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

I’d just arrived back from Dallas with Hayes. He’d worked his schedule so that he could take off the weekend and come with me. We’d gotten a hotel near the hospital and spent our days with my father and Nadia and our nights wrapped around one another.

It made the stress of this whole experience so much better with my husband by my side. My dad was four weeks into treatment, and to say he was responding well was an understatement.

His numbers were improving.

He was feeling better.

Eating better.

Sleeping better.

It was a small win, and one that I would take. He was improving, and there was hope in that. I knew it didn’t mean that he would be cured overnight, but the hope was that eventually he would be in remission.

I wanted my father to be around to know my children.

He and Nadia were already looking at homes in Magnolia Falls. They planned to get married and move there when they left Dallas. I couldn’t ask for more.

Life had a funny way of working out.

Hayes had dropped me off at the Golden Goose to meet the girls for lunch, and he was going to run a few errands.

“Hi, Midge,” I said, as she walked me to the back where Demi, Ruby, Saylor, Emerson, and Peyton were sitting.

“Why didn’t you bring that sexy husband of yours in with you?” she grumped.

“He’ll be back to pick me up. I’m sure he’d be happy to come in and say hello,” I said with a laugh as I slid into the booth.

“Hey,” Peyton said. “Did you come straight from the airport?”

“Yep. Hayes dropped me off.”

“Well, he loves doing that and keeping his eyes on you. He’s been hilarious since you found out you were pregnant.” Saylor chuckled, and we paused to place our orders with Letty.

“Please. I notice King is constantly at the bookstore ever since you found out you were pregnant,” Demi said, and the table erupted in laughter.

“I’ve got to tell you, I’m scared to drink the water in Magnolia Falls lately. Two of you are pregnant, and I feel like Emerson is next. Peyt, you and me are the last ones holding out.” Ruby reached for her Coke and took a sip before setting the glass back down.

“I think Nash and I are going to start trying after the wedding, but there’s something that’s more important right now.” Emerson put her hands together, and we all leaned in because it sounded like she had some big news.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yes. We’re great. But my brother, Easton, is helping us start the discussion with Tara.” Tara was Cutler’s biological mother, and I’d heard the horrible stories about her from Hayes and the girls.

“What discussion?” Ruby asked.

“I want to adopt Cutler. He heard about adoption and what it was, and he came home and asked Nash and me about it. I’ve been looking into it ever since, and it just feels right, you know? Easton has reached out to Tara, and we’ll see if she’s even willing to consider it.”

“Wow. That would be amazing,” Demi said, her eyes wet with emotion.

“Yeah. So that’s first and foremost, and then the wedding, and then we’ll start trying for another baby.”

“Damn. You’ve all got baby fever,” Peyton said. “I’ve actually got news, but it sure as hell doesn’t involve a screaming child, because, ewwww. No offense. I’m sure you’ll all have great kids and your vaginas will bounce back just fine.” More laughter erupted around the table as Letty set down our plates.

“What’s your news?” Saylor asked, as she bit off the top of a french fry.

“Slade and I are moving in together.” She shrugged. “I’m going to shack up with Demi’s brother!”

I laughed, and Demi’s entire face lit up. “He told me he was going to ask you.”

“So I guess we really are sisters, huh?” Peyton said.

“Of course, we are. You didn’t need to shack up with my brother to make that happen. But I’m glad you are. I love seeing you both so happy together.”

“Look at us,” Saylor said. “We’re just a bunch of ridiculously happy women.”

“Who’d have thought it?” Demi said, her voice laced with humor.

“Not me.” Ruby shrugged. “I always thought being happy was overrated. But look at me. I am nauseatingly happy, aren’t I?”

“You are. I’m embarrassed for you,” Peyton said, bumping Ruby with her shoulder. “You smile all the time. What would your vampire family think of you?”

“Well, look at Hayes. He gave me a run for my money when it came to being a big grump, and then little Miss Sunshine came back to town, and he’s a new man.”

“He really is putty in your hands.” Saylor beamed at me. “King said the renovations are coming along at the barn, and your office space will be ready in a few weeks.”

“Yeah. We’re still unpacking boxes from the move into the house, but we’re pretty settled. And for now, I just work out of the house. It’ll take some time to build the business up.”

“Yeah, but you’re already taking on a few projects with the guys, right?” Emerson asked.

“Yes. And I love it. It’s so fun to help create people’s dream homes or dream businesses, you know?”

“I can’t wait to find out the sex of the baby so I can have you help me design the nursery,” Saylor said.

“Yeah, I’m so excited about finding out the sex of the twins, too.” I reached for my grilled cheese sandwich and took a bite. My appetite was pretty ravenous lately.

“I’m amazed at watching Demi nurse little Hayes, but how in the hell can someone nurse two babies at the same time?” Peyton gasped.

“From everything I’ve read, it’s doable. But I’m just going in with the attitude that I will do the best I can. If it works, that would be wonderful. If it doesn’t, I can pump, and we’ll figure it out.”

“I can’t imagine having anyone on my boobs all day.” Peyton shook her head in disbelief.

“You’re feeding your baby. It’s natural and beautiful.” Demi chuckled.

“Oh, really. Look down at your shirt, girl. You’re leaking. I don’t know how beautiful that is on your cute blouse.” Peyton sipped her soda, and I tried to hide my smile.

“I hope you and my brother have lots of babies, and I get to tease you about your leaking breasts someday.” Demi smirked.

Peyton shivered dramatically. “I have such perky breasts. I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

We spent the next hour talking about everything from babies to work to sex to home décor.

Girl talk was my favorite. I loved the bond I shared with these women, and there was nothing that we couldn’t talk about.

I was grateful for the life I was building in Magnolia Falls.

“Why do you look so nervous?” I asked, as Hayes held my hand in his when we stepped off the elevator.

“I just want to make sure everything is okay.”

I peeked up at my husband, this big, strong man beside me, who looked like he was about to pass out.

“Hayes,” I said, coming to a stop as he turned to face me. “We’re meeting our doctor, and it’s just a checkup.”

“Savannah.” His tone was lacking all humor. “You are carrying two humans in your belly. One is a lot for most people. You have two. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

I sighed. He was ridiculously protective, but I couldn’t fault him.

I worried every time he left for work.

When you loved someone so much that you couldn’t imagine your world without them in it, you could behave irrationally at times.

“Okay.”

He lifted my hand and pressed it to his lips before leading me down the hallway to the last door on the left.

I checked in and gave them my insurance information, and they called us back.

It was all very standard, with getting my weight and vitals and everything you did when you went to a regular doctor’s appointment, yet my husband paced around the room the entire time.

The nurse chuckled. “First-time dad?”

“Yes. This is all new for us.”

“I understand. It’s normal to be nervous. I’m going to have you slip into this gown, with the opening in the front. You can hop up on the bed once you’re changed. I’ll step out of the room and give you some privacy.”

“Okay, that sounds great.” I pushed to my feet.

“You’re going to love Dr. Shorting. She’s wonderful. She’ll be right in,” she said, just before leaving the room.

“I think that’s a good sign that her name is Dr. Shorting.”

I chuckled. “You do? Why?”

“Because I call you Shortcake. So there you go.”

I took off my clothes, and he put them on the chair while I slipped into the gown and hopped up onto the table. “I love you, Hayes Woodson.”

“Love you, too, baby.”

The door opened, and a woman who looked to be in her mid-forties, with shoulder-length brown hair and warm brown eyes, walked in. She extended a hand to me first and then to Hayes. “Hey, I’m Dr. Shorting. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Woodson.”

“It’s great to meet you. You can call us Savannah and Hayes,” I said.

She leaned her back against the counter and flipped through the file that she held in her hand. “So I’ve got a copy of your blood work that was done in Dallas, and I can see why they had reason to believe you were carrying more than one baby with how high your HCG levels were. I’ve got your ultrasound report here, as well, but I’d like to do my own now, just to see what’s happening here first.”

I nodded, and she guided me to lie back. Hayes moved beside me and took my hand. She opened my gown, exposing my belly, and poured the jelly-like substance onto me. She turned on the monitor and used a hand-held device, which she placed on my stomach. She rolled it around and studied the monitor.

The sound had me leaning up a bit to see the screen.

“There’s the first heartbeat, and it sounds strong,” she said, her voice calm and soothing. She continued moving her wand around and paused. “And here’s the second heartbeat. You’ve definitely got two babies in there, and it looks like they each have their own placenta and amniotic sac, which will give them the best chance of growing well.”

She pointed out their positioning and told us some technical stuff that I was trying to focus on, but I was just relieved that there were two heartbeats and all was still going well.

A part of me worried that I’d come here today and find out I was no longer pregnant. I was prepared for the rug to be pulled out from beneath my feet.

It’s amazing that you can find something out and feel completely panicked in one moment, only to realize that it’s everything that you wanted.

And now that Hayes was on board, this was everything I wanted.

Everything we wanted.

She printed out a few pictures, cleaned the gooey stuff from my stomach, and helped me sit up.

She went over all the things we’d need to be aware of. Twin pregnancies tended to be higher risk, so she’d be keeping a close eye on me and the babies. She said we’d have more ultrasounds done than you normally had with a single pregnancy. She guessed I was around ten to eleven weeks along, and everything was looking good thus far.

She asked a bunch of questions about how I was feeling as far as morning sickness and breast tenderness, and I shared that though my breasts were sore, I hadn’t experienced any morning sickness yet. But I was definitely tired, which she assured me was completely normal.

“Do you have any questions for me?” she asked.

“I think you’ve covered everything on my end,” I said, glancing at my husband, who looked like he was ready to burst. “But I think Hayes may have a few questions.”

She smiled. “Of course. You can ask me anything.”

“She’s determined to work through her pregnancy. Do you think it’s safe?” he asked.

“Yes. There’s no reason for her to quit working, at least not right now. With Savannah carrying twins, we will be keeping a closer eye on her. So this first trimester I’d like to see you every two to three weeks. We’ll do screenings at weeks twelve and sixteen. Your second trimester, I will ask to see you twice a month, and your final trimester, we’ll meet weekly. So we can determine along the way how you’re feeling and adjust your work schedule accordingly. Does that sound okay?” she asked, her eyes soft as she looked at Hayes, making it clear that she understood his concern.

“All right. And we have a dog. Should we get rid of him?” he asked, and I gasped.

“Get rid of Roddy? What are you talking about?”

“I love Roddy, but he’s a puppy, and he likes to climb all over you.” He shrugged.

Dr. Shorting chuckled. “You don’t need to get rid of Roddy. But you can definitely insist that he doesn’t jump up on you.”

“Savannah’s father is in a cancer trial in Dallas, and she travels there every couple of weeks. Is it safe for her to continue flying?”

“Yes, absolutely. You can still travel through your first and second trimesters comfortably. But you will have to listen to your body. If you’re exhausted, then maybe you skip going that week. Does that make sense?”

“Yes,” I said. “I can do that.”

“Listen, Doc, I’m just worried about my wife. This woman right here…” Hayes said, motioning his hand from my head to my feet. “She’s my whole world. And I need to know that she’s getting the best care possible.”

I covered my eyes with my hand because even though it was sweet, I was embarrassed that he was questioning her.

She chuckled, which had me relaxing. “I have a husband at home who is just like him.”

“There’s two of them in Magnolia Falls?” I asked, and Hayes rolled his eyes.

Dr. Shorting looked back at my husband. “I give you my word. I will take the best care of Savannah that I can. I’m going to give you my home number, and you can call me after hours if you have any issues. We’re a team, and we’re in this together, okay?” She extended her hand to Hayes, and he shook it before she turned to me and did the same.

She left the room, and I changed back into my clothing, and we stopped at the front desk to make our next appointment.

When we were on the elevator, I glanced up at him. “Get rid of Roddy? Are you serious?”

“I love that little fucker, but if he hurts you, he’s gone.”

I shook my head and laughed. “You’re lucky I love you.”

He reached for my hand, the corners of his lips turning up. “I’m the luckiest man on the planet. I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

And I knew I was the luckiest woman on the planet, too.

Because this man may be overbearing and protective, but he was all mine.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Good, because there’s something I want to do when we get home. And I’m hoping you’re on board.”

“Name it,” he said as we drove toward the house.

“I saved the very last letter for us to read together.”

He groaned. “I’m glad that it’s the last one, at least.”

I chuckled when he pulled into the driveway, and we made our way inside. I told him to meet me on the couch, and Roddy jumped up to sit beside him as I went down the hall to grab the last letter.

I sat down beside him and tore it open. “You never wanted to read these after all these years? Every single one was still sealed.”

“I wrote them. Why would I need to read them?”

I laughed as I pulled out the last letter he’d written me and unfolded it.

“I’m going to read it aloud.”

“Of course, you are. You love to torture me,” he said, as his hand rested on my thigh, and our pup lay sprawled across his lap.

“Sav, it’s been one year today since you left. I said I’d write every week for a year, and if you didn’t answer, I’d stop writing. So, this is the final letter I’m going to send, and I fully expect it to be returned.”

I paused to look at him and smiled. “You gave it a good fight. I wouldn’t have guessed you’d hang in that long.”

“Yeah, well, there you go. I didn’t give up easily,” he grumped.

I looked back down at the paper. “Today I went out to see Abe. That’s how desperate I am. I don’t feel like myself, even after all this time. I didn’t mention the letters to him. I just asked if he’d heard from you. He told me he had and that you seemed to be doing well. He’s a loyal fucker, so he didn’t give me much. But I’m not going to lie. It pissed me off. You talk to him all the time, and you won’t even read my letters or pick up the damn phone and call me. I just don’t get it.”

I sighed and glanced at him again. “I didn’t know you went to see Abe.”

“Yeah. I forgot about that. I was pretty desperate at the time. And then I remember feeling defeated because I imagined you were chained up somewhere all that time, unable to talk to me. But you were talking to him and Lily.”

I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. But I love that you went to see him.”

I looked back down at the paper in my hand and continued. “Abe told me not to give up on you, but he didn’t tell me anything more. I started to leave, and he stopped me. He asked me if I was still dating Kate, and I said that I was but that I missed my best friend. And then I made some snide comment that you weren’t a very good best friend if you could just up and leave me the way that you did, so maybe I needed to find some new friends.”

I sighed, because I could just picture him and Abe having this heart-to-heart. I looked back down at the words he’d written me all those years ago. “He asked me if I really felt that way about you. And I told him that I wanted to hate you but that I just couldn’t seem to do it. I’m so pissed at you, Sav. But I can’t hate you, no matter how hard I try. And you know that I don’t normally struggle with hating people. It usually comes really easy for me.”

My head fell back on a laugh, and I kissed his cheek. “You do normally find it easy to hate someone, but I’m glad you didn’t hate me.”

He shrugged. “You’re impossible to hate.”

I looked back down and continued reading. “Abe thought it was funny. He was the only person I’d opened up to about you, and the old dude just laughed at me. But when I tried to leave again, he said he had one more question. He wanted to know what I would do if you came back today or in five years or in ten years. Would I forgive you and just be happy to see you, or would I turn my back on you? I didn’t need to think about it for long. The answer was easy. Because even after everything, Sav, you’re still my best friend. And there would never be a time that I wouldn’t be happy to see you. Because my world is such a better place when you’re in it.”

I sniffed a few times but kept my eyes trained on the letter. “So, I’m going to stop writing now, because it just feels like it’s time. But just know that if you come back today or in five years or even in ten years, I’ll be waiting for you. And that’s the truth. I hope you find your way back to me, and I told Abe that. And the old fucker just smirked and told me only time would tell.”

I had to pause because the lump in my throat made it difficult to speak. I sighed before moving on to the final few sentences. “I miss you today, and I’ll miss you in five years and in ten years. Because you’re my favorite person on the planet, Savannah Abbott. Peas and carrots. Hayes.”

I just sat on the couch crying, and my husband wrapped his arms around me.

“Well, damn. I forgot about that conversation. I think that sneaky bastard knew I’d marry you.” He laughed as his lips kissed my forehead.

“I think he probably knew you were my other half, and he hoped I’d come back here and figure it out.”

And I closed my eyes and said a silent thank-you to Abe.

Because he’d helped me find my way home.

He’d helped me find my happily ever after.