Finding Hayes (Magnolia Falls #5)

by Laura Pavlov

Savannah Abbott had the best laugh. Always had. She was the one person who could bring it out of me because she was funny as hell. At least, she used to be. She also used to be a scrawny little thing, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. But today, long caramel-brown waves ran down her back, and she didn’t look like the sixteen-year-old teenager who’d left town in a hurry. Who’d left me.

Hayes barked out a laugh. I’d always loved the sound of his laugh. This gruff, foreign sound from a guy who didn’t let himself go there often.

“That one was a winner. What was it called?” he asked. “‘Finding Hayes.’

Some people were glass-half-full people. Others were glass half empty. Savannah Abbott’s glass had always been overflowing.

There was a peace that came over me, knowing that Savannah was here. Home. My world had always been better with her in it.

“I have unblocked my number from your phone. Do not block me while you’re here. You roll into a ditch, you call me, and I’ll come. Do you understand?”

“I don’t hate you. And for what it’s worth, if I were going to fake marry anyone, I would choose you.”

She laughed, her eyes were closed now, and she whispered four little words that I hadn’t expected to hear from her. “I missed you, Hayes.” I miss you, too, Shortcake.

“Oh, God,” I groaned. “You beckoned, Shortcake?”

My woman. Fake or real—it didn’t really matter at the moment. She was here with me, and she felt like mine. Maybe she’d always felt like mine.

“What are you doing?” I cleared my throat and glanced out the window. “No one is here. No one is watching. You don’t need to put on a show.” His moss-green eyes locked with mine. “I’d like to kiss my wife before I agree to spend my life with her.”

Hayes Woodson had always felt like my home.

I would walk through fucking fire for you.

Peas and carrots.

“There’s not a lot to process, Sav. You left. I missed you. I wrote you a few letters.” “There are more letters?” I cleared my throat, deciding how real I wanted to be. But we’d gone so long without seeing one another, so I decided to lay it on the line. “There are fifty-two letters.” “Hayes.” “Savannah,” I said, mimicking her serious tone. “Don’t mess with me.” “I’m not messing with you. I wrote you once a week for a year. I guess I kept hoping that at some point you wouldn’t return one, and you’d actually read it,” I admitted.

“But you, Shortcake, you were always different. You were a part of me in a way that I can’t even explain. I would do anything for you, but I also trusted that you would do anything for me. It went both ways. I leaned on you, I told you everything, shared my hopes and my fears, which I don’t usually do. So losing you—it hardened me in a lot of ways.”

But we always knew they were there. A constant reminder of what we had in one another.

“Get the fuck away from my wife,” I growled, as I moved across the room and stood beside her.

“Well, for starters, never insult my husband again in my presence, or I’ll be happy to show you my master karate skills.” She held up a finger when he chuckled and started to interrupt. And then she moved closer to him, and I followed like a fucking shadow. “And the Abbott joke—it’s run its course, don’t you think? It’s juvenile and stupid. And for the record, my last name is Woodson. So find some new material, asshole.”

“It would complicate things because I don’t know that a kiss will be enough,” I admitted. I wanted her. More than I’d ever wanted anyone or anything. “I’m not a sandcastle, Hayes. You’re not going to break me. I want you.”

“How about you let me make you feel good.” I wrapped my hand around her wrist to stop the movement. “I want that, but I need something first.” “Tell me,” she said, her voice raspy and sated. “I need to taste my wife right fucking now. I need to bury my face between your thighs and feel you come on my lips. I’ve thought about it so many times, Sav.” “How about we do it together? You taste me and I taste you. You aren’t the only one who’s thought about it.”

“Now, do your husband a solid, and sit on my face. I want you to smother me. I want you to come so hard, you can’t think of anything but my mouth on your pussy.”

“I missed you, Hayes,” I said the words so softly I wasn’t sure he’d even heard me. But then he tugged me closer, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed the top of my head. He’d definitely heard me. And I knew he missed me, too.

“Creating a family environment does not happen because someone threw a few parties. Creating this connection with the guys comes from being there. Modeling the behavior you want to instill. Showing up when they struggle or when there are challenges. Leading by example, and that’s exactly what you do, Hayes. What you’ve always done. Every damn day that you come to work, you show up. You work hard. The guys respect it.

“How about you and I agree that you don’t speak about my wife? You don’t think about her. You don’t talk about her. And we won’t have a problem.”

Hayes and I may have spent years apart, but he was still my best friend. That hadn’t changed at all. And the fact that he gave me orgasms every night I spent in his bed only made things all the better.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, setting the box of pasta on the counter and moving toward him. “Did something happen?” “Yeah. You happened.” “I happened?” I raised a brow. “Yeah. You happened.” He nodded slowly, his tongue slipping out and moving along his bottom lip. “I got the job. And all I wanted to do was talk to you. See you.”

I moved closer, taking his hands in mine. “So tell me, then. How do you feel about me?” “It’s complicated,” he said, his gaze locking with mine. “I’ve been good on my own for a long time, and now you’re here, and you’re all I see. Maybe it was always you, and that’s why nothing else ever worked when you were gone. Maybe you’ve been what’s missing all along.”

“You got your best friend back.” “You’re more than my best friend, Sav. I like coming home to you. I like knowing you’re in my bed, even when I’m not there with you. Knowing that you’re waiting for me. Knowing that everyone thinks you’re mine. Because you are mine, Savannah Woodson. And I know you only married me because you had to, and I’m not the guy you’d choose in a different situation because I can’t give you all the things that you want. But I fucking love you. And even if you divorce me in a few months, I’d still want to date you.”

We’ll always be okay, because we’re Hayes and Sav, right? Peas and carrots.”

“You’re going to set the pace. Take me inch by inch, baby. You can do this.”

“If you ever fucking speak to my wife that way again, you’ll regret it.”

“You know, my uncle Hayes never thought he’d get married. But he said he couldn’t wait one more second to marry you because you were different. He said you were always different.”

“I thought you never wanted to be married for real? Never wanted forever with anyone.” “I thought so, too.” I shrugged. “But then you came back to town like a blazing wildfire and brought me back to life. Setting my world on fire. And I know without question that we belong together. We might not be perfect, and things might get messy, but I’ll fight for us every goddamn day if you take this chance with me.”

You’re my North Star, Shortcake. And without you, I’m lost.

Savannah Woodson had a gift for bringing everyone around her to life.

“It’s a dog.” I laughed and shook my head. “I know it’s a dog. But why is he wearing a blue bow and sitting in the laundry room?” “He’s your birthday gift.” “No fucking way. You got me a dog?” “Yep.” I turned to face him. “You have a wife now, so when you’re away at the firehouse, he’ll be with me. He’ll be part of our little family. Saylor already agreed to watch him when I go to Dallas and you have a shift.”

Good women. Good jobs. Good friends. I’d call that a damn good life. Are you drunk? King Nope. Just happy. Yeah, brother. I think we all are.