Fighting For You (The Connor Family 5)

Shopping with Hailey was a whole new level of fun. The girl knew what she was doing.

“I can tell you were a style adviser.”

“Val gave me the idea. She’d hired a wardrobe consultant at some point. It was the best student job I’ve had. Landon and Val were up in arms about it.”

“Why?”

“They insisted on paying all my living expenses so I could focus on my studies.”

“And let me guess. You disagreed?”

“I didn’t want to be a leech. I also hoped that if I showed I could be completely independent they’d stop fussing about me and Jace and, you know, enjoy their own freedom for a bit. Val used to joke that she felt like an empty nester when I went to college. But it was all for nothing. They still fuss over us. I’ve learned to accept and enjoy it,” she finished with a grin.

After choosing a few dresses, I stepped into a changing room.

I’d only just changed into the first dress when Hailey stuck her hand through the curtains, holding a pair of silver strappy sandals that had my mouth watering.

“You’re a genius. These go with every single dress we’ve picked.”

“Practice makes perfect. Mr. Louboutin got a lot of my hard-earned money before I learned to buy shoes efficiently.”

Somehow I thought that Hailey and I had different ideas about what efficient meant. I didn’t remember seeing her wear the same pair of shoes twice.

“Girl, this is our winner,” Hailey exclaimed when I tried on a dark blue silk dress. It was long, with a generous split up the right leg.

“It is, isn’t it? I’m buying it. And these shoes are going to be the new staple in my wardrobe.”

“You know, that would also make a great staple in your wardrobe.” She pointed to one of the other contenders, a fabulous mix of silk and organza. “Good for cocktails and even evening meetings. It’s black so it goes with almost any shoes.”

“Oh, Hailey. You’re so bad.”

“I know, I know. Should have warned you before. I wanted to keep my mouth shut, but that dress is so pretty I just had to make a case for it.”

“I’ve always had a weakness for pretty things.”

“Hey, so have I. Don’t be so harsh on yourself. Think of it as a present for yourself. That’s what I do.”

“That sounds like a great strategy. You know how Jace always brags about being the bad influence out of the two of you? He’s wrong. The crown belongs to you.”

“Finally someone appreciates me at my full value. Can you bring this up at the next Friday dinner? As casually as possible?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make your case.”

“I wish I could watch my brother’s face when he sees you.”

***

On the evening of the gala, I was in my bedroom, getting ready, when the front door opened and Jace called my name.

“Still getting ready. You’re not allowed to come in my bedroom. I’ll tell you when you can come in.”

I had yet to finish styling my hair. When I only had a few strands to roll around the hot iron, Jace appeared in the doorway.

“Hey,” I admonished. “I told you I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

Jace walked in, stopping just behind me and catching my gaze in the mirror.

“What’s wrong with watching you get ready? It’s my favorite thing to do, especially when you remove your makeup and I’m the only one who sees you that way.”