“This is something I need to hear.” Hailey whipped her head toward another voice. That voice belonged to Reece and resembled more of a growl. Where had he come from? Didn’t matter. He washere, like the rest of town … forher.
As Reece seated himself in the only empty chair remaining at their table, Noah muttered a string of curses and dropped his head into hisfree hand. But Hailey’s fatigue, which had nearly stretched her patience to a snapping point, melted away as warmth spread through her chest. She had never had an entire town care about her before.
Noah lifted his headand dragged his hand roughly over his beard. For fuck’s sake, would these people go away already? All he wanted was five minutes alone with Hailey. Five. Well, he wanted more than that to show her how goddamn ecstatic he was that she whole and that she was his. When he’d first laid eyes on her outside the clinic, a wave of emotions had washed over him, pushing aside the all-consuming fear and anger, nearly bringing him to his knees. Relief, gratitude, love. So much love. What would she think of him when she learned the truth, though? He needed to get it out there before someone else did.
Bright with expectation, three pairs of eyes rested on him. Shane and Reece leaned in. Obviously, they were inserting themselves into the reveal and leaving Noah no choice but to include them.
“Why don’t you guys go order a coffee on me?” he suggested. The two men exchanged skeptical glances.
Outside the window, nearly two blocks away, he spied fluttering fabric in loud colors as someone hurried toward the coffee shop, forcing Noah to abandon his plan to get rid of his brother and the deputy. Oh, what the fuck! Shane already knew, and Reece would know soon enough.
Noah had a mere minute before Dixie in all that bright garb flew through the door. He squeezed Hailey’s delicate hand, still cradled in his, and pulled in a silent, steadying breath.
“His ex-girlfriend did it,” Shane blurted.
Hailey reclaimed her hand as confusion knotted her caramel brows. “Which ex did what?”
Noah threw a glare in the deputy’s direction before turning to Hailey. “Sandy was the one who—”
“Left the notes,” Shane interjected. “Started the fire. Shit, I should have added ‘allegedly,’ even though we caught it all on tape.” He shook his head but quickly recovered. “And don’t worry. We tracked her downand locked her up. Oh, and we found another note on your windshield that said, ‘You’re toast.’ Kinda the final nail in the coffin.”
Reece sat ramrod straight, his head on a swivel. “You mean it wasn’t Keating? And who’s Sandy?”
Noah ignored the questions, his attention focused solely on Hailey’s wide glacier-blue eyes. Her free hand flew to her mouth. “I thought it was Cliff!”
Dixie heaved herself through the door. “Boss! That little chippy who came looking for a job’s the one who tried to burn you out!” Her eyes shot to Hailey. “Oh my God! It’s our own little china doll!” Dixie ran—actually ran—to the table and shoved Reece out of the way in her eagerness to get her arms around Hailey’s shoulders. “Are you all right, little girl? I mean, you look all right, but you might notbeall right. I’ve got you some more blue M&Ms, and you know what? Theydotaste better. Oh. Except now they might smell like smoke. Where’s our dog?” The woman was practically panting.
Noah tapped her elbow. “Dixie, take a deep breath.”And calm down before you keel over from a heart attack.
Reece pulled over another chair, but she took his instead, wiggling as close to Hailey as she could get while resting her arm along the back of Hailey’s seat.
Hailey patted her thigh and offered her an indulgent smile. “Thank you, Dixie. I’m fine, and Chance is going to be fine.” She gave Dixie a brief version of the night’s misadventure, drawing Amy over. Micky let himself in through the back door, and Dewey came through the front door with Luanne. Practically the entire town crowded around them. Noah loved that they were there offering support, but damn, he wanted to talk to Hailey without an audience.
He tried to catch her eye. Worry gnawed at him. He had to know if the truth about Sandy had driven a wedge between them.
Micky piped up during a lull. “Do we know who tried to torch Noah’s place?”
Shane grabbed his spot in the limelight. “We have a suspect in custody.”
Noah cringed. Sandy being there, endangering Hailey and Chance—hell, the entire town!—was his fault.
Hailey reached across the table and, as he had done earlier, held her palm out in invitation. He didn’t hesitate to place his over hers and weave their fingers together. She jerked her head toward the door. When he leaned in to hear her above the din, she whispered, “What do you say we go check on your dog, barkeep?”
“You meanourdog, don’t you?”
She flashed him that special smile she saved for only him, chasing away his doubts. His heart lifted, and his chest filled with something as powerful as it was warm and gooey.
Love.
Chapter 36
It Takes a Village
Fatigue settled in Hailey’sbones as she stood in the Loose Moose’s living room. She hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours—or was it thirty-six? She checked her Mickey Mouse watch but could barely make out the blurred face, let alone calculate her waking hours. In one corner, a drugged Chance lay on the fluffy bed Noah constantly tried to coax him to use.
“At least we know what it takes to keep him on that bed,” she quipped.
Noah brushed past her with their bags. “I’d rather he felt well enough tonotuse it.”
