Hayes sighs. “Yeah, Dolores. Sorry if we were disturbing people with our argument.”
“Don’t mind them,” I tell her as I wave her off dismissively, then point my thumbs at them. “Grandma and grandpa were just having a little tiff. They… didn’t take their Metamucil today. Constipation really is a mood killer, in more ways than one. You know?”
Every muscle in my face twitches with the need to literally laugh my ass off, but I hold it in. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do–not really–but I fucking do it anyway.
Two sets of eyes bore into me, forcing me to look anywhere but back at them. If I look at them… I’ll surely break.Fuck it.I tilt my head coyly in their direction to see them both wearing knowing smirks.Yep. I’m definitely going to pay for that.
Hayes leans in, cozying up close to my ear and whispers, “Just wait, Babygirl. This grandpa’s got plans for you.”
“So does grandma,” Raegan adds, brows raised.
My skin heats at their veiled threats. I don’t need them to give me specifics. My imagination is currently running wild picturing all the things they’ll do to punish me.
“Okay,” Dolores cuts in. Fuck. I forgot she was here. “I actually came over here, Hayes, because I heard you talking about your mother. I’m sorry for eavesdropping but I have something you might want to see, but unfortunately, it’s at home.”
Hayes straightens in his seat, lasering his attention on her. “What is it?” he asks curiously.
“It’s… better if I show you. Can you come back tomorrow?”
He looks to Raegan and I for approval and we both provide it… obviously. “We’ll be here.”
47
Raegan
I’ve honestly never seen so many tents. The streets are lined with one after another, from painters to whatever it is that people do with yarn to beautiful stained glass. The list goes on and on. We arrived about two hours ago and we still have yet to see everything.
My beautiful girl is clearly in heaven, though. I’m not convinced she’s even blinked for fear of missing something. She’s been consistently ten steps ahead of us the entire time. I think I even saw her skip once or twice.
“She looks happy,” Hayes says, giving my hand–that he’s been holding for the last thirty minutes–a gentle squeeze.
I inhale a long, slow breath, taking in the crisp, fresh air and allowing it to fill my lungs before releasing it just as slowly. “Yeah, she does. She loves all this artsy stuff and I don’t have an artistic bone in my body.”
“Maybe that’s what makes us all work so well together. She’s artsy fartsy, you’re the brains and I’m the business,” he counters.
I hear his words, but they don’t truly register. My mind is elsewhere, reeling over things I can’t change and certainly can’t take back. I’m not even sure I want to. My priorities are shifting. Or… have shifted.
We take a few more steps before Hayes halts and pulls me to face him. “You’ve been off all day. What’s going on with you?”
I tilt my head upward so I can see his face. My heart hammers in my chest and I furrow my brows as I make a last minute attempt to not let my outside match my insides.
His blue eyes, made brighter by the sun, bore into mine. “Don’t you dare try to tell me I’m wrong.”
Fuck. Damn him and his ability to read me like a book.
My lungs release the air they’ve been holding onto for just a little too long. “I got a letter from the Kansas licensing board.”
“A letter about what?”
My lips purse for a long moment while I gather thoughts and try to frame a coherent sentence in my head. “Someone reported me for unethical behavior with a patient. The letter doesn’t say who did it, but there aren’t that many people who knew. They’ve scheduled a hearing.”
“When?” he asks, releasing me and folding his arms across his chest with a sigh. He’s irritated–that makes two of us. He’s not going to like this next part.
“Wednesday morning. I have to fly out Tuesday evening at the latest since they won’t allow me to do it over video.”
Hayes glances over at Demetria, where she’s excitedly chatting with a quilt maker about god knows what. “When did you get this letter and when were you going to tell us?” he asks, his tone with a slight bite to it. He’s still watching Demetria. Is he mad right now?
“Hayes, look at me.” He swings his gaze back to mine. “It came about a week ago. Honestly, this is so fast. The board is backlogged and never works cases this quickly. Whoever did this, knew what they were doing or they greased the wheels to speed things along. I was going to tell you sooner, but…”
