My Unexpected Vow: California Billionaires Book 2 by Harlow James (children's ebooks free online TXT) 📗

industrial kitchen and down the hall to Janet’s office, where I find her on the phone at her desk. She holds one finger up as she finishes her conversation, and then graciously rises from her chair when she hangs up the phone as she takes me in standing next to Hayes.

“Well, hell… now I see why you married the guy,” she teases, pulling me in for a hug, even though Hayes doesn’t let go of my hand.

“Yeah, he’s not so bad to look at.” I flash him a wink, lingering just a minute to admire his dark features and handsome smile that I can’t get enough of, and then turn back to Janet. “Janet, this is my husband, Hayes Weston,” I say as Hayes reaches forward to shake her hand, finally letting mine go. And the flurry of butterflies when I introduce him has me bursting with energy.

“Nice to meet you, Janet.” He gives her that same charming smile I’ve seen him use on countless people, and she swoons just like most do.

“Likewise. Seems Waverly finally told you about me, huh?”

“Well, I finally told him about what I do here,” I interject, “but I’m not sure how to explain you to him just yet.”

“Full of the jokes this morning, I see.” Janet smirks at me and then leads us out to the front part of the kitchen where the breakfast food is being placed in trays, preparing for the group of people in need that will walk through the doors in less than thirty minutes. It’s a Sunday morning, and we always do a big breakfast service at ten after most of the morning church services have let out.

“Well, if Hayes is willing to get dirty with you, you know where the aprons and hairnets are. Show him around and I’ll be back to help take the food out.”

“I’m always down to get dirty with this one,” he says as Janet laughs and my jaw drops open.

“Hayes!”

“Oh, yes. Charming and honest. You’re in trouble with this one,” Janet replies.

“Don’t I know it,” I mumble while handing Hayes an apron. “Here. Put this on and then we need to start gathering dishes and silverware.”

“Maybe we can use those muscles of his around here more often. You know, the annual spaghetti dinner is in a few weeks. We always need more help with that event,” she says before walking off.

Hayes watches her leave the area and then turns his attention back on me. “Spaghetti dinner?”

“Yeah. We hold it on the anniversary of when the shelter opened fifteen years ago. We always have quite the turnout.” I peer up at him and say, “I’d really like it if you’d come …”

While holding my chin in his hand, he whispers, “I will be here.” He plants a chaste kiss on my lips, releases my chin, and then unfolds his apron. “Janet seems like fun though,” he says while eyeing me as he lifts the cloth over his head and starts tying it behind his back.

“She is. She took me under her wing when I started here and hasn’t let me go since. I’m closer to her than to my own mother. She’s another huge reason why I do this. I can’t let her down.”

Hayes steps forward and cups my jaw in his hand this time. “You could never let anyone down, Waverly, not with this heart of yours,” he whispers, poking a finger gently at my chest before dipping down to kiss me.

And God—it’s one of those kisses that has you melting, lighting up from the inside out with reverence—the kind that makes you want to spill every truth you’re hiding inside.

The way Hayes kisses me right now—it’s not full of need or lust, or promises of dirty things he’s going to do to me later. No, it’s full of admiration, devotion, and love.

Could Hayes be in love with me like I am with him? Is all of this really so simple that we both end up in the same place at the same time and that’s it? We live happily ever after and replay the crazy circumstances that lead us here over and over again as we grow old together until death do us part?

When Hayes lifts his lips from mine, the glisten in his eyes tells me he has to sense this shift too. This can’t be one-sided. The man has infiltrated my life and now I just want one with him in it.

“Let’s serve this breakfast, babe. Although next time, I say we cook. Gotta show off our newfound skills to everyone.” He winks at me and then grabs my hand, encouraging me to lead him through this place that always felt like home until I fell in love with him.

Now he’s my home.

And everything felt right in that moment, like we could actually make this work, that maybe Hayes was the man that I was meant to spend the rest of my life and I was lucky enough to fall in love with my brother’s best friend and have him love me back.

Chapter 16

Hayes

The Monday after Waverly took me to the homeless shelter, I could barely focus at work. My mind was reeling with that experience, with seeing Waverly in her element, completely rooted in a place that made her feel complete. It was as if I was truly seeing her for the first time—because up until then she hadn’t shown me all of her. I thought I knew who Waverly Morgan was until yesterday when my heart cracked open with awe for this woman.

And seeing her interact with Janet just reminded me of the lack of parental support she’s had in her life. It made me thankful that she has someone like Janet to support and encourage her. She even took me aside at one point as the line for food was dying down and whispered in my ear.

“She’s sharing a huge part of her with you today, Hayes. Don’t take it for