Up for Heir

  Mrs. Holihen waved Hailey over to show her the result of Skye’s math unit test. “I wish all of my students were as easy to teach as your niece is.”

  Hailey kissed Skye on the top of her head. “I’m so proud of you.”

  Skye beamed with pride. “Math is important. Do you know why?”

  Hailey could have listed reasons, but she was more interested in what had put that spark in her niece’s eyes. “Why?”

  “Delinda said people use math to draw the houses they build. You can actually build a house that you draw, Auntie Hailey. And if I learn math and draw a really good house, Delinda is going to build it. A house, Auntie Hailey. A real house. For me and you.”

  Delinda, how do I show you that you don’t have to do this? Hailey groaned inwardly. She kept a smile on her face, though. “She means a dollhouse, but I’d love it if you design my dream bathroom. I’ve always wanted one of those showers that’s so big you don’t need a door.”

  “I can do that. It will be perfect. I promise.”

  “I know it will be.” Hailey looked around the guesthouse. “Don’t forget that you have chores before you’re done for the day. Did you put the dishes away?”

  “I did.”

  “And your bedroom. Did you clean it?”

  “Some of it.” Skye smiled, reminding Hailey so much of the mischievous child she’d once been.

  “Mrs. Holihen, I’m going over to see Delinda. When Skye finishes her work, could you remind her to clean her room before you take her outside? That is, if she wants to go to the barn tonight.”

  “I do! I’d better get back to work,” Skye said cheerfully. “I have carrots for Clover.”

  Both Hailey and Mrs. Holihen laughed in surprise.

  Mrs. Holihen said, “See, easy.”

  For bribes as big as ponies and houses, yes.

  “Auntie Hailey, can Delinda come with us again tonight?”

  “We’ll see. She might be busy.”

  “She won’t be. Did you see how happy she was when she was brushing Clover? She loves ponies.” Skye stopped and tilted her head to one side. “Do you think it’s funny that Delinda and I have so much in common? It’s like she really is my grandmother.”

  “But she’s not, honey.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth Hailey regretted them. Skye’s face crumpled, and she turned her back to Hailey. Mrs. Holihen busied herself with rearranging the papers on the table. Trying for a cheerful voice, Hailey said, “I’ll see you two when your lessons are finished.”

  Skye didn’t answer her.

  Mrs. Holihen looked across at Hailey, her eyes full of sympathy. “I’ll bring her over at four. After she cleans her room, I was planning to take her down to the beach for a French lesson.”

  “That sounds perfect.” Hailey stepped forward and went to hug her niece, but Skye pulled away. Hailey dropped down to her knees beside her. “Skye, look at me.”

  Skye reluctantly turned to face Hailey, but she didn’t meet her eyes.

  Hailey touched her own chest lightly, then tapped Skye’s. “The same team. You and me. Always. Even when we’re angry with each other. Nothing changes how much I love you.”

  Skye raised her eyes. There was a heartbreaking amount of confusion in them. “Why don’t you want me to be happy?”

  Hailey’s heart flipped, and she pushed back the tears that surged to her eyes. Is that what she really thinks? “I do. I want you to be happy more than I want anything else in the whole world.” She tucked one of Skye’s curls behind her ear. “But I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “Delinda would never hurt me.”

  Not on purpose.

  Or maybe not at all. She’s been so kind to us. What would it hurt to let the two of them go on pretending? So far, doing things my way hasn’t worked out that well for any of us.

  “You’re right. She wouldn’t.” Hailey straightened and smoothed Skye’s hair as she did. “Be good for Mrs. Holihen. I’ll see you at the main house later.”

  “Okay. Then we’ll eat with Delinda? And take her to the barn?”

  “If that’s what she wants—yes.”

  Skye’s smile returned. “It will be.”

  Hailey wished she were that certain about anyone or anything. I used to be. There was a time when I trusted myself and other people. Instead of doubting every good thing that comes my way, I should be grateful for how kind Delinda has been to us. Skye used to be as afraid to believe in anything as I am. Look at her now. Who knows, maybe there’s even hope for me.

  She nodded to Mrs. Holihen and left so they could get back to work. As she walked over to the main house, she thought back to what Spencer had said about Delinda. His version didn’t match the side of Delinda that Hailey had seen.

  Yes, she could be cutting.

  Yes, she was controlling and had difficulties with boundaries.

  But coldhearted? No.

  Michael opened the door of the main house. “Welcome back, Miss Hailey.”

  Hailey had told him several times to just call her Hailey, but Michael took pride in remaining formal. “Thank you, Michael. Is Delinda in the solarium?” It was her favorite afternoon place.

  “She is.”

  “Was she asking for me?”

  “Yes, but she seemed quite pleased to hear that you had gone out.”

  “She did?”

  Michael didn’t volunteer more.

  Once inside the foyer, Hailey hesitated. “Michael, could I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why don’t any of Delinda’s family visit her?”

  Her question rocked Michael back onto his heels. “Her son takes her out to lunch now and then. Her oldest grandson visits her, also.”

  “I haven’t met them, and I’ve been here for weeks.”

  “Brett is engaged—getting married at the end of the summer. She recently learned he and Alisha are expecting a baby. It’s not a wonder he hasn’t been around much.”

  Why didn’t Delinda tell me her good news? “And her other grandchildren? She talks about them a lot, but they don’t come by.”

  Michael cleared his throat. “Every family is different.”

  “Do you know her grandson Spencer?”

  “I have met him many times.” Michael adjusted the collar of his dress shirt as if it were suddenly choking him.

  “Were they ever close?” Something must have happened to give Spencer that impression of his grandmother. Delinda had spoken of Spencer too many times for Hailey to ever see him as not part of her family.

  “It’s really not my place to say.”

  Although that was true, Hailey justified her perseverance by reminding herself that Delinda would not have let that stop her. “I care about both of them, Michael. I just want to understand.”

  Michael considered her request, then shook his head. “Your questions would be best answered by Mrs. Westerly. I’m sorry.”

  “Would she tell me the truth if I asked her?”

  Michael smiled. “Her truth, yes.”

  “I was hoping for something a little less subjective.”

  “Life is subjective, Miss Hailey. From the moment you wake up in the morning to the moment you close your eyes at night, you interpret what happens to you through the lens you choose to use. The challenge is realizing the way you experience any event is not necessarily how the people around you do. The older I get, the more I realize what I once considered lies are really someone else’s truths.”

  Hailey’s eyes rounded at his unexpectedly deep response. “Are you saying that it would be a waste of time to ask Delinda anything?”

  He gave her arm a pat. “I’m saying that Mrs. Westerly loves her family very much. What is her relationship with them beyond that? I’m not sure you could get two Westerlys to agree, but that doesn’t change what I know.” He chuckled and started walking. “Did I ever tell you that I studied philosophy in college?”

  Hailey almost asked him how he’d gone from college to wor
king as a butler, but she didn’t. How did I go from college to being a paid companion? Life happens.

  As they moved forward, he said, “I’ve worked for Mrs. Westerly for over thirty years, and I hope to work here twenty years more. When I first started here, I was fresh from a divorce. My son had health problems I couldn’t afford. I was desperate. Mrs. Westerly covered his medical bills and never said a word to anyone about it. She paid for him to go to college without him ever knowing the money came from her. He’s healthy now, with an impressive job as a broker in New York City. Beautiful wife. Two children I spoil as much as I’m allowed. My son has offered to let me live with them or buy me a place of my own. He doesn’t see my employment here the way I do. I wouldn’t have a son if it weren’t for the generosity of Mrs. Westerly. To her, I’m a butler. To me, she’s an angel. A lonely angel. How could I ever leave her?”

  Hailey waved a hand at her suddenly misty eyes. With a choked laugh, she said, “Her generosity scares me a little. My biggest concern is Skye and how she’d handle it if we had to leave.”

  “Then don’t leave,” Michael said as they arrived at the door of the solarium.

  Delinda noticed her and waved her over. “Well, it’s about time you returned. How was your lunch?”

  Hailey took a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs next to her. “It was nice.”

  Delinda leaned forward. “Just nice?”

  She couldn’t know where I was, could she? I didn’t tell anyone. I made sure not to use the driver. No, of course she doesn’t know. Spencer said they aren’t close. “Very nice?”

  “Humph.” Delinda called out, “Michael, could you bring some tea?”

  “Of course,” Michael answered from the door.

  “Skye wants to know if you’d like to go with us to the barn tonight.”

  A smile lit Delinda’s face. “I would love to. I’ve ordered a helmet for her along with boots and breeches. She doesn’t need a show jacket yet, but when she does, I’ll have my tailor fit one to her. I’m not sold on the barn’s in-house trainer. A friend of mine works with Olympians—”

  “Skye may not want to compete. She may simply want to ride for fun.”

  “Winning ribbons is fun.”

  “Competition is good, but that’s not what’s most important.”

  Delinda pursed her lips, then said, “So you don’t believe she could win.”

  “I didn’t say that. I just don’t want you to pressure Skye to be someone she isn’t.”

  “So you want me to lower my standards for her? Perhaps if you weren’t so willing to expect nothing from her she might have started speaking sooner.”

  Hailey gasped. “That was cruel, Delinda.”

  Delinda folded her hands on her lap unapologetically. Michael rolled in a tray of tea and scones, assessed the mood of the room, and made a hasty retreat. “Life is cruel. Step up to the plate, Hailey, and start preparing your niece for it.”

  Michael’s angel also had horns.

  Breathe. She throws barbs when she’s hurting. “Are you upset with me, Delinda?”

  “No. I’m angry with myself. I forgot that I’m not supposed to do anything nice for you or Skye anymore. Should I return the helmet and attire? What about the tea and scones? Too much? Throw them at me if it makes you feel better.”

  Delinda and Skye actually are a lot alike. The corners of her mouth twitched at the thought. Delinda’s expression darkened, and all humor left Hailey. Working for Delinda was as confusing as seeing Spencer had been, but on a totally different level.

  They both made her ask the same question: How do I make you happy without putting aside what I know is important?

  “I want to be able to argue with you,” Hailey blurted.

  Delinda’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

  Right. Wrong. This is my truth. “I don’t want to be afraid that you’ll fire me if I don’t make you happy every second of the day. I love it here. Skye does, too. But you could let me go at any time. I stay up at night afraid that you’ll ask us to leave if I say or do the wrong thing. I don’t know what you want from us, but I know what I need from you.”

  “And that is?”

  She needs to hear this. Maybe a little honesty will help her. It worked with Skye. “I need to know that we’re on the same team. My father always started our family talks by telling us that he loved us. It made whatever our issues were feel not as bad because our foundation was stable. I like you. I’m grateful for all you’ve done, but I don’t always like the way you talk to me. I don’t always agree with what you want to do for Skye. I want to be able to say that. If you’re paying me to sit and agree with everything you say, then please stay out of our personal business. But if you want to be part of our lives, then we have to be able to disagree and still be on the same team.”

  Delinda pursed her lips. “Is this how your generation speaks to their employers?”

  There it was, the little dig. I’m wasting my breath. “This isn’t exactly a conventional job, and maybe that’s the problem. If you want to be part of our lives, I need to be able to trust you.”

  Delinda stood and walked to a bookshelf. She returned with a photo of a handsome man in his forties. She handed the photo to Hailey. “This was my Oliver. He had a big heart just like yours. He loved everyone, and there wasn’t a mean bone in his body. He couldn’t walk by a person in need and not help them.”

  Hailey accepted the photo and looked down at the man with dark hair and laughter in his eyes. The profound sadness in Delinda’s voice left Hailey unsure of what to say.

  Delinda gripped the back of the chair beside her, determined to stand even though she was clearly in pain. “My parents didn’t approve of him at first, but I married him anyway. I was so proud of him when he took over my father’s company.” She took the photo back and seemed to get lost in the past as she looked down at her deceased husband’s face. “He wasn’t very good at business. It was all new to him. He was a good man, but he wasn’t ready for the responsibilities he was given.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone would be ready for such a responsibility.”

  Delinda shook her head. “He should have been. We should have done more to prepare him. The doctors said he died from an accidental overdose of his heart medication. It wasn’t an accident. The company was losing money before my son stepped in. Oliver was desperate, and he felt he’d failed me.”

  Hailey gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. Is she saying that Oliver—

  “My son thinks I was oblivious to what was going on, but I knew. Just like I knew Dereck wasn’t ready to step into Oliver’s shoes like he did. It was almost too much for him as well. He had his father’s soft heart. All he wanted was Stephanie, but she made him doubt himself.”

  And that’s why you hated her. It makes sense now.

  “I couldn’t bear the idea that I might lose Dereck the same way I lost Oliver. So I pushed Dereck to be the man who could succeed where his father had failed. He needed to be stronger to survive. Stephanie saw me as harsh. I could do nothing right when it came to her. Every warning I gave either of them was taken as a criticism.” She walked over and replaced the photo in its spot on the shelf. When she returned, her face revealed none of the emotions that must have been raging within her. “I pushed my son because I love him, and it worked. No one won against Dereck. No one. Brett is head of the company now, and nothing shakes him. We raised him strong. No excuses. No second chances. Yes, I push my grandchildren, but only because I know how harsh life can be if one isn’t prepared for it.”

  Hailey got goose bumps listening to Delinda. Her view of life was different, and yet somehow they had the same fears. I’m also afraid of failing the ones I love. Hailey placed a hand on Delinda’s arm. “I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry you lost someone you loved. Have you ever spoken to your family about it?”

  “How could I? They barely visit me,” Delinda said, her voice just above a whisper.

  “I might be able t
o help you with that.” Did I just say that?

  Delinda’s eyes flew to hers. “What do you mean?”

  Hailey hesitated. The solution seems so easy, but who am I to tell her what to do when I can’t sort out my own life?

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake, have the fortitude to speak your mind,” Delinda snapped.

  Okay, but this is for your own good. Hailey raised her fingers in a measuring motion. “If you tweak the way you speak to people—just a little bit . . .”

  “Now you sound like Brett.”

  Hailey breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s the grandson you’re closest to, right? He must know you well.”

  Delinda’s eyes narrowed. “If this is how you are when you’re afraid you might lose your job, I cannot imagine how you’ll be when you realize I’m too attached to ever fire you.”

  Wait. Did she just say something nice? “See, that’s kind of sweet. All you’d have to do is leave off the initial insult, and I would feel all warm and fuzzy toward you.”

  “Oh, Lord.”

  “And keep some of your thoughts in your head.”

  With a sigh, Delinda sat back in her chair. “Anything else?”

  “Smile more?”

  Delinda glared at Hailey.

  Hailey leaned closer and glared back. It all felt so ridiculous that Hailey broke into a laugh and a huge smile spread across her face.

  Delinda slowly smiled back.

  I wish Spencer could see this side of his grandmother. Blood related or not, they have traits in common.

  Hailey’s phone dinged with a message. She ignored it because she’d already made the mistake of checking her phone while visiting with Delinda. Apparently, it was poor etiquette.

  “Aren’t you going to check your message?”

  “I’ll look at it later.”

  “It might be important.”

  “Mrs. Holihen would call if it were.”

  “There’s no one else who might message you?”

  Her phone dinged again. “No one that couldn’t be answered later.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake, check your messages.”

  Hailey reacted instinctively to the authority in Delinda’s tone. She took out her phone and glanced at it. Spencer. Heat rose up her neck. “It’s not important.”