“Yay! I hoped so as soon as I saw you.” She danced in a circle around Hailey twice and jerked to a stop. “No more dream job in Spokane? No more Evan? Or is he joining you?”
“No job, no fiancé. He’s a—jerk.” She cleared the lump in her throat at the thought of his betrayal. Dang it, she never should have fallen for him.
“Woohoo! I never did like his pompous backside. Coming from old money does not make you the bomb. Unless it’s the stink bomb.” She laughed at her own joke.
Hailey gaped at her. This was news. She would have sworn Beth liked him. She’d celebrated with Hailey for weeks after the engagement. “I thought you liked him. You said you were happy for me.” Great. Now she couldn’t even trust her BFF, the woman she told everything to. Everything but Evan’s duplicity.
“Wipe that frown off your face. I can explain. Get your butt over here. I’ll make you a fresh coffee and dish up some lemon meringue cheesecake. Then, we’ll talk.” She skipped behind an enormous glass-fronted display case brimming with delicious desserts.
Five minutes later, they were safely ensconced in the privacy of Beth’s tiny office. Hailey sipped her coffee and tasted the confection on her plate. She groaned in ecstasy. “Divine. I missed your baking almost as much as I missed you. Now, explain yourself.” She set her fork down and pinned Beth with her best “fess up” stare. It astounded her to learn Beth didn’t care for Evan, she’d been so supportive and pleased for Hailey.
“It’s easy. Evan made you happy. He made you glow. You were blissful. You fell for him like a rock; you went down hard. How could I not be happy for you when you were so far gone in love? It didn’t matter that he treated me with disdain. He doted on you, which is what mattered. Your happiness made me happy.” She shrugged her explanation away.
Hailey gulped her coffee, nearly scalding her tongue. She thumped the green striped ceramic mug onto the desk with a bang. “You should have told me. You’re my best friend.” Her support felt strangely like a betrayal.
“And break your heart? Would you have told me? Shattered my dreams?” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
Hailey put herself into Beth’s shoes. Happy for her friend or crush her dream? Tough call. “No,” she admitted sadly. “But you should have. We’ve been friends since kindergarten.”
Beth leaped up and hurried around her spotless desk to hug Hailey. “Yes, I should have. I felt guilty for ages. Still do. But I did what I thought was right. Forgive me?”
A soft laugh escaped Hailey. It was so perfect to be with Beth again, like being back in the ease and comfort of her youth. She was the perfect friend, the one you didn’t see for ages and when you reconnected, it was like you had never parted. Her heart swelled with love. “Of course, you are forgiven.”
They settled back into their chairs, smiling from ear to ear. Hailey studied the posters of fancy coffees and sweet confections decorating the walls of the windowless office. “But there’s a price.” She paused dramatically, doing her best to hide a smirk. “You have to make me that.” She pointed to a frothy, chocolatey beverage. “And a mile-high chocolate cake.”
“How can you eat all those things and not gain an ounce? You’re the same size you were in high school.”
“I’m chubby and you know it. Not too big, not thin enough. I’m just me. Chunky Hailey.”
“No, you’re deliciously curvy and ultra-feminine. You’re not a stick like me.” Beth waved her hands over her slender shape. For someone only five-foot-four, she looked much taller and willowy.
“I run miles every day trying to be as thin and fit as you. I can’t help myself. I’m a slave to sweets.” Hailey scooped up an enormous bite of cheesecake and stuffed it into her mouth. “See?” she mumbled around the confection.
“Accept those curves. Men love them and women envy them. You wear them well.”
With her friend’s words echoing in her ears, Hailey leaned back to catch up on all the Silver Creek news. Time flew by until someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Jesse stuck his head into the office. “Beth, hi. Hailey, I brought your keys. The SUV is cool now. I shut her down and locked her up for you.” He gently tossed her the keys.
“Oh my. Has it been that long?” Heat rose in her face. She hadn’t meant to while away half the day with Beth, but she needed the relief and familiarity her friend offered. She was slowly de-stressing and decompressing.
“Thirty minutes. Are we still on to unload your rig? I’ve got time now.”
“Um, sure.” She didn’t want to leave the comfort of Beth’s office and face reality. Life waited for no one. “Give me ten minutes to get there. Thanks for watching my SUV.” Time had sped by while they caught up. Their tight bond and ability to natter away for hours was why she’d always been late for curfew. Now, she’d abandoned Jesse without realizing it. Luckily it wasn’t any colder outside. Her guilt would have tripled. Of course, if it was colder her stupid car might not have overheated.
Jesse said goodbye and closed the door on his way out.
“Now there’s a good man,” Beth praised.
“He’s…nice. I guess. He helped me out and he didn’t have to.”
“Don’t judge him until you get to know him. He’s not the guy you used to know. He’s not just the son of the alcoholic who messed up your world. He’s not what he appears to be. Jesse’s a good man.”
Hailey gave her a quizzical look. Was that encouragement or a warning to stay away? Maybe Beth wanted him for herself. She said a hasty goodbye and hurried to her truck.
Chapter Two
