more about the mysterious woman who plagued my every thought and desire.
8
Chapter Seven (Hailey)
The blaring of my alarm did little to stir me. It wasn’t until my mother shook me that I started to wake up. I was scheduled for a rare afternoon shift after a daytime bartender called off. It was hard not to be a little frustrated about it. I couldn’t be sure if I were more upset about the missed evening shift or missing out on possibly seeing Jackson.
“Did you want me to call and set up a payment today?” my mother asked.
My head ached. “No, I’ll take care of it after I stop at the bank. I don’t want you to worry about that anymore, okay? I’ll handle it.”
“Is this because I spent money again?” Her voice was somber.
I sighed. I already felt like crap. Natalee and I had gotten into it over the money. She’d refused to take half of the four-hundred dollars that Jackson had left, insisting instead it go to my mother’s treatment. I didn’t have the patience I normally had because of our bickering match. “Mom, I would just feel better if I took care of it.”
“That isn’t right. You already take care of everything else. I am so pathetic. My own daughter can’t even trust me to handle money. Jesus, what have I become?”
I groaned. “Don’t start that pity party. You know as well as I do that it’s the treatments doing this to you. I really don’t have time to fight about this right now, okay?”
“You seem a little on edge,” she offered.
“That’s because I’m running late, and I don’t like the afternoon shift. You know how much I hate leaving you here all by yourself.”
“I’m not a child, Hailey. I can still take care of myself to some degree. Maybe you should think about putting me in a care facility.”
My heart sank. It would be a cold day in hell before I’d leave my mother in some care center for a torrid of underpaid nurses and staff to look after her needs. I would never allow that to happen. She was my rock. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I sat down on the couch next to her, taking her hand in mine. The glisten of tears in her eyes almost broke my heart.
“Mom, you know I’m never going to do that. I’m sorry I snapped. It was a weird night at work, and this afternoon shift is bullshit.”
“You love working with Natalee. Did something happen?”
I flushed. “Jackson came back in. He was just as much of a jerk as ever.”
“But, you are still thinking about him?”
I nodded, hating myself for admitting it. “He’s such a pompous ass. I just don’t get it. Why am I attracted to such a jerk?”
“Remember on the school playground how the boys would tug on your hair when they liked you?”
“Yeah, and I would lay them out flat.”
She chuckled. “Exactly. You knew even at that age that boys were mean when they wanted attention. I raised you not to tolerate things like that. I think this Jackson Wheeler is a lot more like you than you realize.”
“What? I am nothing like him.”
“No? So you’ve been your usual, sweet self with him?”
“Well…”
“That’s what I thought. Now, if you don’t like it when a boy pulls your pigtails, maybe you should try not kicking him in retaliation. Be honest with him.”
“Honest? I have a feeling he’s only after one thing, and that’s not something I give away to just anyone.”
“Is this the same fellow who you were arguing with Natalee about last night?”
My eyes widened. “How did you know about that?”
She shrugged. “You called me before you left work, remember? Well, you didn’t end the call. I wasn’t trying to listen, but I was just so tired I couldn’t hang up the phone.”
I pursed my lips, arching my brow in disbelief. She’d had enough energy to ask me a dozen questions when I got home yet not enough to end a call? I called bullshit, but I’d never tell her that.
“You know eavesdropping is wrong,” I reminded her.
“I like to think of it as taking an active interest in my daughter's life. It doesn’t matter how I know about it. He left you a lot of money, even after you iced him out, sweetheart. I don’t think he’s just trying to get into your shorts.”
“He’s just a rich rancher who’s trying to dip his wick somewhere fresh.”