Free Hailey's Truth by Cate Beauman Page A

immediately dismissing the idea. He wasn’t a fan of lies. The fact of the matter was, everything he’d said was the truth. But how did he make someone see what they were determined to ignore?
    He would start with an apology for hurting her, for his poor delivery of hard facts, and go from there.
    “You’re still here.”
    He glanced over his shoulder. Hailey stood at the island, hands braced and tense against the marble countertop, her face slightly pale.
    “Yeah, I wanted to talk to you.”
    “I’m not really in a talking mood. I have a headache.” She rubbed at her temple.
    “I don’t like the way we left things. You and I are going to be spending a lot of time together over the next few months. We’re off to a rough start.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Jackson and I have been assigned to Project Mexico.”
    “Oh.” Hailey dropped her hand, walked to a cupboard, pulled a glass from the shelf, stood next to him as she filled it with water. Her peach blossom scent surrounded him, even after she’d gone back to stand behind her island barrier.
    Austin shut off the tap and turned to face her. “I know I hurt you with the things I said this afternoon, and I’m sorry for it.”
    “The content or the delivery?”
    “The delivery.” As he stared at her, he could only be truthful. “I wish I could apologize for both, but then I’d be lying. I stand behind the information I shared with you.”
    Austin debated whether to show her the pictures he’d taken, but what good would it do? He could tell by her steady, staring eyes and her stubbornly lifted chin that she still wasn’t willing to believe him. The pictures didn’t show Jeremy doing anything more than hanging around sketchy-looking characters and carrying a black duffel bag. He wasn’t technically doing anything wrong, according to the photographs. It was only implied. Until he had something absolutely solid, Hailey would dismiss what he said. She would find a way to see the innocence behind the truth. Her need to protect Jeremy was too ingrained.
    “I don’t know what to say, Austin. You’ll believe as you choose, and I’ll believe in Jeremy. I owe him that at least.” Her voice strained and quiet, she sunk to the wooden barstool, resting her forehead against her fingers.
    Hailey’s defeat undid him. Austin walked to her, hesitated before he took her hand clenched on the marble counter. He was always careful not to touch her. It made him feel things he knew he shouldn’t. “Let’s table this conversation. I came over to apologize and throw a couple of steaks on the grill.”
    Her eyes filled and she closed them.
    He’d never seen her cry before. “Hey,” he said gently, pulling her to her feet.
    “Hey,” he said again when she wouldn’t look at him.
    Hailey pressed her forehead against his chest, surprising him. She stood in silence, her hand limp in his, her other clenched at her side.
    Sarah and Ethan had shared with Austin small snatches of Hailey’s rough upbringing. Who had she had all the years after her parents died? Hailey protected Jeremy, but who protected her? No one, he imagined.
    Austin freed her hand and wrapped his arms around her rigid back, loosely, absorbing the shock of her body against his as they mirrored their intimate stance from the pool floor. Hailey’s vulnerability affected him differently than the sexual punch last night, but no less potently, as she cautiously accepted the comfort he offered. Austin tightened his grip, pulling her more truly against him, holding on until she relaxed. As her body pressed against his, he moved his hands over her slender back. “I’m sorry, Hailey.”
    The heat of her breath seeped through his shirt, warming his chest as her forehead stayed pressed there. Her arms came up and wrapped around his waist. She moved until her cheek rested against his heart.
    He closed his eyes, playing his fingers through her soft, damp hair as his stomach tied itself in knots. Words escaped him