jack had pulled two lighter ones free and Hayley slept beneath a sheet and quilt. And no one would have them stolen.

“How long will you guys be working?”

“Probably ‘til two or three. We need to get the final payroll out for the year,” he answered, shifting to lean on his side and gaze down at the thoughtful expression she wore.

“It’ll almost be normal,” she said, quietly, listening to the sounds around the inside of her little house that had become normal to her. All in the space of a week. “I’m going to make big, iced cookies and a rum cake to take to the Christmas brunch. The house will smell delicious. I need to check in with my partner, too. Make sure there’s not something I need to help with…but I have a pretty good staff. We have a payroll program that has a time delay on it…Megan checks it remotely so she can stay with her kids unless we need her.”

“Hayley…” Dane waited until she slowed before speaking. “Are you sure you want us to attend the Christmas brunch with your family?” He wasn’t prepared for the bounce when she bolted upright, gaping at him. “I’m guessing that’s a yes.”

“Why would I hide you? How can you think that? We’re friends…before everything else, we’re friends,” she repeated firmly, the gape turning into a glare.

“Foot in your mouth again, partner?” Jack asked, his head clearing the landing and gaze sweeping the scene before him. “Judging from the look on her face…”

“He thinks I don’t want you to come to the brunch with the family. Gram knows you’re part of my life.”

“And your brother and father?” Dane pressed.

“They’ll adjust or they won’t. I’m not living my life for them,” she informed him, flouncing back on the bed and curling into her blankets. “Good night.”

“Hmmm…I’m thinking the discussion is over,” Jack remarked with a laugh, the shorts he wore to bed riding low as he shook out his quilts and spread them over his section of the very large bed.

“The hell it is.”

“Over. My relatives, my issue. Go to sleep…lots of baking to do tomorrow…oh, god, it’s already tomorrow,” Hayley groaned into the pillow.

“Things will level off once the holidays are past,” Jack promised, brushing her head with a kiss. “We’ll try and keep the late nights to weekends.”

“What are your regular hours?” Hayley forced herself to ask. Her heart was thudding. They weren’t talking about things ending. They weren’t talking about going off to their own home without her.

“Early to about six…sometimes five, depending on what’s going on,” Jack answered. He turned toward her, his hand sliding beneath the blankets to curl around her ass with a possessive squeeze.

“Hmm…I don’t usually have to be in until eight…unless there’s emergencies…births…” her voice drifted off and breathing became steady.

“You’re thinking about living together,” Dane said after a few minutes.

“Aren’t you?”

“She likes her little house.”

“I’m banking she likes us more,” Jack inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo, the faintest bit lingering in the long hair. “This can be a weekend getaway place for us.”

“Huh…”

“What?”

“Just trying to picture the place decked out for Christmas next year.”

Jack smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“I will be fine!” Hayley shouted, throwing a pillow from the sofa. A satisfied growl left her lips when it caught Jack at the side of his head. Both arms had been sliding into his jacket so he wasn’t able to catch it as it flew toward him. He snatched it from the floor, but didn’t turn in time before she was standing in the middle of the kitchen.

“Aren’t you glad you instigated that rule about no rough-housing in the kitchen,” Dane clapped him on the shoulder and took the pillow, tossing it lightly to the sofa. “We’ll be back in a few hours, Hayley. Stay out of trouble. And don’t forget to make extra cookies.”

Hayley held up a thumb of agreement while sticking her tongue out at Jack. That earned her a lopsided grin and a pair of eyes that promised he’d get even. There was that erotic zing that shot through her sometimes around them. She was laughing as they left, locking the door behind them.

The deep sound of the truck turning over made her smile a little more as she started collecting what she needed to bake. Two hours later when Eden showed up at the door, she had cookie sheets spread across the counters, waiting to cool for the icing.

“Oh, god, that smells amazing,” Eden breathed out a puff of shivering cold air as she closed the door firmly behind her. “You ready to hit the shops? I told Rafe if he touches the packages, I’ll skin him alive.”

Hayley laughed and zipped her coat before checking her wallet. “I’m sure he took you seriously.”

Eden laughed. “Probably not. I’m not sure he’s scared of me…”

“Did it frighten you?” Hayley asked after she was buckled into the sports car and they headed down the long drive to the highway. “I mean…he’s my cousin and I love him…and seeing him with you…he’s so happy…not that he was always depressed or like that, but…he really loves you.”

“It happened kind of before I could get afraid,” Eden admitted slowly. “It seemed so fast but…not wrong, either. We just kind of…fit…you know? I worry sometimes…that I’ll do something stupid to screw it up…”

“That’s your relatives talking,” Hayley said into the brief lull. “I’ve met them, remember? You need Rafe to keep them at bay.”

“It is kind of nice…I mean that someone else has my back…”

“It’s a little frightening,” Hayley agreed quietly.

“Dell was over at the house last night,” Eden said, wincing at the look on her new friend’s face. “Sorry…but I thought you should know. Rafe told him…well, basically, we both told him you were happy and an adult and it wasn’t our business. He wasn’t happy with that answer.”

“I’m sorry he’s bothering you guys…” Hayley let her head go against the headrest.

“Are you? Happy, I mean…”

Hayley smiled. “I am. I know people don’t understand…and I’m sure they have me condemned to hell for my immoral behavior…”

“We don’t think that at all.”

“I know some do and will…they tried to warn me…for social things, they wanted to just have one of them go along with me…” her head shook slightly. “It feels wrong. Not just to me, but especially to them. And I know there are two of them…believe me, at times I more than know…but then most of the time it’s as if they’re two sides of the same person. And they like me…we’re friends…”

“I saw them watching you, Hayley. I think it’s a bit more than just like,” Eden told her, guiding the car into the huge parking lot of the bustling mall. It was two days before Christmas and the lot was filling up quickly since the stores all opened early for harried shoppers.

“It’s like you said…a little scary…I don’t want to hurt them…and I like them. I like being with them. We talk about all kinds of things…from the ranch to construction and chemistry and…it’s just a lot more than what people think they see from the outside.”

“You know what people see from the outside,” Eden said with a mild snort. “Especially when they find out they’re members of Independence. It’s got a bit of a reputation.”

Hayley laughed. “Yeah…I know…all whispered about in the dark like it’s some kind of hell’s dungeon.”

“I’ve done some reading…especially after Dell was over…the thing is, I’m not sure if it’s the club or the fact that there are two of them that bothers him most.” Eden locked the car and walked with Hayley toward the entrance. “Rafe has a lot of the same traits…we just don’t label it. I don’t think your brother gets that. And I wouldn’t change it for all the world, either. But I’m not sure about the public thing…”

“No…no, Dell doesn’t get it at all,” Hayley agreed. “And the public thing…” she laughed. “It takes some getting used to, believe me,” she admitted, changing the topic to the stores she wanted to find and the gifts she was after. But their conversation had given her a lot to think about. “They’re so different and so alike…it’s hard to explain until you know them better.”

****

Jack finished the final entry and checked the list one last time before closing out the files. “All payroll finished. Everything is shut down and secure until Monday.”

“Then we have two projects on light schedule until Wednesday and another long weekend. Good schedule,” Dane remarked from his desk across the large room. He finished the appraisal he was working on, checked the supplies list for anything missing and signed off on the bottom. Now it would be Jack’s turn for a look over in case anything was missing.

He was absently reaching for his phone when the name jumped out at him. He looked up at Jack.

“The Lieutenant.” He said simply, striking the speaker button and responding. “This is Dane and you’re on speaker, Lieutenant.”

“Good…saves me time. Is Hayley with you?” Came the brisk question.

The men looked at one another and Jack pulled his phone from his pocket.

“No. We left her at the ranch working on holiday baking. Is something wrong?”

“She isn’t responding to her cell,” Natalie Templeton said flatly.

“We’re on our way home now,” Dane told her, hands expertly closing out files and locking drawers. “Is there something we can help with?”

“Any update?” Jack added quickly.

“Yeah…and not a good one. I found Derrick. That’s his last name. Raymond Derrick…he’s now residing on the slab in the morgue. He was found early this morning when a neighbor complained about a howling dog in the backyard. He’d been shot three times at long range.”

“The same as the shooter?”

“Best guess until details come through…yes,” she said grimly. “I’m on my way to the ranch. I want to talk to Hayley.”

“We’ll be there within the half hour,” Dane promised. “What about her friend?”

“I can’t locate her,” Natalie answered tersely.

“We went to see her a day or so ago. She was…Hayley was in shock, let’s put it that way,” Jack recalled the event. “She blamed Hayley for Derrick not letting her back into his life.”

“She was seriously pissed, Lieutenant,” Dane added.

“Interesting. I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

“All right,” Jack said and tapped the phone to silent. “Why isn’t she answering?”

Jack shook his head and ended the call he began. “I don’t know.”

There was tense silence in the cab of the truck as they made their way to the ranch. Before work, they’d managed to get in some shopping, grateful the stores were open early for the last sprint to Christmas Day.

“She’s fine,” Dane said after a few long minutes, his focus on the road ahead of him. Traffic was light in their direction. A good thing because he wasn’t exactly adhering to the speed limit at the moment. “She probably just went to her office. Do we have that number? Can’t be difficult to find.”

The tires gripped the concrete as they rounded the last curve to the ranch. The gates were wide with traces of snow falling from the heavy looking clouds overhead but neither man noticed the weather.

Jack’s boots hit the concrete at the same time both noticed Rafe headed their way on horseback. He continued into the house, tapping out the security code and slamming the door behind him.

“Rafe…” Dane moved deliberately toward the rider. “A problem?”

Rafe slowed the horse, leaning forward to pat the side of his neck. One brow rose at the tone he heard from Dane.

“Not that I’m aware of. I thought I’d check and see if they were back yet.”

“Hayley is with Eden?” Jack came from inside, ignoring the cold winds whipping around them. He held his hand out. “It was on the floor where she hangs her coat. Must have fallen out of her pocket.”

“What’s wrong?” Rafe swung from the saddle, dropping the reins so they touched the ground.

“Can you call Eden?” Dane asked briskly.

“Yeah…she sent me a text a few hours ago. They were having lunch at the mall…” Rafe reached inside the heavy coat he wore and pulled his phone free before removing his gloves. “What’s wrong?”

“The police are on their way here to talk to her, only she’s not answering her phone,” Jack said tensely. “Now we know it’s because the thing isn’t with her.”

“She was fine at lunch,” Rafe assured him, tapping the speaker button and stopping onto the lowest step to the porch. “Hey, babe…how’s the shopping going?”

Giggles reached them through the phone. “It’s Hayley, Rafe and we had a wonderful time. The stores are packed like crazy!”