CHAPTER 6

Just before she whirled toward the door, she had the pleasure of seeing him completely dumbfounded. He sat staring up at her with blinking, uncomprehending eyes. She reached the door connecting the two rooms just as Faith turned off the taps in the shower. She closed the door behind her with emphasis.

Quickly she gathered her things together. She wasn’t about to spend the evening in the company of that man, even at the risk of hurting Faith’s feelings.

Faith stepped out of the bathroom clad only in her underwear. “Hailey, are you ready to French-braid my hair? You said we should do it before it dried too much.”

Inwardly Hailey groaned, but she answered brightly. “Of course I’m ready.”

She settled Faith on the bed and combed through the straight, wet strands. Sectioning it off, she began to weave the hair into two French braids that started close to Faith’s hairline and ended at two ribboned pigtails at her shoulders.

“Gee, it looks so neat. I wish I could learn to do it.”

“It’s almost impossible to do on oneself. I learned by doing Ellen’s hair.”

While still admiring her new hairdo in the mirror over the dresser, Faith said, “You’d better hurry and get ready. I don’t think Daddy likes having to wait.”

Hailey took Faith’s shoulders gently under her hands and turned the girl toward her. “Faith, would you be too terribly disappointed if I begged off tonight? I’m very tired and I need an evening at home to catch up on my laundry—things like that. You understand, don’t you?” When she could see that Faith didn’t understand and was about to object to the change in plans, she rushed on. “Besides, it’s been almost a week since your daddy has seen you. I think he’d enjoy an evening spent exclusively with you.”

Faith cast a quick glance toward the connecting door. “You really think so?”

“Yes. The two of you probably have a lot to talk about since you haven’t seen each other for several days.”

“I don’t know.” Faith didn’t sound at all convinced. “He likes talking to you, too. You’re closer to his age.”

If Hailey hadn’t been so shattered by what had happened just minutes before, she could have laughed at Faith’s naive observation. “I still think it would be better if I left now.”

Putting action to words, she got into her clothes. Picking up the dress she had planned on wearing to dinner and the oversized handbag she had taken to the pool, she went to the door. “Your father already knows I’m not coming with you.” It was a blatant lie, but if Tyler could use deceptive tactics, so could she. She knew he wouldn’t reveal her lie to Faith. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” Faith mumbled dispiritedly. Then she brightened and looked at Hailey hopefully. “Do you think Daddy will like my hair this way?” Her appeal was so pitiable that Hailey leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

“He’ll think you’re stunning. Have a good time, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Hailey didn’t breathe deeply until she was halfway home. Any second she expected to see the Lincoln looming up in her rear-view mirror, but apparently she had made good her escape. On the other hand, Tyler probably didn’t care if she went to dinner with them tonight or not. His romantic advances had been thwarted, and a man as virile as he certainly wouldn’t waste his time and trouble on anyone who put up a fight. He’d find a more cooperative woman.

Her hands were shaking as she let herself through the front door. Why should the thought of Tyler with another woman cloak her with a stifling depression? The idea of his kissing someone else with the same passion, touching someone else with the same familiarity as he had kissed and touched her, filled her with desperation.

Deciding to work it off and to salve her conscience for lying to Faith, she did her laundry, her hair, her nails, and paid bills. Stacking the sealed, stamped envelopes on the table near the door where she would see them in the morning and put them in the mailbox, she decided she might just as well go to bed. Her chores hadn’t rid her of her earlier depression.

Indeed they had only pointed out the tedium of her life. She found herself wondering where Tyler and Faith had eaten. Surely their dinner had been more exciting than her bowl of canned soup. What had Tyler said and done when he learned she had run out? Had he been irritated? Had he cared?

She was switching out the lamp on her bedside table when the telephone rang. Her heart jumped, skidded, then began beating wildly. Would it be—could it be—Tyler? Did she want to hear his voice? Denying that she did, she prayed that she would as she picked up the receiver.

“Hailey? Harmon here.”

She sagged with disappointment. “Hello, Harmon.”

“Sorry if I woke you up, but I just heard from the head honcho. He’s back from wherever he went and is on a rampage. He’s called a department heads’ meeting for eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Set your alarm an hour early. I’m advising everyone not to be late. I don’t think he’s in a forgiving mood.”

She swallowed. “D … do you know what got him upset?”

“Upset is putting it mildly. I only hope it wasn’t something I did that got him so bent out of shape. See you in the morning.”

He hung up, and for a long moment Hailey didn’t even realize he had. Worriedly, she gnawed her bottom lip. Unlike the general manager of Serendipity, she knew what had made Tyler Scott angry. She only hoped none of her colleagues would find out.

It was a tense group that sat around the long, wide conference table in the room adjacent to Harmon’s office. Anxiety hung over them like a pall. Nancy had made coffee, but few were availing themselves of it. They were all executive-level employees, but they were nervous. It was unnerving that an employer who had remained a mystery for years had suddenly become actively involved in Serendipity’s daily operations. Didn’t he trust them to run the park anymore? Who had made a mistake? Was Tyler Scott going to fire them all this morning?

Tyler swept through the door and went directly to the head of the table, where no one had had the temerity to sit. Hailey k

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