Page 38 of Finding Hayes
“Hey. You don’t have to ask to take a bath, Sav. I’ll turn your car off and leave the keys on the counter. Take your time.”
“Thank you. And, er, sorry about the little show.”
“Don’t apologize for that. Great way to start the day.” Hewinked and pulled the door closed after he stepped out of the bathroom.
I buried my face in my hands and groaned. I dropped the towel and mimicked the pose I’d been in when he’d walked in and then looked in the mirror.
He’d definitely seen a lot. Especially when I whipped around.
I tied my hair up in a pile on top of my head with the hair tie on my wrist before dipping my toe back into the water. It wasn’t as hot as it had been a few minutes ago, before I’d embarrassed myself. I climbed in and sank beneath the hot water, allowing it to cover my shoulders.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax.
So much had happened since I’d arrived in Magnolia Falls.
I’d let my guard down with Hayes because it was so easy to do.
But I needed to remember that this was a business deal, nothing more.
I’d spent the last few days placing calls to the hospital in Texas and gathering all the information we’d need to get my father admitted into this trial. Insurance would pay a portion, and all that was required up front was ten thousand dollars cash, which I currently had on hand. It felt damn good to be able to go forward with the application process, because normally, this was where everything came to a stop. But I had the money, and we could keep pushing now. Obviously, it would cost much more once he was in, but the initial deposit after insurance was covered. I no longer felt guilty about lying to everyone about what I was about to do. Because if this worked, it would be totally worth it. I’d spoken to Nadia about it, and she felt confident it could be the difference between buying him several more years of life or throwing in the towel now. I was not giving up on my father.
I’d also started coming up with renovation plans for the farmhouse. I’d met with Nash and Kingston, who owned RoD Construction, and all I would need was a deposit to get things started here, and the rest of the money would be released in a couple of weeks.
After I become a married woman.
Hayes and I had been texting while he was at the firehouse because we had to come up with some plans for this week. Maybe we texted about other things, too, but I didn’t have many people here that I talked to, and he was probably bored at work.
So, yeah, we texted often when he was at the firehouse.
I wasn’t going to overthink it.
It would be hard to prove that we were in a real marriage if we didn’t speak when he was away for days at the firehouse.
Saylor had reached out and asked me to meet her at the Golden Goose for lunch today. I pulled the door open, and she waved me over.
“What’s going on with you and Grumpy-hot-fireman?” Midge asked as she greeted me at the door. I’d always liked her, even though most people found her abrasive. I clearly had a type that I was drawn to.
Grumpy.
Moody.
Annoyed most of the time.
I was about to say that nothing was going on, and I stopped myself. We needed people to think something was happening.
“What do you mean?” My voice was all tease as she led me toward the table in the back where Saylor was sitting.
“I heard you two were quite the spectacle at Whiskey Falls the other night. And he carried you home?”
I laughed. “How do you possibly know that?”
“I’ve got eyes everywhere, Savvy.” She waggled her brows. “That is one sexy, fire-blazing, unattainable man. If you can harness that, more power to you.”
Saylor shook her head in disbelief as she caught the tail end of the conversation. “Ew. That’s my brother, Midge.”
I batted my lashes at the older woman beside me. “A lady never tells her secrets.”
Where the hell did that come from?
