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“It never did to me. I wanted you to do it when it felt comfortable for you.”
She nodded her head against his chest and then stepped back. “I’m sorry you are down a line cook now. I’ll start making some calls.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “Zeke will be here soon. I’ve got it covered. I’ll slide in with Zeke and we’ll get it figured out. If you want to see if Michele can come in earlier that will work. If not, we’ll be okay. It’s not as busy this time of year.”
She knew that. Things were slowing down after Labor Day but still busier than it was when her parents ran it.
“I’ll do that. Before I do, did you come here to save me?”
He let out a sigh. “That’s a strong word. How about I came to offer support,” he said.
“That’s better. I suppose that is a nice thing you were doing. Now you are going to have to work.”
“But I’ll be here with you and that makes up for it.”
It was those sweet things that she never heard much of in her life.
“Now you’re buttering me up,” she said. She got up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. If that didn’t seal the deal for everyone, nothing would.
He laughed at her again and she walked away waiting for someone else to say something to her.
No one did though. Not for the rest of the time Duke was working or even after he left.
She knew there was whispering but let it go. She couldn’t control those things and wasn’t going to try to.
She’d been talked about before and just had to push through it.
She left at six for the day and when she got home and was showered and changed, her mother knocked on her door and opened it with a cup of coffee in her hand. “Are you busy?”
“No,” she said. “I could use the company.”
“Everything okay?” her mother asked.
She told her mother what had happened and what she’d said and was shocked to see her mother smiling. “Why are you smiling? That was totally unprofessional of me to say that and then to hug and kiss Duke in front of everyone.”
“Hadley. Stop being so prim and proper and worrying about what people think about you. I know your father and I were nervous about you dating Duke, but we are finally seeing the strong person you can be.”
“Thank you for that. It’s still wrong though.”
“No,” her mother said. “It’s never wrong to stand up for yourself or the man you love. Remember that.”
“You’re right. I won’t forget it again.”
“Don’t. The right man can make a world of difference in your life. If you’re lucky enough to find him. Do you think you did?”
“I think I might have,” she said.
But she wouldn’t say that she feared she might lose him by not being enough. She was trying to change and she had to ask herself if she was doing it for her or because other people were so happy she was.
35
Too Risky
Almost two weeks later on a Sunday morning, Duke and Hadley were sitting in his living room talking about promotions.
It’d started to become their time together. She’d get out of work on Saturday, come to his house and wait for him and they’d have the night together to just be...a couple.
Breakfast the next morning that he cooked, even though she always offered.
