Finding Hayes: A Small Town, Marriage of Convenience Romance (Magnolia Falls Series Book 5)

Sunlight flooded the room, and I tried to lick my lips, but it appeared my tongue was superglued to the roof of my mouth. It felt like someone was banging their drums inside my head, and I covered my eyes with my hands and rubbed them several times before attempting to open them.

After I blinked a few times, I sat forward.

Where the hell am I?

Tequila. Puking. Hayes.

“Oh, God,” I groaned.

“You beckoned, Shortcake?” Hayes’s voice called out from somewhere outside the room before he appeared in the doorway.

I glanced around. “Is this your room?”

“It is.”

“Did something happen between us?” I asked, panic coursing through my veins. I would know if I slept with someone, especially Hayes, wouldn’t I? But what was I doing in his bed?

“Relax, Sav.” He came around my side of the bed and handed me a mug of coffee. “I carried you in here after you puked more than any human ever should, because it’s the only room with a bathroom attached. I slept in the guest room.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? That’s your apology for basically asking if I took advantage of you?” he grumped, before making his way back toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to get to work. I left a spare key on the counter for you. You’re going to need it when you move in here in a few weeks anyway. Your car is in my driveway, and the keys are on the table.”

He’d thought of everything. He’d taken care of me, and I was being rude.

“I’m an awful human being, and if you want to make a citizen’s arrest and tell the whole town that I pulled that fire alarm back in the day, I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Nah. That would hurt my chances of getting promoted to captain if my fake wife was a fire-alarm-pulling criminal. I’ll be working for the next three days, and then it’ll be showtime again. River thinks we should do this whole dating thing for three weeks and then get hitched. We don’t want to do it on the day of the cutoff because that’ll look a little too obvious. So, we take it to the next level this week.”

“Okay. I can do that. I’m going to get dressed and head out to the farmhouse now,” I said, taking a sip of coffee as he started to leave the room, and I climbed out of bed. “Hey, Hayes.”

“Yep.” He glanced over his shoulder at me.

“Thank you for taking care of me last night.”

He didn’t answer. He just nodded and walked away. I heard the door close behind him, and I had a flashback of me telling him how I’d hated him all these years.

Why do I feel guilty about that now?

I had every reason to despise Hayes Woodson. Just because he was being nice now didn’t mean that what happened in the past didn’t happen.

We were just two people with a history that were helping one another out right now.

I pushed out of bed, looking down to see I was fully clothed, and I remembered him taking my boots off.

I remembered him rubbing my back while I puked.

I had a flashback of him carrying me to his bed.

Why did he have to be so damn sexy, too?

It only made me want to hate him more.

I made my way to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. I glanced over at the bathtub and stared at it for a long moment. The hot water wasn’t working at the farmhouse, so I’d been taking really fast ice-cold showers the last few days. The thought of a hot bath sounded really nice, especially considering I had a hell of a migraine. I ran the bath, turning the water on extra hot.

He wouldn’t care, would he? He let me sleep here. I would be living here soon.

I let the tub fill, and I walked out to the kitchen and refilled my coffee. Hayes’s house was not a typical bachelor pad, but that didn’t shock me.

He’d always been very clean. His house was decorated with minimal décor, but there was thought behind it. He took pride in his home. He’d always hated the chaos in his childhood home, so I wasn’t surprised that he’d made a comfortable home for himself.

I moseyed down the hall, smiling when I took in one of the guest rooms that was clearly for Cutler. It had a bookshelf, a few puzzles, and some stuffed animals.

Hayes was always adamant that he didn’t want kids after the way he’d grown up, and I wondered if that had changed. As his future fake wife, I could probably ask. The way he was with Cutler made me think he may have changed his mind. Just seeing them together made it clear how much he loved that little boy.

It was a side of Hayes I didn’t know. A softer side.

I hurried down to the bathroom just in time to turn off the water, and I set my coffee on the ledge surrounding the large tub. I pulled off my jeans and sweater from yesterday before unstrapping my bra, because who in the world wants to sleep in a bra? I pushed my panties down my legs and glanced out the small window to see the snow falling once again.

This was exactly what I needed. I dipped my toe in the water and a loud shrieking yelp escaped, and I stumbled back.

My God. This man must have his hot water heater cranked up.

I leaned over to turn on the cold water just as a loud voice startled me from the doorway.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

I whipped around to see Hayes standing there gaping at me, and he wasn’t looking away.

“Oh, my gosh! What are you doing?” I covered my parts with my hands and reached for the only thing I could find, which was a small hand towel. I frantically tried to cover anything I could as he moved past me like this was no big deal. He opened the cabinet across from me and pulled out a towel and held it up, with a deviously sexy smirk on his face.

I quickly wrapped it around myself and glared at him. “Why are you so calm?”

“Because it’s my bathroom.” His lips turned up in the corners. “And I’ve seen you naked before, remember?”

“You are the one who doesn’t remember,” I said, my heart racing because he’d just seen every inch of me.

When was the last time I shaved?

My God, this was so bad.

I liked to prepare before someone saw me naked.

And especially before Hayes saw me naked.

“Well, I can promise you this, Shortcake. I will not forget it this time.”

“What are you even doing here?” I snarled, tightening the towel between my breasts. “I thought you left fifteen minutes ago.”

Why am I breathing so heavily?

He was fully clothed, but it was the way his eyes trailed up my legs as he took in every inch of me that had my body betraying me.

“I live here.” He pulled out another towel and set it on the counter.

“You could have knocked.”

“Why would I knock? The door wasn’t closed. I heard a shriek, and I thought your hungover ass fell down or something.”

“That’s because I thought you were long gone.”

“I came back in here to tell you that I drove your car around the block, and it’s running great. I can’t have my little woman driving an unsafe car,” he said, as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Thank you?” I said, sarcasm pouring from my almost naked body.

Why was he still in here?

“You’re welcome. I thought you were leaving. That’s why I started up your car.”

Damn it. His reasoning made complete sense.

Once again, I was the asshole. How was that possible?

I sighed. “The hot water heater isn’t working at Abe’s place, so I saw the tub, and I thought you were gone…”

“Hey. You don’t have to ask to take a bath, Sav. I’ll turn your car off and leave the keys on the counter. Take your time.”

“Thank you. And, er, sorry about the little show.”

“Don’t apologize for that. Great way to start the day.” He winked and pulled the door closed after he stepped out of the bathroom.

I buried my face in my hands and groaned. I dropped the towel and mimicked the pose I’d been in when he’d walked in and then looked in the mirror.

He’d definitely seen a lot. Especially when I whipped around.

I tied my hair up in a pile on top of my head with the hair tie on my wrist before dipping my toe back into the water. It wasn’t as hot as it had been a few minutes ago, before I’d embarrassed myself. I climbed in and sank beneath the hot water, allowing it to cover my shoulders.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax.

So much had happened since I’d arrived in Magnolia Falls.

I’d let my guard down with Hayes because it was so easy to do.

But I needed to remember that this was a business deal, nothing more.

I’d spent the last few days placing calls to the hospital in Texas and gathering all the information we’d need to get my father admitted into this trial. Insurance would pay a portion, and all that was required up front was ten thousand dollars cash, which I currently had on hand. It felt damn good to be able to go forward with the application process, because normally, this was where everything came to a stop. But I had the money, and we could keep pushing now. Obviously, it would cost much more once he was in, but the initial deposit after insurance was covered. I no longer felt guilty about lying to everyone about what I was about to do. Because if this worked, it would be totally worth it. I’d spoken to Nadia about it, and she felt confident it could be the difference between buying him several more years of life or throwing in the towel now. I was not giving up on my father.

I’d also started coming up with renovation plans for the farmhouse. I’d met with Nash and Kingston, who owned RoD Construction, and all I would need was a deposit to get things started here, and the rest of the money would be released in a couple of weeks.

After I become a married woman.

Hayes and I had been texting while he was at the firehouse because we had to come up with some plans for this week. Maybe we texted about other things, too, but I didn’t have many people here that I talked to, and he was probably bored at work.

So, yeah, we texted often when he was at the firehouse.

I wasn’t going to overthink it.

It would be hard to prove that we were in a real marriage if we didn’t speak when he was away for days at the firehouse.

Saylor had reached out and asked me to meet her at the Golden Goose for lunch today. I pulled the door open, and she waved me over.

“What’s going on with you and Grumpy-hot-fireman?” Midge asked as she greeted me at the door. I’d always liked her, even though most people found her abrasive. I clearly had a type that I was drawn to.

Grumpy.

Moody.

Annoyed most of the time.

I was about to say that nothing was going on, and I stopped myself. We needed people to think something was happening.

“What do you mean?” My voice was all tease as she led me toward the table in the back where Saylor was sitting.

“I heard you two were quite the spectacle at Whiskey Falls the other night. And he carried you home?”

I laughed. “How do you possibly know that?”

“I’ve got eyes everywhere, Savvy.” She waggled her brows. “That is one sexy, fire-blazing, unattainable man. If you can harness that, more power to you.”

Saylor shook her head in disbelief as she caught the tail end of the conversation. “Ew. That’s my brother, Midge.”

I batted my lashes at the older woman beside me. “A lady never tells her secrets.”

Where the hell did that come from?

I slid into the booth beside Saylor, and our server, Letty, came over and took our orders before we even got a word out.

“Thanks for meeting me here,” Saylor said. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing with everything. I know Abe’s passing was hard on you.”

“Yeah. Most days, I still can’t believe he’s gone. It’s a huge loss. I miss our chats. I miss his laugh. How stubborn he was when I told him to go to the doctor or eat better,” I said, feeling the ache in my chest that I’d felt since the day I’d heard the news.

“Yeah. He and Lily loved you. They missed you so much after you moved away.” Saylor reached for her soda after our drinks were set down on the table. “I’d go out there and ride, and they’d talk about you the whole time. We all missed you, you know?”

Saylor had been like a little sister to me growing up. But when I left, I cut off all ties to this town, aside from Abe and Lily.

“I missed you, too. I was just dealing with a lot back then. It was almost too much, between my mom’s affair and my father finding out he had cancer.”

“I hadn’t known about your dad, and I don’t think Hayes knew either, because he would have told me. He was shocked when you left. But that’s when everything went down here, too. I guess in Magnolia Falls, when it rains, it pours, huh?”

“Hayes knew. I told him.” I reached for my water and took a sip before setting it back down. “And I’m sorry for everything that happened with your mom and that I wasn’t there for you.”

Lily had filled me in that Hayes and Saylor had been removed from their home due to an altercation with their stepfather. They’d gone to live with friends for a while, and eventually, Hayes took custody of his sister when he turned eighteen. I didn’t know the details, but I knew they’d gone through a lot.

I guess we all had.

Saylor waved her hand around. “Don’t be silly. We all had things we were dealing with. Mine led me to this place, right here, right now, and it’s exactly where I want to be. Maybe yours led you back here for a reason, too.”

I chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but I’m happy to be here now.”

I wasn’t staying. Magnolia Falls was not my home anymore. And with Abe and Lily gone, that meant there was nothing here for me anymore. But I couldn’t say that to her. To anyone. I was about to marry her brother, and it needed to appear like I would be staying. This whole plan was already more complicated than I’d expected. And lying to people I cared about was not something that I felt good about. I needed to get this renovation started, get hitched, and then get divorced, sell the farm, and leave town.

“Oh, my gosh, is that Savannah Abbott?” Kimber’s high-pitched voice had my head turning. She’d always been ridiculously bubbly and over the top. She’d been a bit pretentious back in the day, and I wondered if she’d outgrown that now.

“Hi, Kimber,” I said.

“I heard you were back. So sorry to hear about Abe. I was sad we weren’t able to make it to the funeral, but Lenny and I were out of town for my cousin’s wedding.”

“He wouldn’t have wanted you to miss that,” I said because it was true.

She held up the bags in her hands. “I’ve been out shopping like crazy for the fundraiser Lenny and I are throwing for the firehouse. I’ve never met a credit card I didn’t love.” She chuckled.

“Yes, Hayes mentioned the fundraiser. He and I will be there,” I said, and Saylor coughed a little over the sip she’d just taken from her soda. Hayes had actually mentioned the fundraiser, but he’d made fun of it. He didn’t want to go, but I’d just found the next place to debut our new relationship.

Kimber arched a brow. “You’re coming with Hayes?”

“Yeah. We’ve been spending a lot of time together since I’ve been back home. I guess we’re picking up where we left off.”

“Interesting.” She eyed me suspiciously. “He’s Magnolia Falls’ most unattainable bachelor.”

“I don’t find him unattainable at all.” I reached for a french fry and smiled.

“Well, you two were always close.”

“And we’re even closer now,” I said, smiling up at her with all the confidence in the world.

“Really? How serious is this with you and Hayes?” Her eyes were wide, and she tapped her chin with her finger anxiously.

This was my moment.

I kept my face perfectly unaffected. “I’d say things are going really well. We plan on throwing a big Valentine’s bash for everyone at the firehouse, so we’ll get that invite over to you as soon as we have all the details.”

She didn’t hide her surprise. “Oh. Throwing parties together already? That was fast.”

“Nothing fast about it. It’s always been there; the timing just wasn’t right. But when you know, you know. You know?” I chuckled at my repetitive words, and Saylor’s head fell back in laughter.

“She’s right. It was always there,” Saylor said.

“Good for you. I’ll try not to make my party too over the top because that would be no fun to have to follow one of my shindigs.” She snorted.

“Don’t hold back at all. I’m guessing we can both throw a good party.”

“Well, you haven’t seen the parties that Lenny and I throw. Everyone in town talks about how fabulous they are.” She quirked her brow.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Thankfully, she walked away, and I turned to find Saylor gaping at me.

“So, what exactly is going on with you and my brother?”

I couldn’t lie to her face, but I also couldn’t tell her the truth.

“It’s complicated.” I shrugged.

“Nothing would surprise me with you two.” She picked up her grilled cheese and took a bite.

I wasn’t so sure about that. A fake marriage might surprise her.

Because it surprised the hell out of me.