Authors: Kate Hopkins
Simon was roused from his thoughts by someone knocking on the door. "Come in," he called out.
The door opened and Marian entered the office. "Did you know that Haley's in her room packing up her belongings?"
He sighed heavily. "No, I didn't know. Close the door, Gran, and sit down. There's something I need to tell you."
"More bad news," she murmured, closing the door. "That's all I get these days." Crossing the room, she took a seat on the couch. "All right. Let me hear it."
"I'm going to give you the short version because I don't have it in me for anything more." Simon sat back and stared at his grandmother. "Chad told Haley that she has to break up with me and move out by next weekend. If she doesn't then something bad will happen to me. She's determined to leave me. We're butting heads about the whole thing. Stubborn woman."
"That little bastard." Marian adjusted her shawl. "How dare he threaten your life. You can't let him have his way. Haley belongs with you."
"I couldn't agree more." He smirked. "Don't worry, Gran. She's not leaving me. She thinks she is, but she's not."
"What are you going to do?" Marian inquired. "How are you going to keep her from leaving?"
"I don't know yet." He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "But I'm prepared to do what ever it takes to keep her."
"While you're taking care of her, I will take care of Chad," she stated, her eyes flashing. "I think it's time for me to call my old friend, Mr. Dunbar."
Simon arched an eyebrow. "What do you need a private investigator for?"
"To do some digging, my dear." Marian smiled coldly. "I have a feeling Chad has some skeletons in his closet. I feel a case of blackmail is in order. A person will do anything when they're being blackmailed . . . anything like leaving town and never bothering you and Haley again. Of course it will take Mr. Dunbar some time to gather his evidence and he's not cheap."
"Have Mr. Dunbar send me the bill."
"I was planning to."
Simon pushed back his chair, stood, and moved around the desk. He moved to the couch, taking a seat beside her. "This stays between us."
"Of course, dear." She gave his hand a pat. "No one will know. I wish you luck with Haley."
"Thanks," he said. "I'm going to need it."
"All will be well." Marian gave his hand another pat. "You will see. You and Haley are meant to be together. Now you should go and try to talk with her again."
"It won't do any good, but I suppose I should try." Simon got to his feet and then helped her to hers.
"Thank you," she told him.
"You're welcome." He kissed her on the cheek and left the office. Moving across the hallway, he paused in the open doorway and watched as Haley placed a stack of books into a box. The sight of her packing her things bothered him. He wanted to march into the room and snatch the books out of her hands. Instead, he gripped the door frame and took a deep breath. "I don't know why you're doing that. You'll just have to unpack them again."
"That's what you think," she said, striding toward the closet. She removed more books from the top shelf and carried them back to the bed. "I called Mr. Warner and told him that I needed to take another week off. Thankfully, I have vacation time coming. Anyway, I am going to spend the week apartment hunting. I have to start looking tomorrow if I want to be out by the weekend."
"You're wasting your time." Simon stepped to the bed and started taking books out of the box.
"What are you doing?" Haley demanded to know. "I just packed those."
"And now I'm unpacking them."
"Give them to me." She grabbed for the books and found he wouldn't let them go. "Give them to me, Simon."
"I can't do that." He easily pried her fingers from the books and carried them back to the closet, returning them to the shelf. Turning back around, he saw her standing by the bed, her head was down and her shoulders were shaking. He heard a sob escape her. The sound tore through him. He hurried to her side and took her in his arms. She slumped against him and he tightened his hold. "I love you," he said. Her answer was another sob.
Chapter 30
He couldn't sleep. With a frustrated sigh, Simon tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. Padding barefoot across the bedroom, he jerked open the door and stepped out into the hallway. He made his way downstairs and through the foyer. As he reached the living room, he saw the light was on in the kitchen. It seemed he wasn't the only one who could not sleep. He walked into the kitchen and found Haley there. She was sitting at the island, cradling a cup of warm milk between her hands. His heart leaping into his throat, he moved toward her.
Haley turned her head and looked at him through puffy red eyes. "Can't sleep either?" she croaked.
"When the woman you love rips your heart out, sleeping is impossible." She flinched as though he had struck her. Regret came over him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."
"Don't be." She cleared her throat. "You're just telling the truth."
"Still it was wrong of me to say that to you." Simon paused on the other side of the island. He studied her for a moment, taking in her pale skin and the lines of fatigue that bracketed her eyes. Silently he cursed Chad for putting her through hell. "Sweetheart, you should be resting. You just got over the flu. You don't want to wear yourself down and have a relapse."
Haley sighed. "I can't rest. I lay there in the dark and my mind keeps replaying everything. I get upset and-" She shook her head, setting the cup down. "I can't rest."
Simon moved around the island and took her in his arms. He felt her stiffen up and frowned at her. "What's wrong?"
Her gaze at the level of his chin, she whispered, "Nothing."
"Don't lie to me," he growled softly. "What's wrong?"
"I wish you wouldn't touch me," she admitted quietly. "If I'm going to make it through this I have to forget how much your touch makes me feel alive."
"You won't forget." Simon's hands settled low on her waist and he pulled her out of the chair. He hauled her against him, his arms closing around her like iron bands. "Your body was made for me. Can't you feel how perfectly we fit together?" he breathed in her ear. She shivered. "How can you walk away when you know in your heart you belong to me as I belong to you?"
His words pierced Haley's heart. Tears sprang to her eyes and she tried hard not to let them fall. She was tired of crying . . . tired of hurting. All she wanted was for it to stop, but she knew it wouldn't. Her suffering had only just begun. "I can walk away because I know it's the right thing to do. With me gone you will be safe. Now let go of me."
Slowly, he released her. "The right thing would be to stay with me. You're just too stubborn to-"
"I'm stubborn!" she said loudly. "You're the one that won't let go."
"Because I love you!" Simon roared. "Unlike you, I refuse to give up on us."
"I have no choice!" Haley yelled back. "I wish you would get that through your thick head. I have no choice, but to-"
"What's going on in here?" Daniel demanded to know, entering the kitchen. "I could hear you two from the foyer."
"Ask your brother. I'm going back to bed." Without another word or a glance at Simon, Haley hurried from the kitchen.
"Still arguing about her leaving, are you?" Daniel asked.
"Yes." Simon plopped down on one of the chairs at the island. "It seems that's all we've been doing. I still don't have a clue how I'm going to keep her from leaving."
"I've been thinking about that and I have an idea. I think it's one that might work." Daniel leaned back against the counter. "Haley has it in her head that she's leaving at the end of the week. What you need is more time to wear her down . . . to convince her to stay. I say kidnap her. Take her away somewhere. Don't bring her back until she agrees to stay with you."
Simon thought about it for a moment. "Not a bad idea." He smirked. "We could be gone for quite awhile. She's a stubborn little thing."
Daniel nodded. "I'll take your place at the office. I'm sure the advertising world hasn't changed since I left."
Simon arched an eyebrow at him. "You're offering to take over for me?"
"You're my brother. You've always had my back. Now it's time for me to return the favor. Besides it's not like I have anything else to do."
"I could take her to the cabin," Simon muttered. "I'll need to call the caretaker and have him get the place ready for us. Also there are some things I need to attend to before we go."
"Deal with all that later," Daniel told him. He checked his watch. "We should try and get some rest. You can't plot and plan on a few hours of sleep. You need a clear head to be devious."
. . . .
After Haley left to look at apartments, later that morning, Simon sat Marian and Daniel down in the living room to talk. He filled his grandmother in on the conversation he and Daniel had in the
kitchen earlier. Once he was finished, he shared his plans with them. "Haley and I are leaving tonight. Before breakfast, I called the caretaker and asked him to prepare the cabin. I also called the airport and told them to have the plane fueled and waiting." He took Marian's hand. "I need your help, Gran."
"Of course, dear," she said. "Just tell me what you want me to do."
"I want you to pack a suitcase for Haley. Put it in my room. I don't want her finding it."
"You're not going to get her to go willingly," Daniel pointed out. "How are you going to get her on the plane?"
Simon grimaced. "She likes warm milk. I thought I would crush a sleeping pill and stir it into the milk."
"She's going to be pissed when she wakes up."
"Language, dear." Marian gave Simon's hand a squeeze. "I think that's an excellent idea. We don't know when Haley will return. Therefore I should go pack her suitcase now."
"Have Ms. Nelson help you," Simon told her. "I don't want you lifting the suitcase and hurting yourself."
"Yes, dear." Marian slowly rose to her feet and left the room.