Josh turned to him. Jake mouthed one. Josh turned back to Hailey. “How’s one?”
“Good,” Hailey said briskly. “I’ll pass along the message. She was busy today.”
“Great,” Josh said. “Can’t wait to see her again.”
Mad stomped down the bleachers and tossed her orange peels in the garbage.
Hailey let out a little sigh. “You really like her, huh?”
“Yeah,” Josh said, not all that convincingly.
“That’s nice,” Hailey said, nodding at the same time like she was trying to convince herself how nice it was.
Josh raised a brow, and Jake elbowed him. “Yeah,” Josh said.
Mad returned and flopped down next to Hailey.
Josh’s eyes went to half-mast, his poker face. “How’d your date go with Jake?”
Mad leaned forward. “Yeah. I want to hear this too.”
Hailey flushed pink. “It wasn’t a date. We talked business.”
“I guess Jake thought it was a date,” Josh said.
Jake glared at him.
Mad laughed. “Friend zoned, Jake!”
Hailey shot Jake an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give the wrong impression.”
Jake held a hand up. “No problem. I get it.”
“You weren’t attracted to him at all?” Josh asked with an edge to his voice.
Hailey stared straight ahead. “That’s very rude of you to ask, especially in front of him.”
“Yeah, Josh,” Mad said. “What’s your deal? Come on, Hailey.” Mad climbed down the bleachers and Hailey followed.
Jake shot Josh an amused look, but his brother didn’t notice. He was watching Hailey.
She grabbed the handle of the wheeled cooler and addressed the group. “It was nice meeting you all. Thanks again for letting me play.”
“Keep practicing,” Ty called. “You’ll get there.”
“Come back anytime,” Ethan said with a leer.
Hailey beamed. “Bye!”
“Bye, guys,” Mad said. They hollered bye to the women.
Jake turned to Josh as soon as Hailey was out of earshot. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell her.”
“It didn’t come up.”
“You mean she didn’t want you, so you let her think it wasn’t you.”
“No,” Josh snapped. “I just…she was too into the money thing.”
Jake shook his head. “She was talking business. You said she had a business plan, that she’s ambitious—”
“Just shut up. You got your date. Now you can stop nagging me.”
Jake grinned. “See? It paid off to jet home for a second date. Score.”
A weight lifted off him. Things were heading in the right direction.
Chapter Eight
Claire showed up as Jenny, cap pulled low over her shaded eyes, at the appointed meeting place, a quiet park in Clover Park. Hailey had arranged everything for Sunday when Claire had the day off. From the park, it was a quick trip to Hailey’s apartment for a debriefing (most likely Claire sharing and Hailey caring) and then back to the city. Aside from a few preschoolers playing on the nearby playground, no one seemed to notice Claire sitting on a bench under an oak tree. She remembered a time in her life when she would’ve given anything for someone to notice her, to make her feel like somebody, and when she finally achieved that, how gratifying it was, how exhilarating. Now here she was right back to square one by choice. Funny how priorities changed.
She saw Josh approaching in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, looking down to earth and real. She’d almost started to think she’d dreamed him up. Nothing glossy about him, but that was part of his appeal. He carried a bouquet of bright yellow flowers. She stood, her heart racing. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed seeing him. A week of replaying their day and night together had brought her to this moment, nearly trembling with excitement.
He stopped in front of her and grinned. “These are for you.”
She took the flowers—daisies, tulips, and carnations—and breathed them in. “Thank you.” Then she remembered the purpose of this meeting. “You want to have a seat?” She gestured to the bench.
He gazed at her warmly, dipping his head to look under her cap. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“You too,” she breathed.
He smiled and crinkles formed in the corners of his eyes. “I have something planned. Somewhere I want to take you.”
“Oh. But I—”
“My lady,” he said, crooking his arm for her to take. She stared at his arm, tan and solid. The gentleman manners again. She never got that from anyone.