Deadlier Than The Male

There was no need to pretend grief for her father’s passing. Her grief had been spent years ago upon realizing that she just didn’t matter to either of her parents.

But, on the off chance that Mack Brolin was anywhere inside that church, she wanted him to see her for who she was now—a strong and vital woman.

By choice, Mack was sitting at the back of the church. If Haley did show up, he needed time to get his emotions in order before facing her. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, not the least of which was, I’m sorry.

The family had just been seated, and the pastor was about to announce the first hymn, when the church doors opened, sending in a blast of cold air.

All eyes except the widow’s turned as the door slammed shut, and the gasp that came afterward was so loud even Lena Shore turned to look.

The last thing she had expected to see on this day was the woman walking down the aisle. All Lena could think was, How did Haley find out?

Every stitch of clothing Haley was wearing had been chosen with one thing in mind: to show her miserable excuse for a family that not only was she fine, she was thriving.

She knew her height was to her advantage, and with the three-inch black heels she was wearing, she was more than six feet tall. Her long-sleeved black dress buttoned all the way up the front, coming to a halt at a V-neck that covered her shapely breasts—high enough not to be racy, but low enough to accentuate what she’d been blessed with.

The lanky girl Haley had been was now a woman grown, with the body to match. Her breasts accentuated a slim, well-toned body. She’d left her long, dark hair loose in a cascade of soft waves. The only splash of color was on her lips—those Angelina Jolie lips—which she’d painted fire-engine red.

She didn’t look to the right or the left as she moved, because her gaze was fixed upon her mother, who had risen to her feet and was standing at the end of the aisle, as if daring her to come any closer.

From the look on her mother’s face, Haley immediately knew that her appearance was a shock.

So it wasn’t you who sent the letter. No matter. I’m here, anyway.

Lena was so shocked she couldn’t move.

When Haley reached the pews where the family was sitting, no one moved over for her to sit. The old Haley would have turned tail and run. But not this one.

“Move over, Uncle Saul,” she said shortly.

And despite the ripple of shock that went through her family, her mother’s brother moved.

Haley sat without once looking at her mother again.

Dumbstruck as to what to do next, Lena had but one option. She turned around and resumed her own seat.

The preacher cleared his throat.

And the service began.

The moment people recognized Haley, they turned to look at Mack. He felt their stares but wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of knowing how dumbstruck he felt.

That grainy newspaper photo hadn’t done her justice. His childhood sweetheart had turned into a knockout.

Even though it had been ten years—even though the woman who’d just walked down that aisle was as far removed from the girl he’d loved as she could be—he knew he’d done the right thing. No matter how this turned out, there were things he needed to say to Haley Shore.

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