Page 39 of Finding Hayes
I slid into the booth beside Saylor, and our server, Letty, came over and took our orders before we even got a word out.
“Thanks for meeting me here,” Saylor said. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing with everything. I know Abe’s passing was hard on you.”
“Yeah. Most days, I still can’t believe he’s gone. It’s a huge loss. I miss our chats. I miss his laugh. How stubborn he was when I told him to go to the doctor or eat better,” I said, feeling the ache in my chest that I’d felt since the day I’d heard the news.
“Yeah. He and Lily loved you. They missed you so much after you moved away.” Saylor reached for her soda after our drinks were set down on the table. “I’d go out there and ride, and they’d talk about you the whole time. We all missed you, you know?”
Saylor had been like a little sister to me growing up. But when I left, I cut off all ties to this town, aside from Abe and Lily.
“I missed you, too. I was just dealing with a lot back then. It was almost too much, between my mom’s affair and my father finding out he had cancer.”
“I hadn’t known about your dad, and I don’t think Hayes knew either, because he would have told me. He was shocked when you left. But that’s when everything went down here, too. I guess in Magnolia Falls, when it rains, it pours, huh?”
“Hayes knew. I told him.” I reached for my water and took a sip before setting it back down. “And I’m sorry for everything that happened with your mom and that I wasn’t there for you.”
Lily had filled me in that Hayes and Saylor had been removed from their home due to an altercation with their stepfather. They’d gone to live with friends for a while, and eventually, Hayes took custody of his sister when he turned eighteen. I didn’t know the details, but I knew they’d gone through a lot.
I guess we all had.
Saylor waved her hand around. “Don’t be silly. We all had things we were dealing with. Mine led me to this place, right here, right now, and it’s exactly where I want to be. Maybe yours led you back here for a reason, too.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but I’m happy to be here now.”
I wasn’t staying. Magnolia Falls was not my home anymore. And with Abe and Lily gone, that meant there was nothing here for me anymore. But I couldn’t say that to her. To anyone. I was about to marry her brother, and it needed to appear like I would be staying. This whole plan was already more complicated than I’d expected. And lying to people I cared about was not something that I felt good about. I needed to get this renovation started, get hitched, and then get divorced, sell the farm, and leave town.
“Oh, my gosh, is that Savannah Abbott?” Kimber’s high-pitched voice had my head turning. She’d always been ridiculously bubbly and over the top. She’d been a bit pretentious back in the day, and I wondered if she’d outgrown that now.
“Hi, Kimber,” I said.
“I heard you were back. So sorry to hear about Abe. I was sad we weren’t able to make it to the funeral, but Lenny and I were out of town for my cousin’s wedding.”
“He wouldn’t have wanted you to miss that,” I said because it was true.
She held up the bags in her hands. “I’ve been out shoppinglike crazy for the fundraiser Lenny and I are throwing for the firehouse. I’ve never met a credit card I didn’t love.” She chuckled.
“Yes, Hayes mentioned the fundraiser. He and I will be there,” I said, and Saylor coughed a little over the sip she’d just taken from her soda. Hayes had actually mentioned the fundraiser, but he’d made fun of it. He didn’t want to go, but I’d just found the next place to debut our new relationship.
Kimber arched a brow. “You’re coming with Hayes?”
“Yeah. We’ve been spending a lot of time together since I’ve been back home. I guess we’re picking up where we left off.”
“Interesting.” She eyed me suspiciously. “He’s Magnolia Falls’ most unattainable bachelor.”
“I don’t find him unattainable at all.” I reached for a french fry and smiled.
“Well, you two were always close.”
“And we’re even closer now,” I said, smiling up at her with all the confidence in the world.
“Really? How serious is this with you and Hayes?” Her eyes were wide, and she tapped her chin with her finger anxiously.
This was my moment.
I kept my face perfectly unaffected. “I’d say things are going really well. We plan on throwing a big Valentine’s bash for everyone at the firehouse, so we’ll get that invite over to you as soon as we have all the details.”
She didn’t hide her surprise. “Oh. Throwing parties together already? That was fast.”
“Nothing fast about it. It’s always been there; the timing just wasn’t right. But when you know, you know. You know?” I chuckled at my repetitive words, and Saylor’s head fell back in laughter.
