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“It's true,” he said, giving me a look that could have curdled milk.
“Because you saw a bruise on her wrist?” I asked. “It could be any number of things, and until we know for sure, we – ”
He stopped me. “We shouldn't be assholes to her,” he said.
The steely look of determination and anger on his face took me by surprise. I'd never known Quinn to be so vehemently defensive of any woman before in my life.
“Okay, you're right,” I said. “Cason and I are acting like jerks. But it's just between us. It's how we've always screwed off with each other. You know that. And you know that I'd never treat a woman badly. You, of all people, know me better than that.”
His face softened somewhat. “Yeah, I know,” he said with a sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. “Just something about her gets to me, you know? Seeing her look so fragile and seeing the hurt in her eyes – I just want to make it stop.”
“Because you're a good man, Quinn,” I said. “Do you honestly think either Cason or I would go out of our way to hurt her?”
Quinn shook his head. “Nah, I know you wouldn't. It's just – she's different for me, man.”
“How so?”
My brother stared off into the distance for a while before shaking his head again.
“Nothing,” he said. “Forget I said anything.”
***
Ada Roberts laughed when she opened the door and saw me standing on her porch out front. She just looked at me and shook her head, a smile on her face.
“Bennett McCormick,” she said. “What in heaven's name are you doing here?”
“I'm here to see Hailey,” I said. “We have a date tonight.”
Mrs. Roberts raised an eyebrow as she looked at me. “Alright then,” she said. “Though I don't think Hailey is ready. Want to come in for a minute?”
“Sure thing, thank you,” I said, stepping into their home. “I don't mind waiting.”
“Uh huh,” she said, giving me a long, curious look. “Well, let me go talk to Hailey and let her know you're here. I'll be right back. Please, make yourself at home.”
As she walked away, I sat down in an arm chair facing the stairway, and listened as Mrs. Roberts' footsteps echoed up them and then above me.
“Hailey?” her voice echoed down the hallway. “You have a visitor. Another one of the McCormick boys.”
I heard the door open, creaking on the hinges, but that was the last thing I was able to make out. Their voices lowered to a mumble, distorting their words. After a couple of minutes, I heard the sound of footsteps coming back down the hall toward me. Only one pair of footsteps, I noted.
Mrs. Roberts looked at me and shook her head, “She's busy tonight, Bennett,” she said. “I'm really sorry you drove all this way and dressed up for nothing.”
Most men might give up after hearing that – but I wasn't most men. It was going to take a little more than that to throw me off. I was a man on a mission.
“Do you think I could speak with her?” I asked. “Just for a moment?”
“I'm afraid –” she'd started to stay, but then the doorbell rang, cutting us off. She shook her head and grinned, “I swear, if this is one of your other brothers...”
She was laughing all the way to the door, and for a moment, I feared it might actually be Quinn or Cason, trying to get in the way of my night with Hailey. I wouldn't put that level of cockblocking past either of them. I cleared my throat and clenched my jaw as I readied myself for competition, just in case.
I followed Hailey's mother to the doorway, staying a couple of steps behind, but when she opened the door, it wasn't one of my brother's standing there. Instead of one of the brothers McCormick, it was a large, well-dressed man with jet black hair and steely gray eyes.
Definitely not someone from around here, and not someone Mrs. Roberts recognized either. Judging by the look on her face, I could tell she was as confused as
I was about the stranger on her doorstep. The larger man, without a word, pushed his way into the house, running a hand through his hair as he looked around.
“Where's Hailey? I know she's here, I need to speak to her,” he said.
