Sassy Blonde - Stacey Kennedy Page 0,31

conversation. “How was Maisie when you saw her this morning?” Her pained gaze when the cops took Hayes away had stayed with him all night.

His father’s gaze turned probing, his eyes searching. Whatever he found must have erased the remainder of his concerns. “She was worried but settled when she heard me laying into the lieutenant after she’d told me her side of the story.”

“And what was her side of the story?”

Dad gave a beaming smile. “She’s thinks you’re a goddamn hero.”

“Not a bad way for her to see me.” Hayes chuckled. “Though I imagine she was just trying to get me out of jail.”

“I don’t know about that, son,” Dad said. “There was a ring of truth to it.”

Hayes glanced down to his worn boots and kicked a pebble away. To avoid talking about this new development with Maisie, he asked, “How many strings did you have to pull to make this go away? Do I owe anyone a favor?”

Dad opened the door to his SUV. “Not many strings, and no favor owed.” He got in, and Hayes slid into the passenger seat as his father continued. “Maisie told me this morning that you’ve got two more festivals to go to.” He turned on the ignition and gave Hayes a leveled look. “Let’s not punch someone at every one, all right?”

Hayes snorted. “Believe me when I tell you the prick deserved it.”

His father didn’t comment on that but opened the glove compartment. He offered Hayes his phone. “Maisie left this for you.”

Hayes looked at his screen, not finding any calls or texts. “Where is she now?”

“She fought with me for a good hour about leaving you, but after a call from Clara, she drove your truck to Colorado Springs and is setting up for tonight’s festival.” Dad pulled out into the road and then smiled over at Hayes. “I’m under strict orders to take you there. She’s a force, isn’t she?”

Hayes laughed and nodded. “She may be little, but she is fierce.”

“That is very much true with all of the Carter sisters,” Dad noted.

Hayes agreed and glanced out at the wide-open country, taking in the harvested round hay bales. His thoughts went to Maisie. Her naked body filled his mind. The soft curve of her breasts, her smooth, flat tummy that led down to soft curly hair. God, she was beautiful.

“All right?”

Hayes jerked his head toward his father, the images of Maisie in the throes of pleasure gone as fast as they’d come. “Yeah, I’m good. Last night was an annoyance, nothing more.” No matter how much his father pushed him to return to the force, at the heart of it, his father did so because he thought it was right. His father had been a great dad growing up; supportive, attentive, there for him, even more so after his mother had moved away after their divorce. Hayes still had a great relationship with her. She called often. He visited her when he could.

Dad gave a sideways glance, a knowing smile. “I’m not talking about the fight.”

Damn. Obviously, Hayes couldn’t control the expression on his face. He needed to fix that before he saw Maisie again.

“That’s still up for debate,” he admitted.

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“Not particularly.” But as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He’d always told his father the truth. “It’s…”

“Complicated?” Dad offered.

Hayes snorted. He’d told Maisie last night it was anything but complicated between them. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Because she was Laurel’s best friend?”

Warmth touched Dad’s tone, and Hayes looked his way, spotting that same warmth in his face. He’d loved Laurel. Everyone loved her. “Part of the reason.”

“What’s the other part?”

Hayes glanced out the window, staring out at the whiskey barley fields that rushed by. “You know why.”

Of course, Dad called him out. “Because she doesn’t know the truth about what happened?” A pause. When Hayes didn’t reply, Dad spat, “You’re an idiot.”

Hayes scowled at his father. “Am I?”

“Yes, son, you fucking are.” Dad’s jaw tightened, eyes on the road, fingers white around the steering wheel. “You were dealt a brutal blow. Now you’ve got this sweet, bright woman who has been there picking you up, when we all know, life would have gone dark for you otherwise. And now, instead of making yourself and her happy, you’re too afraid to tell her what happened so you can finally move on. When did you become such a coward?”

Hayes drew in a deep breath to stop from lashing out. His