Dangerous Secrets (Montana Men #6)(46)

He was surprised by the request, but he nodded. "Fine, but I think you're underestimating your family. I can guarantee that, after seeing you on stage, they wouldn't tease you about anything. They would be just as enchanted as I was."

Halley laughed, feeling giddy all of a sudden. "Thank you!"

He hugged her again. "How much longer do you need to hang out here?"

Someone cleared their throat behind him and he knew exactly who it was. With a grimace, he pulled back and touched Halley's cheek with his thumb. "Brace yourself," he said in warning before turning, sliding his arm around her waist as he faced his sister and all three of his nieces. Even Don had come back, obviously a bit put out regarding the wait.

"Halley, this is my sister, Sally, and her husband, Don." He paused while Halley shook both of their hands and his sister gushed.

Then the three little blonde beauties who had been waiting not-so-patiently, their hands clasped together as they bounced on their toes and with an ear to ear grin on each of their faces, Mike finally said, "These three girls are my nieces, Annabelle, Lucy, and Jennifer. They aren't excited at all," he teased. 

Anabelle and Jennifer squealed when they got close enough to Halley. "You were amazing!" "I couldn't believe that jump!" "I can't believe we actually get to meet you!" All three of them were talking at once and Halley laughed, delighted with the girls. "I'm Halley. Who is who?" she asked.

The girls all introduced themselves and Mike laughed softly as they interrogated her on how she'd learned to dance like she did, how many hours she practiced, what she ate, what she did in her spare time, and every other detail they could think of. When Halley said she rode horses, all three girls' mouths dropped open and, as if in sync, they turned to their parents and said, "We have to get a horse!"

Halley laughed at the matching horrified expressions on Sally and Don's faces. She decided to help them out. "Why don't you just come out to my stables and ride my horses?"

More hanging mouths and huge eyes, three sets of eyes turned to their parents again. "Can we?" they all screamed.

Sally laughed, lifting her hands, palms up. "Wait a minute. Why don't you girls go change clothes and wash your faces, let Halley do the same, and then we can all go out for dessert so we can talk like normal human beings?" Sally turned to Halley. "If you don't have any other plans, that is."

"She doesn't," Mike spoke for her.

Halley looked up at him with a don't-speak-for-me look in her eyes. But then she turned to Sally and said, "I would be delighted to join you for dessert." More squeals and bouncing blonde ladies, and Halley laughed, especially when Mike squeezed her waist again. He leaned over and kissed her, whispering, "Thank you," in her ear.

Halley walked away to change clothes and wash her face, knowing she had a silly grin on her face.

She quickly changed into street clothes and with just her normal mascara and lipstick adorning her features now, she looked up at her partner as she exited her dressing room. Carl was not a big man, barely an inch taller than she was.

"He looks like a brute," Carl observed as he walked up beside her. Halley could understand why Carl would think of Mike as a hulking beast. Even she thought it at times.

Both of them turned, finding the man in question walking down the hallway towards her. She actually blushed when she noticed the intensity of his gaze, feeling the heat in those green depths. She couldn't take her eyes off him as she said, "He's actually a very gentle man." He was stopped by another parent and Halley almost laughed at the frustration in his eyes.

Carl was glaring right back at Mike when Halley turned to excuse herself. It was only then that she realized the animosity her partner felt towards Mike. Putting a hand to his arm, she smiled gently at Carl, trying to alleviate his anger. "Relax. That man wouldn't hurt a fly." She laughed again as she realized what she'd just said and the falseness of that statement. "Actually, he could probably kill a man twenty different ways, but he wouldn't hurt me."

Carl wasn't convinced. "I don't like him."

"You haven't even met him. Let me introduce you to him."

Carl shook his head, his eyes lowering as Mike approached. "No way. But when you need a shoulder to cry on, you know where I live."

Halley looked at him as if he'd slapped her. "Mike would never hurt me," she said, and deep down, she was shocked to realize she completely believed that. He wouldn't hurt her! He wouldn't do anything to cause her harm. So why was she so hesitant to call what they had together a relationship? Why was she running from him?