Fool for You (Southern Bride #7) - Kelly Elliott Page 0,61
is wrong? You look like you’re about to cry,” my mother asked. She stood and made her way over to my sister.
Hailey put up a hand to stop her. “Mom, I’m fine. Honestly, please sit back down.” Then she stood and looked at Mike. “If you’ll excuse me and Mike, there’s something urgent we need to talk about regarding the wedding.”
Mike looked confused, but at the same time, the guilt was written all over his face. He slowly put his napkin on the table and stood. He looked down at the phone Hailey handed him and then snapped his gaze back up to meet hers. “Hailey, let me explain. It was—”
Lifting her hand, she said, “Not here.”
Turning, Hailey quickly walked out of the dining room with Mike hot on her trail. Everyone watched as they left.
The sound of the front door shutting had my father clearing his throat and sitting back in his seat. “How long has he been cheating on her?”
I was positive my mouth dropped open.
“I knew there was something wrong the moment she walked in the door,” my mother said with a displeased expression on her face. “Her behavior this evening makes total sense now.
“How…how did you both know?” Emmerson asked.
“I’ve seen enough men in my day get caught with their hand in the cookie jar,” Dad said. “The way he looked at her, it was written all over his face.”
I clenched my fists. “And you didn’t want to kill him? Because it took every ounce of strength I had not to jump over this table and kill him.”
My parents exchanged a look. Emmerson placed her hand on mine and gave it a little squeeze. “Hailey told us earlier at my place, right after she found out.”
“I have a feeling that little walk down memory lane stopped her from doing something she shouldn’t,” Mom said.
With a nod, I said, “She was going to out him right in front of everyone. I think it was just her anger driving that decision. I’m glad you said something, Emme.” I turned and our eyes met. She smiled the sweetest smile, and I had to force myself not to lean down and kiss her.
“Well, I know if I was about to do something stupid, she would stop me,” Emmerson said.
“Ha!” my folks shouted in unison.
I shook my head and looked at Emmerson, who simply chuckled, knowing that she and Hailey had gotten themselves into some pretty sticky situations over the years.
My father pointed his finger at Emmerson. “Do you know the high school principal called us and your folks more times about you two girls than they did about Landon and Noah? You were both trouble!”
The front door closed and we all turned to see if Hailey would walk back in alone or with Mike. She came in alone.
“That was fast,” I mused.
“Well, it didn’t take me long to tell him the engagement was off, and he was free to go back and fuck—sorry, Mom and Dad—his ex-girlfriend as much as he wanted. Of course he begged for forgiveness, said it would never happen again, he had too much to drink that night, it only happened once. He did admit to talking to her on the phone since then a few times, but said that was also a mistake.”
“And you still told him the engagement was off, right?” I asked, praying to God she’d told him to take a hike.
Hailey wiped away a tear that had slipped free. “I told him to leave, that I would never be able to trust him again.”
My father stood and wrapped Hailey in his arms. “I’m so sorry, baby girl, but you did the right thing.”
Mom stood and made her way over as well. “Your father is right. You made the right decision. No matter how much he tells you it was a mistake, once you lose that trust, it’s gone forever.”
“If he loved you like he said he did, drunk or not, he wouldn’t have even entertained the idea,” I added as I joined my folks and wrapped Hailey up in a cocoon of our love and protection. Emmerson sat at the table and wiped her tears away.
Finally, we withdrew from smothering my poor sister and she smiled at each of us. “I love y’all.” Facing Emmerson, she said, “And thank you for showing me I needed to take the higher road.”
With a nod, Emmerson said, “I’ve always got your back.”
“And I’ve got yours. There is a positive to all of this.”