Page 61 of Silent Menace
33
Saturday absolutely inched by, and Sunday morning wasn’t much better since they’d decided it was safer for Hailey not to attend church today. Her parents had gone though, taking Jenna with them.
As a warm breeze lifted her hair from her neck, Hailey tried to focus on decorating for her mom’s surprise party. Despite her efforts, she kept finding her mind bouncing between tomorrow’s fast-approaching deadline and the developments in Stefania’s case.
What had her coworker gotten herself involved in? And perhaps more importantly, what was Hailey going to do?
Allye had dropped by yesterday with some of the party decorations. While they squirreled them away in the barn, where Hailey’s mom was unlikely to discover them, Allye had also passed along a message from Eric that he was working on a plan. That gave Hailey little comfort since she had no idea what said plan entailed. He would be here this afternoon, so she was hoping for an update.
She handed another balloon to Peter. At least he hadn’t left her again. After Friday’s mind-boggling discoveries, he’d made thedecision to call into work so he could return to the Jessup farm. Because of his recent concussion, his boss hadn’t questioned him.
So now he was up on a ladder, helping her hang balloons and party streamers from the edges of the pop-up canopies Allye had somehow managed to commandeer and, more shockingly, managed to fit inside her Jetta. Thankfully, the temperature had dropped to a bearable level. With over forty people on the guest list, they’d had no choice but to move the gathering outside.
Originally, the party had been planned for Hailey’s larger house and yard with options for guests to choose between indoor and outdoor seating, but they’d had to scrap that part of the plan since she still didn’t know if it was safe to return home. She had wondered whether it was a good idea to have the celebration at all, considering everything going on. But it was her mom’s sixtieth birthday, and they’d had the surprise party planned for months. Mom deserved this, and it wasn’t like they had anything better to do today.
Peter cleared his throat, and Hailey realized he was waiting for another balloon.
“Oops, sorry.” She scooped one from the bin she’d carried them in and handed it to him.
“You doing all right?”
She took a moment to answer, knowing he wanted the truth. “I’m scared,” she finally admitted. “I’ve got to give my answer tomorrow, and I’m afraid of what Mr. Luque will do.”
“You don’t have to meet with him. I could still help you relocate.”
Yesterday, he’d offered to do just that. And maybe she should take him up on it. But the thought of what the CFO might do to her family still sent shivers up her spine. She thought of her parents, her cousins, her aunt Julie, Dion and Lucky too—even if there were some way to take most of her relatives with her, Dion and Lucky’s adoptions hadn’t been finalized yet. Legally, Eric and Allye couldn’t disappear with them.
But could she protect them by accepting the wrath of Alessandro Luque herself? Hailey didn’t know.
When she didn’t respond, Peter descended the ladder and turned her toward him. “No matter what you choose, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
A lump formed in her throat. She wasn’t sure why his quiet assurance hit her so hard. Then her brain stalled as she realized how near he was. How comforting his hands felt on her shoulders. How the gentle breeze wafted his subtle vetiver and bergamot scent her way. How mere inches separated her lips from his.
Conflicting emotions pressed in on her. She had no idea how to reconcile them—especially not with Peter standing so close. Instinctively, she twisted from his gentle hold and hurried inside the house.
She wasn’t running away—or maybe she was, but only for a moment. She just needed a few seconds to find her balance. But as she entered the kitchen, a wave of sorrow almost doubled her over. She gripped the table with both hands and bit her tongue to offset the pain of her emotions. This wasn’t a convenient time or place to deal with them, but now was the time they’d chosen.
The quiet tread of rubber soles on laminate flooring let her know Peter had followed her inside. He didn’t immediately speak, but she could sense he wanted to.
Swallowing hard against the lump still in her throat, she turned to face him. “I wish things were different.” She meant the choked words. She wished she weren’t in danger, weren’t still living in the throes of grief, and instead were in a place where she could consider what they might have together.
Peter seemed to understand everything she wasn’t saying. There was a longing in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. Instead of responding with words, he brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. His touch was gentle, and this time she leaned into him. The next thing she knew, his arms were around her.For a long moment, he held her close, offering both comfort and strength to face what was ahead.
From outside, Maggie let out a sharp bark. Almost at the same time, Peter’s phone dinged with a message. “Someone must be here.”
Reluctantly, she stepped back, and he let her go. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as he headed for the door, pulling his phone from his pocket as he went.
“It’s Eric and Allye,” he called over his shoulder.
She pulled in a fortifying breath. Pressed her hands to her face. Her cheeks felt flushed. She wet a paper towel with cold water and dabbed at her face. She did not want her cousin to get any more ideas about her and Peter.
A moment later, the couple entered the kitchen, Allye leading the way with a brightly colored gift bag in addition to her other ever-present bags. Eric was close behind, a large sheet cake in hand.
“One second.” Hailey hurried to clear a spot on the table so Eric would have a place to deposit his burden. “Thanks for picking that up.”
“No problem.” Eric slid the cake onto the table, then straightened.
“Where are the boys?” Hailey peered down the hallway but didn’t see them.
