Is There Life After Love?

Prologue

She sat with hers knees drawn to her chest. Staring out at the ocean. Watching the waves roll and crash against the shore. What would it be like, she wondered. To be carried away on one of those waves. Far away from here. Far away from Harmony. She’d lived in this New England town tucked away on the Atlantic coast her whole life. All eleven years of it. With her father. Her mother had left them. When she was just a baby. Barely crawling. If she closed her eyes, she could almost remember her. Almost.

Dad said she had her mother’s eyes. Chocolate brown eyes. Intelligent eyes. Eyes that saw all things. She wished she didn’t have her mother’s eyes. That way she wouldn’t be reminded everyday that love wasn’t enough. She wasn’t enough to keep her mother in Harmony. She played with the straps on her sandals. A smile on her face as she thought about her dad. She WAS enough for him. If there were one thing she knew without a doubt, it was that her dad loved her. Beyond all rhyme or reason. He more than made up for the absence of her mother.

But still…a girl needed a mom. She loved her dad and all. But…but there were too many ‘buts’ in her life. Grandma was…well, Grandma. She tried. She really did. But Haley longed for more. She was eleven years old. She was past the dolls and goodnight kisses stage. But oh wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the mother that she missed. That’s why she came up with the plan. By the end of the summer, Haley Lopez-Fitzgerald WOULD have a mom. And Dad…well, that part was a little tricky. But hey! She was nothing if not persistent. Came with the family genes. Speaking of family. “Haley!” She brushed the sand off the bottom of her denim cut-offs with a smile. This was it.

Where to first? Finding a mom was an awesome task to undertake. ‘Cause let’s face it, she argued with herself as she wandered down the streets of Harmony beside her dad. Not everyone’s perfect mom material. But numero uno on her list of desirable traits in mom candidates was ‘make Dad smile again.’ She was bound and determined to prove to her father that there was life after love, after all.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 1:

She threw herself on her bed with a gigantic sigh. This was tougher than she’d originally thought. She’d been on the lookout a whole three and a half hours, and she was already discouraged. She pulled her notepad out of her pocket and flipped it open with a giggle. Dad had been sooo curious to find out what she was scribbling in there the entire day. “Nothing Dad” irritated him to no end. At the top of the first page was the name Candy. Strike one, she thought. Rolling her eyes. She’d be the laughing stock of the 6th grade. Candy Lopez-Fitzgerald. Nope. She crossed through the name. Too young anyway. And obnoxious.

The ditzy blonde had smacked her way through her rather one-sided conversation with her dad at the beach. She’d had the almost uncontrollable urge to reach up and pop one of those humongous pink bubbles Candy kept blowing. Oh, she put a smile on her dad’s face alright. But not the kind of smile she, Haley Lopez-Fitzgerald, was looking for. She was eleven. Not stupid. She twirled her long brown hair absentmindedly as she read the next name. Lucy. Lucy had seemed nice enough. UNTIL she’d started lecturing her dad on how wrong it was to have sweets before dinner. It was a muffin. One silly muffin. Lucy, it was later revealed, was a bonafide health nut. And strange.

Talk about strange. The lady tried to convince them that fruit and veggies had feelings. If she had to hear that 24/7 she’d be scarred for life. She had to fight the urge to keep from bursting into laughter at the look on her dad’s face. The smile that said ‘this woman is nuts, Haley…quick! Say something!’ Her solution: she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in front of her and viciously stabbed it with her fork. Her dad was still laughing about that one on the way home from the grocery store.

Ah, the grocery store. No shortage of single—and not so single—women there. Did they have radars or something? Unattached man at 3 o’clock. Seriously, she mused. Tapping her pencil against her chin thoughtfully. They were all over her dad. She even caught a couple of them following them up and down the aisles. Paula. She loved kids. She’d always wanted siblings. But NOT 4 squalling pre-schoolers at once. Paula was divorced. And had a set of 3 year-old triplet girls and a 5-year-old son. Once or twice, she’d had to duck as the boy launched cans of Campbell’s soup at her head. She wanted to live to see her 12th birthday, thank you very much. Dad smiled. But it was through clenched teeth.

She groaned when she heard a cheery voice ask, “Whatcha doing?” She shut her notepad and shoved it behind her back. Her aunt Theresa had the worst timing. Made sharing a room with her quite an experience. “Oh, nothing,” she said slowly. Plastering a fake smile on her face. A real smile soon replaced it when her dad peeked inside the room and said, “I’m leaving it up to you to find out, Sis. She’s been scrawling in that little book all day long.” “Ooo,” her aunt Theresa giggled. “A secret. Come on, Haley. Tell me. I’m your aunt.” “Maybe later,” she grinned. Snatching the notepad back from Theresa when she grabbed it from behind her back.

“You snoop!” she shot over her shoulder as she raced down the hall. “Dad!” she squealed when he tackled her and tickled her senseless. “I am so going to pee on you if you keep doing that,” she giggled helplessly. “Haley Lopez-Fitzgerald!” her grandma scolded. “Aww, Grandma,” she pouted. Worked like a charm. And that folks, she thought with a smile, was one of the reasons she needed a mom. She wanted someone that wasn't so easy, she thought. Smirking. And so far...she hadn't found her yet.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 2:

“Does Miguel still live here anymore?” Haley asked. Taking a sip of her milk. She grinned widely when her dad quirked an eyebrow at Grandma and said, “Yeah, Mama. I was wondering about that, too.” Her aunt Theresa giggled. “Didn’t you hear, Haley? Miguel made it official last month. I saw the adoption papers with my very own eyes.” Grandma just sighed. Her dark eyes shining with amusement. “Yes, Mija. You drink all that,” she nodded. At her nearly full glass of milk. “Aww, Grandma. Do I have to? Dad!” she whined. Batting her long dark lashes at him and giving him her best pout. Hey. You didn’t grow up sharing a room with her aunt Theresa without learning a few tricks. Too bad her dad was on to each and every one of them. “Dad!” her dad mocked in a girly voice. “Oh, alright,” she grumbled.

“There. I’m finished,” she announced. Pushing her chair back to get up. “Not so fast,” she heard her grandma say. And she groaned in frustration. “May I be excused?” she asked politely. Her grandma gave her an affectionate pat on the head and smiled. “Yes, you may, Mija.” “Thanks Grandma. Bye Dad,” she said. Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Whoa! Haley! Where’s the fire?” She rolled her eyes. “There is NO fire. Dad…I’m a very busy woman.” There. That got him, she thought with a smile as he choked on his own tongue. “Woman?” she heard him ask in disbelief as she hurried out of the kitchen.

She WAS a very busy woman. Well…make that a busy girl. She had a mission to complete. A very important goal. And laziness was not the way to go about it. She was more of a go-getter anyway, she argued. But first she needed a little bit of advice. The only problem, though, was from who? She racked her brain. She had to make sure this plan worked. Aunt Theresa? Um…nah. Really. What kind of experience did she have? That meant Whitney was out of the question. And Kay and Simone and…argh!…get the picture? Who could she talk to, she wondered. As she strolled down the sidewalk. No one came to mind. Sure…she knew plenty of people. But how many of them would actually go along with her matchmaking scheme and not squeal on her? That would be completely mortifying.

She looked up. Startled. When she heard a familiar voice speak. “Well, hello dear. What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” the elderly woman asked with a strange smile. Her smile wasn’t the only thing that was strange, Haley thought. Shuddering. Who else carried around a life-sized doll with them everywhere they went? She hoped SHE never met THEM. “Um…hi, Tabitha,” she said politely. “Hi Timmy,” she waved. At Tabitha’s insistence. Please, please don’t let anybody walk by and recognize me, she prayed. “I…I really have to go,” she stammered. “What’s the rush?” Tabitha asked nosily. Falling into step beside her. “What’s bothering you, dearie? Maybe I can help,” she suggested. Smiling at her.

Haley bit her lip nervously. What could it hurt? She LOOKED harmless enough. And she WAS the oldest person she knew. Lots of experience. “Spit it out,” Tabitha prodded gently. “Well…I…you know what?” she said hurriedly. Changing her mind. “I don’t want to bother you. Thanks for trying to help, though. Bye Tabitha,” she waved. Scampering off. She looked back in shock when she thought she heard a lisping voice whine, “She didn’t say goodbye to Timmy.” Haley…you are SO losing it, girl, she told herself with a shake of her head. Scratch the advice thing. She was going to the park. To do what she did best…people watching.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 3:

“Ow,” she muttered. Rubbing her head. “Sarah,” she heard someone say. “Get over there and apologize. I told you not to be throwing that ball around.” Haley looked up to see a little girl. Maybe 5 or 6. Walking toward her timidly. The little girl twirled a strand of her long strawberry blond hair around her finger nervously as she stammered, “I…I’m soorrry. I didn’t mean to hit you.” Haley smiled brightly at her. “Don’t worry about it, Sarah. My dad tells me all the time that I have a hard head.” Sarah’s blue eyes widened in awe. “How…?” Haley giggled and said, “Don’t you know? I have magic powers. I bet your favorite color is blue, too.” “Wow!” Sarah exclaimed. Racing off when her mother called her name. Haley laughed to herself as she sneaked a glance their way. The mother was obviously not buying it.

She plopped down on the nearest park bench. And opened her notepad. Time to review some of her earlier notes. She chewed on her pencil as she scanned the growing list. Kelly was very nice. But Haley couldn’t see her as a mom. Maybe a buddy. She wanted a mom and friend all rolled into one. No, Haley. You’re not difficult, she giggled to herself. She sighed as one by one she checked off the names on her list. Dad was a hard guy to hook up. “I’ll never find anybody perfect enough.”

“Perfect enough for what?” a voice startled her. Haley looked up into a pair of blue green eyes. “Perfect enough for what, Darling?” the blond repeated. A cheshire grin on her face. “Promise you won’t repeat this to a soul?” Haley made the woman swear. The woman chuckled. But she promised. Even pinky swearing with her. “Okay,” Haley began. “Perfect enough for my dad. A mom,” she mumbled. “A mom?” the woman asked in surprise. “Yeah,” Haley nodded. “A mom. I want someone that makes my dad smile. Someone that loves me. Someone I can tell all my secrets and know she won’t think I’m dumb. Grown-ups think kids are dumb a lot of times,” she finished. “I don’t,” the woman qualified. “You seem like a pretty smart kid to me. Tell me more about this dad of yours. If I know more about him, maybe I can help you find the perfect mom.”

“Really?” Haley asked in disbelief. “You’d do that for me? You don’t even know me.” “Really,” the woman smiled. “So…spill it. Give me your dad’s life story. What kind of job does he have? What does he look like? Those kinds of things.” “Okay,” Haley began with a smile. “My dad’s a cop. Kinda makes it hard.” “Why do you say that?” the woman asked. “Well, my grandma says it takes a strong woman to be a cop’s wife. Maybe that’s part of the reason my mom left,” she muttered to herself. “Oh…sorry,” she apologized. Tucking a strand of her dark hair behind an ear and smiling sheepishly at the woman beside her. “No need to apologize. I’m a good listener if you want to tell me about it.”

“I really don’t know why she left,” Haley said quietly. “She left when I was just a baby, and Dad’s been alone ever since. Well…not alone. He has me, grandma, and my uncle and aunt. They’re not much older than me. My dad married my mom when he was very young. Then I was born. Dad likes being a cop, but Grandma says he really wanted to be a lawyer. Guess I kinda ruined that, huh? Anyway…my dad’s really, really handsome. Looks a little like me,” she said. Grinning. The woman beside her smiled and said, “Well…I think we can safely say he’s a looker then.” Haley giggled.

“Yep. Has all the ladies chasing after him. But…” “But none of them are good enough for him,” the woman sighed. “And not exactly mom material,” Haley added. “We have quite a dilemma on our hands, don’t we?” Haley groaned. Covering her eyes with her hands. “Tell me about it. I’m never going to find a Mom by the end of the summer.” “Don’t give up so easily,” the woman said. Rising from the park bench. “I have to go now. But here’s my number. Just call anytime you want to. Ask for Ivy. Bye, Darling.” Haley waved after her. “I might just take you up on that offer,” she said to herself. “Someday soon.”

To Be Continued...

Chapter 4:

She had one foot out the door when she heard her Grandma yell, “Haley Lopez-Fitzgerald! Where do you think you’re going?” “Argh!” she groaned. Stepping back inside and pulling the door closed behind her. “To see a friend, Grandma. I already told you that.” “Yes, you did, Mija. Is this the same friend you told Theresita you were on the phone with last night? The same friend you visit everyday? What are you up to, Mija? It’s a sin to lie.” Gosh, she had had her cornered on that one.

Think Haley. Come up with an explanation quick before she gets even more suspicious than she already is. “Um…my friend and me…we’re working on a surprise for Dad.” “A surprise for your father?” her grandma asked curiously. “Uh huh,” she nodded. A really BIG surprise, she thought. Giggling. “Okay,” her grandma said. “But this time…be home in time for dinner. Miguel’s bringing Kay over.” “I will,” she said. Standing on her tiptoes to plant a sweet kiss on her grandma’s cheek. She waved as she raced out the door. 11:15! She told Ivy she’d meet her at their bench 15 minutes ago!

“Hi,” she said breathlessly. Throwing her knapsack on the bench beside her. “Sorry I’m late. Grandma’s getting awfully suspicious.” “Haley,” Ivy said slowly. “I thought we’d do something different today.” “Oh…okay,” she said affably. “What do you want to do?” Ivy grinned at her. That Cheshire grin she’d come to expect. “Well…I have someone I want you to meet. A young woman actually,” she revealed. “Really?” Haley asked excitedly. “Where is she? What does she look like?” “Whoa!” Ivy laughed. “Slow down. One thing at a time.” “Sorry,”

Haley apologized sheepishly. “This young woman,” Ivy began. “This young woman is my sister-in-law.” Off Haley’s incredulous look, she rushed, “Oh you! Yes, she IS a YOUNG woman. Are you calling me old, Haley?” “Wait a minute,” Haley grinned infectiously. “Did I say ANYTHING?” Ivy laughed. “As I was saying,” she continued. “This young woman is my sister-in-law. Julian—that’s my husband’s name, by the way—is over twenty years older than his sister. That would make her a few years younger than your dad. She just moved back to Harmony from Paris, and I wanted to introduce her to people here. Get her out and about.”

“Oh,” Haley said disappointedly. “You didn’t…nevermind.” “Actually,” Ivy breathed. “I hadn’t thought of that. But maybe it’s not such a good idea. She’s just come out of a bad relationship. One in a long string, I might add. And she might not be too receptive to our matchmaking. But…I know she’ll love you. And I’m sure you’ll love her. You could help her out. Show her around Harmony.” “Show her around?” Haley asked curiously.

“You mean she…I’m confused.” Ivy chuckled at Haley’s odd _expression. “It’s a long story, but her father sent her to live in Paris when she was very young. She’s lived there ever since. So…yes. You are her guide to Harmony.” Haley digested the information and came up with a very Haley-like response not a minute later. “Cool.” “Whatcha waiting for?” she said excitedly. Jumping to her feet. Slinging her pack over her shoulder. And tugging at Ivy’s hand. “Ugh! What am I doing? You didn’t even tell me where we’re going? Where ARE we going?” Ivy smiled broadly.

“I think Ethan said he was taking her to the Book Café. The local place.” Haley grinned and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Haven’t you learned anything from me yet? The local place,” she scoffed. “Umm…on second thought that might not be such a good idea. My aunt Theresa works there. And let’s just say…she’s the nosiest person I know. She can’t find out, Ivy. She’ll squeal to her friends, Grandma, everyone. Probably Dad first. What about the beach?” “Beach sounds good,” Ivy said. Digging through her purse for her cell phone. “Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll call Ethan and tell him to drive her down here.”

Ivy smiled as she watched Haley scoot off in the distance. In bare feet. “Ethan,” she said. “Change of plans.” He put her sister-in-law on the phone, and she gave her all the details. “Bye, Sheridan,” she said in goodbye. A smile on her face. She hadn’t lied to Haley about Sheridan’s history with men. She had terrible luck. But if she had anything to do with it, all that was going to change. So maybe she did tell a lie. Just a small fib. Of course, she thought Sheridan was fantastic ‘mom material’—she just couldn’t let Haley (or Sheridan) know that. She was sure after Sheridan met Haley…well, things would take care of themselves.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 5:

“I love the beach,” Haley sighed. Sinking her feet deeper into the warm sand. “Ivy! Sit down. You aren’t afraid of a little sand, are you? You’re so proper,” Haley said in a ridiculous fake British accent. Ivy laughed and declined. “Oh…you’re no fun!” “Maybe not. But I know someone who IS. Here she comes right now,” she divulged with a smile. Haley’s curiosity got the better of her, and she turned around. “She IS young,” she said softly. Haley! Quit staring! She’s going to think you’re psycho or something.

“Ivy,” the young blond said in greeting. Hugging her. “This is such a wonderful idea. I love the beach.” Ooo. I like her already, Haley thought with a grin. “Me, too,” she interrupted. And suddenly she found herself staring into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. “Wow,” she breathed. She is so pretty, she thought when the young blond flashed her a brilliant smile. “Hi,” she said. Extending a hand. Haley climbed to her feet and wiped her hand off on the side of her shorts before shaking her hand. “My name’s Sheridan.”

“Sheridan…cool name,” Haley said with a smile. “I’m Haley.” Sheridan looked to Ivy in surprise. “THIS is Haley?” “Yep,” Haley giggled. Answering for Ivy. “Betcha thought I was older, huh?” Sheridan’s blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “Yeah. I did,” she admitted sheepishly. “But I’m absolutely thrilled to meet you. So…you’re my guide around Harmony,” she said. Lowering herself to the sand below.

Ivy watched Haley and Sheridan interact with a triumphant grin on her face. She knew it. This was going to work out wonderfully! “Ahem,” she cleared her throat. “I’m terribly sorry. But I’m afraid I can’t stay any longer. I just remembered I have an appointment with Millicent. Haley…I hope you don’t mind showing Sheridan around without me.” “No problem,” Haley gushed excitedly. “But if you don’t wanna…” “I don’t mind at all,” Sheridan smiled. “Bye, Ivy. Hope your appointment goes well,” she waved. “Where to first?” “How about Lighthouse Park? I’m sure you’ll love it there.” “Okay,” Sheridan said gamely. “You lead the way,” she said. Rising to her feet and brushing the sand from the back of her shorts.

“Ivy said you used to live in Paris. I want to go there someday. Is it as beautiful as the pictures?” she asked. Licking the trickle of vanilla ice cream off her hand. “Very beautiful,” Sheridan agreed. Laughing slightly. “I’m licking as fast as I can. I don’t remember it being this hot in Harmony.” Haley smiled. Colored sprinkles rule! I wish…”This is the hottest summer I can remember. What’s your favorite place in the entire world?” she asked suddenly. Taking Sheridan off-guard. Great, Haley. She’s starting to think you’re a nut. Think before you say the first thing that pops into your head. “Spain,” Sheridan answered without a second thought. “I love Spain. Paris pales in comparison,” she sighed dreamily. “I want to go there with the man I love someday.” Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness, Haley thought excitedly. Her dad wanted to go to Spain soooo bad. If only…but Ivy said…

“My grandma’s from Spain,” she said proudly. “Must be some place. She still misses it.” Sheridan sat down beside her on the park bench. “Oh it is, Haley. I really hope you get the chance to go someday. Costa Marbella’s so gorgeous, and…” Haley listened in awe at her beautiful, detailed descriptions. Smiling at how her eyes lit up with happiness. She was liking her more with each passing second. “I have some slides of the places I’ve visited. Would you like to see them?” she asked. “Would I like to see them?” Haley said incredulously. “That’d be so cool!” she exclaimed. Jumping to her feet.

But a sudden, unbidden thought stopped her. “Oh no,” she said disappointedly. “I can’t today. I promised Grandma I’d be home in time for dinner. Company,” she muttered. “No problem,” Sheridan said with a gentle hand on her arm. “Some other time. Thank you, Haley. For showing me around. I had fun,” she smiled. “You better go. Don’t want Grandma on your case,” she teased. No…thank you, Haley thought. Hugging her impulsively. “You like to swim?” she called as she backed away reluctantly. “Love it.” “Good!” Haley grinned. “Me…you…beach…tomorrow afternoon?” “You’ve got a deal!” Haley sighed happily. She didn’t care WHAT Ivy said. She had to find a way to hook Sheridan and her dad up.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 6:

“You came!” Sheridan’s blue eyes twinkled at her. “Of course I came, Silly. Who am I to say ‘no’ to a day at the beach? I love your suit.” “Really?” Haley crossed her arms across her chest self-consciously. Maybe borrowing her aunt Theresa’s red tankini wasn’t such a bad idea. At least she didn’t stuff her top, though. She didn’t care that all she had were tiny bumps on the chest. Her aunt Theresa on the other hand…Bumps didn’t make you the center of attention. And Aunt Theresa just had to be the center of attention.

“Really,” Sheridan laughed. Pulling her white tee over her head. “Wow,” Haley whispered. Would she look like THAT someday? Nope. Bad idea. She didn’t want some guy breaking his neck trying to get a better look. Like that lifeguard over there. Oh my goodness! Haley! You can’t let your uncle Miguel see you with Sheridan. That would ruin everything. She toed off her sandals. “Last one in is a rotten egg!” she squealed. Kicking her feet up and sending sand flying. Sheridan threw her head back and laughed out loud. Her cutoffs joined Haley’s sandals on the shore, and before she knew it, she was knee-deep in freezing water.

“Haley!” she cried. “AH! Why didn’t you tell me if was 20 degrees in here? It’s SO cold.” Haley’s dark hair was slicked back to her head, and her brown eyes sparkled mischievously. “Come on. It’s Maine,” she said. With a smirk and perfectly timed roll of her eyes. “Hey,” she sputtered when Sheridan slapped at the water playfully. And she was totally drenched. “You are so going to pay!”

“Mm. These are so good.” Haley arched a brown brow in disbelief. “Hot dogs?” she said incredulously. Mouth full. “They’re okay, I guess,” she mumbled. Taking another huge bite. Sheridan’s mouth hung open in shock. “3 bites. That’s all it took.” She shook her head with a smile. “SO,” Haley grinned. “I think we’ve worked up quite an appetite,” she said. Stretching out on her belly on the plush sun-warmed beach towel. “Can I have a bite of your pretzel?” Sheridan tore the pretzel in half and lay down beside her.

“Sheridan?” Haley said sometime later. Squinting against the sun’s rays as she raised herself up on her elbows to meet Sheridan’s blue gaze. “Hmm?” “Do you like it here in Harmony? I know it’s only been a few days…” “Yeah,” Sheridan smiled. “I think I do.” “Good,” Haley whispered to herself. “Are you going to stay? Forever?” Sheridan chuckled. And she toyed with the strap of her baby blue bikini as she spoke. “What is this?” she teased. “Twenty questions?” The pair smiled at each other. “Seriously, Haley. I don’t know. Maybe. If…” “If what?” Haley asked curiously. “Nothing. If nothing. What are we doing sitting here yacking when we could be enjoying the waves. Get your float, Haley. Let’s go have some fun.”

It was wonderful. One of the most fantastic days in…well, forever. She walked home in a happy daze. Sheridan HAD to stay. She just had to. And she was going to make sure she never ever wanted to leave. But first…”Haley Lopez-Fitzgerald! Where were you all day?” Haley’s brown eyes darted back and forth from her grandma to her uncle Miguel to her aunt Theresa. At least Dad wasn’t in on the Spanish Inquisition. “Grandma…um. I was…I was…” You rat! I am so going to tell Grandma I caught you making out with Kay on the couch last Friday night! Her glare said it all. “Haley…” How was she going to get out of this one?

To Be Continued...

Chapter 7:

“Mija…are you going to answer me?” Haley’s brown eyes narrowed at her uncle Miguel. “Haley…I’m waiting,” her grandma tapped her foot impatiently. “I was at the beach. Wasn’t I?” she said pointedly. Daring Miguel to add his own spin. Do it. Just do it. You’ll wish you hadn’t. “With who? Haley. I don’t like you traipsing about Harmony by yourself. You’re just a child,” her grandma sighed. “But I’m real careful, Grandma. Real careful. I was with an adult.” “You were?” her grandma asked. Brown eyes alight with interest. Help me out here, you traitor. “One of the parents from her class.” “Oh,” her grandma smiled in relief. “Which one? Sara’s mom? Julie’s?” No grandma! They’re snobs! “Um…I think it was Mrs. Martinez,” Miguel stated. Thank you! For saving my life. “Mija,” her grandma hugged her. “I’m so happy you’re spending more time with children your own age. And making friends.” She gave her uncle a thumbs up sign behind her grandma’s back.

“Haley! What was that all about?” her aunt Theresa quizzed after they were safely in their room. “Didn’t you hear? I was with Rachel’s mom. We were having fun at the beach.” Miguel knocked on the door. “Can I come in?” “No!” Theresa shrieked. “I don’t have any clothes on!” Haley rolled her eyes. “You’re in your robe. What’s the big deal?” “Haley Lopez-Fitzgerald! Miguel’s my brother. He can’t see me in my robe,” she said matter-of-factly. “Whatever,” Haley muttered under her breath. Tossing her damp hair back off her shoulders. “I’ll meet you in your room. Where do you think you’re going?” Her aunt Theresa’s brown eyes shone with confusion. “With you. I want to hear the whole story.” “You’re in your robe. Remember?” Theresa’s face fell. “Okay,” she whined. “I have to call Whitney anyway.”

She made sure no one was around and that the door was double-locked before she turned around to face her uncle. “Nothing I say goes past this room. You swear?” Miguel crossed his arms. “I can’t promise not to say anything. Not yet. I don’t even know what’s going on.” “I’ll tell Grandma I caught you necking on the couch with Kay last week.” “So,” Miguel shrugged his shoulders. Haley turned around. One hand on the door knob as she undid each of the locks. “Okay. Okay. I promise not to say anything. But Haley…if you’re in trouble…” “I’m not in trouble,” she rolled her eyes. “Then what’s going on?” Miguel asked. Plopping down on his unmade bed. “I’m on a mission,” Haley grinned. “A mission? Maybe I should…” “I’m looking for the perfect mom. Someone that’ll make Dad smile again. Don’t you want that?”

Miguel’s dark eyes studied her carefully. “What kind of brother and uncle would I be if I didn’t? Of course I do. But what does that have to do with the blond babe I saw you with today at the beach?” “I am SO going to squeal on you. Does Kay know you go gaga over anything in a bikini? Is that the only thing you guys notice?” Miguel’s cheeks grew red. “NO! Well…yeah,” he said bashfully. Haley smiled. “I won’t tell. Don’t worry.” “Who was she?” “Only the greatest person I’ve ever met!” Haley gushed. Bouncing on the foot of the bed. “She’s awesome, Miguel. Perfect Mom material.” “Mom material,” Miguel scoffed. “I don’t see it.” “Sure you don’t,” Haley smirked. “You’re a guy.”

Miguel laughed. And grabbed her in a headlock. “Stop,” Haley giggled as he mussed her hair. “Uncle! Uncle!” They threw themselves back against the pillows at the foot of the bed and stared at the ceiling. “What’s her name?” “Sheridan. She’s just returned home to Harmony after living in Paris…Paris, Miguel…since she was a little girl. I’ve only known her for a few days. But she wants all the things Dad wants. She loves kids. Good thing, too. Even if I won’t be a kid much longer,” Haley bragged proudly. Miguel snorted. “Whatever you say, Kiddo.” “I won’t,” she continued. But not before shooting him a withering glare. Followed by a happy smile. “She wants a family. We can give her that. She loves Spain. It’s her favorite place in the entire world. How cool is that? Dad wants to go there so bad.”

“Haley…you said it yourself. You’ve only known this Sheridan a few days. You can’t be sure she’s telling you the truth. Maybe she wants her OWN family. Did you ever stop to think of that?” “Well…she can have one. I’ve always wanted a baby brother or sister.” Miguel rolled his eyes goodnaturedly. “She’s beautiful, Miguel.” “Yeah…you’ve got that right. She’s definitely…” “Are you sure I don’t need to have a chat with Kay? Sheridan…back to Sheridan. The biggest thing, Miguel…She can make Dad smile again. I’m sure of it.” “Well,” Miguel sighed.

“It sounds like you have your mind made up.” “You know what that means,” Haley teased. “So…are you going to help?” “Haley! It’s Dad. I’m home.” Miguel’s face broke out into a slow smile. “Yeah…I’ll help. Count me in.” “Thank you so much! You’ll see. Dad’ll love her. You’ll all love her,” she squealed. Knocking Miguel down with the force of her hug. “When do I get to meet this Sheridan?” Miguel grinned. “Tomorrow,” Haley bubbled. “Come on. They’re calling us for dinner.”

To Be Continued...

Chapter 8:

“Haley…sorry to say this, Squirt. But I think you’ve been stood up.” Haley’s brown eyes continued to search the sandy beach. “No,” she disagreed. “She said she’d be here. She promised. Sheridan wouldn’t do this to me. I know she wouldn’t,” she mumbled. Miguel squeezed her shoulders. “Look…Haley…I know you wanted her to be ‘the one.’ You really liked her. But it looks like…” “Haley! I’m so sorry I’m late! You’ll never guess what happened to me,”

Sheridan waved breathlessly. Haley’s entire face lit up, and her nose crinkled in that odd way of hers. “Sheridan! I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” she cried. Hugging her. “Of course not, Silly,” Sheridan laughed. “Hi! I’m Sheridan,” she introduced herself. Holding out a hand to Miguel. “Nice to meet you…” “Miguel,” he answered. “Sheridan…this is my uncle,” Haley said proudly. “Wow! THIS is your uncle,” she grinned. “Cute,” she teased. Haley snickered when Miguel blushed.

Haley spread Sheridan’s soft blue blanket out on the sand. And promptly plopped down. Miguel laughed in embarrassment when she pulled him down beside her. “So…tell us.” “Tell you what?” Sheridan asked distractedly. Opening up her beach bag and withdrawing twin pairs of shades. “Here. I got you these,” she smiled. “Sorry I don’t have any for you, Miguel,” she apologized. “But then…I didn’t know I’d have the pleasure of meeting you today.” “Quit staring,” Haley hissed. Punching him in the gut. “Ow! That’s okay,” Miguel grinned. “What happened, Sheridan? Why were you late?” Sheridan’s blue eyes narrowed. “Can you believe it? Back in Harmony less than a week. And I get a ticket.” “NO!” Haley said in disbelief. What would her dad think? He was an officer of the law, after all. Very by the book.

“Well,” Sheridan bowed her head. “I deserved it, I guess. I was speeding,” she admitted. A pink tinge to her cheeks as she remembered the incident. “Speeding? Hear that, Haley? What would Luis think?” Haley jabbed her elbows in her uncle’s ribs. “Speeding 5 miles over the limit…or speeding 20 miles over the limit?” Sheridan blushed a deeper hue of red. “Keep going.” Haley’s brown eyes grew wide. “On second thought…you don’t even want to know. But it’s not like…things weren’t so bad until I…” “Until you what?” Miguel asked curiously. “I hit his jeep,” Sheridan whispered sheepishly. “YOU WHAT?!?!” Haley exclaimed. “Actually hit…that’s too ‘soft’ a word,” she said. Blue eyes twinkling. “Try crashed.”

“Oh my goodness! This is not good.” Her dad…with a…what would he do? Sheridan was on the OTHER side of the law. “No, it isn’t,” Sheridan grumbled. “I told him it was an accident. And he was real nice about it…well, as nice as someone can be when a complete stranger smashes into their car---until I told him my name.” Miguel and Haley looked at each other. “What?” Sheridan asked. Offering them each a plump red apple. “What did he look like?” Haley questioned. Sheridan’s blue eyes glazed over. And a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Well…he had dark hair. Spiky,” she laughed. Miguel’s brows raised. Uh oh, Haley thought. Sounds like…

“…the most amazing brown eyes. A body to…um, too much information for your young ears. Sorry, Haley. Haley? Are you okay?” Haley dug her toes into the sun-warmed sand. And the juice from the apple trickled down her arm unnoticed. “What was his name? Did he tell you his name?” “Yeah,” Sheridan said. “Why?” “Um…” “He told me that and SO much more. Boy did the kind officer have a few choice words for me,” she said sarcastically. “I’m supposed to go down to the police station later today. The jerk couldn’t just give me a warning. I didn’t have enough cash on me to pay the ticket.” Haley gulped. “His name?” “Officer Lo---Lopez. No. That’s not right. Officer Lopez…it was a long name.” “Lopez-Fitzgerald?” Miguel offered. “Yes! How did you…do you know him?” Miguel chuckled.

“What? What am I missing here?” Haley jumped to her feet and started pacing back and forth. Of all the ways the first meeting could have gone…this was SO not how she imagined it. How was she ever going to convince her dad Sheridan was the perfect woman for him now? The perfect Mom? “Haley? Is something wrong?” Sheridan asked in concern. “NO! No,” she said in a softer voice. “Was he really a jerk to you?” “Really,” she said. “Oh no. Oh no. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.” “The way it was supposed to be? Haley? What’s going on?” “Nothing!” Haley cried. “Good,” Sheridan smiled in relief. “I still don’t know my way around Harmony too well. What do you say? Will you go with me to the police station? I’m afraid I’d just get lost. And Officer Uptight would write me a ticket for THAT.” “NO!” Haley blurted. “I CAN’T!”

To Be Continued...

Chapter 9:

"Well…this is it," Haley rushed. "I have to go now. Wait a minute…is that…yes, it is. Sheridan…I hear my grandma now. I need to get home. Real quick." Sheridan rolled her blue eyes. It was all she could do to keep from laughing. "You wouldn't by any chance be related to Superman, would you? Or maybe…nah. That's not possible," she shook her head. "What's not possible?" Jeez, Haley. Just remember…curiosity killed the cat. Yeah. So. I'm NOT a cat. "I've heard that a dog’s hearing is awesome." "Sheridan! Are you implying…" Sheridan burst into laughter.

"Okay, okay," Haley muttered. "But I still don't want to go in. Can't I just wait outside? I…I…have this insane fear of men in uniform." "Suit yourself," Sheridan shrugged with a smile. "Officer Lopez-Fitz…Mr. Macho was pretty cute. Maybe there are more like him in there. I'll have to check out the pictures on their desks. You know…see if they have pictures of their mothers, kids, girlfriends." "Oh, go ahead. Give it your best shot," Haley grumbled. How had this happened? It was one scrape after another. Oh my goodness! Did she say pictures? Haley pulled the door to the station open and crept inside.

"Ahem. Excuse me. Supercop," Sheridan said sarcastically. Luis leaned back in his desk chair and glared at her. Oh no, Haley thought. This isn't good. Not good at all. "Well…if it isn't the Spoiled Princess?" he jeered. Throwing the file in his lap onto the desk. Sheridan sneered at him. "Are you this rude to everyone? Or just innocent people who happen to have been born Cranes?" "Innocent?" Luis scoffed. "Cranes? Isn't that like an…what's the word? Sorry if I get it wrong. I haven't benefited from Daddy buying my way through college. I think I have it. Oxymoron?" "Funny," Sheridan deadpanned. Reaching in her purse and pulling out a wad of cash. Luis's brown eyes narrowed. Haley's about popped out of her head.

"Here," she said. Thrusting the money at him. "I've paid my debt. Are you happy now?" And for some reason…Haley had no idea why…that made her dad mad. "I'm afraid it's not so simple, Ms. Crane,” her dad called after Sheridan as she turned to walk away. “You didn’t just break more than a few traffic laws. In fact, the list is rather long.” Sheridan crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. “Long? We spent how much time together? This is ridiculous. I’m leaving now, Officer.” Haley giggled from beneath Marty’s desk. Sheridan didn’t take nothing off of nobody. She liked that.

“Sam,” Luis grinned smugly. “Kindly inform Ms. Crane…” “Sam? Who’s this Sam?” Sheridan huffed in annoyance. Really. Mr. Big was seriously getting on her nerves. Talk about a chip on the shoulder. “Ms. Crane,” a tall older man with bronzed skin and deep blue eyes said. Holding out his hand. “I’m Sam.” “As in Chief Sam Bennett,” Luis said triumphantly. “Chief Bennett…I…the kind officer here has yet to tell me what ‘rules’ I violated that warrant further fines. Or whatever…ugh!” Haley smirked when Sheridan stomped her foot in frustration.

“Rule #307.” “Oh,” Sheridan said icily. “And what exactly is Rule #307? If I didn’t know better I’d say you made it up to get the better of me.” Sam shrank back as the sparks flew from the couple in front of him. Truth was…he didn’t know what the woman had done wrong besides being named Crane. Luis…well, he didn’t like them too much. “I’ll give you a definition,” Luis bit out. Getting right in Sheridan’s face. “Thou shalt not be a Smart-Ass to the Officer on Duty.” “Funny,” Sheridan rolled her eyes. “How’d you ever become one of Harmony’s finest?” she said sweetly. “Is that some kind of put down?” “Okay, you two. Break it up,” Sam intervened. “Thank goodness,” Haley sighed in relief. How would she explain the mug shots to her future siblings? Sheridan WAS going to be her new mom. She just didn’t know how yet.

“I’m sorry, Chief Bennett. If you don’t mind…I have a prior engagement. I really don’t want to keep her waiting.” Luis gritted his teeth and glared at Sheridan’s retreating form. “Luis…what’s up with you, Buddy?” “Ms. Crane,” Luis ignored Sam. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Sheridan stomped back to him like a petulant child. “Thank you,” she ground out. Yanking her purse from his hands. “And Ms. Crane,” he took great relish in breaking the news. “You’re expected at the Harmony Youth Center. 8 sharp. Don’t be late. Community service,” he smirked.

Oh man, Haley groaned. No more days at the beach. But then…her dad worked at the Youth Center. He was the Director! She hated herself for even thinking it. But it looked like Aunt Theresa’s FATE really did exist sometimes. The door slammed behind Sheridan, and Haley scrambled out from beneath Marty’s desk. “I don’t know, Sam,” her dad complained. “She just…” “Gets under your skin,” Sam supplied. And a gigantic smile lit up Haley’s face when her dad couldn’t help but smile.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 10:

"Community service. Community service! For what? Speeding? Haley…it's looking less and less like I'm going to be sticking around Harmony for good. If all the people are like Mr. Macho in there…" "NO! You can't leave!" Haley said in a panic. Sheridan's blue eyes went wide. "I'd miss you too much," Haley said more quietly. Sheridan's eyes twinkled at her. "I'd miss you, too," she said. Hugging Haley. "See that?" she grumbled. Casting her eyes skyward. "A black cloud. Thank you, Supercop," she muttered. "You've just ruined my day." Oh no, Haley thought. Change the subject. Quick! "No, he didn't," she insisted. "So we can't go back to the beach. I don't feel much like swimming anyway. But I would like to see those slides of Spain you promised to show me."

Woohoo! And the smile was back! "You know what, Haley? That sounds like a fantastic idea. Come on," she urged. Taking Haley's hand in hers. Haley's feet stayed rooted to the ground. Uh oh! What about Grandma? With the storm blowing in, she'd expect her to be at home. "Sheridan…I don't know if my grandma will let me go." Sheridan fished her cell phone out of her purse. "Here," she said. Thrusting it at Haley. "Call her. I'll be right inside," she said with a nod of her head. "Do you like blueberry muffins?" Haley nodded her head vigorously. Just another thing her dad and Sheridan had in common. Her, too. "Hello…"

"Thanks Grandma. I'll be home for dinner. Promise. Love you, too." "Ready?" Sheridan asked with a smile. Haley happily took Sheridan's arm, and they walked down the sidewalk. She was going to Sheridan's cottage! Thunder rumbled, and their steps became faster. Hurried. But oh it was so much fun! By the time Sheridan was slipping her key in the lock, they were soaked to the bone. Hair plastered to their skulls. "I love the rain, Sheridan," Haley giggled. Twirling about. Arms outstretched. "Get in here, Silly," Sheridan smiled. Tugging her inside. "Your grandma will never let you come back if you catch your death of cold." "That is such a 'mom' thing to say," Haley beamed. The look on Sheridan's face was priceless. She laid a cold hand on Haley's forehead. "Sure you aren't already coming down with something?" she teased.

"Make yourself at home, Haley. I'm going to go heat these muffins up. We need something warm and toasty." "Sounds great," Haley called after her. Drinking in her surroundings. Not at all what she expected from a Crane. "So..." Sheridan laughed. Handing her a steaming mug of hot cocoa. "You like?" "Very much," Haley smiled. Plopping down on the sofa and making herself comfortable. "Mmm. I love cocoa on a rainy day, too. My grandma makes it for us all the time." "Your grandma sounds a lot like someone I know," Sheridan mused. Haley was glad she had her back turned. Fixing the projector. She had this huge guilty grin on her face. Of course she sounded familiar, she thought. Fighting hard not to laugh.

Sheridan curled up on the couch beside her. Remote in hand. The rain fell in sheets outside, but for the next couple hours Haley didn't notice a thing. Except the wonderful show before her. She wished her dad could see these, she thought with a contented sigh. Sheridan had a knack for storytelling. "That's Costa Marbella. Gorgeous, isn't it?" Haley was incapable of forming thoughts. Much less words at that moment. The beauty was too much for her. "I want to go there again someday. Maybe take someone special with me," Sheridan said wistfully. "Who? Me?" Haley joked. Cuddling close underneath the faded blue quilt.

"Hmm," Sheridan pretended to mull it over. A finger on her chin. "You're not the tall, dark and handsome man of my dreams. But you'll do in a pinch." "Sheridan!" Haley said aghast. Sheridan ducked as the pillow flew from Haley's hands. "Tell me about the man of your dreams," Haley yawned sleepily. Her head resting in Sheridan's lap. Sheridan ran her fingers through Haley's long dark hair. "The man of my dreams, huh?" Sheridan whispered. Smiling at the faint freckles on Haley's nose. "Yeah," Haley blinked big brown eyes at her. "Please." "Okay," Sheridan relented. Her lilting voice lulling Haley into a deep peace.

"The man of my dreams." The reflection of Costa Marbella painted their faces as lightning flashed outside. "The man of my dreams is the kindest man I've ever met," Sheridan sighed dreamily. Haley smiled in response. Her dad was the most generous, giving person SHE knew. "He loves me for me. Not my family name. Not my money." Well...we don't have to worry about that, Haley thought to herself. Dad certainly doesn't love your name. "When he looks at me...I feel warm all over," she laughed. "Special." Um...not yet. But she was sure it wouldn't take long. "We can talk about anything together. Share our deepest secrets. He listens. Really listens." There lies a problem.

“We live in this cozy little house on this street full of houses almost exactly the same. But ours is different. Old. Something with history." "Old?" Haley asked. "You don't want a big house? A new one?" "No," Sheridan shook her blond head. "And it doesn't have to be big. Look at this cottage. I love this place far more than I ever did the Mansion, Haley." "It IS nice," Haley conceded. "Homey," she whispered. "What else?" "Family. Family is the most important thing in the world to him," she said softly. And Haley felt sad. Sheridan didn't have any of these things in her dream. A beautiful dream. "I hope you find him,” she said solemnly. Playing with the frayed edges of the quilt. “Me, too,” she heard Sheridan’s soft whisper.

The projector whirred to life as Sheridan pressed another button on the remote. “Oh,” Haley said. Resting her chin on Sheridan’s shoulder. “Who’s that?” A woman…a delicate looking woman…smiled back at them. Her eyes strangely familiar to Haley. A little girl with bouncy blond ringlets gazed up at her adoringly. Her tiny hand cupping the woman’s cheek. “That’s…” “My mother,” Sheridan answered. Tears in her blue eyes. “So that baby is…” “Me,” she smiled slightly. “She was pretty,” Haley finally ventured.

“Yes, she was, wasn’t she?” Sheridan murmured. “My memories of Mother are so fuzzy. I was so young when she died.” “I’m sorry,” Haley apologized. “Don’t be,” Sheridan smiled. Tapping Haley’s nose with her index finger. “It’s not your fault. Nobody’s really. Why should you be sorry?” “I don’t know,” Haley shrugged. The quilt slipping free of her shoulders. “Haley?” Sheridan queried gently. “Is something bothering you?”

“Your mother died. Mine…she left me when I was a baby,” Haley said quietly. So quietly Sheridan almost didn’t hear. And Sheridan’s heart went out to her. Pain she kept well-hidden flashed in her brown eyes. “She left me, Sheridan. Am I really that bad? Is there something wrong with me? What did I do?” “No,” Sheridan said immediately. Pulling Haley into her embrace. “You did nothing wrong. Look at me, Haley,” she implored. Grasping Haley’s chin gently. “It’s not your fault.

It’s hers. You’re one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. A person can’t help but love you. I’ve only known you a few days, and already I love you to pieces.” Haley smiled through her tears. “You’re just being nice,” she said. Looking down. “Haley…are you calling me a liar?” Sheridan teased lightly. Haley’s brown eyes danced. “If I ever have a daughter someday…I want her to be just like you,” Sheridan said sincerely. “Just like you. With pretty brown eyes. That fantastic smile.

You’re going to break a lot of hearts when you get older, Sweetie. I know it. And most of all…your beautiful heart. It’s her loss. She missed out on getting to know you.” “Thank you,” Haley whispered. Burying her face in the crook of Sheridan’s neck. I wish you were my mom, she thought as the rain beat down on the roof outside. I wish…

To Be Continued...

Chapter 11:

Pilar balanced the tray on her hip and backed into the door. “Good morning, Miss Sheridan,” she smiled at Sheridan’s sleep-rumpled appearance. Sheridan rubbed her eyes with her fists. “Pilar,” she yawned. “You didn’t have to…” Pilar set the breakfast tray down on the night stand and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to. We haven’t had time to catch up since your return.” Sheridan popped a lush strawberry in her mouth and leaned back against her pillows with a sigh. “Mmm. Thank you,” she mumbled. “These are so good.” “Mrs. Crane tells me you’ve been very busy. With this…new friend.” Sheridan’s face lit up at the mention of her ‘friend.’ “She’s been showing me around Harmony. The beach. Lighthouse Park. The Youth Center. The Harmony Police Department…Oh my goodness! Pilar!” she exclaimed. Blue eyes round. “What time is it?” Pilar steadied the glass of juice on the tray. “It’s…I think it’s almost 9 o’clock.” “OH NO! This isn’t good! Not good at all!” Sheridan shrieked. Scrambling off the bed. Well…trying to. Funny thing was the bed didn’t want her to leave apparently. Her feet got all twisted in the sheets, and she hit the floor with a resounding thud. “Miss Sheridan! Are you okay?” “I never should have left the cottage. That was a sign of things to come,” Sheridan grumbled. “Come on, Sheridan. Working at the Youth Center wasn’t that bad. Was it?” she ventured timidly. She felt really bad. Downplaying what she KNEW had been a terrible day for Sheridan. Her dad had made sure of it from the moment she limped into the Youth Center more than an hour late. “Officer Lopez-Fitz…” “CRANE! You were supposed to be here hours ago.” “Hours? Only 2 hours ago, Supercop. 2 hours. As you can see, I have a perfectly good excuse for being late,” she huffed in annoyance. Pointing at her bandaged ankle. “Oh…a sprained ankle. Really? Rather convenient, don’t you think?” Sheridan’s eyes burned bright, and her cheeks flamed red. “Are you calling me a fake?” “You’re finally getting a clue,” he smirked. “I’m on to you, Crane,” he warned. Shoving the basketball at her. “Ugh!” Sheridan tottered on her feet for a few seconds before crashing to the floor.

It only got worse from there, Haley thought. Shaking her head. Whoa! She didn’t know her dad could be so mean. So far…he was batting a thousand. “Can you believe the nerve? He actually got jealous. Jealous! Because the kids liked me better,” she said with a small smile. They did, Haley remembered. And it just burned her dad up. Sheridan enthralled them all with tales of her travels in Europe. Until her dad broke things up. By sending Sheridan to scrub the bathroom floors! “I’m surprised Mr. Macho Supercop Jealous Jerk didn’t make me use a toothbrush.” Haley snickered. The nickname just got longer with each minute Sheridan spent with her dad. Not really good. But she couldn’t help but laugh. “By the time I finished,” Sheridan whined. “All the kids were gone. Why does he have to be so mean to me? I’ve never done anything to him?” Good question, Haley thought.

“Your coffee, Miss…?” Oh no! Oh no, Haley panicked. How could she forget?! Her aunt Theresa! “Sheridan,” Sheridan smiled warmly. “You can call me Sheridan.” “Sheridan,” Theresa bubbled. “That’s such a pretty name.” “Thank you,” Sheridan murmured. Blue eyes smiling. Haley hunched over in her chair. Praying Theresa wouldn’t recognize her. “Haley? Are you sure you don’t want anything? I’ll buy you something.” Haley shook her head vigorously. Her silver earrings jangling. Theresa’s brown eyes grew round with recognition. “A muffin? You said blueberry muffins were you favorite.” Please, Sheridan. Just please shut up! Before…”Haley? Haley? Is that you?” Sheridan almost choked at Haley’s dreadful groan. “Haley Lo---“ “Oh…hi Aunt Theresa! I thought you had the day off.” “This is your aunt?” Sheridan laughed. “But Theresa…you’re so young,” she teased. Theresa grinned goofily. “Haley’s dad…my brother Lu…OW!” she yelped. Glaring at Haley when she stomped on her foot. Sheridan’s brows shot up. “My brother is ten years older than me. He had Haley when he was very young.”

“Haley told me. Well ‘Aunt Theresa’,” Sheridan smiled brightly. Extending her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Theresa bounced on the balls of her feet as she extended her hand. NNNNNNOOOOOO! Haley screamed inwardly. Leave it to her aunt Theresa. Klutz Extraordinaire. Sometimes she wondered if it was safe to sleep in the same room with her. Sheridan’s coffee mug toppled over. And it was so awful. But it was amazing how fast a person with a sprained ankle could move when threatened with a scalding hot liquid, Haley thought. Unfortunately…not fast enough. “Ah!” Sheridan winced. “Oh my goodness! I am so sorry. So terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to…I didn’t mean to…did I burn you?” Theresa twittered nervously. “I’ll call 9-1-1!”

Sheridan burst into laughter. “Theresa! It’s okay. I’m okay. Really I am. It only burns a little. Not enough to call 9-1-1.” Haley rolled her brown eyes. Thank goodness she had inherited her father’s and grandmother’s brains. Was Papa Martin stupid? “Oh! Thank god!” Theresa exclaimed. Throwing her arms around Sheridan’s neck gratefully. “Kristie would have fired me for sure. This one guy…last week…I ‘accidentally’ tripped. And dumped a whole tray of hot muffins in his lap. He wasn’t half as nice as you. You are SO nice.” “Thank you,” Sheridan laughed. “Uh…” “Aunt Theresa,” Haley tugged at Theresa’s sleeve. “Oh! I’m…” “It’s okay. Pleasure meeting you, Theresa. But you see…I’ve had a really rough day…and I think it’s time I went home.” “B-Bye,” Theresa waved with a silly smile plastered on her face.

“Been keeping secrets from me, Miss Haley?” Sheridan smirked as Haley held the door open for her. You don’t know the half of it, Haley thought. “Um…not really. You saw what she did to you. Are you really that disappointed I didn’t introduce you sooner.” Sheridan’s laughter made her smile. “I see your point. Anything else I should know? Any more deep, dark secrets?” Yeah…Haley gulped as her brown eyes spotted a familiar figure across the street. “Haley! Haley!” Sheridan called as Haley seemed to disappear into thin air. “Now…how am I going to manage this?” she mumbled to herself. Pushing the door open with her free hand. “Gee, Sheridan. Could you BE any more graceful? Great,” she muttered as she wedged herself in between the door. Halfway in. Halfway out. “Ugh! This has been such a wonderful day,” she said sarcastically. “Where’s a helping hand when you need it? Okay…on three. 1…2…3!”

Not a good idea, she thought as the cold, hard sidewalk seemed to rush up at her. Until…a pair of arms grabbed her. And held on. “Thank you,” she said breathlessly. “You saved me from certain death,” she joked. Picking her purse up and slipping it on her shoulder. “Couldn’t let that happen? There are places to see. Malls to shop. Expensive jewelry to buy. Perfume…” Oh my…No, it isn’t. It couldn’t be. Su…”Supercop,” she whispered. Her blue eyes traveling up his form. His form! Holy…she never noticed how many muscles Jealous Jerk had. Yeah right, Sheridan. Are you blind? Of course, she had noticed. But she was too busy…fighting with him. Why was that? “Still pretending, Crane?” Oh…now she remembered. Smug. Arrogant. Infuriating. “Pretending? Do you honestly think I would purposely fall flat on my face?” she spat in irritation. “You saw me coming,” he shrugged his shoulders.

She jerked her hands from his arms when she felt his muscles flex. “You know what, Supercop? Save it! I’ve had the worst day. All thanks to you.” “Thanks to me?” he bit out incredulously. “Yeah, thanks to you,” she shouted. Getting in his face. “I overslept. And you know why? Your ugly face was in my nightmares. I didn’t sleep a wink.” Oh, Sheridan. Ugly? You are SO lying. And they weren’t nightmares, she thought. Resisting the urge to blush. “Then I twisted my ankle trying to hurry. So I wouldn’t be too late and get another tongue-lashing.” Haley ducked down low when her dad turned his head. He was laughing! “Haley? What are you doing in the floor?” Theresa asked with a befuddled _expression. “There’s Luis! I’m going to go introduce him to Sheridan. Haley!” Haley pulled her down beside her. “No! You can’t do that.”

“I see,” Luis cleared his throat. “I’m the cause of all your problems? How did you sprain your ankle? Help me understand how I had anything to do with it.” Sheridan’s blue eyes flashed. “I…” You can’t tell HIM you got your feet tangled up in your own bedsheets. You’ll never live THAT down. “Tell me, Ms. Crane,” he grinned. “Ugh!” she groaned. Shoving him. Hard. Luis chuckled. “Oh…I’m so scared,” he teased. “Haley? Why don’t you want me to introduce Sheridan to Luis.” Haley gave Theresa her best ‘what the hell’ look. But Theresa still didn’t get it. “Theresa…do people normally act that way if they haven’t at least met each other?” Theresa’s brown eyes zoomed back in on her brother and Sheridan. “No,” she said finally. “You’re smarter than I thought,” Haley muttered under her breath. “Why do they hate each other so much?” Haley sighed. Her mission looked like it was going to crash and burn. “They don’t look they hate each other to me,” Theresa giggled. “Look,” she pointed. Haley’s jaw dropped open when she spied her dad. And Sheridan. On the ground on top of each other! How did that happen? “Do you see the way he’s looking into her eyes? Luis doesn’t hate Sheridan, Haley. I think he really likes her.” What do you know, Haley thought with a smile. Maybe it was true.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 12 :

“Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!” Theresa bubbled excitedly. “Look at them, Haley! Luis doesn’t hate Sheridan.” Haley was too busy smiling at her dad and her future mom to care that Theresa was making a complete and utter fool of herself. Quite a crowd had gathered behind them it seemed. Enjoying the spectacle. “I can tell, Haley,” Theresa sighed blissfully. “They’re in love.” And just like that…the happy bubble Haley was in burst. “What? How can you say that? Are you crazy? They only just met.” “Haley…haven’t you ever heard of love at first sight?” Theresa giggled. “I can’t wait for the wedding.” “Is it too much to ask,” Haley muttered under her breath. Her brown eyes raised skyward.

“Maybe I’m adopted,” she said cheerily. Or better yet, she thought. Aunt Theresa was adopted! That would explain so much. “I’m telling you, Haley. Luis and Sheridan…they’re secretly in love.” “Whatever,” Haley rolled her eyes. Nice thought, but she knew in order for her plan to work…so many things had to happen. Not the least of which, her dad and Sheridan actually had to LIKE each other first. “Would you be quiet? I can’t hear what they’re saying.” “Not much right now,” Theresa piped up. “Ooo…kiss her, Luis.” Haley’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the scene unfolding outside. Sheridan lay sprawled atop her dad. “Haley,” Theresa twittered beside her. “She wants him to kiss her. I know she does. This is better than a movie,” Theresa giggled. Stuffing an entire blueberry muffin in her mouth. “Shh!” Her dad was saying something. “Ms. Crane,” he said in a teasing voice. “I had no idea how badly you wanted me. Why didn’t you just say so? Instead of throwing yourself at me?” Uh oh! Dad! Theresa snickered beside her.

“UGH!” Sheridan groaned in disgust. “For the last time…I sprained my ankle! All because of you. And I…I lost my balance…and fell.” “On top of me,” Luis grinned. Haley could see Sheridan’s blue eyes shooting her dad bullets from her hiding spot. “Great, Dad. You had to go and say that. Go ahead. Get her mad,” she grumbled. “They SO want each other,” Kristie sighed behind them. And Haley’s brown eyes almost popped out of her head. EVERYBODY in the Book Café was watching! Sheridan shifted. Trying desperately to climb to her unsteady feet. But she fell again, and Haley beamed as she watched her dad lift a hand to brush Sheridan’s blond hair from her eyes. “What did I tell you, Haley?” Theresa gushed. “Now Luis wants to kiss her.” Stop it with the Peanut Gallery already! “Admit it,” her dad smirked. “This is all an act.” Sheridan shoved his hand away and sat up. Flopping to the ground beside him in an undignified heap.. “Hardly! You…you make…the sight of you makes me ill,” she shuddered.

“Ditto,” Luis shot back. Infuriating her all the more. “Oh! How intelligent!” she rolled her eyes. “Your wit astounds me. I’m sure your mother’s so proud,” she shook her head. “As a matter of fact…she is,” Luis smiled pleasantly. “You might know her…” Haley’s jaw dropped open. NO! NO DAD! DON’T DO IT! DON’T SAY IT! Her plan would be ruined! “Really?” Sheridan questioned. Leaning back on her elbows. “And how is that?” Don’t go there, Dad, Haley prayed silently. Her fingers crossed. “Haley,” Theresa tugged at her hand. “What’s wrong? You look pale.” “He’s going to ruin it. He’s going to ruin my plan,” she whispered. “Ruin it? What plan? How?” Haley looked at her with serious brown eyes. “Theresa,” Haley said. “Grandma works for Sheridan’s family. If Dad tells her who he is, she’ll find out all about me. And my plan will be ruined. This isn’t supposed to happen. Not yet. They’re supposed to fall in love first.” Theresa stared at her in confusion. “Haley? Where are you going?”

“Because,” Luis said harshly. “My mama spends every day working her fingers to the bone for the no-good likes of you. Cleaning. Cooking. Making sure YOUR day is perfect when she spends HERS struggling to make ends meet.” Sheridan’s mouth fell open. “Pilar? Pilar’s your mother?” Luis’s eyes were black with anger. “I…Luis,” she ventured timidly. “I didn’t know. Is that why you…hate me so much?” “Haley…don’t go out there,” Theresa said gently. “But Aunt Theresa…can’t you see? He can’t hate her. He can’t!” The onlookers behind them scattered as the scene outside grew uglier by the minute. “Hate you? Ms. Crane,” Luis said in a low voice. “I hate you because you’re a spoiled princess who’s never had to work a day in her life. I hate you because you take your life for granted. I hate you because you…” Stop it, Dad. Just…stop. Tears brimmed from Sheridan’s blue eyes. “because you’re the reason…it’s your family’s fault I grew up without a father. Everything they touch turns to poison.” “This isn’t happening,” Haley shook her head. “It can’t be. Sheridan carelessly swiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks. “I see,” she said softly. “I’m sorry my existence is such a blight to your happiness. I…I’ll go now.” Haley’s fists clenched at her sides. Theresa sighed behind her. “I guess I was wrong. He really does…Haley, I don’t understand. What plan?”

“It was a stupid plan,” Haley cried. “A stupid, stupid plan. How could I ever think it would work?” she shrugged Theresa’s hands from her shoulders. Theresa turned her attention back outside. Just in time to see Sheridan’s form grow smaller and smaller in the distance. The bells tinkled as her brother walked inside, and she glared at him. “How does it feel, Luis?” “Theresa? What are you talking about?” Luis asked. Taking some money from his wallet to pay Kristie for his purchase. “Knowing you made someone…someone really nice…cry?” “Nice?” he scoffed. “She’s a Crane.” “A nice one,” Haley sniffled. “And you hurt her, Dad. I could tell.” “No. I didn’t,” Luis defended. Looking guilty as hell. “Cranes aren’t like…Haley. How did you…how do you know her?” Haley didn’t answer as she brushed past him. After Sheridan. “Theresa? What’s going on here?” Theresa ignored him. “What’s with them? I’m telling you, Kristie. Sheridan Crane is just as rotten as the rest of her family. I have no reason to feel bad about what I said to her. No reason to feel bad about making her cry.” Kristie just arched a slender auburn brow at him and continued wiping off the counter. “No reason,” Luis repeated. Looking more unsure than ever.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 13:

“Sheridan! Sheridan! Are you in there?” Haley cried. Pounding on Sheridan’s cottage door. “Please…please, let me in.” “Haley? Darling? What’s wrong?” Haley’s brown eyes filled with more tears as she turned to face Ivy. “It’s ruined. My plan’s ruined.” Ivy brushed Haley’s tears away with gentle fingers. “Don’t say that. I’m sure it’s not as terrible as it seems now. Tell me what happened,” she encouraged. Reaching out her free hand to retrieve the spare key from its hiding place. “My dad,” Haley broke down once they were safely inside. “Your dad?” Ivy queried. “He was so mean to her. He didn’t even give her a chance. He hates her,” Haley sniffled. “Because she’s a Crane,” Ivy said to herself more than Haley. “Because she’s a Crane,” Haley nodded. Hugging one of Sheridan’s pillows to her chest. It smelled like her. Her perfume. Ivy snaked a consoling arm around Haley’s shoulders and pulled her close. “You’ll see. Things will work out.” Haley lay her head against Ivy’s shoulder with a shaky sigh.

The minutes on the clock ticked slowly by, and Haley’s tears dried. Ivy smiled to herself. Haley’s devotion to Sheridan…it was so strong despite the short time they had known each other. “Where is she?” Haley said. Drawing in a deep breath. “It’s been over an hour.” Ivy stroked Haley’s brown hair. “Oh…I think I have an idea.” Haley stared into the older woman’s blue green eyes with a curious _expression on her face. “She went to see her mother.” “Her mother? I don’t understand. I thought…” Ivy’s eyes sparkled at her as she explained. “Whenever she’s feeling lonely…or upset like today…she goes to visit her mother’s grave and just…talks to her.” Haley tucked her legs beneath her and turned to face Ivy fully. “Does she feel lonely a lot?”

Ivy smiled at Haley’s concern. “Not so much now. That she’s found you.” Haley beamed at her. “Ivy?” “Yes, Darling?” Haley picked at the hem of her tee-shirt. “I know it sounds silly. But I really want HER to be my mom. So bad,” she said earnestly. “I feel bad for not telling her who I really am, but I didn’t want to scare her off. Guess it didn’t matter much anyway,” she sighed. “Dad already did that.” “I don’t know about that,” Ivy told her. “Sheridan has a very forgiving heart.” Too forgiving of a heart really, Ivy realized. “He’s really not a bad person. I swear. I don’t understand all this. I’ve never seen my dad be as mean to anyone as he was to Sheridan today. He doesn’t even act like himself around her. It’s like he’s afraid or…something,” Haley finished. Ivy thought over Haley’s words, and realized Haley was closer to the answer than she’d ever believe. She had a feeling her own mother, Beth Wallace, had a lot to do with Luis’s fear. He was pushing Sheridan away. Because, like it or not, something about her made him feel again. Feel things he hadn’t felt in a long time. Okay…so she didn’t have a Ph.D. But she DID know a little something about affairs of the heart.

“Sheridan!” Haley exclaimed in relief. Rushing to meet her at the front door and throwing her arms around her waist. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry my D…” “Luis treated you that way,” Ivy interrupted. Haley shot Ivy a grateful look and stared up at Sheridan with solemn brown eyes. Sheridan’s blue eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. “Oh Haley,” she sighed. A gentle smile on her lips as she kissed Haley’s forehead. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going to take what HE said personally.” “You’re not?” Haley asked uncertainly. “No,” Sheridan told her. “He’s just not a very nice person. That’s all. I’ve met lots of them before. It’s no big deal.” “You’re wrong,” Haley shook her head. “It IS a big deal. NO ONE should be that mean to another person. NO ONE.” “Haley’s right, Sheridan. Are you sure you’re okay?” Ivy asked. “I’m fine,” Sheridan laughed lightly. Haley frowned. “At least I will be. Ethan’s going to meet with the Mayor. If all goes well…I can do my community service under someone else. If I even have to do community service,” she said with wide blue eyes. “Bogus charges.”

Sheridan curled up on the sofa. Haley close by. “Ethan’s going to meet with the Mayor? When?” Haley waited expectantly for Sheridan’s response. “Today, actually. He’s going to get everything straightened out so I never have to see Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald again.” “Never?” Haley muttered. “Never,” Sheridan affirmed. “Sheridan? How can you be so sure?” “Ivy,” Sheridan laughed. “Don’t you have faith in your own son’s persuasive capabilities?” Ivy’s lips curled upward into a smile. “Of course, I do. But what if the Mayor still doesn’t see it your way? What are you going to do then?” Sheridan propped her chin on Haley’s brown head. “Figure out some way to show Mr. Macho Jerk I’m not the evil person he’s judged me to be, or at least find a way to coexist peacefully,” she sighed. “He and Pilar are nothing alike. Pilar’s like a second mother to me. You’d love her Haley,” Sheridan smiled down at her. Haley ducked her head. I already do, she thought silently. “She’s one of the kindest, most generous people I know.” My dad really isn’t that different. Or at least I thought he wasn’t.

“Oh my goodness! Would you look at the time? Haley? Does your grandma know where you are?” “Well…” “Haley,” Sheridan smiled. “Not exactly,” Haley admitted. “You better call her, Dear,” Ivy advised. “There’s a phone in the kitchen if you want some privacy,” Sheridan teased. Haley rolled her brown eyes at her goodnaturedly, but she had to breathe a sigh of relief. Privacy would be good. She played with the phone cord as she listened to the dial tone. “Come on, Grandma. Pick up. Please.” “No luck?” Ivy asked. Making Haley jump ten feet in the air. “I’m sorry,” she laughed. “But I think the reason you can’t reach your grandma has something to do with the fact she’s working late at the Mansion tonight.” “Guess it doesn’t matter if I call home then,” Haley proclaimed brightly. “There’s no one there.” Ivy smiled at her silliness and took out her cell phone. “Who are you calling?” Haley asked curiously. “Being a bit nosy?” Ivy smirked. “I’m doing your dad and Sheridan a favor, Haley. I’m calling the Mayor.” “You’re going to make sure he’s says ‘no,’ aren’t you?” Haley exclaimed excitedly. “Something like that,” Ivy grinned. “Thank you. Thank you so much!” she cried in response. Squeezing Ivy tight. “My dad deserves a second chance to show Sheridan how great of a guy he really is.” “Let’s hope he doesn’t waste it,” Ivy arched a golden brow.

Haley hopped onto the kitchen counter and listened to Ivy’s side of the conversation with a wide smile. “Thank you. I appreciate it so much. You’ll be receiving the donation soon.” “I can’t believe you just did that.” “Did what?” Sheridan smiled. Tickling the back of Haley’s knee. “Hey! Stop that!” “Ticklish?” Sheridan laughed. “Stop!” Haley howled with laughter. “Ivy,” Sheridan turned to face her sister-in-law. “Why don’t you stay for dinner? You, me, and Haley? That is…IF your grandma said it’s okay.” “She’s fine with it,” Haley fudged. It wasn’t a complete lie. She simply didn’t know anything about it. So she couldn’t say ‘NO.’ You better watch it, Haley.

You might turn into Pinocchio. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” Sheridan said. Blue eyes twinkling. “Ivy? You in?” “Do I have to actually cook or clean?” Ivy asked uncertainly. Haley giggled when she saw Ivy’s fingers were crossed. “I’ll help,” Haley offered. Jumping down from the counter. “What do you want me to do first?” “Hmm,” Sheridan mused. “Give me a minute. I’m not used to giving orders in my own kitchen,” she teased. “Yes, Drill Sergeant,” Haley cracked. “I’ll…I’ll leave you two to work your magic,” Ivy smiled. “Magic?!” Sheridan sputtered. “Miz Haley,” she drawled. “You might want to re-think your decision. I’m not the best cook in the world.” “I don’t care,” Haley grinned. “I’m sure you’re not THAT bad.” “Famous last words.”

“Okay,” Haley giggled. “So you’re not Martha Stewart. I never liked her much anyway.” Sheridan looped her arm around Haley’s shoulders. “I knew I liked you.” “Do you always eat so…healthy?” Haley sighed. “Are you calling me a health nut?” “Your words. Not mine,” Haley shrugged her shoulders. “I’m offended, dear Haley. I’ll have you know…I can pig out with the best of them. In fact…look what’s for dessert.” “Wow!” Haley breathed. “Chocolate is a girl’s best friend,” Sheridan laughed. Shutting the fridge. “Haley? Do you mind keeping an eye on things in here for just a minute? I have something I think you’ll really like in my room.” “For me? Sure, I don’t mind.” Ooo! A present! She couldn’t wipe the ridiculous grin off her face.

Not even when she saw someone totally unexpected coming towards the cottage. Someone totally unexpected! Oh no, she thought. Ducking out of sight. It couldn’t be! Grandma! A loud knocking from the living room made her heart pound. What? She jerked her head back and forth from the kitchen door to the living room outside. If Grandma was at this door, who was at the front door? “Sheridan! Sheridan, Dear. You have company. An Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald is here!” Her goose was cooked! She could see tomorrow’s Harmony Herald headline now. What was a girl to do?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 14:

Haley’s brown eyes scanned the cozy kitchen frantically. Looking for a mode of escape. Oh! But Grandma couldn’t find her here. Especially not with Dad at the front door! What was she going to do? She flattened herself against the far-edge of the kitchen counter as her grandma knocked lightly on the door. “Haley…Haley,” Ivy hissed as she rounded the corner from the living room. “Oh my…Pilar!” Ivy exclaimed in utter surprise as she rushed to answer the door. Haley scrambled on all fours under the kitchen table. Not daring to breathe and praying God wouldn’t see fit to rat her out. Surely, she was wearing on his patience lately. One white lie after another. But it was all in the name of love, she argued with herself. Crossing her fingers that her luck would last. Just until her Dad had left. Grandma tried to play it off, but she was really a bleeding heart, too. Haley was positive. Maybe it wouldn’t be a disaster if she discovered the truth about her plan. Least she had high hopes. And really…what was a person without hope?

Her breath came in short pants as she watched Ivy’s beige high heels click past. And she recognized her grandma’s sensible black shoes. Oh no! They weren’t leaving! She closed her eyes and counted to 10 silently. Please don’t let me get caught. Please don’t let me get caught. Please don’t let me get caught. “Is Miss Sheridan here?” her brown eyes popped open at the sound of her grandma’s voice. “I heard about…Luis should be ashamed of himself, Mrs. Crane. I came to apologize for…” “Pilar,” Ivy interrupted. “I don’t think you’re going to have to. Your son is in the living room right now with Sheridan. And if I must say so myself…he looked guilty as hell when I admitted him.” Her grandma’s gasp was audible even to her. And Haley could just picture the _expression of shock on Grandma’s face. She was probably saying a thousand silent “Dios Mio’s.” Partly due to Ivy’s language…partly due to the very idea of her dad admitting he was wrong. About anything. Her dad was a very stubborn guy. Grandma swore she’d inherited her dad’s bullheadedness. The thought made Haley oddly proud.

“Shh, Pilar,” Ivy hushed. And Haley’s mouth dropped open in astonishment as she realized…her grandma was eavesdropping! She peeked out from under the table with wide brown eyes at them. Huddled together as quiet as mice trying desperately to hear this very important conversation between her dad and Sheridan. She strained her ears as hard as she could but she couldn’t hear a thing. How she wished she were a fly on Sheridan’s living room wall at that moment! Well…not a fly. Those were…icky. Maybe an unsuspecting…geez! She didn’t know. Back to the fly on the wall. Maybe it was a good thing she couldn’t hear anything. Yeah. It WAS. At least they weren’t involved in another screaming match yet. That was definitely a good sign. Maybe her plan wasn’t ruined, after all, she thought with a sigh. If only her Grandma knew…then she could join in the huddle.

“I know,” Ivy proclaimed triumphantly. “The intercom!” Genius, Haley thought with a grin. The lady was pure genius! Her heart pounded in her chest when her dad and Sheridan’s voices filled the kitchen. “Miss Crane…I’m here because…” Her dad sounded so nervous. “Yes,” Sheridan said expectantly. Haley smiled. What Ivy said was true. Sheridan wanted to see the best in people. She just hoped her dad could show her a glimmer of his “REAL” self. “I was…back at the Book Café…I was out of line,” her dad said quickly. “Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald…” She sounded so…unsure of herself. Way to go, Dad, Haley jeered silently. Did he have to be SO mean, she wondered. Shaking her brown head. “…are you apologizing to me?” “Gee? You think?” Now if that voice isn’t dripping with sarcasm, I don’t know what is. Just shut up, Dad. And give her a chance. “No need to be snide,” came Sheridan’s slightly hurt reply. That’s it. She could hear the tears in her voice. If he made her cry one more time…”Pilar,” Ivy whispered in the relative silence of the room. “You need to go out there and give that son of yours a good talking to.” “My Luis can be too hot-headed.” Haley snorted. So, so, so true. “He lets his emotions control him. He feels things too deeply sometimes.” Didn’t that prove it? Sheridan made her dad…FEEL. She couldn’t remember the last time ANYONE caused such a strong reaction in him.

“Look,” her dad’s soft voice came over the speaker. “I’m sorry. I was an ass. That’s all there is to it. I’ve been nothing BUT an ass since I found out you were a Crane.” “Truer words were never spoken,” Ivy snorted. “Try downright terrible. Sorry, Pilar.” Haley nodded her head at Ivy’s words. And Ivy’s blue green eyes went comically wide as she spotted Haley’s hiding place, and her mouth dropped open in a surprised ‘O’. “Mrs. Crane? Mrs. Crane?” her grandma questioned in a worried whisper. “Is something bothering you?” Haley yanked her dark head back under the table just in time. OUCH! She wanted to scream it through the streets of Harmony. Great going, Haley. What a pretty goose egg that’s going to be in the morning. Uh oh! Lucy! You got some splainin’ to do! How was she going to explain how she got it to her dad? Not to mention her grandma. Worse yet…how was she going to keep Aunt Theresa’s big mouth shut? A thousand scenarios played out lightning quick in her brain. Sheridan might say…”Miz Haley…you sure got yourself in a pickle this time.” Okay. So she wouldn’t say THAT. But it’d be something close. Hey! Things were awfully quiet in there. WHAT was going on? Oh no! She hoped Sheridan hadn’t strangled her dad!

“A lot of names besides ass come to mind,” she heard Sheridan say. And she squeezed her brown eyes shut. Virgin ears. She so did not want to hear what was surely a long, endless list. Even if her dad DID deserve to be called every name in the book. She could groan in frustration. Hearing the apology and the words behind it wasn’t good enough. She needed to see it for herself. Pictures spoke a thousand words, right? Sheridan’s face was the same way. So was her dad’s. Well…at least to her. She took a deep breath and decided to take a risk that could very well end life as she knew it. Okay…so she was being overly dramatic. You didn’t live 11 years in the same room with her aunt Theresa without a few things rubbing off on you. Ivy choked when she saw Haley dart out from under Sheridan’s kitchen table, and snapped Pilar’s face to attention…ON HER…as the back door creaked shut behind her. “Mrs. Crane!” Pilar exclaimed in exasperation. “WHAT is going on here?” “Nothing, Pilar,” Ivy shook her head vigorously. “Keep your voice down,” she hissed.

Haley ducked outside Sheridan’s living room window. Barely daring to take a peek at the action unfolding inside. “Touche,” her dad answered back to Sheridan. With a smile! Haley smiled at the heavens above. “I’m not the evil person you believe me to be,” Sheridan told her. A tentative smile on her lips. Reaching out a hand to her dad. “Believe me…I could be such a bitch to you right now…” Her dad ducked his head in embarrassment. “But I’m not going to be,” she continued. “Because I want us to have a fresh start, Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald.” Sheridan looked at her dad with pleading blue eyes. Compelling him to take her up on her offer. “What do you say?” she asked with a shy smile. Aww…how cute, Haley thought. Smiling to herself in satisfaction. Her dad took Sheridan’s hand tentatively, and no kidding! Haley saw sparks. Not literal sparks. But sparks all the same. It was like a jolt of electricity. Another unfortunate side effect of serving a life sentence as Aunt Theresa’s roommate…one tended to descend into romantic idiocy from time to time. But she couldn’t help it. Not this time. And she didn’t feel particularly stupid, either. Because she wasn’t blind. There was a definite pull there, she thought as her dad’s face broke out into a slow smile. A definite pull, she thought with a sigh. Operation MOM was back on track!

Things couldn’t be better. Or so she thought when she looked up into a pair of familiar brown eyes. Take that back. Spoke a little too soon. Things could be a whole lot better. So much better. Ivy’s blue green eyes shone with sympathy. Operation MOM…had just been derailed.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 15:

“Dios Mio! Haley Elizabeth Lopez-Fitzgerald!” “Gee, Grandma,” Haley grinned nervously. “Need to stop and take a breath?” The full name was always the worst. Ivy bit her lip to keep from laughing. That child! Her grandma shot her a stern look, and the smile instantly disappeared from Haley’s face. Uh oh. Way to open YOUR big mouth, Haley. Her grandma grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up. “Haley,” she said seriously. “WHAT are you doing here? On the Crane estate?” “You see Grandma…” Haley began. “I can explain. I…I…” Her brown eyes pleaded with Ivy to help her. In any way she could. “I wanted to give her some of the girls’ old clothes,” Ivy said quickly. Her grandma’s dark brows shot up, and she looked at Ivy strangely. Haley chanced a glance back inside Sheridan’s cottage and noticed with extreme agitation that Sheridan was looking straight at her!

Her knees hit the ground lightning quick, and Ivy waved wildly at Sheridan through the window. It was all she could do to keep from laughing out loud at the bewildered _expression on Sheridan’s face. Luis started to turn his head toward them, and with a split-second decision, Ivy fell to her knees beside Haley. Yanking Pilar down beside her. “MRS. CRANE!” Pilar exclaimed. “Forgive me, Pilar. We…” Haley clasped her hands together and raised her eyes to the heavens. “Bless me, Father. For I have sinned. I disobeyed my grandma. And for that I am very, very sorry.” “Haley’s right,” Ivy told Pilar. “We must pray. Bless ME, Father. For I have sinned. And sinned. And sinned,” she added under her breath. Pilar sighed heavily and made the sign of the cross. In Mrs. Crane’s case, she needed all the prayers she could get.

Inside the cottage, Sheridan’s blue eyes grew wide as Ivy fell to the ground below. Followed by Pilar. She raised a hand to rub her eyes. Surely, that didn’t happen. She was just seeing things. She turned her gaze back on Luis and found him smiling at her. “What?” she asked curiously. Luis just grinned back at her. He was totally flabbergasted to find her completely…cute at that moment. The wide blue eyes and look of utter confusion. And just hours earlier he had bitten her head off! “I must be losing my mind,” Sheridan muttered. “First I saw…never mind what I saw. You’re smiling at me. What’s going on here, Officer?” Sheridan looked behind her suspiciously. “Do I have this black cloud hanging over my head or something? You aren’t actually smiling at me because you realize I’m not the big, bad Crane you thought me to be, are you?” Luis chuckled. “Will miracles never cease,” Sheridan teased. Smiling slightly. “Does this mean you’re going to start being…NICE,” she gasped.

Luis crossed his arms over his chest. “You say that like it’s such an impossible thing. I can be nice.” Sheridan crossed her arms over HER chest and inched closer. Actually hobbled was a more apt description—on her injured ankle. “Really? Oh wait…you WERE nice at first. Before I said the dreaded C-word. In fact…if I didn’t know better, I’d…” “You’d what?” Luis asked. Brown eyes bright. “I’d say,” Sheridan leaned a little closer. “Yes,” Luis said impatiently. “You were checking me out, Officer,” she teased. Blue eyes twinkling with mischief. “Dare I say it? You were attracted to me.” Luis felt his cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. “Giving yourself a little too much credit now, aren’t you? Just because I think you have beautiful eyes doesn’t mean I…I don’t find you…Hell,” he swore. Sheridan smiled at him. “Come on, Officer. No need to be so…flustered. You think I have beautiful eyes?” she said. A delighted smile on her lips. Ditto, she thought. Oh that’s it, Sheridan. He’s reducing you to a silly teenager again. Get a grip. A few hours ago, he tore your heart out.

Ivy stretched as tall as she could on her knees and slowly, slowly eased closer to the window. Peeking one blue-green eye open as she spied on the twosome inside. “Ou…” She swallowed the rest of her yelp of pain from Haley’s pinch and whisper, “What’s happening?” when Pilar’s brown eyes snapped open. Haley bit her lip. Her grandma could give some evil looks when she wanted to. When she was sure Pilar was deep in prayer again, Ivy raised up on her knees. Sneaking another peek. Soon, the top of Haley’s brown head joined hers over the window sill, and Pilar sighed in resignation and joined them. Haley’s mouth hung open in shock. “Grandma…” “Haley,” Pilar warned. Ivy smirked and raised a finger to her lips, and the trio fell silent. Their ears straining for any interesting tidbit forthcoming. Haley winced as the brush bit into her knees. Small price to pay she reasoned with herself. What now, she thought as the smile that had just adorned Sheridan’s face fell.

“What?” her dad asked cluelessly. “Was it something I said?” Haley, Ivy, and her grandma held their breath as her dad reached a gentle hand to Sheridan’s chin and made her look at him. Haley’s fists clenched when she saw the tears in Sheridan’s blue eyes. And Ivy glared at Luis from her vantage point. Her grandma shook her head in disappointment. “Hey,” her dad said softly. “Don’t cry,” he pleaded. Brushing her tears away with the pads of his fingers. “Dammit. Look. I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Please stop crying,” he repeated. Her tears made his heart clench, he realized with a grimace. “No,” she shook her head. “You’re just trying to purge your own guilty conscience,” she insisted. “Forget what I said earlier. About you being attracted to me. You wouldn’t be attracted to a woman you hated. Me and my stupid mouth,” she muttered under her breath. “I don’t hate you!” her dad said. Grabbing her by the shoulders. “I…I don’t.” Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Halllllllllleeeeelllllluuuujjjjjaaaahhhhh! Haley rejoiced inwardly. “Ooo, would you just look at that?” Ivy grinned. “Pilar…I dare say your son has been burned,” she said when Luis jerked his hands away. “This is so…delicious,” she sighed. Haley snickered. Sobering immediately when her grandma stared at her with suspicion in her brown eyes.

“You don’t?” Sheridan whispered hopefully. Well…thank goodness, she more than whispered. Haley was having a hard enough time hearing them as it was. “I don’t,” her dad admitted. “In fact,” he paused. Gazing at Sheridan uncertainly. And for a second too long. “I actually…you’re okay.” “Wow,” Sheridan laughed softly. “Coming from you, that’s high praise. Thank you,” she smiled. “Don’t go getting a big head,” her dad warned. Grinning despite himself. Sheridan picked at the hem of her shirt and lowered herself onto the sofa. Sinking against its plump cushions. “So,” she said slowly. “Does this mean we…start over?” she asked hesitantly. The smile on Haley’s face spread like wild fire when her dad extended a hand and helped Sheridan to unsteady feet. “From scratch,” he said seriously. Giving her hand a firm shake. “No more of that judgmental…” Her dad interrupted her with a smile. “Scout’s honor. I’ll be on my best behavior,” he promised. Yeah, right, Haley thought sarcastically. But her dad WAS a good guy. He’d try. Hot temper and all. He turned to leave, and Sheridan moved to follow him. “Don’t bother,” he shot over his shoulder. “Stay off that ankle. I don’t think it should be THAT big,” he laughed. “Oh! YOU!!!” Sheridan shouted. Launching one of the pillows beside her after him.

The door shut behind him, and Haley held her breath as he walked past. Trying her best to blend into the scenery. Fat chance of that working for Ivy. It was all she could do to keep from bursting into a fit of giggles. She never thought she’d witness anything like it. Her grandma flattened against the side of Sheridan’s cottage with her and gazillionaire Ivy Crane. The spikes of the bushes poked her in the ribs with each laugh she tried to hold in, and her brown eyes almost popped out of her head when her dad stopped just a few inches away. Oh no! The bush was shaking! Yikes! She thought she’d suffocate from the hand her grandma clamped over her mouth. But thank the good Lord! Her dad left after only a few minutes, and she could breathe again. Without thinking, she scrambled to her feet and burst into the cottage door. Flying straight into Sheridan’s arms. Sheridan’s softly uttered “Pilar” brought reality crashing back down, and Haley closed her eyes with a sigh. Look like she’d just used up her 4th or 5th life. And there was NO hope of getting out of THIS one.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 16:

“Mija,” Pilar’s brows knit in confusion. “How do you know Miss Sheridan?” Sheridan’s blue eyes sparkled brightly. “Ivy introduced us.” Ivy worried her lip between her teeth. Here goes the house of cards! “You know Ivy, too, Haley?” Pilar quizzed. Brown eyes darting back and forth between the two guilty culprits. Haley’s cheeks flushed, and Ivy was well on her way to chewing a hole in that bottom lip of hers. Sheridan tilted her head. Studying Haley thoughtfully. Come to think of it…she DID seem familiar to her. Maybe it was the confident, easy way she carried herself. Or maybe it was…something else. She couldn’t pinpoint it. “I didn’t know you knew Pilar, Haley,” she said. Tucking Haley’s brown hair behind her ear. Pilar crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot against the hardwood floor. “You could say that.” Haley gulped. Boy. Grandma was set on a low simmer. She just hoped she made it out of Sheridan’s cottage, true identity unrevealed, before she reached a fever-pitched boil.

“Really?” Sheridan smiled. “How long have you known her? I’ve only known her for a few days, but I love her like my own daughter.” Haley’s mega-watt beam blinded Pilar, and despite the anger she felt at being lied to, she couldn’t help but soften. Sighing as she crossed the room to take a seat across from the pair. Ivy released a tentative sigh of relief. But she crossed her fingers in her lap as she settled beside Haley. “I’ve known her her whole life,” Pilar murmured. Her brown eyes melting at the adoring _expression on her granddaughter’s face as she snuggled deeper into Sheridan’s embrace. Curling her tanned legs beneath her and laying her head against Sheridan’s shoulder. “So you know her father…” Sheridan said. “Haley’s been pretty tight-lipped about her father. But I get the distinct impression she adores him,” Sheridan laughed lightly. “I know her father,” Pilar nodded her head. “Very well. I’ve known him since he was a boy. He is a fine young man. But like all of us, he has his faults.”

“You can say that again,” Ivy muttered under her breath. “What’s that, Ivy?” Sheridan quirked a slender golden brow at her sister-in-law. “Perfect people annoy me so,” Ivy scowled. Haley giggled at her comeback. “That’s why I HATE Barbie.” “You, too?” Sheridan’s blue eyes twinkled. “You’re so cool, Sheridan,” Haley gushed. Forgetting for a moment there were other people in the room. Namely, her grandma. “Oh my goodness! Dessert!” Sheridan exclaimed. Bolting from the sofa and disappearing into the kitchen. “Pilar,” Sheridan smiled. Carrying the decadent chocolate concoction to the coffee table and setting it down. “You have to stay for dessert. You, too, Ivy.” “Oh dear,” Ivy groaned. “I really shouldn’t…” Sheridan placed a slab of the rich treat on a small saucer and waved it under Ivy’s nose. “Are you sure? Come on,” she encouraged. “You’re only human.” “I don’t think you’ll have to say a thousand Hail Mary’s for this kind of cheating, Ivy,” Haley smirked as Ivy sighed in defeat. Grabbing the saucer from Sheridan’s hands and spearing her fork into it. “Oh god,” she moaned pleasurably. “This is absolutely sssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnfffffffffffffuuuuuuuuulllllllllll,” she said. Haley was afraid for a moment her blue-green eyes were going to roll all the way to the back of her head.

“Thank you, Mija,” Pilar smiled. Taking her plate and setting it on her lap. “Pilar…stop being so…reserved. Dive right in,” Ivy urged. Closing her lips around another piece of gooey chocolate. “YES!” “Mrs. Crane!” Pilar barked. Cheeks burning with embarrassment. Haley and Sheridan exchanged glances. Snickering. “Sheridan,” Haley giggled mischievously. “You got some chocolate…right there,” she whispered. Swiping a streak across Sheridan’s chin. “Haley!” Sheridan shrieked with laughter. “You’re going to pay. You are SO going to pay.” Haley’s brown eyes grew round as she watched Sheridan dig her fingers into her piece of cake and lift it…it was like slow motion. All she remembered later was ducking with a split second to spare, and the way Ivy’s scream made the entire cottage shake. It was one of the best food fights of her life.

“Pilar…you don’t have to do that,” Sheridan sighed. Taking the broom from Pilar’s hands and tucking it back into the closet. “I can finish cleaning this mess later. You go home to your family.” Pilar smiled warmly at her. Cupping her jaw in the palm of her hand. “But Mija…I don’t mind helping. It’s my job. And besides…my gran…Haley’s responsible for most of the mess. And I feel responsible for her.” “Your grandma’s pretty good at this,” Ivy grinned appreciatively. “I’m impressed.” “Who knew Grandma was such a great liar? That’s where aunt Theresa got her talent for telling whoppers! Haley grinned at the revelation. Then frowned. Oh no! Little lies. White lies. They all added up. She raised her hands to her cheeks in horror. Her mouth gaping. “It can’t be true. It can’t be.” “What, Dear?” Ivy asked in confusion. “I’m turning into my aunt Theresa! That’s weird, though. I don’t remember a pod being by my bed this morning when I woke up. Oh my goodness! Ivy…my aunt’s an alien! An alien from Mars!”

“Haley, Dear,” Ivy shook her head—streaks of chocolate still in her white-blond hair.. Reaching a gentle hand to Haley’s forehead. “Sometimes you worry me.” Haley snapped out of panicked daze when the words “Goodbye, Miss Sheridan” left her grandma’s lips. NO! She didn’t want to leave yet. She didn’t want to go home. She wanted to stay. “Goodbye, Pilar,” Sheridan hugged her grandma’s neck. “We really should do this again sometime. Well…minus one extremely messy food fight,” she smiled sheepishly. “Sheridan, Dear,” Ivy smiled. “I’m afraid I have to go, too.” “You, too, Haley?” the smile on Sheridan’s face faded slightly. “I can drive you home if you want,” she offered. “Don’t worry about Haley, Mija,” Pilar said reassuringly. “I’ll make sure she gets home safely.” “Thank you.” “Bye!” she waved as they turned to walk outside. “Mija,” Pilar hissed as Haley yanked her arm free and bounded across the room. Wrapping her arms around Sheridan’s waist and squeezing her tight. Sheridan stroked Haley’s brown hair lovingly. “I love you, Sheridan,” Haley whispered. “I don’t want to leave you all alone.” Ivy’s blue-green eyes teared up, and Pilar had difficulty swallowing past the lump in her throat at Sheridan’s answer. “I love you, too. Now go home. I’ll be fine.” “Promise?” “Promise,” Sheridan vowed. Kissing Haley’s forehead sweetly. The smile still on her face as the door shut behind them.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 17:

Haley squeezed her brown eyes shut as her grandma shut the door behind them. “Oh Haley! Is that you?” Theresa called from the kitchen. “Is Sheridan okay?” Great, Aunt Theresa, she thought with a groan. Add another nail to my coffin. “Luis was so…MAMA!” Theresa exclaimed in shock. Holding a hand to her mouth. “I was just…we saw the whole thing…Luis attacked this poor woman…” “Theresita…” Pilar sighed. Her arms crossed around her chest. “I think you should shut it,” Haley advised. “She knows,” she hissed. “She knows?” Theresa said dumbly. “She..OH! OH MY GOODNESS! You know?” she asked. Brown eyes even wider than usual. “Breathe, Aunt Theresa,” Haley rolled her eyes. “It’s okay,” she muttered. “It IS okay. Isn’t it, Grandma?” she asked uncertainly. Pilar’s arms fell to her sides, and she walked over to the sofa to take a seat. “Lies are wrong, Mija. I thought your father and I had taught you better…” “You have, Grandma,” Haley said hurriedly. “It’s just…I don’t know how to explain it,” she groaned. Throwing her arms up in the air. “Haley wants Sheridan to be her mom,” Theresa supplied. “Thanks,” Haley said sarcastically. “Just blow the whole pl…”

“Plan?” Pilar arched a dark brow. “Tell me this plan, Mija. What exactly does it involve?” “Sheridan and Luis falling in love,” Theresa sighed dreamily. “Marrying. And living happily ever after with Haley as their daughter. Right Haley?” “You’re just so helpful tonight. You know that?” “Thank you,” Theresa giggled. The more she thought about, the more she realized there really SHOULD be some kind of public health advisory tattooed on her aunt’s forehead. Or some other part of her body that warned people off. It was hard to hear what her aunt was actually saying when “DUH!” kept ringing in her ears. “Haley,” Pilar said as gently as possible. “Mija…you already have a mother.” “Grandma,” Haley’s mouth dropped open. “How could you…” “I know you two aren’t close…” “She abandoned me!” Haley cried. Tears welling up in her brown eyes. "But you can’t replace her,” Pilar finished quietly. Standing up to place her hands on her granddaughter’s slim shoulders. “I…I…Grandma,” Haley’s face fell. “But she’s not here. I know YOU are. But it isn’t the same…And I LOVE Sheridan. I know she would be an amazing mom.”

“Haley,” Pilar smiled tenderly. “I’m not going to argue with you on that point. Or about a mother and me being two very different things. But don’t you think you should at least be honest with Sheridan? Have you ever considered the possibility that she and your father, they just won’t…” “Mama,” Theresa interjected. “There’s definitely SOMETHING there.” Would wonders never cease? Her aunt actually said something SMART, Haley thought with a happy little grin. “Grandma,” Haley whined. “I may be only 11 years old, but even **I** saw the sparks.” “Sparks? Actual sparks?” Theresa questioned giddily. Haley rolled her brown eyes. Back to the drawing board. Hope was a funny thing. It could be dashed in an instant. Aunt Theresa was obviously NEVER going to be on the same level as Einstein. Yeah, yeah. Just because she was 11 didn’t mean she didn’t know who Albert Einstein was. EVERYBODY knew who Einstein was. Well…a person really shouldn’t EVER say everybody. Her aunt was almost always the exception to the rule. “Admit it, Grandma. I just know Dad likes her. He’s just being too much of a guy to figure out the truth.” “And how do YOU know so much about guys?” Pilar questioned. Casting an uneasy glance at her daughter. Hopefully not…

“Mama,” Theresa said in exasperation. “Come on…it doesn’t take a rocket scientist,” Theresa giggled. “I rest my case,” Haley tried desperately not to crack a smile. But Grandma failed that little test. The corners of her lips turned up just so. Pilar collapsed onto the sofa wearily. And Haley followed her. “What exactly IS the plan?” Theresa bounced up and down on the sofa. Making all 3 of them bounce WITH her. “Well...” “Aunt Theresa!” Haley glared. “Well…” Haley began. Shooting an impish grin Theresa’s way. “Sheridan’s going to be doing her community service at the Youth Center so…she and Dad have to spend lots and lots of time together. They’ll fall in love without even realizing it.” “Haley,” Pilar smiled. “It’s not that simple.” “Why not?” Haley shrugged her shoulders. Pilar laughed. “Your father and Sheridan…they’re two VERY strong-willed people. Competitive people. For all their differences, they share ONE thing in common. One thing that’s standing in their way.” “What?” Theresa hung on every word. “Yeah, Grandma…” “Stubbornness,” Pilar and another voice from the front door said simultaneously. “Uncle Miguel!” Haley grinned. “Mija,” Pilar frowned. “How many people beside me know about…” “I had to tell him,” Haley muttered. “He saw us.” “At the beach,” Pilar said in realization.

“Dad just has to see how wonderful she is,” Haley sighed. “He has to. I wish there was some way…” “This is so much fun,” Theresa squealed. Her brown eyes sparkling. “Mija,” Pilar chided. Haley looked at her like she had two heads. And Miguel shook his head. “Whatever happened to falling in love naturally?” Pilar wondered out loud. “Grandma,” Haley said patiently. “You said it yourself. They’re BOTH stubborn. And no matter how much I want Sheridan to be my mom, I don’t think she’s going to forget how mean Dad treated her anytime soon. Unless…” “We play Cupid!” Theresa clapped her hands together excitedly. “Oh brother,” Haley groaned. “OH BROTHER!” Theresa gasped. “Is there an echo in here?” Haley asked sarcastically. “OH…OH…OH…” Theresa stammered. Haley’s brown eyes locked with her grandma’s, then her uncle’s, then… “Play Cupid for who, Haley?” a familiar voice asked. Amusement plain. This is so NOT my day, Haley thought as her eyes fluttered closed. So NOT my day. “Dad!” she laughed nervously as her father kissed her cheek in greeting. “What are you doing here?” “What do you think I’m doing here?” her dad’s dark brows shot skyward. “Haley…Theresa…Miguel…Mama,” he said pointedly. “Why are you all acting so strange? What’s going on here?” Wouldn’t you like to find out, Haley thought. Praying for a miracle. At this rate, Operation MOM was never going to get off the ground.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 18:

Close call, but as Haley had come to realize…she had a natural knack for escaping REAL trouble. Well…this time she had a little help. Really. With Grandma, Uncle Miguel, and Aunt Theresa on her side…Scratch that. A girl could never place all her eggs in Aunt Theresa’s basket. She’d be lucky if the silly girl didn’t crack them all. Anyways…she survived. And the next few weeks were quite an adventure. What with her doing double duty spying on her dad and Sheridan at the Youth Center and visiting Sheridan in the afternoons. Bleachers were good for something. Hiding under. Although…she wondered if a girl could stunt her growth crouching under there all the time. Thankfully, that only lasted about a week or so.

It was quite astonishing (knocked the socks off of her), but Aunt Theresa came up with a solution. It was kind of like dressing up for Halloween. Every morning her aunt Theresa would fix and style a new wig for her, and she went to the Youth Center in disguise. Grandma would look like she was going to croak over and bite the big one, but in the end, all she’d do was recite “Dios Mio” under her breath and give her a gentle kiss on the forehead before she left for a long day’s work at the Crane Mansion. Oh! And she mentioned something about giving Aunt Theresa a good talking-to about what she was spending her allowance on. But all Aunt Theresa’d do was giggle and ignore her. In one ear. Out the other.

Sometimes being somebody else was cool. Sheridan didn’t always say much about her days spent at the Youth Center with her dad, but Haley knew a lot more was going on than she’d tell. Of course she did! She was there. She was there the day Tommy Michaels dumped a whole bucket of red paint over his head, and Sheridan had to take him back to the showers to wash it off. Not even two minutes later, she walked out in a complete daze. Redder than Tommy with his paint-covered face. Haley still giggled when she remembered that look. Tommy blabbed to everybody, and she DID mean EVERYBODY that “Ms. Shwerry saw Mr. Wuis nekkid!” It took days before Sheridan was able to look her dad in the eyes again. And then she couldn’t even do it without blushing.

But other times, she just wished she could tell the truth. She hated lying to Sheridan. She hated being so close to her everyday, all day, and not being able to be herself. She just…she just didn’t like it. And today she hated it more than most days…summer storms were making themselves known in the small coastal town of Harmony, and the kids at the Youth Center were restless. More restless than usual anyway. She’d played so many games of basketball, she could still hear the thuds ringing in her ears. Along with the occasional boom of thunder. Besides…only the cutest guy of all the cute guys—Todd (funny…she had NO clue what his last name was…) in Harmony had totally crushed the most essential part of her disguise. Her ugly, heavy black framed glasses. Her cracked lens scared one of the little ones who promptly tattled to Ms. Sheridan and wanted her to give Todd a spanking. She was snickering so hard at the notion and the fleeting twinkle in Todd’s brown eyes, she nearly gave away her prized hiding spot. Anyway…back to the numero uno reason she hated lying and pretending to be someone else most today…her dad challenged Sheridan to a dance-off. And Sheridan didn’t back down!

To get things started, her dad pulled out the hokiest of dances. The hokey pokey. He said it was to break the ice. Oh it broke the ice alright. And bruised a few backsides when the little ones couldn’t keep their balance doing some of the moves. Haley didn’t know who was laughing more…her, all the other kids, Sheridan, or her dad. She sighed happily at the sight of her two favorite people having so much fun together. It’d been a long time since her dad had had so much fun. Laughed so hard. The last time she could remember…well, she couldn’t. She didn’t have the foggiest idea. Tears streamed down her cheeks when Sheridan made the ultimate clown of herself and impressed them all with a few disco moves. Haley SO wished she could reveal herself. Teasing Sheridan was just SO INCREDIBLY fun. But she couldn’t let on she had actually been a witness. That would blow her cover out of the water.

Her dad was nothing if not competitive so he pulled out the big guns. The tango! Without realizing it, Haley slowly made her way over to join the rest of the crowd, and her brown eyes twinkled as the strains of one of her grandma’s favorite Spanish songs began to play loud and clear in the Youth Center gymnasium. She barely restrained herself from squealing with excitement at the look on her dad’s face as Sheridan seemed to anticipate each and every one of his moves. “Take that, Dad,” she grinned. Cheering Sheridan on. As the dance progressed, though, she found she couldn’t say a word. Only stand there with her mouth hanging open in utter amazement. Transfixed. Mesmerized. It was like they completely forgot they had a gymnasium full of kids watching them, and they were the only two people. The only two people on earth even. They only looked at each other, and Haley felt a chill go down her spine. Then a giddy smile formed on her lips as she realized…this was working so much better than even she could have planned!

Mr. Magoo could have seen the chemistry (yeah…eleven year olds knew what chemistry was). And oh goodness! Her cheeks burned with slight embarrassment as the music died down, and her dad and Sheridan stayed frozen to the spot. Staring deeply into each other’s eyes. They looked like they were going…oh, oh, oh…they were going to kiss! She just knew it. They were so going to kiss. Their lips were inching closer, and her dad was holding Sheridan just a little too close, and…a boom of thunder to end all booms of thunder sounded. Plunging the Youth Center into darkness and scaring the living daylights out of all the little kids. OOOOKKKKKAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!! She was adult enough to admit it…scaring the living daylights out of her, too. “Great,” she muttered. As if dealing with the two most stubborn people alive weren’t enough…now she had Mother Nature to contend with, too. If she felt up to it with the splitting headache she was sure all the screaming was going to give her. Little kids, she rolled her eyes in the darkness. At least no one (Grandma and Dad at the top of the list) could accuse her of being rude if they didn't see her...

To Be Continued…

Chapter 19:

“Ms. Shwerry! Ms. Shwerry! I want my mama!” Tommy bawled in the darkness. Not caring who heard him. Haley jumped when she felt tiny hands clutching at her leg, and the distinct sounds of…sniffling. Oh Dad…Oh Dad, she thought as she removed the sweaty little palm from her thigh and held it tightly. Dad! Do something! Or else they’re ALL going to be crying in 60 seconds! The storm must be REALLY bad outside. There wasn’t even any light coming in through the windows. Okay…so there weren’t many windows at all, but still. She was getting kind of scared herself. AND…she was getting REALLY mad that her dad and Sheridan got interrupted. Now they’d probably NEVER kiss.

“Tommy. Tommy, it’s okay,” Sheridan’s voice cut through the darkness. “I know it’s dark, but we’re all here together. And I personally won’t let anything happen to you. Neither will Mr. Luis. Will you?” Haley smiled as her dad spoke. She could HEAR the smile in his voice. “Mr. Luis wouldn’t dare. Everyone stay close. I’m going to go get some candles, and see if I can find the matches. Ms. Sherry’ll be with you the whole time I’m gone.” Another crash of loud thunder had even the ‘brave’ kids screaming. Until they heard it…the most beautiful sound Haley had ever heard in her life. All the sniffles and whimpers ceased as Sheridan sang to them. When her dad came back, a candle’s tiny flame flickering across his face, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, and first chance Tommy got, he ran straight to Sheridan’s outstretched arms. Curling up in her lap and laying his head on her shoulder. Sheridan’s smile was almost sad as she feathered her fingers through Tommy’s sandy hair and continued her song.

“Well…that was…” her dad struggled to find the words. “That was…” “Beaudiful,” Tommy announced with a toothy smile. “Ms. Shwerry. You sing better than my mama.” Sheridan laughed and squeezed Tommy’s little body tight. “Why thank you, Mr. Tommy. But I don’t think you should tell your mama that. It might hurt her feelings.” “Oh. Okay,” he said seriously. Snuggling deeper into Sheridan’s arms. And Haley felt a really funny sensation. Was she…no, she wasn’t…she wasn’t JEALOUS of a four-year-old, was she? Haley, don’t be ridiculous, she scolded herself. A four-year-old? Tommy already had a family. Sheridan was…Were you about to say yours, the annoying little voice inside her head posed the question. “So what if I were,” Haley grumbled under her breath. Earning odd looks from the kids around her. She had to control the urge to laugh as they crept away.

After her dad had lit candles and placed them around the entire gymnasium, he returned to their little group to sit down beside Sheridan. “I checked the weather radio, and it seems this will be going on for a while.” Audible groans were heard around the room. “Are you saying…” Sheridan let the rest of her question hang in the air. “We’re stuck,” her dad said with a nod of his head. “Well…why don’t we get to know each other better then?” Sheridan suggested with twinkling blue eyes. “I’ll go first,” she volunteered when no one else seemed to warm up to the idea. And for the next several minutes, everyone listened in rapt interest as Sheridan proceeded to tell them her life story. Her dad seemed especially interested, Haley thought. Sighing to herself. He even had this funny little smile on his face a few times. If she didn’t know better—and lest no one forget she was remarkably perceptive for all her eleven years—her dad was starting to see a new side to Sheridan (a lot really) and REALLY liking what he found out.

Well…Sheridan really opened up a whole new can of worms, and Haley found herself amazed by everyone’s stories. But she wasn’t in such an awe-induced stupor that she missed the cute little glances her dad and Sheridan were sharing. “It’s working better than I imagined,” she grinned. Hiding her face behind her hands. She DID have the world’s biggest, brightest smile on her face. She didn’t want ALL the kids at the Youth Center to think she was a loony tune. Tommy was drooling on Sheridan’s shoulder by the time one kid hatched up a brilliant idea. At least SHE thought it was brilliant. Really, though. What could be better than a party at summer’s end as sort of a going away present? Well…they weren’t technically going away. BUT…school would start before they knew it, and gone would be the days of never-ending basketball games and just plain ole fun. And the kid (she’d really have to find out HER name…she seemed like a really cool girl) reasoned when her dad didn’t immediately jump at the suggestion…Ms. Sheridan still didn’t know a lot of people in Harmony. The plan was to invite EVERYONE. Friends. Friends of friends. Parents. And even pesky little AND big brothers and sisters. Haley was almost bubbling with enthusiasm. The idea WAS stupendous (What? Didn’t think an eleven-year-old had THAT word in her vocabulary? Um…okay)!!!

Dad was about to say no. Or at best let them down as gently as possible. Until he took one look at Sheridan's face. Haley and a bunch of the other kids chimed in their agreement when Sheridan said with a rather bashful smile, “That DOES sound wonderful. Doesn’t it, Luis?” Come on. Did she really have to tell what happened next? As if Dad could refuse her anything at this point, Haley grinned giddily. If she didn’t know better, he was on his way to becoming a goner. She, Haley Elizabeth Lopez-Fitzgerald had the utmost privilege to be front and center as her dad, Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, started falling head over heels in LIKE (if not LOVE) with one Ms. Sheridan Crane. It was way better than any movie she’d ever seen. And usually she HATED the icky romance movies (she was still young…in this day and age you had to hang on to your youth as long as you could—yeah…she was a girl of many contradictions). In the end, all it took was one look into Sheridan’s hopeful blue eyes. Dad said YES!

By the time the lights flickered back on and the storms died down, NOBODY wanted to leave. Tommy’s mother actually had to pry his reluctant little body out of Sheridan’s arms. But eventually, even the LAST holdouts left, and Haley peeked around the corner of the Youth Center as her dad walked Sheridan to her car. A smile stretching from ear to ear. Her dad was such a gentleman, and she was sure that was exactly what Sheridan told him as he opened her car door for her. If only she could be sure…she wasn’t a master lip-reader. BUT…Haley practically squealed with excitement as her dad leaned in closer and closer, and…oh goodness, oh goodness, oh goodness! He kissed her! He kissed her! A sweet, fleeting kiss on the cheek, but it was a start, she thought as the huge smile on her face turned mega-watt. She just had to tell Grandma. And with that final thought, she darted from her hiding place and ran the entire distance home, arriving out of breath and deliriously happy.

“Grandma! Grandma! He kissed her! He finally kissed her. It was only on the cheek…” She couldn’t understand WHY her grandma barely cracked a smile, WHY her eyes only lit up briefly, or WHY she didn’t say a word as she pulled her into the living room. The happiness in Haley’s brown eyes fled as soon as she laid eyes on HER, and her stomach sank as she rose from the sofa, arms outstretched. “Oh my god! You’ve gotten so big! Haley? Don’t you recognize me? It’s me. Your mother.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 20:

“Haley…it’s me. Your mother. Don’t you know who I am? Look at you. Aren’t you…” How could she, Haley thought. How could she carry on like she hadn’t missed the last 10 years of their lives? She just couldn’t understand it, and she didn’t think it was because she was a kid. Grandma didn’t look like she could understand either. “You’re so pretty,” the woman in front of her gushed, and Haley tensed when she suddenly drew her into her arms. “Oh Haley,” she sighed. “It feels so good to hold you again.” She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to really, because her ‘mother’ did all the talking for her. “Shy? I used to be a bit shy when I was younger…it’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure we’ll get caught up soon. Come on, Haley. Say something.”

How could she? How could she? How… “Say something? What do you want me to say? Thank you? Thank you for being such a kind, wonderful mother? Thank you for loving me and Daddy,” her voice broke as the words spilled from her lips. It’d been a while since she’d called Dad ‘Daddy’. A really long while. “Thank you for loving us so much you had to LEAVE us? Thank you for missing all my birthdays, every Christmas, my first day of school, EVERYTHING? Is that what you want me to say?” Her ‘mother,’ no the stranger standing in front of her, looked stunned. Completely stunned. Her brown eyes were wet with tears, and Haley didn't have to look in a mirror to know that her own eyes were overflowing. “Why now? Why did you come back now?” “Mija…” her grandma spoke. Trying to calm and comfort her. “Mija, don’t. MIJA!” her grandma’s voice echoed in her ears as she raced out of the house. Running blindly in the renewed rain. Letting her heart lead the way.

By the time she got to Sheridan’s cottage, she was drenched. She shivered as she raised a shaky hand to knock on the door. Please, Sheridan. Please be in there. Please. I need you. “I need you,” she sobbed. Tears mingling with raindrops as she realized…the cottage was dark. Sheridan wasn’t at home. And she didn’t know who to go to. But she was only sure of one thing…she couldn’t go home. She couldn’t be there, in the same room, with the woman who just decided today would be the perfect time to come home and pretend the last ten years hadn’t happened. So she just started walking. Not caring that the rain made her clothes heavy and uncomfortable or that she most probably looked like a drowned rat with her hair plastered to her skull.

Night was falling, and though she knew Harmony like the back of her hand, tonight was different. She couldn’t think clearly. It was harder to concentrate on where she was going, but her feet led her forward. Why did she come back? It wasn’t fair. She was supposed to be over her. Over being abandoned. Sheridan had shown her it wasn’t her fault, it hadn’t been anything she’d done, she was too little. Sheridan… “Where are you?” Haley muttered as she ducked her brown head against the driving rain. Shivering as the rivulets of water rushed over her toes. Her sandals offering little protection. She hugged her arms around her waist. She was freezing! If only she could find… “SHERIDAN!” she yelled. Frantically waving to gain Sheridan’s attention as she exited the Book Café.

Maybe it was the rain and the pitch blackness of the night, maybe she was just a little bit too water-logged, maybe it was her ‘mother’s’ sudden reappearance, maybe it was the relief of seeing Sheridan’s unmistakable smile when she finally spotted her across the street and the warm, comforting feelings that bubbled up to overpower all the hurt that had come rushing back the minute she’d seen HER for the first time, not as a baby but as a young girl…if someone asked Haley to pinpoint the EXACT reason why she took off running across the street, ignoring the headlights that cut through the murky darkness, she wouldn’t have been able to answer them. Maybe it was a combination of ALL those things. She thought she heard her aunt Theresa screaming at her, but she couldn’t imagine why. She couldn’t imagine why the smile left Sheridan’s face, and Ivy seemed frozen in place, a look of horror on her face. Time slowed down as the blare of a car horn cut through her consciousness, and she heard the frightening squeal of the car’s brakes just before she looked up. And when the harsh headlights blinded her…time stood still.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 21:

“Ow!” Haley winced as Dr. Russell cleansed all the little cuts and abrasions that were on her arms and legs. She even had a busted lip. How had THAT happened? “Do you know how lucky you are?” Eve shook her head in disbelief. When Theresa had burst through the emergency room door in hysterics, she’d expected to find Haley near-death. “Very, very lucky for someone who ran out in front of an oncoming vehicle. Haley Lopez-Fitzgerald…what on earth were you thinking? You could have been killed. If it hadn’t been for Ms. Crane’s quick thinking…” “Roadkill, huh?” Haley shrugged. Moaning at the soreness of her limbs. “I’m sorry, Dr. Russell. I wasn’t thinking,” she muttered under her breath. “I had to see her. I still have to. Dr. Russell…please let me see Sheridan. Please,” Haley begged. “Haley,” Eve started to shake her head in protest, but one look into Haley’s pleading brown eyes and… “She’s with another doctor right now, Haley. He’s checking her out to make sure she’s okay…” “Sheridan HAS to be okay,” Haley said. Her voice rising in panic. “She HAS to.” “Calm down, Sweetheart. I’m sure she’s fine. You can…”

“HALEY! HALEY! WHERE’S MY DAUGHTER?” Haley’s brown eyes slammed shut, and she covered her face with a groan. Oh geez…this was SO embarrassing. As if being stupid enough to run out in front of a speeding car wasn’t bad enough…the way her dad was carrying on, EVERYONE in Harmony was going to think she was a big daddy’s baby. “Dios Mio! Theresita! Where is our Haley?” Oh no, Haley thought. And it gets worse! REALLY, REALLY worse, she realized when she heard Ivy's voice. Very clearly. “Pilar…calm down. Dr. Russell is with her right now.” “Mrs. Crane,” her dad sounded SO confused. “What are you doing here?” “I…I…” Do something, Haley! “Dad! Dad,” she called. Taking Eve’s hand and hopping down from the exam table. “I’m okay, Dad,” she smiled sheepishly. She ignored the pangs of soreness in her body as her dad swept her up in his arms. Almost crushing her to him in his relief to see her alive and in one complete piece. "Oh, Haley,” her dad cried. Pulling back to take a good look at her. “I was so afraid…” Haley’s chin quivered slightly at the tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Okay, she thought as she hugged her dad tightly and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Okay. So she WAS a big daddy’s baby. So what?

“Haley,” a timid voice said. “Haley, thank God you’re all right.” “Dad?” Haley said without looking at him. “What’s SHE doing here?” She searched out her dad’s dark eyes when he didn’t answer. “Dad? Why did you bring HER? I don’t want HER here.” “Haley…Mija,” her grandma soothed. “She was worried. Just like the rest of us.” Out of the corner of her eye, Haley saw Ivy pull her aunt Theresa to the side. She wasn’t a very good lip-reader, but it looked like Ivy was asking ‘who the H-E-double hockey sticks is she?’ Normally, she would have laughed, but she had a little too much pressing on her mind at the moment. “Why, Dad?” “Luis…” the topic of much conversation and target of many hostile looks—including Ivy’s glare and muttered ‘Bitch’ (normally, she’d say the ‘rhymes with witch’ but hey…EVERYONE heard it, and it wasn’t like Grandma was going to take a bar of soap and wash her brain out for thinking it)—began awkwardly. “Your father didn’t bring me. Haley…I was scared. And I felt like it was partly my fault that you ran out the way you did.” “Part?” Haley scoffed. “It was ALL your fault.” “Haley,” her dad warned. “That isn’t fair to your mother…” “My mother? MY MOTHER?! No, Dad. You are NOT being nice to her. Are you? After what she did to us? Dad…”

“Haley…chill, okay?” She glared up at her uncle Miguel. The big dork! “Leave. Leave and go back to wherever you came from. Don’t you see we don’t want you here?” “Haley,” her dad grabbed her by the shoulders. “I know it hurts. You’re angry at her for leaving us. But…” he paused. Searching out the slim figure of the woman who now all of a sudden seemed to WANT the job of being her mother and looking into her brown eyes. Brown eyes like mine, Haley remembered, as she felt the tell-tale sting of tears. “But I think we need to give her the benefit of a doubt. I don’t know her reasons for leaving, and neither do you. But don’t you want to find out? Don’t you want to at least give her a chance? She deserves that, don’t you think?” Haley’s jaw set stubbornly, and her eyes flashed as SHE began to speak again. “I love you, Haley. And your father. Please. Please, just let me show you. I’ve changed. I’ve grown up. I want to be a part of your lives again. I want to make up for hurting you. I know it’s not going to be easy, but…” “Dad…you don’t believe her, do you? She doesn’t love us. She never did…Tell her. Tell her you don’t love her anymore. Tell her you don’t care…” Her brown eyes were wild as she silently begged him. Her dad wasn’t supposed to look so unsure. He was supposed to KNOW. Everything. He wasn’t supposed to look so…old. And tired. And sad. He was supposed to smile again. He was supposed to love…

“SHERIDAN!” she cried as Sheridan emerged from a cubicle down the hall. “Sheridan,” she clung to Sheridan’s waist and raised teary brown eyes to her confused blue ones. “Don’t let her do this. Please. You’re supposed to be the one…I saw him kiss you. I did. I know he likes you. Don’t let her come back and ruin everything.” “Haley…slow down, Sweetie. Shh. I don’t understand. Who came back? You saw me kiss Luis?” Haley rubbed her damp cheek against the palm of Sheridan’s hand as she nodded, and she trembled as Sheridan hugged her close. “Haley? What’s going on here? I thought Theresa called your dad. Why’s Luis here? And Pilar…Oh my God,” she gasped as Luis stepped forward. Studying her with an inscrutable _expression on his face. And the woman with the familiar brown eyes looked at her oddly. Haley watched a dozen emotions flit across Sheridan’s pretty features, and the guilt started to gnaw at her.

But the hurt was worse. The hurt that her dream was falling apart. “Sheridan?” her dad left the question hanging in the air. Ivy and Grandma and Aunt Theresa and Uncle Miguel…they all faded to the background. “Luis…aren’t you going to introduce us? Hi,” she held a hand out. Ignoring the scowl across Haley’s face. “I’m Haley’s mother. But you can call me Beth…” “Haley…” Sheridan’s blue eyes…Haley couldn’t read them. “Luis…you’re…” “…Haley’s father,” the shock wearing off enough for him to speak. “And Haley’s got a lot of explaining to do,” he said. Giving her a pointed look before his eyes wandered to the bandage on Sheridan’s forehead. A whole lot of explaining to do, Haley thought before she buried herself in the comfort of Sheridan’s embrace again. But she could she just hide for a little while?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 22:

“Haley…I’m waiting.” Haley looked into her dad’s brown eyes and sighed. The gig was up. This time she HAD to come clean. “How long has this been going on? How long have you been keeping this from me?” her dad demanded of Sheridan. “Dad!” Haley exclaimed. “You’re not being fair. Sheridan didn’t know about you. She didn’t,” she cried. But her dad looked unconvinced. “We didn’t tell her. We lied to her, too. I’m so sorry, Sheridan,” Haley’s voice rose higher the more upset she became. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. Honest. I was so scared…I didn’t want you to hate me because of my dad. He was mean to you, and I…”

“Hate you?” Sheridan asked incredulously. Cupping Haley’s face in her hands. “Oh, Haley…I could NEVER hate you. NEVER,” she repeated. Haley wrapped her arms tightly around Sheridan’s waist again, hanging on for dear life. “I AM disappointed, though, that you lied to me. That all of you lied to me,” Sheridan sighed as she stroked Haley’s damp dark hair back from her face. Pilar hung her head in shame. Miguel and Theresa wore similar expressions of embarrassment, and Ivy wore a ‘what the hell…I got caught look.’ “And that you obviously lied to your father.” “I know,” Haley muttered. “What I did was wrong. WAY wrong. But I love you, Sheridan. You’re the coolest, nicest person I’ve ever met, and I like to spend time with you. You ALWAYS listen to me. You make me feel important. You…I…you’re the closest thing to a Mom I’ve ever had, and I didn’t want to mess that up.”

Pilar watched Luis watch Sheridan with Haley, and she smiled slightly as she realized…maybe Haley’s plan hadn’t been for naught. There was something…a softness in his eyes as he looked at Sheridan. Whether he was ready to admit it to himself or the outside world or not. And she also watched Beth watch Sheridan with Haley, her brown eyes clouding with jealousy. Something WAS there, and Beth obviously saw it herself. Saw it clearly enough she felt threatened. “Dad,” Haley implored her father with teary brown eyes. “Please…don’t be mad at Sheridan. Be mad at me.” Haley prided herself on knowing every one of her dad’s expressions by heart, but she just couldn’t read him as he closed the distance between them. “Dad?” “Haley…not now,” Luis shook his head. “It’s been a really long, exhausting day. You’re off the hook. For now.” He was speaking to her, but Haley’s nose scrunched up when she realized he was staring into Sheridan’s blue eyes. “Haley,” Sheridan whispered, unable to break her gaze with Luis. “He’s right. You should go home and get some rest, Sweetie.”

“But Sheridan…” “I’m not going anywhere,” she was quick to reassure Haley. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” Sheridan looked to Luis for confirmation. “Tomorrow,” he agreed. His hand reaching of its own accord to finger the bandage on her forehead. “Thank you,” he spoke softly. His fingers tucking a stray golden strand behind her ear and making her gasp in surprise. “For looking out for her.” “No problem,” Sheridan murmured. Haley bit her lip to hide the giddy grin that threatened to steal over her entire face. Was Sheridan melting into a complete puddle of mush or what? And Dad…WHOA DAD! Now she’d never believe he didn’t at least like Sheridan. Suddenly she felt like singing…Tomorrow, Tomorrow. Okay. SO lame. But seeing her dad look at Sheridan like that, and not getting promised a real good butt-whoopin’ when she got home…she was one happy gal. Until…

“Luis,” SHE said. “Luis, I think it’s time WE got Haley home.” Haley scowled. WE? WE! Oh no! Oh goodness no! “Dad! NO! SHE’S not going home with us! No way!” “Haley,” Luis sighed. Flashing a slightly irritated look HER way. Haley gripped Sheridan’s waist tighter as the woman currently hanging all over her dad tried to pull off the ‘I’m so hurt’ routine. “It’s really late, and I don’t have anywhere to stay so I was wondering…” “The Bed and Breakfast has plenty of rooms. Dad is really good friends with Sam. He might even get you a room for FREE.” Haley saw Ivy’s lips twitch a few feet away. “I wanted to catch up…” “I’m really, really tired,” Haley mock-yawned. “I’m going straight to bed.” If Aunt Theresa will shut up, Haley thought to herself. She was probably going to want to hear all the details of her near-death experience. And then some. “I need to talk to your father,” SHE said with a slight smirk on her lips. NOT! Ha! Her dad was going to shoot THAT one down. She saw it coming a mile away. “Tomorrow, Beth. This is all…it’s all just a little too much to grasp right now. I need time. Haley needs time. We’ll ALL have a better idea of how we…what we’re going to do then.”

SHE opened her mouth to protest, Haley could tell, but Grandma stopped all that. “Mija…say your goodnights. Goodnight, Sheridan,” she smiled warmly. “Thank you for saving my granddaughter’s life.” Haley’s brown eyes sparkled happily as Sheridan’s blue eyes smiled down at her. “Happy to do it, but it better not ever happen again. Promise?” “Promise,” Haley vowed. Stealing Sheridan’s breath with her fierce hug. “I love you, Sheridan.” “I love you, too,” Sheridan waved as Pilar, Theresa, and Miguel walked Haley out. Ivy waited just a short distance away as Sheridan locked gazes with Luis again. Finally, she found the will to break the silence and tear her eyes away from him. “Goodnight, Luis.” “Goodnight.” “Luis,” Beth slipped her hand in Luis’s. “Give me a ride?” Ivy’s voice came out in a low growl as they watched the brunette practically drag Luis out of the hospital. “Bitch.” “Ivy!” Sheridan exclaimed with an amused smile. “I will NOT feel bad for saying it,” Ivy stuck to her guns. “Sheridan, Darling…Luis likes you, Haley LOVES you, the woman feels threatened, she’s acting accordingly…it all adds up. She’s being a B-I-T-C-H.” Sheridan shook her head as she walked ahead of Ivy. “Luis likes me?” “Oh, Honey…do you even have to ask?”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 23:

“Haley…can we cut the silent treatment? I didn’t do anything wrong,” her dad insisted as he buckled his safety belt and turned to face her. Her lips stretched into an even straighter line if that were possible, and her jaw set in stone. “She wanted to talk. She’s been gone so long. Haley…no. You’re too young to understand,” he shook his head, his raising to the keys in the ignition. “Too young? Too young, Dad? What’s there to understand?” Haley’s voice held a lot a anger, and even a little bit of hurt. “She abandoned us. She abandoned us, and now…suddenly she’s back, expecting everything to be hunky-dory. Like she didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all lies. I can’t believe you actually listened to her!” Haley spat. Crossing her arms across her chest angrily and staring straight ahead. “Haley,” her dad reached for her arm. “No!” Haley yanked her arm away. “You’re not going to make me like her or even for sorry for her. I don’t want to hear it.” She could feel her dad’s dark eyes boring into her, but she didn’t dare look. Finally, she heard him sigh, and the jeep came alive.

“She sent you something,” he said softly, and she scowled when he laid a brightly wrapped package on her lap. “I don’t want it. Tell her she can keep her stupid present.” “Haley…” her dad said, a note of exasperation in his tone, “you don’t have to like her. You don’t even have to feel sorry for her or understand her, but I think the least you should do is give her a chance. Remember how badly I treated Sheridan at first? Did she deserve that? You know and I know…she didn’t deserve to be treated in such a way. She’s a great person. She has a good heart. And I think, despite what your mother has done, that she has a good heart, too. Just give her a chance. For me,” he pleaded. She turned to look at him, tears welling in her eyes. “But what about…I thought you liked Sheridan. What about her? She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us, Dad. Are we supposed to just forget about her? Just because SHE decided she wants us again? No. I won’t do it. I’m sorry, but I can’t,” she cried. The jeep slowed to a stop, and Haley flung the passenger door open. Racing toward Sheridan’s cottage.

Sheridan didn’t have time to react before Haley threw her arms around her, holding on like she was afraid she’d disappear at any second. “You’re here,” she smiled as she stroked Haley’s long hair back from her face. “A little earlier than I expected, but that’s okay,” she told her as she led her to the sofa. “I thought your dad was coming…” she trailed off. Haley missed the way Sheridan’s blue eyes lit up upon seeing her dad. Her head already rest against Sheridan’s bare, sun-kissed shoulder. Her legs tucked beneath her body, snuggled against Sheridan’s side. Her brown eyes closed as she savored the feel of Sheridan’s arms around her. Undemanding. Loving. She felt safe in her arms, like she’d never ever be hurt. Her dad’s voice sounded kind of funny when he spoke, and she raised her head, her eyes watching his eyes, his face as he looked at Sheridan. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. I…” “Luis…” Sheridan set him immediately at ease. Or at least as close to ease as he was going to get today of all days, Haley realized. Feeling a bit guilty for putting added pressure on her dad. “It’s fine. You may not believe it, but I’ve been up for hours already. I’m glad you’re finally here,” she said. Smiling down at Haley. “Oh,” her dad said in surprise. “So…” he trailed off as he lowered himself into the armchair across from them both. “What now?” Sheridan’s blue eyes twinkled as she asked the question.

Haley’s fingers found their way to the bandage peeking out from Sheridan’s blond hair. “Sheridan,” she said in a somewhat wobbly voice. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. Sheridan grasped her fingers in her hand and brought them to her lips. “Don’t be,” she smiled. Almost forgetting they weren’t alone. “It’s nothing. Nothing compared to what COULD have happened. Haley…I want you to promise me something.” “Anything,” Haley said emphatically. Sheridan’s eyes were a little brighter, her voice a little softer as she talked. “Don’t ever, EVER do anything like that again. Okay? I know you were upset and hurt, and you weren’t really thinking. But you could have been REALLY hurt or even worse. You could have di…anyway,” she continued, swallowing past the lump lodged in her throat. “I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t got to you in time, Haley. I love you too much…” “I’m sorry,” Haley apologized again. Tears streaming down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms tightly around Sheridan’s neck, practically crawling into her lap. “I’m so sorry. It’s my fault you’re hurt. I couldn’t stand it if you had…” “Shh,” Sheridan soothed. Rubbing Haley’s back in calming circles before pulling back and framing Haley’s face with her palms. “Well…we don’t have to worry about that, do we? I’m okay. Great, actually. Especially now that you’re here,” she smiled. In between sniffles, a beautiful smile lit up Haley’s tear-streaked face as she watched Sheridan’s blue eyes drift to her dad’s silent figure close by. Her dad finally broke the silence, his words shocking them all. But in a good way, Haley decided, witnessing Sheridan’s happy reaction to his invitation to join them both. For ice cream.

“Luis, you don’t have to,” she told him as Haley tugged her to her feet. “I…” “You saved Haley’s life. Ice cream’s not that big a deal,” he grinned at her. Haley sighed happily when Sheridan took the hand her dad held out for her. “Well, thank you then. I’d LOVE to go. Give me just a few minutes to get ready,” she said. Her hand slipping out of his as she turned to go. “Get ready? You already look beaut…nice,” he quickly amended. Slightly embarrassed, Haley thought with a giggle. These two SO needed help. She gave her appearance a quick once-over and looked up at him in amazement. Denim cutoffs, a pale pink spaghetti strapped tank, and the oldest pair of sandals she owned? She worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before smiling shyly at him. “Okay. If you say so…” “I say so,” her dad chuckled as he offered his hand again. Sheridan tentatively laced her fingers with his, looking away quickly when his gaze lingered just a bit longer on her than usual.

Grow up, people, Haley thought, rolling her brown eyes at them. They were worse than all those silly friends of Aunt Theresa’s. “Come on,” Haley cried. Shoving them both out the front door. “If we don’t hurry, they’re going to run out of colored sprinkles.” “I keep trying to convince her that chocolate sprinkles are better, but she refuses to believe me. Tell her, Sheridan.” “Are you kidding?” Sheridan’s blue eyes twinkled merrily. “Colored sprinkles rule!” Haley erupted into laughter. “Ha ha! Gotcha, Dad!” she teased playfully as she made a beeline for the jeep. Luis shook his head at the giggling pair as he cranked the jeep. What, exactly, had he gotten himself into, he wondered as he steered the vehicle through the front gates.

“Haley…I don’t know,” Sheridan said later as they rested lazily against a tree trunk in the park. “Your dad might need some help.” “Dad?” Haley waved off her concern. “He can handle ice cream,” she giggled as she sprawled on her belly. Propping her chin against her palms and beaming up at Sheridan. “Sheridan…” she sighed as the slight breeze ruffled her hair. “Yeah?” Sheridan smiled back at her. “This is nice, isn’t it?” “Very nice,” Sheridan agreed. “We should do this more often,” Haley murmured as Sheridan caught a flyaway strand of her dark hair and tucked it back behind her ear. Sheridan didn’t speak. Only listened. “Me. You. Dad.” “Haley, I don’t know…” “He likes you, you know,” Haley cut her off. “You think?” Sheridan asked softly. A wistful smile on her face as she gazed off into the distance. Haley’s own smile grew bigger she watched Sheridan’s face as Dad got nearer. And nearer. “I don’t think,” Haley said, and Sheridan’s eyes instantly connected with hers.

“I know,” she said confidently. Sheridan’s sigh of relief made her want to laugh. Really. Could they both be more clueless? “You know what would be even better?” Sheridan studied her intently. “You and Dad…” “Did I hear my name?” her dad’s voice startled them both. Geez…he really knew how to sneak up on a girl. Must come in handy with the perps, she thought with a smirk. She bet they never knew what hit them. “Haley?” “Nothing,” she shrugged it off as she plucked her cone from his hands.

“Mmm. Colored sprinkles, Dad. Two to one. They’re the best. You’re just too stubborn to admit it,” she teased. “Dad?” she waited for his rebuttal, finally looking up from her ice cream to find her dad and Sheridan making what surely amounted to googly eyes at each other. Just kiss and get it over with already, she thought, groaning inwardly as her dad gently wiped ice cream away from the corner of Sheridan’s mouth with a napkin. “Luis?” “Yeah,” her dad breathed. Okay…they both just conveniently forgot she was there. Right beside them. But was she complaining? A big fat NO! Oh goodness! Looked they were finally buying a clue, she thought. Hiding her face behind a curtain of hair. It looked like Dad was going to plant a big one on her… “Luis,” Sheridan stopped him with a finger on his lips. “Luis, we can’t do this.” Haley’s head snapped up, and her mouth hung open as she stared at them. She didn’t know why, couldn’t understand. But it all became a whole lot clearer the moment she heard HER voice… “You’re damn right you can’t do this.” Sheridan’s gaze refused to leave the grass below her as her dad fumbled for the right words. “Beth! What are YOU doing here?”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 24 :

Haley’s eyes flashed with anger as she scrambled to her feet. “Who do you think you are?! My dad can do whatever he wants to. He doesn’t have to answer to you. He can like whoever he wants. And that’s NOT you!” “Haley,” her dad spoke softly. Gripping her shoulders firmly. “Haley, I think you should calm down.” “But Dad,” Haley argued. “Haley…” Haley shut her mouth at his tone. That tone meant business. He was mad. Calm on the outside, but she knew that tone…question was, was he mad at her? Or HER? “Dad,” she hugged her dad’s waist, glaring up at the woman who called herself her mother. The message was clear…GET LOST!!! “Haley,” her dad spoke without looking at her. “Stay here with Sheridan. Beth and I need to talk. Sheridan…do you mind?” Sheridan finally raised her eyes to meet his, and her voice was a soft, sincere whisper, “I don’t mind.” Haley forgot all about HER for a moment as she watched her dad lean down and kiss Sheridan’s cheek gently. Take that, she thought, sending a wicked grin HER way. “I won’t be long,” her dad smiled into Sheridan’s shining blue eyes. “Take care of her,” he nodded toward her…Haley. “Don’t worry, Dad. She always does.” SHE bristled at her words.

Haley watched her dad lead HER to one of the park benches a few feet away. “Haley,” Sheridan’s voice was soft. Gentle even as she tugged at her hand. “Yeah,” Haley said distractedly. “I think maybe we should talk about something else, do something else instead of stare…” “Okay,” Haley turned confused brown eyes on Sheridan. “What was that all about?” “What was what all about?” Sheridan dodged the question. Knowing exactly what Haley was referring to. Haley rolled her brown eyes at her. “Oh, come on, Sheridan. You know.” Sheridan’s blue eyes shied away from Haley’s intense scrutiny. “We can’t do this,” Haley said mockingly. “What is that? Sheridan…I know you like my dad. He likes you back. What’s so wrong about that? He was going to kiss you! He likes you, Sheridan,” she whined as she dropped to her knees in front of Sheridan, forcing her to look at her. Haley groaned at the disbelief in Sheridan’s blue eyes. “Maybe, Haley. Maybe. But Sweetie…how much of that is BECAUSE of me saving your life? He loves you more than anything in this world. I can see that. Anyone can see that. He’s grateful to me for…” “Sheridan,” Haley scoffed. “You’re being stubborn just like my dad. You guys are PERFECT for each other,” she cried in exasperation.

Sheridan’s lips curved upward of their own accord, and Haley could tell the sentiment made her happy. Maybe so happy it scared her. That’s what it was! Haley remembered everything Ivy had ever told her about Sheridan. How she was so unlucky in love and stuff. That was it! “Haley,” Sheridan laughed nervously. “I know that look. What bright idea have you come up with this time?” she teased. Haley floored her with her ensuing admission. “You’re scared, aren’t you?” Sheridan’s jaw worked uselessly for several silent seconds, until she finally found her voice, and it came out in a surprised squeak, “Haley! What on earth are you talking about?”

“You’re scared,” Haley repeated matter-of-factly. “You’re afraid of caring about my dad too much.” Sheridan’s cheeks flushed, and she ducked her head to avoid Haley’s questioning brown eyes. “But you already care a little too much, don’t you?” Haley said quietly. “Sheridan,” Haley pleaded. “Don’t try to stop it. Just let it happen. My dad won’t hurt you,” Haley said earnestly. “I promise.” “Haley,” Sheridan sighed with sparkling, wet blue eyes. “I’m afraid that’s not your promise to make.” “But Sheridan,” Haley cried, her own throat tightening with tears as she rubbed her smooth cheek against Sheridan’s palm. “Shh,” Sheridan hushed her. “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but Haley…I want you to give your mother a chance…” “She’s not my mother!” Haley protested, trying to pull away, but Sheridan held on tightly. “Sweetie,” Sheridan sighed with a shaky smile on her lips. “She IS your mother. Not the mother you deserved. She’s made mistakes. She never should have left you. Or your dad. But people aren’t perfect. There’s no such thing. Give her a second chance, Haley. Take your own advice. Be there for your dad if he chooses to work things out with her.” “How can you even say that?” Haley cried. “How can you? I told you,” her voice rose in desperation. “He likes YOU. You, Sheridan. Not her….” “Haley,” Sheridan interrupted. “No,” Haley shook her dark head vigorously. The day had started off kind of shaky, sure. But just having Sheridan near made things better. SO much better. And now…this was a nightmare.

“I won’t put myself in the middle of this, Haley. I have NO right to interfere with any chance you might have of becoming a family again,” Sheridan’s voice wobbled. “Sheridan, no,” Haley wouldn’t let her go. Her heart was breaking. Why was Sheridan doing this when it was so obvious she was breaking her own heart, too? She didn’t understand. “I don’t want her to be my mom,” she cried against Sheridan’s shoulder. “I wish…” Sheridan closed her blue eyes, tears clinging to her lashes at the ugly truth of her next words, “Wishing doesn’t make it so. Don’t cry, Haley. Please don’t,” she murmured as she brushed Haley’s tears away with the pads of her thumbs. “Smile,” she told her, smiling through her own tears. “This doesn’t have to be the end of anything. I don’t want that.”

“I don’t understand,” Haley sniffled. “You’ll always be special to me, Haley. No matter what.” “What about Dad?” Haley asked. Rubbing at her eyes with her fists. “We’ll be friends?” Sheridan smirked at the thought. “We’ll be friendly,” she said in a near-whisper. “Haley, this is something I have to do. I have to take myself out of this equation. If only for a little while. And let things run their course.” “Does that mean…?” Haley’s brown eyes lit up hopefully. “It means I want EVERYONE to be sure of what they want. And when that happens…we’ll see,” she trailed off awkwardly as she saw Beth and Luis walking toward them. “Smile,” she breathed a reminder as they walked closer. “This is between us, okay? Haley?”

“Between us,” Haley squeezed her hand reluctantly. “For me, Haley,” she whispered softly as SHE advanced on them with a nervous smile on her lips. “Haley?” SHE ventured awkwardly. “Haley, I was wondering if you and your dad would like to join me this evening for dinner. We could go to your favorite place. Your choice. Whatever you want to do.” She WANTED to tell her dad EVERYTHING. So he wouldn’t ever let Sheridan go or fade to the background of their lives with HER arrival. But, she thought with a quick glance at Sheridan out of the corner of her eyes, she wouldn’t break her promise. NO matter how much she wanted to. “Okay,” she answered with a shrug of her shoulders, and SHE smiled. A smile of surprise. Her dad smiled. A smile of relief. Sheridan smiled. A smile of thanks. And she smiled herself. Just a tiny smile. Though her heart was breaking.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 25:

Haley fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair. Her choice, huh? Then why…WHY…were they currently sticking out like sore thumbs at the Seascape? THE SEASCAPE! She’d really knock Aunt Theresa’s socks off with this admission, but geez, was she ever so thankful her ‘dim’, but mostly well-meaning twit of an aunt had annoyed her (to the point of considering strangulation tactics) and convinced her to wear this dress. Jeans were her first choice. Actually…shorts were ALWAYS her first choice. It was summer! Duh. When else could she traipse around in her favorite gear in HARMONY? It wasn’t everyday that was sure. Even her dad, who just looked plain AMAZING and handsome and… what in the whole wide world was he trying to do? Flash a neon sign that said ‘Come and get me…I’m available.’ Riiiiigghht. He was as available as…well, she couldn’t think of anyone. He was Sheridan’s, darnit. Although…blockhead that she was taking him for this evening…she wasn’t entirely sure he realized it yet. Even he was just a teeny weeny bit too CASUAL for this place. Who were they expecting? The Queen of England? She choked on her soda (man, was she ever shocked to see it on the menu!) when she saw Ivy walk through the front entrance, looking as regal as she pleased, on the arm of…THAT was Sheridan’s brother? No wonder Ivy looked like she was going to hurl.

“Haley,” SHE looked around to make sure no one had been witness to such an embarrassment, Haley theorized. “Are you okay?” her dad asked with genuine concern. “I’m…s’okay, Dad. I think it just went down the wrong way,” she managed a small smile for him. Tears still stinging her brown eyes. Her throat was STILL burning. The waiter arrived, the tray carrying their food high above his head (and why was that? He was just begging for somebody’s foot to sneak out from under their table and trip him, if you asked her). A ghost of a smile flitted across her lips as he very nearly dumped HER plate in her lap. Her dad arched a black brow at her in warning, but even he had to laugh at the wide-eyed, panicked _expression on HER face. It was funny. Who wouldn’t laugh? Oh yeah, SHE wouldn’t. ‘Cause those stains wouldn’t come out too easily, would they? And then SHE couldn’t return that horrid, ugly pukey-green (fitting, wasn’t it?) dress that cost more than her dad’s paycheck tomorrow. It didn’t take X-ray vision to see the tag hanging out of the back of the gown. Really, Haley thought, rolling her eyes. Even Aunt Theresa was better at hiding her tags. She had it perfected to an art form.

If SHE wanted to impress Dad, THIS wasn’t the way to do it, Haley thought as a grin stretched across her face. That grin disappeared, though, the moment she actually got a good look at her plate. WHAT was THAT? EEEEWWWWW!!! Did it move? Did it actually just inch across her plate? “OH MY GOODNESS!” she shrieked, shoving the plate away violently as she leapt out of her seat. “There’s a…there’s a…” “Haley!” her dad was by her side in an instant. “Haley, what is it?” The plate fell from HER face (where it had conveniently landed…who said the Big Guy didn’t have a sense of humor?), and pasta noodles slithered down HER tomato sauce covered face. And her dad looked appropriately repulsed as Haley pointed at the offending THING. “Dad! Dad!” she screamed in a frenzy of panic. “There’s a…there’s a…YUCK! THERE’S A MAGGOT IN MY SPAGHETTI!!!” Haley whirled around to see people throughout the whole restaurant gag as one. Plates crashed against the floor, expensive wine spewed from several mouths, and one lady (let it be said…she’d looked to be LOONEY tunes from second one Haley had seen her) started screeching about a mouse being on the loose, hiked her skirt up, and jumped on top of her table.

Haley caught Ivy’s twinkling eye across the restaurant, and she would have laughed until her stomach ached at the sight of Julian Crane fainted dead away on the floor while disgusted people stampeded toward the nearest exits (over his prone body) had she not been otherwise occupied, and uh…she was still sick to her stomach. “Haley,” her dad groaned as he picked up the offending THING and dangled it in front of her. “It’s a caterpillar. NOT a maggot.” “So,” Haley shuddered. “It’s still a creepy-crawly in my food, Dad,” she whined. The pale-faced waiter returned, holding out his hand to receive the caterpillar, stammering, “I’m so…sorry. If you’ll just hand it over, I’ll destroy it. I’ll take care of the check.” “NO!” Haley shouted, glaring at the poor guy (well…she DID feel sorry for him, looking like he was going to pass out and join Julian on the floor any moment…but he couldn’t murder an innocent caterpillar). “Don’t kill it,” she said in a softer voice. “Don’t worry about the check, either,” she reassured him. “SHE’ll take care of it,” she nodded over her shoulder at HER.

“There you go,” she breathed with a smile, watching the caterpillar disappear into the shrubbery. Well…it was either that or the beach. She just hoped the little guy wouldn’t decide to catch anymore excitement (ha! In The Seascape?) anytime soon. She wouldn’t be around to save his…did caterpillars even…. She shook the silly thoughts free from her head, loosening Aunt Theresa’s painstakingly placed hair clippies (Who in the free world beside her aunt spent hours—HOURS—fixing their hair? Or anyone else’s for that matter?), and making long brown strands flutter in the ocean breeze. “You want to live to become a butterfly, don’t you?” she whispered. “Haley…” Ivy’s voice had Haley turning around and presenting her with a sheepish smile. “Are you sure you and that…thing…aren’t in cahoots?” she teased. “Yeah, right,” Haley laughed, looking over Ivy’s shoulder for… “Where’s Mr. Crane? Did you just leave him lying there?” Ivy shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sending the limo back for him. Which is more than he deserves I might add.” Haley’s giggles were infectious, and that’s how her dad and SHE found the pair…laughing and carefree.

“Where’s SHE going?” Haley asked her dad as they watched HER stomp off in a poorly-thrown fit (Haley KNEW fits…no question…you didn’t live your whole life with…okay, Dad was speaking…). “She thinks you set out to humiliate her on purpose because you hate her. So, Haley…does she think right? You haven’t even pretended to care about her, or for her feelings, did you…” “DAD!” Haley yelled, hurt at the very insinuation coming from her dad in her brown eyes. “How could you even think that? I don’t like her, but I’d…I didn’t know there was going to be a bug in my food, okay? Wouldn’t you scream, too? I mean, YOU wouldn’t,” she hastily said (how ridiculous…her dad wasn’t afraid of ANYTHING). “But wouldn’t you?” she asked Ivy. “I can’t say I would not,” Ivy admitted, a visible shudder passing through her body. “See, Dad?” Haley’s dark eyes flashed and her chin jutted out stubbornly. "This whole thing is just…tell her to stop trying so hard. It’s NOT working.”

“Haley,” her dad sighed. “Haley, I’m sorry. I never should have…I know you didn’t mean to…I don’t know what’s happening to me,” he finally said. “SHE’S happening to you,” Haley spat. “And I don’t like it. We were FINE without her, Dad. Perfect. She’s ruining things. I’m not going ANYWHERE with her. Ivy, will you…” “Haley,” her dad shook his head. “It’s okay, Luis,” Ivy smiled at him, placing a hand upon his arm. “I’ll make sure she gets home in one piece.” “Thank you…hey,” he said softly, grasping Haley’s chin and making her look at him. “I really AM sorry.” “It’s okay, Dad,” Haley whispered as she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. “Things are just…weird right now.” “They’ll get better soon, Haley. I promise,” he told her with a smile. “It’s a good thing you keep your promises, or I’d have to…” Her dad chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately.

“Get this one home,” he smiled at Ivy. “I have something very important I have to do. Tell Grandma not to wait up for me.” Haley’s brown eyes widened at that statement. “What? Ivy, what do you think he meant? Dad! Oh no,” Haley cried as she watched her dad’s jeep drive away. With HER inside. “Ivy, he can’t leave with HER…don’t wait up!” Ivy clasped Haley’s hand in hers and spoke comforting nonsense as she led her to the limo. “Ivy, we have to go after them. Dad can’t…” “Watch out for your head, Haley,” Ivy smiled. “I can’t go home, Ivy…” “Don’t worry, Darling. I said I’d get you home in one piece. I didn’t say WHEN I’d get you home,” Ivy revealed with a smirk. “Oh, Ivy!” Haley exclaimed, flinging her arms about Ivy’s neck. “I LOVE YOU!”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 26:

“Charles…” Haley rapped her knuckles against the dividing window at the front of the limo, and it whirred softly as it lowered, bringing her face to face with Ivy’s incredibly patient chauffeur. “Yes, Miss Haley?” his blue eyes met her brown ones in the rear view mirror. “Charles,” Haley leaned over Charles’s shoulder, her brown hair escaping the last of the awful clippies and brushing against the older gentleman’s cheek. Charles smiled fondly at the girl, anticipating her question before another word left her frowning mouth. “It’s five minutes more than the last time you asked me, Miss Haley.” “Oh,” Haley replied in a deflated voice. “Thank you, Charles,” she said, offering him a small smile of gratitude. “No problem,” Charles answered as the window whirred again, and Haley was met with her own sour _expression.

Ivy shook her head slightly, patting the leather seat beside her, as Haley’s shoulders slumped, and the frown on her lips turned to a scowl. “He’s been in there too long, Ivy. What can he possibly have to talk about with HER?” “Plenty,” Ivy murmured under her breath, careful not to let the young girl hear. “Haley, Darling…I’m sure it’s nothing so drastic as a marriage proposal…” Haley looked appropriately horrified. “Haley…” she smiled. “I was just kidding.” “Don’t even joke about THAT,” Haley grumbled as she slouched in the seat beside Ivy. “She made me promise, you know,” Haley spoke several moments later, between restless glances at the Bed and Breakfast across the street. “And have you kept your promise?” Ivy asked, knowing without asking WHO Haley was talking about. “Haley, Dear,” Ivy said diplomatically. “I know this is something you don’t want to hear right now, but what Sheridan did…what she said…it’s in your best interest to at least give this woman a chance, and I think you’ll regret it if you don’t at least try.” “That’s what Sheridan said,” Haley frowned. “Are you two trying to double team me or something?”

“Mrs. Crane,” Charles’s voice made Haley jump in surprise. “Yes, Charles?” Ivy questioned. “Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald has exited the building, M’am. Would you like me to…” “Please, Charles,” Ivy requested. Haley clasped her hands in her lap in anticipation. The limo lurched forward, and soon they were tailing her dad, and it was like something out of the movies. COOL, Haley thought to herself, grinning. For the first fifteen minutes or so. “We’re going in circles. UH OH! Ivy! He knows! He knows we’re following him!” Sure enough, the next round trip they took, her dad was waving them forward, an amused (thank goodness he wasn’t mad was all Haley could think) smirk on his lips.

Charles slowed the limo to a stop. And Haley promptly hit the floor. Praying her dad didn’t see her, but then again…some of her most fervently asked prayers went unanswered. “Haley,” her dad said in a fake stern voice. “Find anything interesting?” he asked, and she could hear the laughter in his voice. This SO wasn’t funny. “Uh, uh, hey Dad!” she waved, her cheeks flaming. “I was just looking for Ivy’s contact. Yeah, that’s what I was doing. She thinks she lost it somewhere over here,” she explained, knowing he didn’t buy it for one second. Although Ivy did put on a good show, squinting and winking furiously at her dad. Haley’d give her four stars if she didn’t keep switching eyes. “Oh, Dear,” Ivy’s mouth made an ‘O’ as she realized her mistake. “I think I’ve lost the other one, too.” “You can stop the act,” her dad laughed, crossing his arms about his chest. “I’m not buying it. Haley, what do you have to say for yourself?” “Um…um,” Haley stammered. “She didn’t want to go home yet so I asked Charles just to drive us around.” “And around and around,” Haley nodded her head vigorously, scrambling to her feet and giving her dad an earnest look. “I’m so glad you stopped us, Dad. I was getting kind of dizzy,” Haley told him, staggering forward and grabbing onto Ivy for support.

“Haley…get out of the limo.” “She’s not in trouble is she, Luis?” Ivy asked him with a hand on his arm. The other wrapped around Haley’s waist. “No,” Luis said slowly. “Not this time. But next time…” “Whew!” Haley brushed her hair back from her face in relief. That was close! Way too close. “Thanks, Dad. Bye Ivy,” she breathed as she hugged Ivy in goodbye, then stepped out of the door her dad held open for her. “Bye, Darling!” Ivy waved as the limo slowly pulled away. They could hear Ivy giving Charles instructions to swing back around to the Seascape to pick up Mr. Crane, and Haley and her dad shared a laugh. “You’re not mad?” Haley questioned with watchful brown eyes as her dad turned the key in the jeep’s ignition. “No, Haley. I’m not. I’m still hungry, aren’t you? What do you think Sheridan likes on her pizza?” Haley positively beamed at his question. “What are you waiting for?” he teased, handing her his cell phone. Haley punched in the numbers with a grin. Sheridan didn’t count on her dad wanting to see her. Maybe things weren’t so dire after all.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 27:

“I don’t know, Haley. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. It’s late, and we didn’t call…” “Dad!” Haley exclaimed, rolling her brown eyes. “It’s not that late. I never call. And this is a fantastic idea,” she grinned. “Now go on. Knock on the door.” Grown-ups, she thought, shaking her head as her dad raised an unsure hand to the door. He had to like Sheridan. He’d never acted so silly about a woman before. Wait. It wasn’t like she had too many examples to draw experience from. Nope. Grandma said Dad only brought girls that he REALLY liked home with him. Hmm. He must really be a monk. She hadn’t seen…”Delivery!” she chirped, presenting her boxes of pizza when a certain someone opened the door. There it was! There was that smile that just refused to be tamped down whenever her dad looked at Sheridan. She was so proud of him. He’d really come a long way.

“Luis! Haley! I wasn’t expecting…” The smile fell, and Haley resisted the urge to kick her dad in the shin. The puppy dog pout was hers! All hers! “I just LOVE your pajamas!” Haley beamed. Oh, she felt SO evil. Sheridan’s face was all flamey-red, and she was crossing her arms around her bare belly. But honestly…the little white stars and…and…”You look so cute!” Haley told her, shoving the pizza boxes at her dad and wrapping her arms around Sheridan’s waist. Sheridan’s nose wrinkled up, and she started laughing at the whole situation. “I’m so sorry. Come in,” she stepped aside for her dad to enter. “I’m sorry…this is a bad time…Haley was wrong…we should have called,” her dad babbled nervously. Okay. WHO was the adult here? “No!” Sheridan’s hand darted out to grab her dad’s arm. “What I meant to say…” she ducked her blond head in embarrassment. “There’s no bad time when it comes to seeing Haley…and you,” she added in a slightly shy whisper. “Should have called? Who does that anymore?” she kidded. “Please come in. I’d love the company.” “Dad!” Haley groaned, giving her dad a hard tug when it seemed like he was rooted to the ground.

“I’ll get the plates. Do you want anything to drink?” Sheridan asked, padding toward her kitchen on bare feet. “You,” Haley grinned, grabbing Sheridan by the arm before she could go any further. “Sit,” she ordered, walking Sheridan back over to the couch where her dad was already seated. “I’ll get the drinks.” “What about the…you might need some help…” Sheridan tried to get up again, but Haley pushed her back down with a shake of her head. “Tell her, Dad,” Haley called out over her shoulder as she disappeared into the kitchen. “Plates?” she could hear her dad’s teasing voice. “Who needs plates? You just pick it up…” She bit back a giggle when she poked her dark head around the corner, watching her dad give Sheridan a free demonstration. Sheridan was laughing as he brought the oooey gooey cheesy slice to her lips, and she barely managed to take a bite. “…and take a bite,” he smiled, handing her the piece of pizza in his hand and reaching for another. “Good?” he asked, mumbling around his own mouthful. “Good,” Sheridan agreed. GRRRROOOSSSSS! Didn’t Grandma ever teach them not to talk with their mouths full?

“Hey! No fair! You started without me!” she complained, setting the tray of drinks onto the coffee table. “Scoot over, Dad,” she ordered, hands on hips. “That’s my spot. Dad…” She almost had to laugh. Her dad SO didn’t want to give up his place beside Sheridan. It took him FOREVER to make a move. And a reluctant move at that. Hey! She wanted Sheridan and her dad to hook up more than anything. But there a time and a place for everything, and this time, this place…She wanted to sit by Sheridan! When her dad woke up and smelled the coffee, he could sit by Sheridan all he wanted. Her piece of pizza was mere centimeters from her mouth when Sheridan’s voice reached her ears. “Haley, that’s such a pretty dress. I’m sure you don’t want to…would you like to change? I’m sure I have SOMETHING in my bedroom.” The pizza seemed to hang in the air for several minutes while Haley pondered the offer. “Sure. Be right back, Dad,” she smiled at him, handing the pizza over to him.

“I love your room,” she gushed, twirling around to take it all in. “Thanks,” Sheridan’s voice was muffled as she scoured her closet, finally withdrawing a faded tee-shirt and a pair of shorts. “I don’t think there’s any hope of the shorts fitting you,” she laughed, tossing them onto her bed. It was an awful big bed, Haley thought. Especially for one person. “But this shirt’s pretty big on ME. I don’t think we have a problem there.” Haley took the gray tee-shirt from her hands, bringing it up to her nose. She sighed as Sheridan slowly undid the buttons at her back. The shirt smelled just like Sheridan’s perfume. “Thank you,” she said, her voice a soft whisper. “No problem,” Sheridan answered. Haley could hear the smile in her voice, and it made her feel all warm inside. Happy. “It took Aunt Theresa hours to get them all buttoned.” “Really?” Sheridan murmured conversationally, helping Haley step out of the dress. Haley’s dark head disappeared as she slid her arms through the sleeves. She hugged the soft worn material around her body, smiling at Sheridan. Sheridan smiled back. The shirt skirted her tanned knees. “I’ll just hang your dress up in here until you decide to leave,” Sheridan told her.

When they got back to the living room, her dad had already made himself more comfortable, unbuttoning quite a few buttons and giving Sheridan more than a little tanned skin and muscle to drool over in awkward, sneaky glances when she thought he wasn’t looking. Like Haley didn’t witness every single look! To be perfectly honest, it weirded her out a little. But she wasn’t stupid. Who said kids were dumb? So Sheridan thought her dad was hot. So what? She was used to it. She couldn’t keep track of the number of times women had been struck dumb with one glance at her dad. It happened. It was normal. She lived with it nearly every day. But…she was going to have to figure out a way to tell all those other women to back off. She reasoned the best way to do that was to permanently attach Sheridan to his side. From the looks of things tonight, her dad was going to make it easy for her. At least she hoped he was. “What about a movie?” she suggested, with a shrug of her shoulders. “Haley…” her dad tried to protest. A puny protest if you asked her. She could tell he was up for ANYTHING that meant spending more time around Sheridan. Call it daughter’s intuition. “Luis…it’s okay. I want you to stay. If you want to stay,” she added quickly. “What movies do you have?” her dad said by way of an answer. Sheridan dazzled him with a smile. “Take your pick,” she said, standing up and showing them her selection. “WOW!” Haley exclaimed, sliding to the floor in amazement.

After a great debate, they ended up putting “Now and Then” into the VCR. Her dad complained, made the usual noises about it being a chick flick, but Haley knew he enjoyed it. No matter how much it scared him to think any of the girls on-screen could actually be her someday. Growing up and stuff. She had news for her dad. She was already growing up. Right under his nose. She snuggled close to Sheridan, tucking her head beneath her chin with a sigh of contentment. There were a few times during the movie where her dad got REALLY, REALLY embarrassed. He even covered her eyes with his hand when the girls caught the guys skinny-dipping and stole their clothes. Like she didn’t expect THAT. But Sheridan floored her by covering her ears at a very precise moment. Baby much? She wasn’t a baby! She was a woman. Well…not quite a woman. But a teenager. Well…not really a teenager either. Preteen sounded too…childish. Ugh! She wasn’t a baby! She knew about S-E-X and stuff. Although…she had serious doubts about trusting her source. Aunt Theresa giggled like it was the funniest thing in the world, and it just didn’t…Grandma said there was nothing funny about it.

Deciding to be with a guy…that way…was a very important decision to make and you really had to be sure and…Aunt Theresa was so immature, Haley decided, rolling her eyes behind her dad’s hand. A smile blossomed on her lips when his hand fell away, and Sheridan’s hands were no longer covering her ears. They were acting just like PARENTS! Then she frowned. She wasn't a baby! The movie ended, and somehow, she was able to coax her dad into staying a little while longer. They ate more pizza, played a few rounds of cards (Sheridan and her against her dad…they won each hand!), and watched some more TV. Her dad and Sheridan’s faces got fuzzier and fuzzier as the night wore on, and their voices started sounding far away. Sheridan’s arms around her made her feel safe, and Haley vaguely remembered mumbling “I love you” into Sheridan’s shoulder as she wrapped her arms around her neck and burrowed her face in the crook of her neck. She remembered protesting when her dad tried to wake her, and being elated when Sheridan tightened her arms around her, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Their hushed words ran together, and she didn’t worry when she heard HER name mentioned or something about tomorrow because she was where she wanted to be. Where she belonged. She felt herself being lifted by strong arms, and the next thing she knew she was in Sheridan’s bed. That awfully big bed. And she blinked heavy lids open to see her dad was tucking the covers around her shoulders, and a soft light glowed, painting pale shadows across the unfamiliar room. “Dad?” she murmured sleepily, cupping her dad’s cheek and looking into his dark eyes. “Shh,” he shushed her. Brushing her hair back from her forehead with a loving hand and giving her a reassuring smile. “You’re going to stay here. With Sheridan. I’ll be by in the morning.” She slipped her arms around her dad’s neck and squeezed, sighing as he lowered her back down to the soft mattress. “I love you, Daddy.” “I love you, too,” he whispered with one last gentle kiss to her cheek. She exhaled softly and her eyes drifted shut on two shadowy figures telling each other goodnight. Moments later the mattress shifted under Sheridan’s added weight, and Haley curled herself around the warm body. One of Sheridan’s hands came up to idly stroke her hair while the other twined with Haley’s seeking fingers, and her soft humming lulled them both to peaceful state. And Haley’s truest feelings and desires were revealed in a soft whisper… “I love you…Mom.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 28 :

Mom. She’d called Sheridan ‘Mom’ last night just before falling asleep. The word had just…slipped from her lips. So easy. So natural. It felt like the most right thing in the world to her, but this morning Haley had something else altogether to ponder…saying it had felt natural. But what about hearing it? DID Sheridan hear her last night? Part of her hoped she hadn’t, but part of her wished she had. She wanted so badly to say it in the morning light and have Sheridan hear her. These thoughts she pondered as she tiptoed out of Sheridan’s bedroom in the early morning hours, with the sun still climbing the sky. The tiles in the kitchen floor were slightly cool beneath her bare feet, and she hopped from foot to foot as she opened the refrigerator door, peering inside. Haley had big plans for this day with Sheridan. But it all started off with a big breakfast. A girl couldn’t think on an empty stomach.

She hummed happily under her breath as she cracked eggs into a bowl and glanced at the bacon, sizzling in a nearby pan. If Sheridan was one of those health nuts…where oh where did she get the bacon? “Grandma,” Haley smiled to herself as a light bulb went off inside her brain. Who else? A soft knock on the back door had Haley whirling around, and her smile turned into a tickled grin as she hurried forward to open the door. “I was just thinking about you,” she said, taking her grandmother off-guard when she threw her arms around her. “Where’s Dad? He promised…” Pilar swept an affectionate hand through Haley’s tangle of brown hair. “Your father will be here soon. I brought your clothes, Mija.” “Grandma, will you…” “Go change,” Pilar ushered her out of the room, walking toward the stove with a smile.

Haley pushed the door to Sheridan’s bedroom open gently, surprised to find the bed empty. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the noise of the shower in the bathroom. Haley dug through the duffel bag her grandma had brought for her, withdrawing a purple tank top and a pair of denim cutoffs. She was just slipping her feet into her favorite sandals when Sheridan emerged from the bathroom, blond hair slicked back on her head, looking clean and refreshed and smelling wonderful. “How do you always do that?” Haley’s forehead wrinkled as Sheridan walked toward her. “Do what?” Sheridan asked, wholly amused. “Smell good,” Haley answered her. “Aunt Theresa’s perfume is so strong we have to open all the windows in the house.” Sheridan laughed, reaching past Haley to grab the sundress she’d laid out earlier. “Aren’t you a little hard on Aunt Theresa?” “Please,” Haley rolled her brown eyes. “Hurry up,” she told her. “I got a surprise for you in the kitchen.” “A surprise, huh?” “Yeah, so hurry,” Haley repeated, darting out of the bedroom.

“Mija,” Pilar smiled, looking up at Haley as she finished setting the table. Three plates? “Grandma?” “I can’t stay for breakfast, Mija,” Pilar told her, resting her hands on her shoulders and smiling into her brown eyes. “I have to get to work.” “Ivy’ll understand,” Haley whined, unable to keep the disappointment from her voice. “Mija,” Pilar admonished, brushing her lips against Haley’s forehead. “Tell Sheridan good morning for me?” Haley nodded silently. “And you…be good. Promise me you’ll be good and not be angry with your father when he...” “When he what, Grandma?” Haley asked, puzzled at the strange turn their conversation was taking.

“You’ll see,” her grandma dodged her question, shaking her head slightly. “I want you to be good and give things a chance, Mija. Goodbye, Haley.” Haley tightened her arms around her grandma’s waist, confused. Why did she sound so weird? So upset? “Grandma,” she pulled back to look into her grandma’s brown eyes, trying to understand what she saw there. “Enjoy your breakfast with Sheridan and your father, Mija. I love you.” “I love you, too, Grandma,” Haley whispered against her grandma’s neck. Pilar released her, and Haley watched her as she walked the short distance to the Mansion. What had her grandma acting so weird? She didn’t have long to wonder because at the same moment that Sheridan entered the kitchen, a knock sounded at the front door, and Haley went running. “DAD!”

Her dad was so handsome, Haley thought, grinning up at him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “You saw Grandma?” “Yeah,” Haley nodded. “And she acted real weird, Dad. What’s going on? Dad? Dad? Oh,” she giggled when she realized exactly why her dad attention was no longer focused on her. Sheridan. That’s why. He was gawking at her, dumbstruck. Haley turned around in her dad’s arms, leaning back against his chest and sighing happily. And Sheridan was beautiful in her blue sundress. So beautiful she had stunned her dad into silence. A traitorous smile flickered across Sheridan’s lips, and her blue eyes were shining as she crossed the room slowly to them.

Haley reached for her hand and grabbed her dad’s hand, resting on her shoulder. If they couldn’t speak or move, it looked like she was going to have to do it for them both. “Good morning, Luis. Great to see you. Good morning, Sheridan. Wonderful to see you,” she said in a deeper voice, making them both laugh. “C’mon,” she urged, pulling them both toward the kitchen. “Close your eyes. I said close them,” she arched a dark brow at Sheridan, biting her lip to keep from laughing. “Eyes better be closed,” she said in a stern voice, dropping their hands and hurrying to the table to make sure everything was set.

Satisfied, she turned back to them, rolling her brown eyes at their awkwardness. She grinned wickedly, walking back over to them. “Can we open our eyes now?” her dad muttered impatiently, a smirk on his lips. “Not yet,” Haley told him, tugging him closer to Sheridan. Her dad’s hand reached out blindly, closing around Sheridan’s. Haley’s smile was so bright it was a wonder they were blinking at its force and demanding some shades. “Open them!” “So this is the surprise,” Sheridan said. “Haley, did you do this all yourself?” “Well…mostly. Grandma said to tell you good morning,” Haley grinned, bouncing up to Sheridan and her dad and gazing up into their eyes. “Do you like my surprise? Is it a good surprise?” “A very good surprise,” her dad told her, and Sheridan agreed. “Well…what are we waiting for? It’s going to get cold,” Haley said. “Dad,” she muttered under her breath. Her dad let go of Sheridan’s hand with such reluctance, Haley almost had to laugh.

“Thank you,” Sheridan told him as he pulled out a chair for her. “What?” Haley teased. “I’m not good enough?” Her dad laughed and pulled out a chair for her, too, and soon they were all seated. Was this what it felt like to share a morning breakfast with your parents, Haley wondered. Dad and Sheridan relaxed almost totally, and they talked about everything. How quickly summer had passed and how fast the beach party was approaching. Just a couple of weeks now. How much Sheridan had hated the idea of working at the Youth Center at first, but she couldn’t imagine a luckier twist of fate now. Haley leaned back in her chair and watched them with a smile, awed at how far they had come. Filled with hope that with summer’s end came the fulfillment of her wish.

When everyone had finished, Haley leapt to her feet, clearing their plates without complaint (it was her surprise, after all…complaining would have ruined the effect). “She must really like you,” her dad told Sheridan with a smile. “She’s never as quick to do the dishes at home.” “You’re so funny, Dad,” Haley rolled her brown eyes at him goodnaturedly. “Thank you,” he smiled. “I try.” Haley groaned, and Sheridan burst into laughter. “I love Sheridan. What about you, Dad?” Sheridan’s laughter died in her throat, and Haley bit her lip, not daring to turn around and face her dad after that little surprise question. “Um…I…I…I think Sheridan knows I like her. Very, very much.” “Very, very much?” Sheridan questioned. “Very, very, very much,” her dad further elaborated, and Haley wanted to squeal in frustration. Demand her dad kiss Sheridan right then. Right there. When were they going to quit dancing around each other? She wasn’t exactly the most patient girl, but it WAS getting a little bit exhausting.

“I’ll be right back,” Haley called over her shoulder, making herself scarce. To her way of thinking, her dad wasn’t about to lay a big one on Sheridan anytime soon with her in the same room. So she’d help things along a little. She ducked behind the kitchen door, quiet as a mouse. Fingers crossed as she peeked her dark head around the corner. Eavesdropping and spying were big no-no’s in Grandma’s book, but sometimes they were necessary, Haley thought, holding her breath and hanging on every word that escaped Sheridan and her dad’s lips. “Very, very, very much?” Sheridan’s blue eyes twinkled shyly at her dad. “Yes,” her dad smiled back at her, shifting in his seat to face her and taking her hand in his own. “What about you? How do you feel?”

Sheridan ducked her blond head, and Haley felt all warm and fuzzy inside with her softly whispered answer. “I’m in love with your daughter.” The humor in her dad’s brown eyes were visible even from feet away as he lifted Sheridan’s chin with his fingers. “Sheridan?” “I could fall in love with her father too, if…” she trailed off. It was coming! It was coming, Haley rejoiced inwardly as she watched her dad’s fingers move from Sheridan’s chin to cup her cheek, and their faces (and their lips!) inched closer. “If…” Sheridan’s voice dropped to a faint whisper, and her eyes fluttered close as her dad’s nose nuzzled against her own. “Luis?” she breathed, leaning her forehead against his. “Shh,” her dad silenced her unspoken question. Haley was dying inside. They were…they were…their lips were thisclose, and she just knew they were going to…what kind of enjoyment did God and Sheridan and her dad get out of prolonging this inhumane torture? “Kiss her. Kiss her, Dad,” Haley whispered as her dad’s other hand cupped Sheridan’s face, and he brought their lips even closer together (was it possible to be SSSSOOOO close and STILL not touch???), and…

A loud knock on the front door had them jumping apart, and Haley wanting to scream as she practically stomped to the door, flinging it open. “Good morning, Haley,” SHE smiled at her. “Are you and your dad ready?” Haley glared at her, crossing her arms around her middle and refusing to speak. SHE shrank away at what was surely a look full of murderous intent, and Haley’s hand grasped the doorknob, ready to slam the door shut in her face at that instant. “Beth,” Haley turned around at the sound of her dad’s voice. He didn’t sound mad. He didn’t sound surprised. He didn’t sound…He didn’t sound surprised! “You’re early.” Haley’s brown eyes bored into HER’s, making her flinch away in embarrassment. “Dad, what are you talking about? Early for what? Sheridan?” she looked past her dad to Sheridan standing in the kitchen doorway, a somber _expression on her face.

“You haven’t told her, Luis? You told me you’d…” “Beth,” her dad soothed, moving forward and beckoning her to come inside. “You’re early. I was going to break the news to her after breakfast. You were supposed to wait on us at the Bed and Breakfast.” “I’m sorry,” SHE apologized. “I was nervous. And excited. And I could wait to start our trip…” “What trip? What’s she talking about, Dad?” Haley demanded to know. “Sheridan? Dad? Somebody please tell me what’s going on here?” Haley pleaded, dread washing over her in waves. Her dad brushed past HER, coming back inside Sheridan’s cottage, suitcase in hand. “Haley…” her dad began. “Daddy, no,” she shook her head, running to Sheridan and seeking the comfort of her embrace. “Haley,” her dad sighed. “Haley, it’s only a week. Maybe more, and I’m going with you. You won’t be alone.” “It’ll be fun, Haley. The three of us. Taking a trip together. Like a family,” SHE said. “I won’t go. I won’t!” Haley screamed, racing out of the room.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 29:

There should be a law out there against forcing kids to give deadbeat parents a second chance. Okay, Haley admitted to herself. Maybe she WAS being a bit harsh. Maybe not, she decided as she reminded herself…SHE had abandoned her and dad years and years ago. When she was barely crawling. If that wasn’t deadbeat Haley didn’t know what was. A week! Maybe more! She wondered if Aunt Theresa’s particular strain of airheaditis (so she made up a word…it happened) was contagious. That’s the only thing she could think of when it came to Dad’s complete 180. Just hours ago he was thisclose to finally kissing Sheridan. Now he was driving his jeep to God knows where. HER sitting in the passenger seat beside him. If that weren’t enough to irritate Haley…SHE was sitting in her seat! “Still not speaking, Haley? I know you. You’re never going to be able to keep that mouth shut for a whole day. Forget a week,” her dad said. Haley glared at his smirking reflection in the rear-view mirror. Okay. That did it. She’d inherited a lot of things from her dad. Including stubbornness. She’d prove him wrong if it literally killed her.

Hours and hours they drove. Or so it seemed (it was exhausting reminding herself not to talk—if only to make HER squirm like she deserved). Haley rolled her brown eyes when her dad pulled the jeep into a motel that made the Bates Motel look like a fine establishment. Wonder of all wonders (suppose SHE called ahead?), there was only one room left. Haley cringed inwardly AND outwardly as her dad swung the door open. Pink walls and green carpet. She could do a better decorating job, and she was eleven! Dad wasn’t for real when he said there were no other rooms, right? This dump was actually full?!?! “Well…” SHE said through clenched teeth. “I don’t suppose it’ll kill us to spend ONE night here.” Haley snickered when SHE picked up the thread-bare bedspread and took a hesitant peek underneath. “You and Haley can take the bed, Beth. I’ll take the chair over there.” Haley looked at the tiny chair then looked at her dad. No way was that happening! She was about to shout “You and me are taking the bed, Dad” when she remembered her earlier vow to silence. Instead she yanked a rock-hard pillow from the bed and went in search of the bathroom. The bathtub was more appealing than sleeping by HER side all night! Haley screamed hysterically when she pulled the shower curtain back. The most MAMMOTH roach known to man had already made his bed in their only bathtub. “Haley! Haley, what happened?” Dad asked. Haley looked to HER before pointing to the roach. SHE looked seconds away from a heart attack.

Needless to say, they didn’t stay the night. SHE said it wasn’t that far from her apartment anymore so Dad decided to drive the rest of the way. Haley didn’t remember the exact hour they arrived. Her brain was so fuzzy she didn’t register WHERE exactly they were until much later. She just remembered her dad lifting her up in his arms and carrying her up some stairs. And some more stairs. With HER following them carrying all the bags. She vaguely remembered her dad saying something to her about the goofy smile on her face, but she was too far gone to do more than mumble.

Her dad just laughed at her, and she wondered if breaking a vow of silence while you were half-asleep could be considered a TRUE break. It was like taking advantage of someone while they were drunk (how did she know? She didn’t, but she imagined the situations were just the teeniest bit similar). Like she said, she was out of it. It wasn’t fair. “This doesn’t count,” she remembered mumbling into her dad’s neck as he lay her down on a foreign bed and pulled the covers over her. “My lips are sealed,” he answered back, brushing her dark hair back from her sleepy face. “Sleep, Haley. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.” Busy, she wondered. How could they be…the thought escaped her as soon as her dad shut off the lamp beside her and plunged the room into darkness. She was asleep before he even closed the door.

Her bladder woke her up the next morning. Big Gulps tended to do that to you, she thought, blinking at her unfamiliar surroundings. She needed a bathroom, but she had no idea where to find one. And she certainly didn’t want to wake HER up to ask her. Wait a minute, Haley thought, padding toward the bedroom door and widening the tiny crack to peek outside. SHE was already up, and it sounded like her dad was too. In the interest of protecting her dad, she decided she could hold it a little longer and slowly crept out the door and along the hallway. “Dad,” she groaned to herself. “Put your shirt on before you give HER ideas.” She grinned when her dad grabbed the shirt draped across the back of his chair and slipped it over his head. Her dad and she had a psychic connection. COOL! Wait a minute…what if he heard her? Uh oh, she thought, scrambling around the corner and holding her breath waiting for him to discover her.

Thank goodness he didn’t barrel after her, and she was able to take a relieved breath soon after, settling down in the floor and straining her ears to hear every word of their conversation. Most of it was just plain boring. HER asking “Would you like a bagel?” Who was she kidding, Haley scoffed. Her dad? Eating a bagel? Whatever. Where was the real food, Haley wondered, sighing as her stomach growled. “Did you sleep okay on the couch?” YES, YES, YES! Her faith in her dad was outstanding, but SHE was kind of sneaky as far as Haley was concerned. Yippee! Her dad slept on the couch! “Everything was fine, Beth,” she heard him say. Why did her dad have to be so nice to HER? SHE’D left him too.

“Really,” SHE asked. “I just wanted you to be comfortable…I know this whole thing is uncomfortable…and that’s MY fault…” Geez, Haley rolled her eyes. Understatement of the year. Did SHE always babble like that? SHE reminded her of somebody… “You’re right.” Haley’s mouth hung open in shock when she heard her dad say that. WOW! “This IS uncomfortable, and it IS your fault. But I don’t imagine I’m blameless in this whole mess.” Dad! That is SO not true! “You asked me to marry you, Luis. You didn’t force me to say yes.” Maybe SHE does have some sense in that head of hers, Haley thought. “It wasn’t anything you did that made me leave. It wasn’t anything that anyone did. Haley least of all. I just…we were so young, Luis. Too young. I had dreams. I wanted to go to college. It didn’t seem like a choice anymore with a baby and a husband.”

Haley thought her dad’s voice sounded sad, even a little tired as he answered her. “College was something I wanted too, Beth. But there are other things…if you’d told me, if you’d said something…we could have done something. You didn’t have to leave.” “Luis…it wouldn’t have worked. The truth is…I loved you. You were the first…But I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t happy being the married one when the rest of my friends were just starting this exciting time in their lives. And living with your family…they’re wonderful, Luis. They really are, but I needed space of my own. I still had a lot of growing up to do, and I couldn’t do that. And Haley…she was so innocent and small, and she depended on me for everything…” Haley’s breath caught in her throat, and she dug her fingernails into her palms. “She was a baby, Beth…” “MY baby,” SHE said. “That’s what made it so hard.”

Haley’s pounding heart was the sound for several seconds as she waited for HER to continue. “I didn’t want to be her mother…” Haley blinked back sudden tears. Swallowing over the lump lodged in her throat. “I didn’t want to be a wife. I wanted something different, Luis, and I resented being tied down…I resented my own daughter, Luis. I HAD to leave.” Haley wiped her tears away with trembling hands. Enough. She’d heard enough. SHE didn’t want her. SHE never had, and there were no second chances for people that didn’t deserve them. Haley closed the bathroom door behind her, staring at her tear-reddened face in the mirror’s reflection. Wishing she’d never heard those words. Angry with herself for the buried hope that had begun crumbling once and for all with HER words. “She didn’t want me.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 30:

Just one week. Maybe two. That’s what Haley kept reminding herself as SHE paraded her around for all her friends to see. Buffy (WHAT? Real people actually had that name?)…I’d like you to meet my daughter. She’s visiting. Aren’t you, Haley? Todd…have you met my daughter? It was sickening. And Haley hated every second of it. Dad tried to make it easier. He tried, not knowing she’d heard every word SHE had said that awful first morning. The act of silence wasn’t an act anymore. Haley didn’t want to talk to HER. Because then she knew…talking would give way to screaming…screaming would give way to tears. Tears were secret things. They wet her pillow each night, after SHE had dragged them from one end of New York City to another during the day. Tears were something she didn’t want her daddy to see. Just one week. Maybe two. And she’d never have to see HER again. That’s what Haley reminded herself. During the Yankees game. The Broadway plays. The Empire State building. Haley didn’t NEED to be impressed. She needed the only thing she’d never felt from HER—love.

On the 12th day, Dad left them alone. Haley begged and pleaded, not caring she was breaking her vow of silence. She just really, really did NOT want to be alone with HER. But her dad…sometimes he just knew…things. That even things that hurt the most have to run their course sometimes. Her dad’s heart was in the right place. She knew that. But that didn’t stop her from being steaming mad. Haley stomped to the little cubbyhole she’d subconsciously branded her own during their short stay and slammed the door. SHE’d looked upset, but Haley honestly couldn’t feel bad. There was a sense of justice in her heart at the thought that SHE was hurting. Even just a smidgen as much as Haley herself was. Haley watched the clock’s hands turn slowly, so slowly, and after a while, she heard the doorknob jiggle. “Haley? Haley, can I please come in?” Haley wanted to ignore her, but more than that she wanted to send her away. Far, far away from her. So she hurried to the door, shoving it closed, and yelling “NO!” “Haley, please,” SHE pleaded. “Talk to me. Give me a chance.”

Haley saw red as she flew across the bedroom and flung the door open, causing HER to step back in fright. “A chance? Give you a chance? You never wanted me!” There. That took the wind out of her self-righteous sails, Haley thought. SHE looked like she’d been slapped. “Haley…that’s…” Haley stretched to her full height, her chin jutting out stubbornly in a replica of her dad, and her angry tone wavered just a bit as she cut whatever SHE had been about to say off. “You think you can show up now….ten years later…and have everything be PERFECT? It doesn’t work that way. I don’t want anything to do with YOU. I don’t want you around my dad. You left because you didn’t want to be my mother. WHY DID YOU COME BACK?! WHY?! You can’t just do that, you know…pop back into my life and expect me to call you ‘Mom’. Well, I won’t call you that. You’ll never be that for me. Grandma was my mom. Dad was my mom. Ivy’s been my mom. And the one person who’s been more of a mom to me than YOU ever have…I’ve only just met her…you have to come back and try to ruin things with Dad and Sheridan. WHY?! You didn’t want us then. Why do you want us now?”

“Haley…please let me explain. You didn’t hear…” “I heard you. You said you didn’t want to be my mother. You said you resented me for taking away all your dreams. I didn’t ask to be born. I didn’t ask for you to be my mother. It just happened that way. I was a baby. I LOVED you,” Haley cried, swiping angry fingers over her tear-streaked face. When had THAT happened? “I LOVED you, and you left me. I thought it was all my fault all this time, but the truth…the truth is…you’re SELFISH! You don’t just do what you did. You don’t…” “Haley, Haley, Haley,” SHE begged, reaching for her and slamming her own tear-filled brown eyes shut when Haley jerked away at her touch. “Haley, you didn’t hear…Haley, please come sit down. You don’t even have to sit close to me. You don’t even have to look at me. But please listen to me and hear the WHOLE story. Because Haley…you got the gist of it right. But you didn’t hear it all. It was horribly SELFISH of me to abandon you and your father like that…” Haley scoffed, shaking her head as she reluctantly backed into the small living room. “This,” SHE pointed at her, waving her hands around the room at her dad’s pillow from the night before still laying on the couch. “THIS was selfish of me.”

Haley sat down on the couch where her dad had so recently lay and clutched his pillow to her chest, breathing in his comforting scent. She didn’t look at HER. She didn’t even acknowledge SHE was speaking. She just stared blankly ahead. “Haley,” SHE sighed. “I know I have no right to ask you to call me ‘Mom,’ and I won’t ask such a ridiculous thing. But Haley…I don’t want you thinking of me as…I have a name, Haley. You can call me Beth. I know I probably don’t deserve it, but it’s a much nicer name than the ones I’m sure you have for me.” Haley’s brown eyes met HER’s across the room, surprised at the understanding she saw there. “I think we’ve already established the fact that I’m a very selfish person, Haley. But I’m NOT an evil person. Sometimes I think I’m a bad person, but most of the time I think I’m just a human that makes extremely human mistakes. I’m not trying to excuse what I did,” SHE said. Haley plopped back against the sofa cushions. Annoyed SHE had anticipated her thoughts. “I DID say I didn’t want to be your mother,” SHE admitted, and Haley fought the urge to bolt for the door. Her tattered heart couldn’t take hearing it again. “But what you didn’t hear…” Haley raised pained brown eyes to HER face. Interest flaring within her despite her own protests.

SHE got up from her seat at the armchair and started pacing. Back and forth. Back and forth. And Haley buried her nose in her dad’s pillow once more. “Not a day has gone by that I haven’t regretted having those thoughts.” Haley’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “Haley, I was so ashamed that I put myself before my family that it took me years to gather up enough courage to…I had my college experience. I had my friends and my parties. I had the life I thought I wanted. A great job. I had my dreams back. I was doing something I’d always loved. I was writing. You know they say the best writers write from experience…or maybe I have that turned around,” SHE said, running a tired hand through her dark hair. “Anyway…I wanted to be one of the best. I wanted to be THE best. So I started thinking about my life, all the things that have happened in it…drawing from my own experience…and I realized what a truly terrible person I was. I felt so…Haley, the guilt was…the guilt was…” “You’re not going to make me feel sorry for you,” Haley muttered. “I’m not trying to,” SHE sighed in exasperation. “I’m just explaining to you the best I know how the WHY’S.” Great, Haley thought. And it gets even worse…SHE didn’t want to see her again because she loved her. SHE wanted to see her again to get rid of her awful guilt.

“Haley, I know what you’re thinking…” “No, you don’t,” Haley snapped, glaring at her and tucking her knees beneath her chin. “Well…I think I have a fairly good idea. Guilt wasn’t the only reason. I missed you, Haley. I wanted…I want to make things right. I know I’m never going to be able to erase all the hurt you’ve felt in the past, but I want to try to lessen the hurt you’re feeling now. You’re still my little girl, Haley,” SHE said softly. Haley blinked back tears, shifting her gaze from HER blurry image and staring at a point across the room. “You’re this beautiful person…this beautiful part of me and your dad, and I want to help you, Haley. I know I can’t make it up to you…I want a fresh start. Not as your mom if that makes you uncomfortable, but as someone you can count on.

I want to be the person you need me to be.” “What about Dad?” Haley questioned, untangling her limbs and looking down into HER eyes. SHE sighed heavily and a sad little smile flitted across her lips. “Your dad and I have made our peace, Haley. This is about me and you. What do you need from me, Haley? Tell me. Tell me what you need, and I’ll do anything. I love you,” SHE cried. Haley’s chin trembled as HER hands cupped her jaw, and her breath left her in shaky gasps. “You love me?” “Never doubt it,” SHE whispered shakily, brushing Haley’s tears away with the pads of her thumbs. Haley’s arms clutched at HER neck, and she sobbed at the realization she’d finally heard those words from HER—her mother. She closed her dark eyes, her mother’s chocolate brown, intelligent eyes that saw everything, and basked in a moment she’d only dreamed about. And then she whispered… “If you love me…set me free.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 31:

“Dad,” Haley whined from the back seat of the jeep. “We’re never going to make it.” “Haley,” her dad sighed. “I’m driving as fast as I can….” “You’re going to make it to the party, Haley,” another softer voice said. Haley met a pair of brown eyes identical to her own in the rear-view mirror, barely containing a sigh of disappointment. “Yeah…” she muttered. “AFTER the sun’s gone down.” “Well…think of it this way…you don’t have to worry about getting burned.” Haley rolled her brown eyes, and she knew Beth had caught it. But it was cool. It was different than all the other eye rolls Haley had sent her direction since her reappearance in her life. Don’t get her wrong. Things weren’t A-okay. But…HER and SHE were gradually fading from Haley’s internal vocabulary. ‘Beth’ still felt a little strange on her lips, and she didn’t really address her as such, but…but…but. The bursting pain had lessened in Haley’s heart, and though it wasn’t official (YET)…she felt lighter. Hopeful. And freer than she had ever been. “How much longer, Dad?” Her dad reached his hand out to her, curling it around her own when she slipped her fingers into his. “We’ll get there, Haley. I promise.” Haley settled back against her seat and closed her eyes. Willing herself to relax. Her dad promised. And he ALWAYS kept his promises.

Haley felt like jumping out of the jeep the second Dad’s headlights illuminated the ‘Welcome to Harmony’ sign and running the rest of the way. Like that would go over well would Dad, she thought, rubbing her hands up and down her denim clad thighs nervously. This was it. The REAL it. The moment where OPERATION MOM either sank or swam, and she couldn’t have been more nervous had she been living the ultimate nightmare. The one where for some insane reason she was the only person without clothes on in the middle of the school lunchroom. In this case it just had to be someplace public. Whoever said picturing people with their clothes off made things less awkward obviously wasn’t frequently terrorized by that particular dream. Why wish on others what you REALLY, REALLY did not want to happen to yourself? That was Haley’s philosophy.

If she were one of those boy-crazy early bloomers, that little trick might be fun to try on Mr. No Last Name Todd though, Haley thought with a smirk. It might help her calm those butterflies she got in her stomach every time she saw him. WAIT A MINUTE! Sound of screeching brakes going of inside her brain. Eleven, she reminded herself. Boys were still annoying little jerks anyway. “Dad.” She chastised herself silently for the whiny edge to her voice, but she just…could…not…wait. Pins and needles. “We are SO late,” she fretted. “She’s going to think…” “Haley,” her dad’s voice was soothing and self-assured with only the slightest hint of nervousness. “She’s not going to…” He paused as he glanced at Beth in the passenger seat with a sympathetic look. “Even if she DOES think…we’ll just prove it to her otherwise.” Now if Haley didn’t know any better, she’d think that Dad’s brand of persuasion would present itself in a long-awaited honest to goodness KISS. “You’re going to have to do the convincing. I can’t help it I’m too young to drive.” “Haley,” Beth laughed. “Are you implying…” “Puh-leaze,” Haley rolled her dark eyes at them both. “Would a plane ticket have been THAT bad? Dad! Slow down! We’re here! We’re here!”

Haley’s sandals sank into the sand as she ran, making her feel like she was running in place. “Haley!” little Tommy Michaels exclaimed, bouncing up and down like an excited puppy. “You missed it! You missed it!” Haley couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “What did I miss, Tommy?” she asked, kneeling down in the sand in front of him. “I was afraid of the water, and it was cold…” Tommy paused to shiver, demonstrating just how cold the water was, and Haley had to bite the inside of her cheek HARD to keep from laughing at the incredibly animated _expression on his cute little face. Water beaded at the ends of Tommy’s sandy hair as he spoke. “And the big kids were making fun of me. And Ms. Shwerry told them not to. Ms. Shwerry held my hand. I wasn’t scared!” Tommy’s eyes were wide as he related the story. “And Todd let me ride his surf board…”

“Surf board?” Haley asked, a dark brow arching in interest. A surf board? Todd was a cowabunga dude?! No way! “Tommy,” a patient feminine voice interrupted their fascinating conversation. “It wasn’t a surf board,” the woman—Haley recognized her as Tommy’s mother—smiled down at her. “Tommy dreams big,” she laughed. “So does my aunt Theresa,” Haley smirked, climbing to her feet and dusting the sand from her knees. “Tommy?” she quizzed. “Do you know where Ms. Sheridan is now? It’s really important I talk to her.” “She was just here a moment ago,” Mrs. Michaels answered. “But she’s such a hit with all the kids, parents are dying to meet her. Good luck on finding her.” “Thanks, Mrs. Michaels,” Haley said. Grandma! Maybe she’d know where to find Sheridan.

“Mija! You’re back!” Haley smiled as her grandma’s arms went around her, squeezing tightly. “Let me look at you. You’ve grown so much.” “Grandma,” Haley rolled her eyes. “It was only two weeks.” “Children grow very fast,” another voice said. “Ivy!” Haley exclaimed, taking Ivy completely by surprise by throwing her arms around her neck. “How do you know?” “My nanny told me,” Ivy cracked, sipping on her drink. With the little umbrellas! “Ooo…can I have one, Grandma?” Haley turned on the charm, momentarily distracted from her real mission. “Mija,” Pilar scolded. “I knew it was too good to last. Not even five minutes, Grandma. You’re supposed to adore me longer than that,” Haley teased. “You,” her grandma shook her head, pulling her back in for another hug. “Where’s your father? You’re in one piece. How did the trip go?” “Geez, Grandma. Too many questions. Don’t you think, Ivy? Ivy?” “I’m curious too, Darling,” Ivy grinned. “I don’t know where Dad is,” Haley heaved a frustrated sigh.

“He’s supposed to be right behind me. He has to tell Sheridan…” Haley clamped her own hand over her mouth just before blurting anything else out. Truth was she didn’t know what her dad was going to tell Sheridan. She just knew what she hoped he’d tell her. I love you. Stay in Harmony forever. Marry me. Those all sounded good to her. Although…the ole gag reflex was working just fine. Those were TOO sappy, corny, and her dad would look like a big wimp saying that stuff. Yep. The best thing he could do was not to say anything. KISSING Sheridan was the only option left. “He has to tell Sheridan what?” Ivy prompted. Haley could tell she was just itching for all the delicious details. “He has to find Sheridan first. **I** have to find Sheridan first. Where is she?”

“Haley! Haley! Haley! How was New York? Did you meet any movie stars? Did you meet Erica Kane?” Haley groaned. “What about…” “Aunt Theresa,” she muttered under her breath. “Grandma,” she whined. “I have a mission, and she’s not helping any.” Erica Kane is SO not real, Aunt Theresa. Please stop yelling. EVERYONE can hear you, and it’s making you… “Mija…” Thank you, Grandma, Haley cheered silently as her grandma grabbed Aunt Theresa by the arm and distracted her by pointing Ethan Crane out. Uh oh! Didn’t look like Ivy appreciated THAT. Sheridan’s Ethan looked like Bambi in the headlights. SCARY!!! “Sheridan, where are you?” Haley wondered aloud. Better yet…where was her dad? Left, right, the ocean, the rocks...she was nowhere to be found! Did she leave before they could get here? “Kay! Uncle Miguel!” Haley yelled, stumbling past another crowd of parents and kids. Haley stuck her tongue out when Uncle Miguel glared at her after jerking away from Kay.

Yeah, like those two’s lips weren’t permanently attached anyway. They had to breathe sometime. Now was as good as any. “Have you seen Sheridan?” Haley panted, leaning her hands on her knees. Kay…thank goodness Kay took some pity on her…Kay smiled and pointed toward a spot farther down the beach where refreshments were set up on a table. “I think she went to get something to drink. She really kicked Miguel and Reese’s asses in volleyball,” Kay smirked. “Kay,” Miguel elbowed her in the ribs. “What?” Kay shrugged, a gleeful grin on her face. “It’s true, and you know it. Sore loser. Haley, your dad better hurry up and smell the coffee or he’s going to have quite the competition…” “You knew? Uncle Miguel, you squealed…”

“Haley,” Miguel told her, “at this point, EVERYONE in town knows but Sheridan and Luis. It’s not exactly a secret they like each other…the way the look at each other…” The sound of music, some catchy dance tune Haley recognized from the radio, interrupted the rest of Uncle Miguel’s confession. That and Kay tugging him to his feet. “Miguel, I want to dance.” “Try the refreshment table, Haley…Haley, didn’t Beth stay in New York?” Haley ignored him, spotting Sheridan in the crowd several feet away. Her heart thudding in anticipation. She scrambled past some more kids she recognized, some she didn’t, and a whole lot of parents…Sheridan was just in her sights when she hit a very solid roadblock.

“Todd!” Haley blushed ten different shades of red. What was that about all boys still being annoying little jerks? Haley was ready to eat her words. “Um…Haley. Hi. Wanna dance?” Ooohhhh! Why was this happening NOW? His voice was all stammer-ry, and he looked so…cute was not something Haley wanted to admit a boy could be, but Todd sure came awfully close. He wouldn’t give up on her, right? They had YEARS ahead of them. Dating years, she thought, quickly becoming horrified. She sounded like Aunt Theresa! Oh no! But she couldn’t help it. He DID look SO cute. And she wanted to dance with him. But she wasn’t one to lose sight of her mission, and it was drawing near an end. Impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Save one for me?” she asked, not waiting for his answer as she pushed past Coach Russell and his wife. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Sorry, Mr. Bennett,” she shot over her shoulder as she grabbed hold of a hand. “Sheridan!”

“Excuse me?” Haley dropped the hand she’d grasped in embarrassment. “I’m sorry…I thought you…I thought you were someone else.” “Don’t worry about it,” the woman reassured her. “I get that all the time.” “I really am sorry,” Haley apologized some more. Sighing as she backed away. She shrieked when something REALLY, REALLY cold hit her skin, drenching her from head to toe. “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going…Haley!” Haley looked up into Sheridan’s blue eyes, and she couldn’t help it. She didn’t know if it was relief from finally seeing her, amusement at the horror written all over her face for dumping a whole tray of drinks down somebody’s back, or something else. “So this is how you met my dad?” she grinned, her dark eyes sparkling.

“Only you were in a car then, huh?” “You’re such a tease,” Sheridan laughed. Ignoring the fact that she was going to ruin that perfectly gorgeous baby blue bikini Haley just knew her dad was going to love (oh yeah…guys slobbered over that sort of stuff ALL THE TIME…why was a mystery to her) and pulling Haley into a fierce hug. “It hasn’t been the same without you. Two weeks never seemed so long.” I know, Haley thought. I know. “I missed you so much,” she told her, her voice muffled. She felt like crying when Sheridan kissed the top of her head. “I wanted to come home…I wanted to come home to you, but Dad…she told me she loved me, Sheridan. And I…I believe her. My mother loves me. Can you believe that? She’s sorry for leaving me, and she’s not evil like I wanted her to be, and it’s so hard…I wanted you to be there so much. ‘Cause everything hurt so much, and I didn’t want to face it, and…” “Breathe, Sweetie,” Sheridan smiled tenderly at her, brushing away her tears with the pads of her thumbs.

“Of course, she loves you. Who wouldn’t?” “Things are better now,” Haley sniffled. “My dad…Sheridan? Sheridan?” Haley turned, following Sheridan’s line of vision and finding her dad. And Beth. Her dad was holding Beth close to him. It looked like he was hugging her, and then he…if Haley hadn’t known just how much her dad liked Sheridan and how OVER he and her mother were, she would have been worried. But she recognized the kiss for what it was. She felt a funny pang in her heart as she watched her mother walk away…walking out of her life again, but this time by Haley’s choice. Under Haley’s conditions. She felt her heart flip-flop in her chest just the slightest until it righted again when she saw her dad walking toward her and…

“Sheridan? Where’d she go?” she wondered, brown eyes searching for her. The only woman in ten years that’d made her dad smile again. From the heart. “Haley?” her dad asked, taking in her punch-soaked tee-shirt, and the absence of Sheridan at her side. “Where…she was just here?” “Over there, Darlings. Over there,” Ivy pointed off in the distance. “Mijo…” “Thanks Mama,” her dad smiled, kissing her cheek, and nearly shocking the pants off of Ivy when he kissed hers too. “You’re welcome,” Ivy grinned. “Mija!” her grandma caught her by the arm. “Your father needs to do this. Alone.”

Haley groaned as she watched her dad jog down the more secluded, quieter part of the beachside. She’d waited SO long for this, and Grandma wasn’t going to let her… “Pfft,” Ivy rolled her blue-green eyes at her grandma, making Haley giggle in delight. “If you think I’m missing this, Pilar…and to deny your granddaughter like this…” Haley squealed excitedly when her grandma shook her head in resignation. “I knew we were a good team,” Haley beamed at Ivy as they hurried after her dad. The music was fainter, softer farther down the beach, and the rocks were slippery. If she weren’t so afraid they were missing something momentous, Haley would have laughed ‘til she couldn’t laugh anymore as they climbed and stepped carefully through the craggy rocks. “Leave it to Sheridan to play hard to get. Literally,” Ivy muttered, as her feet struggled to gain purchase. “Dios Mio,” her grandma uttered. In complete disbelief to what they were doing. “Hush up, Pilar. God is not going to strike us down for a little spying.” Of course, God chose that exact moment to ‘make’ Ivy Crane lose her footing and slip into the swirling water.

“I can’t believe this,” Ivy hissed, finding herself ankle-deep in frigid waters. “What were you saying, Ivy?” Was that…her grandma was teasing Ivy, Haley thought with a grin. “Stuff it, Pilar.” Haley’s brown eyes went wide. Whoa! “I’m not dead, am I?” “No, I suppose not,” her grandma admitted with a smile. “But you’re gong to have a time explaining to everyone why you’re soaking wet.” “I decided to go for a little dip?” Ivy offered, teeth chattering. “Eavesdropping on your sister-in-law’s affairs that have nothing to do with you?” “I guess a smartass lurks within everyone,” Ivy quipped. “Luis is your son…” “Shh,” Haley hissed. “I think I hear them. I do. I see them, too.” Haley huffed as Ivy and her grandma practically pushed her aside to look around the alcove for themselves. “Hey!” her voice was a harsh whisper. “This is MY mission. MY dad. MY maybe Mom. Back off. Thank you,” Haley smiled when they obeyed silently. They were all ears when her they heard her dad’s soft call of “Sheridan.”

Sheridan turned around abruptly at her dad’s voice, swiping at her cheeks quickly, but Haley knew her dad wasn’t blind. Sheridan’s tears shone in the twilight, silver streaks against her cheeks, and Haley truly knew at that moment…Sheridan had had just as long a lifetime of hurt as her and her dad. Maybe more. And she thought, no matter how wrongly, that her dad was adding to it. Haley sucked in a sharp breath at a sudden, clear revelation, and her heart threatened to burst inside her chest. There were no if’s about it. Sheridan WAS already in love with her dad, she thought happily. It was in her eyes. Those blue eyes held nothing back, and Haley was glad ‘cause she was sure it was what gave her dad the courage he needed to do this. “You’re a challenge, you know that?” Ivy snorted behind Haley the moment those words left her dad’s lips. “Understatement.” Her grandma was about to say something, Haley knew, but she closed her mouth when Haley’s hand waved in front of it.

“You crash into my car the first day we meet, and you run from me now. Why, Sheridan? Why are you running from me? Do I scare you?” Haley could barely breathe the moment her dad touched Sheridan’s tear-streaked face, and it looked like Sheridan was having the same problem, she thought. She’d smile if she were able. Sheridan’s eyes fluttered shut at her dad’s gentle caresses of her cheeks, her jawline, and Haley, her grandma, Ivy…they could all see the moment she dragged a shaky breath of air back into her lungs. “No. Yes. Yes, you scare me,” she admitted softly. “Why?” Haley heard her dad whisper, taking Sheridan into his arms and swaying them back and forth gently. “Smooth mover, your son,” Ivy teased wickedly.

“Sweeping her off her feet without her even knowing it.” “Mrs. Crane…” Great, Haley thought. If they could stop bickering back and forth no matter how harmless, she could pay better attention. “Why, Sheridan?” her dad repeated, urging Sheridan closer, holding her more firmly so that she couldn’t run again, Haley suspected. Yeah. She got all the smarts Aunt Theresa and Uncle Miguel didn’t. She was a fledgling genius. “Once I let myself…you’re going to hurt me, Luis. More than anyone’s ever hurt me before because I’ve never felt this way. I’ve never cared as much or wanted something so much as I want you and Haley in my life…” “There’s so much to lose,” her dad added. Rather helpfully, Haley thought sarcastically. Sheridan nodded, refusing to meet his eyes with her own.

“And with Beth…I have the cards stacked against me already. I told myself that, but it was useless. I’m so stupid when it comes to love. I already knew that, and I did it again. I fell for you…” And the cat’s out of the bag, Haley thought gleefully, chancing a quick glance to her grandma and Ivy. Of course they wore similar idiotic grins on their faces. Okay. Her grandma was a lot more subdued, but in the catalog of Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald expressions of joy, teeth was about the most joyful you were going to get. “I told myself not to love you, and I feel like such an idiot because nothing worked, not even forcing myself to remember how horrible you were to me in the beginning.”

“I was horrible,” her dad agreed. Haley wished she could see his face more clearly, but he had his back mostly turned to them, and it just wasn't easy. She knew her dad, though. She could HEAR the smile in his words. “I did it again,” Sheridan cried miserably. “Believed I could have something, someone who’s never going to belong to me. Haley’s hers.” Ah…NO! Haley LOVED Sheridan dearly, but she when was she going to realize she was doing ALL the talking. “You’re he…” “Finally,” Ivy groaned softly behind Haley as her dad shut Sheridan up once and for all. That’s right. THE KISS. The one Haley’d and a whole team of people had been waiting for what seemed like forever. Her dad’s hands were cupping Sheridan’s face, and Sheridan’s hands were resting on her dad’s chest, and Haley felt she needed to look away, like she was intruding on something so private, so theirs she shouldn’t look. But she couldn’t turn away. One of her dad’s hands slipped from Sheridan’s jaw to cup the back of her head, playing with the golden hair there, and Sheridan’s hand traveled tentatively to his shoulder. The other still rest on her dad’s chest as he pulled her closer, practically crushing her against him.

And WHOA! Haley would have covered her own eyes if Grandma hadn’t have done it for her. Things were getting pretty intense, and Haley even thought she saw something eleven year-olds weren’t always allowed to see in movie theaters. All Haley could tell with her grandma’s hands over her eyes was that there was a whole lot of heavy breathing going on, and…curiosity killed the freakin’ cat! She shoved her grandma’s hands away with a look that said ‘I’m eleven. NOT a baby’ and her face broke into an impossibly huge smile upon seeing her dad and Sheridan wrapped up in each other as close as could be.

Sheridan’s arms were around her dad’s neck, and her dad’s arms rested at Sheridan’s lower back while his forehead pressed against hers. Noses and mouths together, they looked like they were sharing the same breath, and Haley felt a curious moisture reappear in her brown eyes as she watched her dad placed sweet, lingering kisses all over Sheridan’s face. Her brow, her cheeks, her nose, the corners of her lips, even the underside of her jaw, leaving no precious inch of skin untouched by his lips. He was kissing her tears away until she had none, and Sheridan was trembling as his mouth brushed against her ear.

They had to strain their own ears to hear what her dad said, but it was well-worth it. “Not hers,” he whispered. “Not hers,” he repeated again. This time louder as he pulled back to gaze into Sheridan’s shimmering blue eyes again. “Yours. Yours if you want us and love us as much as we love you." Haley, her grandma, Ivy, her dad and the whole cosmic universe waited with bated breath for Sheridan’s answer to her dad’s extremely important statement. And how did Sheridan answer him? With a kiss, of course! “You did it, Haley,” Ivy whispered congratulations. “You really did it.” “Mija,” her grandma’s brown eyes smiled back at her. “No,” Haley shook her head slightly. “We did it,” she sighed happily. “How long do you think it’ll be before he pops the question?” Ivy mused as they crept away from the scene and back to the party. “It better be soon,” Haley grinned. “Hmm?” her grandma murmured as she helped Haley hop to the wet sand below. “I’ve been an only child TOO long.” “Dios Mio! Haley!”

Epilogue:

“What? You thought the story was over? Uh…nope,” Haley rolled her brown eyes into the camera. “They kiss and happily ever after? Not to be rude (don’t tell Grandma or Dad), but this isn’t Disney! Not HBO either, come to think of it. So…was Operation Mom a success or not? Better question…did Sheridan and Dad EVER find out about my brilliant plan and congratulate me?” Haley mused, propping her elbows on her knees and leaning even closer to the camera. “Not exactly,” Haley grimaced. “Should I record over that?” she wondered aloud. “It sounded like a confession…” Haley’s panicked face loomed closer and closer to the camera, and the picture went black for a few seconds.

“Sorry about that,” Haley apologized. “Sometimes my imagination…it’s too much. Confession?” she scoffed. “NYPD Blue much? Ohh…I’m not supposed to watch that…Dad. If you’re listening to this, I only saw it once. ONE TIME ONLY. And nobody was naked in it. I swear!” The picture on the camera jumped and jostled as Haley strode down a long hallway. “This is it…the first official grand tour of my brand-new house. Well…not grand tour exactly. You want to see my room? Let’s go see my room.” The camera panned over a spacious but cluttered lavendar room, strewn with all the things that screamed a teen-aged girl lived there. It was in a curious state of change from tomboy to girly-girl. “Cool, huh?” Haley spoke to her imaginary audience. The camera zoomed in on a slim, leather-bound volume, the words “About a Girl…” engraved on the front. “We’ll go back to that later,” Haley promised. “I know you’re still dying to know what happened with my dad and Sheridan. I think the best way to do that is with pictures. We’re going to take a small break while I round up my supplies…”

The camera whirred to life again, and a glossy photograph of two enormously attractive, happy people came into view. “Sheridan looks real pretty, doesn’t she? Isn’t that red dress to die for? Dad told me he almost had a heart attack when he first saw her in it. She wore it on their first date, and this is the picture the guy at the Lobster Shack took of her and dad together. Looks like a good first date, huh? Don’t let its name fool you…The Lobster Shack is no shack. It’s not the Seascape either. But they had a great time. Can’t you tell? The smiles, people. The smiles. Dad needed someone to make him smile again, and boy, did Sheridan deliver…” The photo changed, and Haley grinned as she gave the scene meaning. “I don’t know if you’d call it a date or not, but this picture is me, my dad, and Sheridan on what Sheridan called her and dad’s ‘first real date.’ Dad taught Sheridan how to play baseball that day. She was very good. You want to know a secret?” Haley’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I think she already knew how to play baseball. Beginners are never THAT good. Yeah…Sheridan just wanted to feel my dad’s arms around her. Grown-ups are SO stupid sometimes. Sheridan could have asked Dad to marry her that day, and I KNOW he would have said yes…In case you can’t see me, I’m rolling my eyes right now. You know what? If I show you all the pictures, my tape will run out. They dated a while. Then one day…they decided they didn’t like it…” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Haley snickered as she zoomed the camera in on her uncle Miguel and Kay making out like there was no tomorrow. Typical, she thought, rolling her dark eyes when Uncle Miguel kicked his bedroom door shut. OH! Grandma and the Bennetts would literally have a cow if they knew…To tell or not to tell. That was the question. Haley decided tattling wasn’t becoming for a…ahem…woman of her standing (thirteen…count ‘em…thirteen candles on her last birthday cake) so she tucked a bothersome brown curl behind her ear and walked down the hall toward the bathroom where Aunt Theresa and Whitney Russell were chattering and raising a ruckus like a bunch of circus monkeys touching up their makeup. Honestly…it wasn’t like they didn’t talk to each other every night. Haley had seen definitive proof. Aunt Theresa’s cell phone bill had put more than its share of gray hairs on her grandma’s head. Not like it phased Aunt Theresa. How else was L’oreal going to make money? Duh! “Haley!” her aunt Theresa shrieked. “I don’t have my eye shadow on yet,” she finished with a huff. Haley giggled when she captured Whitney’s shake of the head and lightning quick roll of the eyes. Ooo. If she was into blackmail…

“Haley! Mija! Put that thing away!” her grandma ordered, covering her face with her hands. “But Grandma,” Haley teased. “You look so nice today, and it isn’t everyday that Uncle Miguel graduates from high school AND gets to French kiss Kay in the same house as her parents,” she revealed with a sly grin and sudden change of heart. “Haley…Dear,” Ivy grinned into the camera’s lens wickedly as Pilar and Sam and Grace Bennett dashed down the hall, “you are SO good.” “And so dead as soon as Miguel finds out you ratted him out.” Haley turned around at the sound of her dad’s laughing voice. “Aww, Dad. Can’t a girl have a little fun? What is it, Dad? You look a little funny,” Haley smirked. “Haley,” her dad blanched. “French kissing? How…” “Experience,” Haley deadpanned, cracking up when she caught her dad’s _expression of total panic. LIVE AND ON-CAMERA. Haley had the sudden urge to pop the tape into the VCR and hit rewind a thousand times. “Oh puh-leaze,” she rolled her dark eyes at him. “Like I don’t know what tongue-kissing is. You do it all the time with…” “Ha-wee!”

Haley giggled, whirling around and zooming in on the toddling little figure coming out of the kitchen, looking like she was going to fall any second. “Ha-wee!” she called again, a pout forming on her pink lips when she couldn’t find her. “Ivy?” Haley handed the camera to the older woman. “Haley, Dear…I haven’t a clue how to operate…” “Ivy, it’s rolling. Just point it. Right here. I’m here, Trista,” Haley said, holding her arms out, “come here.” Haley scooped Trista up into her arms, making her giggle when she kissed each chubby, tanned cheek. “Ha-wee!” Trista shrieked, kicking her tiny sandaled feet back and forth. In her position as proud and adoring big sister, Haley knew that was Trista-speak for twirling. “Ready?” she asked, slipping a hand to the back of the sleep-flattened blond curls at the base of Trista’s small skull and wrapping her other arm firmly around the tiny waist. Blue eyes sparkled, little button nose crinkled up, and full pink mouth opened in a stream of breathless, happy laughter.

Haley struggled to regain her breath as they slowed to a stop. “No more. Haley’s head is spinning,” she explained as Trista slid the length of her body, swaying on her feet the moment they touched the floor. Laughter went up around the room as soon as Trista plopped down on her diapered bottom after only a few staggered steps, and Haley noticed for the first time that everyone was watching. Everyone. Trista was equal parts clown, equal parts shy. It looked like Bozo was on break when embarrassed tears welled up in her big blue eyes, and her little face started to crumple. Thinking fast, Haley pointed toward the kitchen door where another figure had just emerged, “Look, Trista! There’s Mama!” Trista half-stumbled, half-crawled the short distance and hid her teary face in her mother’s skirt.

Haley grinned as she watched her dad rise from the sofa, his brown eyes connecting with blue. Haley sighed happily. The way her dad looked at Sheridan… Correction! The way her dad looked at her mom was enough to make Haley melt. Without taking her eyes off her little family, Haley reached for the video camera, bringing it up to her face as soon as her hand closed around it. As family historian, she had to capture every moment to remember always. “Smile, Trista,” she said, creeping forward slowly. Haley snickered when Trista gave her that infamous Crane-Lopez-Fitzgerald glare of defiance. All she was missing were the arms crossed over her little chest, and she’d be fit to go, Haley thought. “Okay…if you’re going to pout…” The camera traveled up from Trista’s indignant little face, up, up, up… “Say hi for me,” Haley put forth her request, zeroing the lens in on her mom’s gently rounded belly. The sparkle of the diamond on Sheridan’s hand glinted as she rubbed her hand over her stomach softly. “I think he’s sleeping, Haley,” she laughed.

“I love you, Sweetie, but I don’t think that’s going to be enough if you don’t move that camera off my fat…” Haley grinned when her dad interrupted her mom with a kiss. Caught on tape, of course! Her dad and mom nuzzled noses, and she zoomed the camera out to show his hand over hers on her pregnant stomach. “You’re not fat. I’ve never seen you look more beautiful…” “Toothache!” Haley groaned, her brown eyes dancing despite her words. What? She still LOVED to tease them. “Smile for the camera,” she repeated. “Grandma,” she waved her grandma over. “Will you…” Pilar took the camera from her granddaughter, and Haley scurried across the room and grabbed her baby sister up in her arms. Pilar smiled behind the camera when Trista blew raspberries at Haley, giggling and leaning forward to press her baby lips against Haley’s cheek a moment later. It was the perfect moment… ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Haley’s tanned face came into view again. A little older. A bit more freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose. Braces off (woohoo)! “I said they didn’t like dating,” Haley grinned, crossing her own arms against her chest and arching a dark brow in amusement. “Not like they broke up or anything,” she said, giving the camera her patented eye roll again. “Stop your whining now,” she said, uncrossing her arms and leaning forward to stare directly into the camera. “I know. I know. Some of you had your hopes set on honeymoon video, and let me tell you…Spain is gorgeous! But…I may not be eleven anymore, but don’t think for a moment my parents would actually let me view THAT. They don’t even let me watch movies that are rated R yet, and I have a feeling…let’s just call it a Lopez-Fitzgerald gut feeling…R doesn’t even begin to cover what went on behind those closed doors,” Haley grinned, blushing slightly. “Eww…EWW,” she shuddered after a second’s contemplation. “There was a plus sign on the stick two weeks later. Get the picture?” Haley winked into the camera.

“So…” The camera followed Haley as she got up from the sofa and walked toward the fireplace where a whole collection of family portraits lined the mantle. “They did the whole wedding thing…you’ll have to watch that tape sometime,” Haley spoke softly. “Sheridan was SO beautiful, and I was in it…Sheridan got to share the beauty of Spain with the man of her dreams…Trista arrived nine months later,” Haley said, holding up a newer picture of her little sister. Blond curls longer, blue eyes bluer, her tanned skin not as dimpled or chubby in her hot pink swim suit, but still she’d smiled at Dad with the innocence of the baby she was fast leaving behind. “And then there was our baby brother…” she smiled, tapping the silver-framed photograph with her index finger. “That’s me,” she pointed to the gangly girl of thirteen, Trista’s baby lips pressed to her cheek. “Mom, Dad, Trista, Ryan before he was even Ryan,” Haley smirked, “Our first family photo. Our latest family photo…obviously, it’s not professionally done…”

Laughter was the only sound heard for several seconds. “Mom’s hoping Ryan outgrows his love of stripping BEFORE he goes to preschool…he’s going to DIE when he’s older and finds out this picture was displayed right here for all the world to see…” Haley placed a hand in front of the picture, hiding Ryan’s naked brown bottom, but the sight of her, Mom, Dad, and Trista all laughing hysterically in the picture made it almost impossible to get her giggles under control. “I got your back, Little Brother,” she said breathlessly, walking toward the camera. “Grandma should be ashamed of herself…” Haley’s laughter grew softer and farther away, replaced by the clatter of little feet adorned in borrowed high heels, and the picture on the camera jolted.

The sounds of soft breathing audible as it jerked around the room. “Trista! You’re not playing with the camera again, are you?” Guilty giggles were recorded before the camera was hurriedly placed against a sofa cushion so that the culprit could make her great escape. “Trista!” Haley’s voice called over and over again as she searched for the sneaky little devil. And the camera continued whirring as a thin, leather-bound volume fell open, the words on its pages coming into sharp focus… “To Haley…you’re finally free. Thanks for opening my eyes to the truth…always know and remember…there IS life after love.”

THE END