A Match Made at Christmas - Courtney Walsh Page 0,3
You’re one of the smartest people I know,” Pru had said when she found out he and Delilah were together. He’d spent more time with Delilah than he typically spent with any of the women he dated, but still, he knew better than to get serious about her.
That had happened once—a girl in college named Kara. Kara had been smart. And funny. And beautiful. And also still hung up on a high school boyfriend who eventually wormed his way back into her heart. And her bed.
Hayes had fallen hard and fast for Kara, and when he discovered her betrayal, he’d made up his mind to never let that happen again. Now, he dated casually, made friends easily, and never let his heart get tied up in the mix. When he needed a date for a media event, he had a handful of beautiful women he could call, but they all knew Hayes wasn’t a relationship guy.
He kept things simple, and he was always clear up front. Things were better this way—and he could avoid ever feeling the sting of betrayal again.
Not that he’d ever explained that to Pru. Though he’d downplayed the whole situation with Kara, Hayes was pretty sure Pru knew he’d had his heart broken. He wasn’t sure what she believed about him these days, but probably that he was a never-too-serious, fun-loving guy who dated too many women and had no interest in settling down.
She’d be right about very little of that—but why ruin the image?
The less she really knew about his feelings, the better. Especially his feelings about her, given the fact that every time they were together, he was unsure of them.
She had this way of looking at him that made him feel completely naked—and not in a good way. He knew that as much as he tried to, there was no hiding from Prudence Sutton. Which meant his tried-and-true keep everyone at an arm’s length approach to life was lost on her.
That comforted and terrified him at the same time.
The McGuire family had been spending summers in Nantucket for as long as Hayes could remember, though he didn’t get back nearly as often as he would’ve liked, and when he did, his stays were short. He missed it. It was calming; like if he let himself, he could imagine being ten-years-old and spending long, lazy days out in the sun, hunting for seashells or building sandcastles right there on the beach behind the family cottage.
His family didn’t come from money, but his father had learned about smart investing, and thankfully, he’d passed down what he knew to his kids. And Hayes had reaped the benefits. He was proud of his portfolio these days.
In all his life, Hayes could only remember spending Thanksgiving on the island two other times, and frankly, he was happy to have a reason to be here. The second he’d stepped off the ferry, something inside him settled, as if that wanderlust that usually drove him forward finally found a reason to park and turn off its engine.
He stared at the ceiling, listening to the sound of distant voices below. The room still looked like it belonged to a kid, with its navy blue, white, and red nautical theme. Hayes didn’t even mind, though he could do with a few more inches at the end of the full-sized bed.
He stumbled downstairs and found the house full, as expected. His family was set to arrive on the first ferry that morning, and he figured they’d have Thanksgiving dinner in the works as soon as they walked through the door. How had he slept through their arrival?
Hollis, and his fiancée, Emily, sat on the couch, and at their feet, a lolling Tilly, Hollis’s black lab.
“Morning, brother.” Hollis stood, clapped a hand on Hayes’s shoulder, then gave him a shove.
Emily stood and gave him a hug.
“All right, that’s good,” Hollis said, a tease in his voice. He pulled Emily from Hayes’s embrace. “Don’t want you moving in on my girl.”
Emily rolled her eyes.
Hayes moved into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. His mother kissed his cheek and his father gave him a nod over the financial section of the newspaper.
“When does Pru get here?” his mom asked.
He leaned against the counter. “You said three for dinner, right?”
Mom scoffed. “She could’ve come earlier—we’d love to spend as much time with her as possible. We missed her this summer. And we want to celebrate with her.”
Pru had spent most of this past summer