Hailey’s back stiffened. “Why would you do that?”
Wes sighed, lowered his hand to her knee. “Because I won’t tolerate the way Ana treated you.”
“Wes. I don’t need you to fight my battles. Ana’s issues with me have nothing to do with business.”
His fingers squeezed gently. “I know but the behavior is unacceptable. If that’s how she does business, I want no part of it.” He paused. “Why didn’t you tell me about the contracts?”
Hailey fidgeted, avoiding his gaze. “I guess because I thought you’d be protective or mad.”
After tilting her chin up with his fingers, he met her gaze. “What’s wrong with that?”
Wanting to protect her? Support her? Nothing. Intentions. Wouldn’t she be upset if someone treated him that way? “I replaced those contracts with others immediately. I didn’t want to impact your business.”
“You’re a big part of my life, Hailey. How other people treat us will impact the other person.”
She nodded. “Just tell me you and your brothers are okay.”
Wes laughed, tapped her nose. “We’ll always be okay.”
Hailey kissed him on the cheek. “Look at us, communicating like champs.”
He laughed, kissed her, letting his mouth linger. She didn’t have that much time before work. She wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing hard. “I’m so glad you were here this morning. I want things to be okay between us.”
He pulled back, stroked her hair. “So do I. It’s good that we know we can work through things reasonably. It bodes well for our future.”
She nuzzled against him, wondering how long she could put off going into work. “Well, when you put it like that, I’m so very glad we made up.” The questions bubbled up inside of her. She tried to shove them down, live in the moment. Instead, she went with a statement. “I’m glad you think about us having a future.” It gave her permission to hope.
Pulling her up to sit, he kept his arm around her shoulder. “I’m a little old to be investing time in a relationship otherwise.”
Hailey swung her legs to the floor. “Guess I nabbed you at a good time then,” she joked.
Wes took her hand, traced his finger along the back of it. “I worried, when we first got together, that it would ruin things between us. The sexual, romantic piece. I didn’t want to lose my friend. Instead, it’s just enhanced everything that was already great. I’m glad we took the chance.”
She turned her head, the declaration stuck in her throat. Her heartbeat danced in the base of her neck. “Me too,” she whispered.
Wes leaned toward her, brushing his lips with hers. The kiss was so sweet, so soft. Hailey was pulled into the moment, the man.
“I love you,” she whispered, her lips skimming his. Life was too short to keep it to herself.
Wes’s body jerked, making Hailey go rigid against him.
“What?” The word was scratchy, like his throat went dry.
She laughed nervously, easing away as she rubbed her hands up and down her legs. It’s okay. You know he’s different, it takes him time to wrap his head around his feelings.
Wes angled himself toward her, waited for her to look at him. When she did, his gaze was wary. Uncertain. “What did you say?”
She cringed. Too much, too soon. Pushing up off the sofa, she grabbed her purse. “Never mind, Wes. It was just a slip.” It would be fine. She’d got caught up in the moment and thrown it at him without any warning. They’d laugh about it one day.
He stood as well, letting out a sigh of what could clearly be called relief. “Okay. Thank God.”
She whirled on him, stared, wondering if he realized what he’d said. How it would make her feel. She did love him. She didn’t have the best timing but that didn’t make it less true. “Thank God?” She shook her head, her lips trying to form words. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Wes shoved his hands in his pockets. “Hailey. It’s not like you didn’t know this going in.”
“Know what?”
“That I’m not … that love isn’t—” He stopped, shook his head. Pacing away from her, he almost seemed to be mumbling to himself. He stopped in front of her. “I care a great deal about you. You are very important to me. But you’ve known since the beginning of our acquaintance I’m not the declaration, marrying kind of guy.”
Now she huffed, wrapping her arms around her purse like a security blanket. “I didn’t ask you to marry me.”