There was no way he was going to do anything that would jeopardize her relationship with Haley. She needed her, so his needs didn’t matter.
“Well done, Miss Emily. Well done.” Mrs. Simon made her way over to the group that had gathered around Em. “Beautiful performance indeed.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Simon.” Emily beamed up to her vice principal at the praise.
“She reminded me of you up there.” Mrs. Simon’s wrinkled hand patted Haley’s arm affectionately.
Haley smiled sweetly at her. “Thank you, but I think Emily’s performance may have been the best this school has ever seen.” Then, looking down at Emily, she added, “And that includes when Chase Malone played Danny Zuko in Grease .”
His daughter’s big brown eyes widened as she asked in awe, “Chase Malone?”
“Yep. He was Danny when I was Sandy,” Haley nodded.
Eddie got the strangest twinge of jealousy in his chest. Which was insanely ridiculous. First, the play they were talking about took place twenty years ago. Second, Chase Malone was now a huge rock star and Eddie couldn’t remember the last time he’d been back to Harper’s Crossing. And third, if memory served, Chase and Krista had been a thing, not Chase and Haley. But for some reason, just hearing another man’s name leave her lips gave him a bad feeling.
“Can I see it?” Emily asked excitedly.
“Well, I used to have a tape of it, but it got erased,” Haley explained.
“Oh,” his daughter said, looking a little disappointed.
“But I’m sure I can find some pictures somewhere.”
“Okay!” Emily smiled up at Haley just as she was being called up on the stage to take cast pictures. “Be right back, Daddy.”
Eddie watched the synthetic red curls on her wig bob up and down as Emily ran as fast as her legs could take her back up onto the stage. He knew that she was growing up and he had to accept it, but he also knew that deep down she would always be his little girl.
“Oh my gosh.” Chelle reached across Eddie and tugged on Haley’s arm, pulling her closer to her, which caused her to be standing directly in front of Eddie. Lowering her voice, Chelle whispered. “I love the new Secret Fantasy line. I’ve worn a piece every day for the last two weeks. Riley loves it, too.”
“T. M. I.,” Eddie said flatly. He didn’t want to think about his sister wearing lingerie that Haley had made. And he definitely didn’t want to know if his best friend liked it.
Haley laughed and shook her head as she looked up into Eddie’s eyes.
“Well, we’d better take off.” Chelle hugged both Eddie and Haley. “Aunt Wendy is watching Mya but I know she can get a little fussy around bedtime.”
“Okay. Give Mya a kiss for me,” Haley said and then added in a low voice, “Oh, and I have some samples from my upcoming Hidden Pleasure line if you’re interested.”
Chelle’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Yes, please.”
“Okay. I’ll swing them by on my way to Bella tomorrow.”
They all said their goodbyes and both Haley and Eddie sat back down in their chairs to wait for the little superstar to finish up her photo shoot.
Before he could stop himself, he turned and said, “Hidden Pleasures, huh?”
A look of shock crossed Haley’s beautiful face, but she recovered almost immediately. “Yep, that is the line I am going to be debuting when Tempting by Bella opens.”
“Tempting by Bella?” Eddie had no idea what she was talking about.
Haley smiled brightly as she explained, “Amber has asked me to partner with her and open a second shop that will mainly feature Tempting. We have been looking at places on the Riverwalk.”
Eddie was speechless. This was a huge opportunity for Haley. “Wow. Congratulations. When did this happen?”
“Last Sunday. I was going to tell you, but I haven’t seen much of you this week.” A small blush rose up the smooth skin of her cheeks, and he knew that she was thinking about this morning.
“You mean you
“Well done, Miss Emily. Well done.” Mrs. Simon made her way over to the group that had gathered around Em. “Beautiful performance indeed.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Simon.” Emily beamed up to her vice principal at the praise.
“She reminded me of you up there.” Mrs. Simon’s wrinkled hand patted Haley’s arm affectionately.
Haley smiled sweetly at her. “Thank you, but I think Emily’s performance may have been the best this school has ever seen.” Then, looking down at Emily, she added, “And that includes when Chase Malone played Danny Zuko in Grease .”
His daughter’s big brown eyes widened as she asked in awe, “Chase Malone?”
“Yep. He was Danny when I was Sandy,” Haley nodded.
Eddie got the strangest twinge of jealousy in his chest. Which was insanely ridiculous. First, the play they were talking about took place twenty years ago. Second, Chase Malone was now a huge rock star and Eddie couldn’t remember the last time he’d been back to Harper’s Crossing. And third, if memory served, Chase and Krista had been a thing, not Chase and Haley. But for some reason, just hearing another man’s name leave her lips gave him a bad feeling.
“Can I see it?” Emily asked excitedly.
“Well, I used to have a tape of it, but it got erased,” Haley explained.
“Oh,” his daughter said, looking a little disappointed.
“But I’m sure I can find some pictures somewhere.”
“Okay!” Emily smiled up at Haley just as she was being called up on the stage to take cast pictures. “Be right back, Daddy.”
Eddie watched the synthetic red curls on her wig bob up and down as Emily ran as fast as her legs could take her back up onto the stage. He knew that she was growing up and he had to accept it, but he also knew that deep down she would always be his little girl.
“Oh my gosh.” Chelle reached across Eddie and tugged on Haley’s arm, pulling her closer to her, which caused her to be standing directly in front of Eddie. Lowering her voice, Chelle whispered. “I love the new Secret Fantasy line. I’ve worn a piece every day for the last two weeks. Riley loves it, too.”
“T. M. I.,” Eddie said flatly. He didn’t want to think about his sister wearing lingerie that Haley had made. And he definitely didn’t want to know if his best friend liked it.
Haley laughed and shook her head as she looked up into Eddie’s eyes.
“Well, we’d better take off.” Chelle hugged both Eddie and Haley. “Aunt Wendy is watching Mya but I know she can get a little fussy around bedtime.”
“Okay. Give Mya a kiss for me,” Haley said and then added in a low voice, “Oh, and I have some samples from my upcoming Hidden Pleasure line if you’re interested.”
Chelle’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Yes, please.”
“Okay. I’ll swing them by on my way to Bella tomorrow.”
They all said their goodbyes and both Haley and Eddie sat back down in their chairs to wait for the little superstar to finish up her photo shoot.
Before he could stop himself, he turned and said, “Hidden Pleasures, huh?”
A look of shock crossed Haley’s beautiful face, but she recovered almost immediately. “Yep, that is the line I am going to be debuting when Tempting by Bella opens.”
“Tempting by Bella?” Eddie had no idea what she was talking about.
Haley smiled brightly as she explained, “Amber has asked me to partner with her and open a second shop that will mainly feature Tempting. We have been looking at places on the Riverwalk.”
Eddie was speechless. This was a huge opportunity for Haley. “Wow. Congratulations. When did this happen?”
“Last Sunday. I was going to tell you, but I haven’t seen much of you this week.” A small blush rose up the smooth skin of her cheeks, and he knew that she was thinking about this morning.
“You mean you
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