God, when had she turned into such a crybaby? She had always prided herself on toughing it out—her dad had practically beat it into her—but right now she was a blubbering bucket of emotions sloshing over their sides.
The general store didn’t open for another twenty minutes, so she hauled that bucket over to Mountain Coffee and smiled when she found Amy behind the counter. The woman was like a ray of golden sunshine after a week of gray drizzle.
When Amy slid the cappuccino with the perfect frothy cap and a chocolate croissant in front of her, Hailey inhaled the grounding aromas and whispered to herself, “Everything will be all right.”
Even if she wasn’t confident that was possible, the words soothed—for the two seconds before Dixie barged through the door and pointed a long fingernail at her. “You! My man and I are out of jobs because of you, and one of the best bosses I’ve ever had is in a shit heap!”
Hailey stared at her, not sure what to do or say that would flip a bad situation into less of a bad situation. She had a plan, but she couldn’t put it into action until she’d rebuilt her reserves of chutzpah … and gathered more ammo.
Turned out she didn’t need to say anything because Amy ran to her side. Like Dixie, she parked her hands on her hips—a slighter version of the formidable woman. The scene would have been laughable if Hailey wasn’t on the verge of dissolving into tears again.
“Before you go off, Dixie Dobbs, you need to hear what Hailey Bailey has to say.”
Wait.Did Hailey have anything to say? No, not right now while the smell of the coffee and pastry had turned sour and made her want to puke, nor while her wrist throbbed, nor while her humiliation was at its peak and on display for all to see.
Dixie sat, ready for Hailey to explain herself. Of course she was. “Well?” The question was a demand.
Hailey pulled in a breath and blew it back out again. “I promise you, I had no idea,” she began. Seemingly satisfied, Amy gave an approving head bob and marched back to her counter.
By some unforeseen miracle, Dixie sat and listened while Hailey recounted the same story she had told Amy the night before—the version that left out the assault in Cliff’s car, though why she protected his reputation, she had little idea. No, she knew. She was protectingherreputation, hiding her embarrassment. Because somewhere along the way she’d bought into the notion that what he did might have beenherfault.
Except it wasn’t. She had never misled him, intentionally or otherwise. Hisegohad misled him. She had said no—multiple times! This wasn’therhumiliation to own. It was all on him.
I am the boss of me. Nobody else. Not my father, not my sister, not my prick of a boss.
Former boss.
In that moment, she glimpsed the power she held, and heavy layers lifted from her shoulders. And she planned to wield that power to fire a salvo so fierce it opened a hole in Cliff Meissner’s hull and caused enough damage to sink his battleship.
Hailey drew a slice of warmth from the fire she had kindled inside herself. “Actually, Dixie, there’s more that I haven’t shared yet.” She proceeded to spill the rest of the story, along with every ugly little detail.
“You need to come with me,” Dixie declared when Hailey had finished.
“Why? Where?”
“You need to tell His Nibs what you just told me.”
Yesterday she’d debated about telling Noah, over and over, without coming to a decision. Did she have the fortitude right now to face those fiery green eyes?
Dixie left her no choice. The woman was a force of nature Hailey would never bet against.
Hailey dropped a few bills beside her barely nibbled croissant and her cappuccino, whose perfect foam crown had caved in … kind of like her wobbly spirits. Vaguely, she wondered how much longer she would be able to enjoy the simple luxury of overpriced coffee and pastries wrapped in a cozy bistro.
When they reached the Miners Tavern, she braced herself, anxious to get this next bit over with.
Dixie blazed a trail through the back door. “Boss! Someone here to see you.”
“Yep,” came a muffled reply.
“Really?” Hailey hissed beside her.
Dixie shrugged. “Well, if he knew it wasyou, he wouldn’t come out.”
“Oh gee, that’ssoooreassuring. Time for me to leave.”
Dixie grabbed her wrist, and Hailey cried out. The woman dropped her forearm as quickly as she’d picked it up, utterly stricken. “What? What did I do?”
“What’s going on?” Noah’s baritone had them both turning toward him.
