the one. Haley squeezed her eyes shut. If there was one person Haley wished could miss the news flash about her suspended nuptials, it was Matthew Warren. He’d already witnessed one of her most embarrassing moments, and now he would have a front-row seat to another.
“Oh, the wedding,” Trina continued, oblivious to her daughter’s mortification. “That’s why I called. Here, let me speak to your mother first.”
First. Of course, Matthew Warren would need to hear the news of a canceled wedding second or at least third, behind the Reverend Leyton Boggs, who would have performed the ceremony. As part-time music minister at the Community Church of Markston, Matthew would be in the loop.
Haley stood and backed from the room, not wanting to hear the events rehashed. Jenna started to follow, but Haley shook her head to stop her.
“I just need to fix my makeup.”
In the bathroom, Haley wiped trails of mascara from her face with a dampened tissue. She was still patting dry her cheeks when someone rapped on the door.
“Sweetie, are you all right?” Trina pushed open the door and stuck her head inside. “Amy said she was sorry to hear the news. She canceled the cake order. Too bad the bridal shop won’t be able to do that for the dress.”
“Oh.” Haley closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I hadn’t even thought about that yet.” What she would do with a silk bridal gown with an empire waist, she had no idea. Maybe make white silk bathroom curtains?
“Matthew said he was sorry, too.”
Haley lowered her hand and opened her eyes, her cheeks growing warm. “That was nice of him.”
Her mother studied her face as if deciding whether to tell her more. Haley would have assured her that nothing could surprise her now, but then Trina spoke again.
“Matthew also told me to tell you if there’s anything he can do to help, you should just ask.”
Matthew Warren jumped at the sound of the doorbell, narrowly missing slicing his finger in the same julienne style as the carrots on his mother’s cutting board.
“I’ll get it.” Four-year-old Elizabeth climbed down from the stool where she’d been helping by playing in the sudsy dishwater. She raced across the room.
Matthew caught his daughter before she reached the swinging kitchen door and hoisted her into his arms. “I don’t think so, young lady. You know only grown-ups are supposed to answer the door. What if it’s a stranger?”
“Those aren’t strangers,” his mother supplied, patting her short silver hair. “They’re our guests.”
“Well, about that…” He glanced at the kitchen door, feeling the same nervous tension he experienced whenever he met new clients at his law practice. “Did I mention that this dinner is a bad idea?”
“About five times now.”
“Haley’s probably still reeling from the news. I doubt she’s in the mood for socializing.”
“Maybe not.”
“And Elizabeth and I shouldn’t be here, either. I have things I need to do. If I don’t find a new sitter by Monday…”
Amy Warren stopped, planting her hands on her hips. “Matthew, we still have to eat.”
The bell rang again. It was an unnecessary interruption to the dispute since Matthew had already lost.
“Daddy! The door.” Elizabeth wiggled out of his arms and then grabbed his hand, pulling him from the kitchen.
“Coming,” he called out as they hurried down the hall.
Tonight’s dinner was still a bad idea, in his opinion. The whole thing felt like an ambush. He shouldn’t have offered his help to Haley, either, when he was dealing with enough of his own problems. His mother’s stubbornness over her dinner party irritated him, but everything had bugged him today since he’d made the mistake of answering his mother’s cell phone while on his lunch hour.
In the foyer, he hesitated. He had no reason to be nervous. It had all happened a long time ago, and even then it hadn’t been a big deal. Anyway, Haley probably had bigger things on her mind today than her adolescent crush that had ended in an embarrassing rejection. Shaking his head, he opened the door.
Trina Scott stood on the stoop, her gloved hand poised to knock. “Oh, there you are. I thought you were going to let us freeze out here.”
Behind her, the older two Scott sisters stood in their heavy coats, their arms laden with food.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
Elizabeth squeezed in front of him as he pushed open the storm door to let them inside. “Hi, Grandma Trina. Daddy and Grammy were arguing in the kitchen.”
“Really?” Trina lifted an eyebrow as she leaned in to hug Matthew and then dropped a kiss on Elizabeth’s head. She turned to her daughters. “Elizabeth needed something to call me, so Amy thought ‘Grandma Trina’ would be nice.”
Matthew turned to the other women. “Hey, Jenna. Hey, Caroline. Where’s Haley?”
Just as he spoke her name, the fourth guest appeared behind them, her face peering out from the hood of her parka. She opened the door and stepped inside.
“Hi, Haley. It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has.”
Haley flicked her gaze his way as she removed her coat and handed it to him. She looked different, but he should have expected that. People tended to change after nine years. Her hair was blonder than he had remembered, and though she used to wear it long like her sisters, she’d cut it in a sassy shag style that reached just to her chin. It suited her, he decided.
“Who’s she, Daddy?”
Matthew glanced down at the child tugging his arm and then looked back to Haley. “I guess you two haven’t met.” Of course, they hadn’t. Her sisters had helped their mother move back to Markston a year before and had visited a few times since, but until now, Haley hadn’t made the trip.
Instead of answering him, Haley crouched in front of his daughter and extended her hand. “Hello. I’m Haley.”
“Call her Miss Haley,” Matthew instructed.
Though the child could sometimes be shy with strangers, she bravely shot out her hand. “I’m Elizabeth.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Elizabeth.” Haley shook the child’s tiny hand.
Elizabeth tilted her head to the side and studied the woman still crouched before her. “You’re pretty.”
“Thanks. So are you.” Haley stood again and toyed with the belt of her sweater.
Leave it to a four-year-old to state the obvious. Haley was an attractive woman, just like her sisters. Though “little Haley” had been a cute kid, the twenty-three-year-old had come into
