Searching for Hailey Bradshaw

Chapter 14

"Wow," Heidi murmured thoughtfully as she sucked on a strawberry and fudge flavored malt. "You know, my fight with Scott doesn't seem so bad after all."

Hailey merely glared across the table. "Thanks," she muttered and slumped down to rest her face on her arms, which were crossed on top of the ice cream shop's bar.

"What am I going to do, Heidi?"

Heidi merely continued slurping until she'd inhaled the last bit of ice cream in her cup and her straw made an awful dry-heaving sound. Frowning down into the empty container, she pushed the straw around, searching for any hidden leftovers.

"Why don't you try talking to him about it," Heidi suggested. She grinned when she sucked up a chunk of strawberry.

Hailey scowled. "Oh, and I suppose that's what you do whenever you have a problem with Scott, huh? Because you certainly don't drive a hundred and fifty miles down here to see me and cry on my shoulder over it. No way. Not Heidi"

The look her sister sent her told Hailey she wasn't impressed by Hailey's sarcasm. "We're talking about you now, not me," Heidi stated primly.

"I'd rather talk about your problems," Hailey grumped.

"Compared to you, I have no problems," Heidi returned. "I'm pregnant and moody and Scott's just having a hard time dealing with that. He's actually been a saint lately, trying to give me everything I ask for, but... but..." Tears filled her eyes. "I can't believe I yelled at him because he wouldn't get me another bag of chips."

"Oh, honey," Hailey cooed, hopping off her stool so she could hug her sister.

Heidi then went off into a babbling spree. Hailey caught the word 'chips' a few times and 'pickles' once. She repeated Scott's name and there were numerous references to "he said," and, "then, I said." But overall, Hailey didn't understand a sentence the girl sobbed out.

Finally she buried her face against Hailey's shirt and let out an exhausted sigh.

Petting her hair, Hailey concluded, "He should've gotten you the stupid chips."

"But it was my third bag," Heidi wept.

Oh.

Heidi lifted her face to give her sister a frown. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she said, "Didn't you listen to a word I just said?"

Hailey paused. She'd tried to listen. She really had.

"The doctor's been harping on me about eating so much salt. It's making me swell like a blimp. Too much more and they'll be floating me down the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Scott was just trying to look out for my health."

"Then I say you owe him an apology," Hailey commented as Heidi eyed the half of Hailey's float she hadn't drank yet.

Heidi bit her lip. "I suppose your right," she relented, snaking out her hand to take control of Hailey's ice cream.

When she was finished with that as well, she smacked her lips and looked a little refreshed. "And you should apologize to your Daniel too," she announced.

Hailey lowered her face.

"He seemed nice enough," Heidi told her. Then she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "And cute too."

Hailey's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Since when do you check out other guys? You're engaged! And pregnant."

"That doesn't make me blind," Heidi said. "And that Daniel O'Brien is one fine specimen. He certainly doesn't deserve to be lied to."