Page 28 of An Inconvenient Plan
Mad took two bottles of beer from the refrigerator, popped the tops, and took one to the small concrete patio, where Parker was grilling. He was tall with an athletic grace, his short dark brown hair emphasizing sharp cheekbones and an angular jaw. Hailey waved to him through the glass patio door. He lifted a hand in greeting with a smile. Parker was such a good match for Mad, both of them athletic, strong, and tough. He was reserved whereas Mad was outgoing, but they balanced each other out.
Mad returned with a tennis ball that she bounced over to Rose in the kitchen. Rose couldn’t get her mouth around it, so she just kept chasing it as it rolled all over the kitchen.
“All right,” Mad said, taking a seat on the sofa. “Spill. For someone who’s desperate to talk, you sure take your time.”
Hailey joined her, setting her water on the coffee table. “It’s called being polite.”
“Ha! It’s called stalling.” She took a pull on her beer. “What did Josh do this time?” She knew their rocky history. She’d witnessed most of it.
“It’s not him. Okay, remember Prince Phillip?”
“Ah, yeah. Hard to forget the guy you wouldn’t shut up about. What happened? He ask you out?”
She squirmed a bit in her seat and then crossed her legs, folding her hands on top in a composed pose. “Even better, I think, I’m not sure. I can’t figure out where I stand. First off, he offered to buy Ludbury House for me.”
“What?” Mad screeched. She set her beer on the coffee table and leaned forward. “No fucking way!”
Hailey nodded, pleased Mad saw the enormity of this event. “I know it sounds outrageous, right? But it might be just an investment for him. He offered me a loan with low interest.”
“Did he ask for a percentage of your business?”
“No.”
Mad sliced a hand through the air. “He’s trying to buy your love. He probably doesn’t have the cash for an outright gift, so he’s offering what he can. Total prince move. He’s into you.”
Hailey smoothed her hair with a shaky hand. This was beyond exciting. Mad was usually spot-on with guy speak, except when she teased Hailey that Josh was into her. Josh might have kissed her recently aftershetook the initiative, practically begging him to goFierce Longingon her, but there was a long stretch of time where she knew he hated her. Maybe not hate, more strong dislike. Whatever. Why was she thinking about Josh now? He’d completely blown her off. Games. She didn’t have time for that shit.
Mad eyed her. “You into the prince thing?”
“Who wouldn’t be? It’s like every fairy-tale fantasy every girl grows up with.”
“Not me.”
“Well, I did. And not only did he make that nice offer to help me with my business, he invited me to be his date at the royal weddings for Princess Silvia, both here and on Villroy Island this summer!” Her voice cracked on a high note of excitement. She could hardly believe she’d be traveling in that elite circle. Imagine the people she’d meet!
Mad grunted and grabbed her beer, tipping it up to her mouth and speaking around it. “He wants you.”
She wiggled a little in her seat. What if she became a princess?
Or she could just be one of the many women Phillip rutted and threw away. Hadn’t he said he’d rutted his way through Europe? Maybe now he was rutting his way through America. Hailey was of an age where she needed to know there was at least apossibilityof a relationship to go with the sex. She’d thought maybe Josh—no.Stop thinking about that jerk.She wanted a relationship. Otherwise, she would’ve stayed in her friends-with-benefits arrangement. All of her physical needs had been met that way for years, but, in the end, she’d longed for love.
She slumped into the sofa. It pained her to admit, being a huge fan of love, but she’d never experienced love herself. It was kinda embarrassing given her job and her marketing angle as a love junkie.
“What about Josh?” Mad asked.
“What about him?”
“Don’t play dumb. I know something’s going on there. Josh is different now.”
“He is?”
“Yeah, he’s whistling and shit.”
Heat spread through her, half-embarrassed, half-turned on at the memory of their kiss. “I don’t know why.”
“Liar. What happened? And don’t tell me nothing.”
Hailey blew out a breath of exasperation. She couldn’t talk to Mad about Josh. Mad would take Josh’s side. He was her big brother and she owed him for helping her pay for college. “Look, I just wanted you to translate Phillip’s guy speak. I don’t want to talk about your brother.”
