Page 79 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

The ocean breeze made her hair dance across her face. I tucked the loose strands behind her ear as she smiled up at me. I wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay, but I couldn't force the words out of my mouth. Because I knew how hard it was to lose my dad. I knew how much it hurt. And I wasn't going to lie to her. But I also wasn't going to just do nothing. She needed to get back home to her father. She needed money. I'd help her with both, whether she wanted me to or not.

"What now?" she said as she stared up at me.

"Now you go home. And I..."

She put her finger against my lips. "No, not yet. Just for this one moment, let's be us. Uncomplicated, easy. I need something to hold on to." She shook her head. "For some reason you're the only person that makes me feel strong enough to deal with everything."

I pressed my lips together. I was already holding on to every moment of this trip. Her face was imprinted in my mind. And she was giving me strength to face my fears tomorrow. As much as I wanted to spend one more day together, though, I couldn't ask her to stay. I couldn't let her live with as much regret as I did. "I'm going to take you to the airport. You have to go home."

She lowered her eyebrows slightly. "I'm not ready."

"Hailey, you can't put it off. You need to be there when..."

"He dies?" Her voice wavered slightly. "You think I don't know that? I'm just asking for one day. Just one more day." She glanced toward the ocean. "He has four months to live. And I'm not giving up hope yet. This is a setback, but I'll find another way. I always find another way. I'll do whatever it takes. He's not going to die. I just need...one more day." She looked back up at me. "And we haven't even touched the Pacific Ocean yet."

Despite all that she was going through, there was still a twinkle in her eye. That playfulness made me follow her down to the water. I loved her optimism. I loved everything about her. But most of all, I loved that she made me feel like I wasn't missing any pieces anymore.

Her laughter made me smile as we stepped into the water.

"Jesus, it's freezing!" she squealed. She tried to run back toward the hot sand, but I wrapped my arms around her, keeping her in place.

"Is it everything you hoped it would be?"

"No! It's so cold!"

I laughed and released her from my grip.

"And, actually, it smells kinda weird." She retreated to the sand.

I shook my head. "That's how the ocean smells. Like salt."

Hailey scrunched up her nose. "It smells more like fish to me."

I laughed. "You know what? I have an idea. Come with me." I grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward the parking lot.

"Where are we going?" she asked as we walked past the car.

"I was hoping we'd wind up at Venice Beach. I was doing some research the other day about things to see here."

"And..." her voice trailed off as we sidestepped a skateboarder.

"And you'll see in a minute." We walked down the street and I pulled her off the sidewalk behind a building.

"Are you finally going to live up to the hitchhiking stereotypes and murder me?" Her fingers tightened around me, contradicting her words.

"Eh, not today. Wait," I said and turned her around to face me. "Close your eyes."

"Tyler, I don't think..."

"Just do it, Hails."

She pressed her lips together and shook her head at me. But after a brief stare-down she slowly closed her eyes.

"No peeking," I said as I grabbed her hand and led her past the building.

"Now I really am worried..."

I would have been in awe of what was in front of me if I wasn't completely in awe of Hailey. I stopped, grabbed her shoulders, and turned her toward the canals. "Okay...open your eyes."

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