Even you.”
“No, I don’t. I’m an open book.”
Haley wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Oh, really? So, Josh knows about the time you went skinny-dipping with your cousins at that deserted beach in Tijuana?”
“Hell no!” she said with a laugh. “I’m taking that secret with me to the grave!”
“My point exactly. We’ve all done things we regret. Me, you and even Josh.”
“Girl, I agree with you, but Josh is on a mission to unearth the truth.”
“If Josh has something to say why hasn’t he come forward? Where’s his proof?”
“So far, it’s nothing but hearsay.”
“Then Josh should keep his opinions to himself.” Haley picked up her mug and sipped her coffee. Her gaze strayed to the window. Dark clouds sailed across the sky, obscuring the sun, and a blustery summer wind shook the plants and trees. Haley hoped it didn’t rain. She had errands to do at lunchtime, and she didn’t want her ivory dress and wedge sandals to get soaked.
“Do you want to date Ashton? Is that why you’re defending him?” Becca asked.
To avoid answering the question, Haley took a bite of her bagel and studied the children’s artwork displayed on the walls. “I know Ashton’s way out of my league, but we really hit it off last night, and I want to see him again.”
“Out of your league?” Becca puckered her lips and shook her head, her chandelier earrings swinging furiously back and forth. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re the total package.”
Haley nodded, but deep down, she knew she’d never measure up to Ashton’s ex-girlfriends. And there were a lot. Last night in bed she’d made the mistake of Googling him and found hundreds of images of the dashing Miami bachelor with women who looked like runway models.
“Be careful, Haley. Take things slow. Don’t rush into anything.”
“Said the girl who got engaged only weeks after meeting her new boyfriend.”
“Touché,” Becca said with a laugh. “But when a girl knows, she knows, and the first time Josh kissed me I knew he was the only man for me. I tried to fight my feelings and keep him at bay, but he easily won me over, and I’m glad he did.”
“Girl, stop! You sound like an online dating commercial!”
Stars filled Becca’s eyes. “I love my man and he loves me, and that’s all that matters.”
They’d been friends for years, and Haley couldn’t recall ever seeing Becca this happy. It warmed her heart that after countless disappointments, her BFF had met someone who cherished her.
“Are you seeing Ashton again tonight?”
Yes, and I can’t wait! she thought, resisting the urge to break out in song. Feeling giddy, Haley pursed her lips together to trap a squeal inside her mouth. Now she was the one with the dreamy expression on her face and the goofy, lopsided grin. “I told Ashton I was volunteering at the soup kitchen, and he offered to help out.”
“Yeah, right, and I’m going to remain celibate until my wedding night!”
“Why is it so hard for you to believe that Ashton’s volunteering tonight?”
“There’s no way in hell he’s going down to the mission to feed the homeless.” Standing, Becca dumped her trash in the garbage can. “He’s a zillionaire. That’s beneath him.”
“It shouldn’t be. If the Obamas can serve dinner to the homeless, anyone can.”
“Good point, but men of Ashton’s stature usually don’t. Just sayin’.”
“That shouldn’t be the case,” Haley argued, rising to her feet. “Everyone, regardless of their social status, has a duty to help those in need. Aunt Penny always says, ‘Giving to the less fortunate nourishes the soul,’ and I wholeheartedly agree.”
A grin curled Becca’s lips. “Does that mean you’re going to give Ashton some tonight?”
“You’re a mess, you know that?” Haley rinsed her dishes, put them in the dishwasher and slammed it shut with her hip. “What happened to the kind, sweet girl I used to know?”
“She got engaged to a man with six-pack abs!” Becca shrieked, fanning her face.
“You’ve changed for the worse,” Haley teased. “You used to talk about social issues and saving up to buy your first home, and now all you talk about is sex.”
“It’s not my fault my fiancé’s fine as hell. I can’t help myself!”
Giggling, the women left the staff room arm in arm, swapping stories about the rivals of the Millionaire Moguls of Miami.
* * *
Three hours later, Haley was sitting at her desk, buried under a mountain of paperwork, listening to her favorite radio station. Jazz music was playing on Lite FM, and thanks to her aromatherapy candle the air smelled of roses and lavender. She’d accomplished a lot since arriving at her office that morning, but still had a hefty to-do list. Haley was craving another cup of coffee, but she decided to finish editing the monthly newsletter before taking a break.
Her gaze fell across the picture frame on her desk. The photograph was taken last summer, with all of the students in the mentorship program, and Haley marveled at how different Sienna looked. In the picture the teen was laughing, but these days she rarely smiled. Curious how she was doing, Haley made a mental note to call her at lunchtime.
The phone rang. Recognizing it was an internal call, she answered on the second ring.
“I hope you’re sitting down, because I have bad news.”
It was Mr. MacTavish, the foundation’s part-time accountant, and Haley could tell by the strain in his voice that he was upset. “Calvin, what is it?”
“The check we received last week from Mr. and Mrs. Polanski bounced,” he explained. “The bank just called to inform me, and I wanted to give you a heads-up about it.”
It wasn’t the first time a check had bounced, and since it probably wouldn’t be the last, Haley took a deep breath and channeled positive thoughts. “How much was the check for?”
“A hundred thousand dollars.”
The phone slipped from her hand, but Haley caught it before it hit the desk. A burning sensation warmed her chest, and knots formed in her stomach. She loved her job and couldn’t imagine ever returning to the corporate world, but she was tired of donors letting them down. And she could do without living paycheck to paycheck as well. The nonprofit sector was not for the faint of heart, and if Haley didn’t love her staff and the students they mentored she would’ve thrown in the towel years ago.
Telling herself there was nothing she couldn’t handle, Haley said, “We received several checks last week. Did they all bounce?”
“No, thankfully, the other three cleared
