SWNOVELS Finding Hayes: Chapter 23
I have news.
River
I think this is the first time in the history of our group text chain that Hayes has started the conversation.
Romeo
What’s up, brother?
I’m in love with my wife.
Nash
Are you just now realizing this?
I’m just now telling you assholes so you stop giving me a hard time. You were right.
King
Boom. It’s about fucking time, you clueless motherfucker.
I’ll let that slide because I’m in agreement with you.
Romeo
Sorry. I blacked out for a minute. Has Hayes been kidnapped? Does someone have his phone?
Nash
LOL. This is a lot to process. How about we ask him something no one else would know to make sure that it’s him?
River
What are King’s three fears?
Everyone on the planet knows that by now. Bees. Clowns. White vans.
King
Why the fuck would we go there? How about something that will make it more obvious that it’s him?
Romeo
I can’t wait for this.
King
I didn’t sleep at all last night because I’m trying to put a baby in my wife.
I will come over there and put your fucking head in the toilet and flush until your perfectly coifed hair is covered in toilet water and you can’t breathe. Do not talk about putting a baby in my sister again, motherfucker.
Nash
It’s definitely him.
King
So glad you’re safe, brother. <laughing face emoji>
Romeo
This is Hayes in love. He’s softer already, isn’t he?
Nothing soft about me, you dickheads.
River
Well, I’m just happy you owned it, because Easton called this morning, and Sheana and her attorney are apparently in town, questioning locals about you two. So, it’s great timing that you’re in love with your wife. Be prepared. They’ll be coming for us as his best friends.
Romeo
Let them ask whatever they want. We’ve got nothing to hide.
Nash
People get crazy when money is involved. We’ve got your back, brother.
King
Ride or die.
River
Brothers till the end.
Nash
Loyalty always.
Romeo
Forever my friend.
I shot a quick text to Savannah to let her know Sheana was in town with her attorney. She replied and said that Easton just phoned her to let her know.
She wasn’t worried.
We had nothing to hide.
This may have started out fake, but it was anything but now.
I didn’t know what the future held, but I knew that I loved my wife. That I wanted her and only her. I’d even agreed to give her five more letters from the box, and she’d tortured me by reading them aloud in bed after we’d had sex that first night.
And now that I’d had her, I couldn’t get enough.
We were like two horny teens having sex for the first time. We didn’t leave the house the next day, as we stayed in bed all day. We’d ordered food, which we ate between having sex in the bed and then followed it up with sex in the shower.
I was ravenous when it came to this woman. I’d never been like this, and I was done questioning it.
We were living in the moment.
So anyone who wanted to question our relationship could suck a dick.
I was crazy about her, and I wasn’t hiding it.
Nor was I acting.
“Rambo, there are some people here to see you. I sent them to the den area to wait,” Santa said. He was the oldest member of our crew, and I fucking loved the dude. He’d been the guy to take me under his wing and train me as a rookie.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Abe’s gold-digging ex and some guy in a fancy suit. They were trying to ask the guys questions, but I led them to the den and told everyone not to speak to them.”
Here we go.
“Thanks.” I clapped him on the shoulder and made my way out to the kitchen, just as Savannah walked in. She dropped in sometimes, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“Hey, hubs. I know you have one more night here, so I wanted to drop off some tortilla soup for everyone.” She set the crock pot on the counter and pushed up onto her tiptoes to kiss me.
Like it was just so natural to do it.
There was an easiness about her that had been missing from my life all the years we’d been apart.
And now that I had it back, I realized how much I needed it.
Needed her.
My hand wrapped around the side of her neck, my thumb tracing along her jaw. “Sheana and her attorney are here. Santa sent them to the den, so how about you come with me, and we do this together.”
I saw the concern in her eyes, and I smiled. It was fine. We were fine.
“I’m sorry they came to your work. That’s ridiculous. They can’t harass us.”
“Hey. I’m not upset. Don’t let them get to you. That’s what they want. They can ask whatever the fuck they want. We’re together. We’re happy. That’s all that matters.”
She nodded as my fingers intertwined with hers, and I led her down one more level to the den. We walked in, and they were both sitting on the couch whispering about something when they turned to see us there.
“Oh. I didn’t expect to see you here, Savannah. You were our next stop. It’s fairly easy to find you since you’ve made the renovations to my home so public on your social media,” Sheana said, pushing to her feet and walking our way. She extended her arm, and we both just stared at her.
This wasn’t a visit we’d wanted, and we owed her nothing. Abe gave her a big, fat check when they divorced because he wanted her out of his life. Sheana wasn’t named in the will and didn’t attend the funeral or send a card, flowers, nothing.
Savannah moved past her, ignoring her hand, and she and I sat down on the love seat across from where her attorney sat.
“This is my husband’s place of work, and there is no reason for you to be here bothering him,” Savannah said, her hand still in mine as they rested on her denim-covered thigh.
“Hayes, Savannah, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Mike Hardman.” He motioned for Sheana to sit back down beside him. It was clear there was no love there between Sheana and Savannah. “We were just in the area and thought we’d pop in and see if you were available for a quick chat. We didn’t expect both of you to be here.”
“Right,” I hissed. “Because you don’t want this to be real. But my wife drops by all the time, and today is no different. She brought soup for me and the guys. But our attorney, Easton Chadwick, who you’ve been in contact with, said that he told you not to try to speak to us without him present. But you came anyway, thinking you’d catch us off guard.”
“Well, if you have nothing to hide, why do you need an attorney?” Sheana said, folding her arms over her chest, and Mike shot her a warning look, which I assumed was his way of asking her to stay quiet.
“Because this feels like harassment,” Savannah said.
“My client feels she’s entitled to that house and the money that you were left, because Abe verbally made a promise to her. And we’ve learned that there were some interesting stipulations in that will, so we just want to make sure that you’ve followed the guidelines in the contract that Abe required of you. It’s as simple as that. We just have a few questions, and if you have nothing to hide, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Mike said, and he had this shady-ass smirk on his face.
“It’s ironic, really.” Savannah looked directly at Sheana. “I mean, you married a man much older than you and stayed all of three months. You fully took advantage of him and left with a lot of money in your pockets. I don’t believe for one minute that he made you a verbal promise, because there would be no reason that he didn’t include you in the will. But I do know that you never checked in on him toward the end stages of his life. You didn’t attend his funeral or even send your condolences. Yet you come back here after he dies and question me? I loved him. He was like a grandfather to me, and you knew that. I spoke to him every damn day. I’ve known him since I was a little girl. I’m renovating the farmhouse that belonged to Abe and Lily because it’s what he wanted. What they wanted. You don’t care about him or anything other than cashing in on his death. And that, Sheana, is disgusting.”
The room fell silent, and Sheana pushed to her feet.
“Well, guess what? He isn’t your grandfather. He owed you nothing. And you clung to him and Lily because your own family is a mess. Your father is a pathetic excuse for a man, from what I’ve heard. His wife blatantly cheated on him, and everyone in town knew about it. Abe felt sorry for you, and that’s just sad. I married him. He was my husband. That house, that money, should be mine. And you ran off and married the first man willing to do it, probably bribing him with a cut of the money. I’ll prove it, Savannah, you just wait.”
“Sheana.” Mike’s tone was harsh, and she startled when he pushed to stand and moved toward her. “Stop talking. This isn’t helping anyone.”
Savannah kept her cool, but my free hand fisted at my side as I pushed to my feet, dropping her hand as she remained on the love seat.
“If you ever fucking speak to my wife that way again, you’ll regret it.” I reached for Savannah, and she stood. “I signed a prenup, you dumbass. Next time, do your homework. Abe wanted my wife to have that money, and she should do with it what she wants. If he wanted you to have it, he would have named you in the will. This conversation is over. Get the fuck out of my firehouse, or I’ll call the police and have you both removed.”
Sheana started to speak, and her attorney held up his hand to stop her. “We’re leaving. Now.”
They left the room, and I turned as Savannah stepped closer, and I wrapped my arms around her. “You okay?”
“Yes. I hate that woman, though. She’s got no heart. Abe regretted marrying her immediately, and he was always resentful that she got the money that she did from him. She took advantage of a really good man who was lonely.” Her shoulders shook, and I just held her there.
“I know. She’s just shooting her shot. They have nothing, and I think her attorney just realized it.”
She looked up at me, eyes wet with emotion. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
“You didn’t drag me into anything. This is exactly where I want to be.”
“You’re a damn good husband.” She smiled. “But since I’m home alone tonight, how about you let me have another letter to read?”
She was relentless about these letters. They made me look like a weak pussy, the way I whined about missing her and begged her to call me.
“Why are you so obsessed with those letters? It’s just more of me wondering where you were.”
“Not true. There’s so much in those letters. I like hearing what was happening in your life after I left.”
“Worst year of my life,” I admitted. Savannah was gone. River and Romeo were sent away to juvie hall. My sister and I were almost sent to foster care and then lived apart, with me staying with Nash and his father and Saylor staying with River and Kingston’s grandparents.
“I know. But it helps me understand what you were going through.”
I groaned. “You haven’t snooped at all since I’ve been gone?”
She knew they were in a box on the top shelf in my closet. But that wasn’t Savannah’s style. She wanted me to give them to her.
She took her wrist and turned mine over before pressing them together. “Peas and carrots, hubby. I wouldn’t read them without you being okay with it.”
“How’d I get so lucky to marry you?” I whispered against her ear.
“I didn’t give you a choice,” she said, as she pulled back and smiled up at me. “But maybe this was all part of our journey, huh?”
“Maybe it was, Shortcake.”
Because I’d do it all again, if I ended up right here with her.