Chapter 10

"Community service. Community service! For what? Speeding? Haley…it's looking less and less like I'm going to be sticking around Harmony for good. If all the people are like Mr. Macho in there…"

"NO! You can't leave!" Haley said in a panic.

Sheridan's blue eyes went wide.

"I'd miss you too much," Haley said more quietly.

Sheridan's eyes twinkled at her. "I'd miss you, too," she said, giving Haley a brief but heartfelt hug. "See that?" Sheridan grumbled a second later, casting her eyes skyward. "A black cloud. Thank you, Supercop," she muttered. "You've just ruined my day."

Oh no, Haley thought. Change the subject. Quick! "No, he didn't," she insisted. "So we can't go back to the beach. I don't feel much like swimming anyway. But I would like to see those slides of Spain you promised to show me." Woohoo! And the smile was back!

"You know what, Haley? That sounds like a fantastic idea. Come on," Sheridan urged, taking Haley's hand in hers.

Haley's feet stayed rooted to the ground. Uh oh! What about Grandma? With the storm blowing in, she'd expect her to be at home. "Sheridan…I don't know if my grandma will let me go."

Sheridan fished her cell phone out of her purse. "Here," she said, handing it over to Haley without hesitation. "Call her. I'll be right inside," she said with a nod of her head toward the Book Cafe. "Do you like blueberry muffins?"

Haley nodded her head vigorously. Just another thing her dad and Sheridan had in common. Her, too. Dialing the number for home, she waited for someone to pick up; thankfully, her grandma did just that.

"Hello?"

By the time Sheridan came back, Haley was just hanging up the phone. "Thanks Grandma. I'll be home for dinner. Promise. Love you, too."

"Ready?" Sheridan asked with a smile.

Haley happily took Sheridan's arm, and they walked down the sidewalk. She was going to Sheridan's cottage! Thunder rumbled, and their steps became faster, hurried. But oh it was so much fun!

By the time Sheridan was slipping her key in the lock, they were soaked to the bone, hair plastered to their skulls.

"I love the rain, Sheridan," Haley giggled, twirling about with her arms outstretched.

"Get in here, Silly," Sheridan smiled, tugging her inside. "Your grandma will never let you come back if you catch your death of cold."

"That is such a 'mom' thing to say," Haley beamed.

The look on Sheridan's face was priceless. She laid a cold hand on Haley's forehead. "Sure you aren't already coming down with something?" she teased. "Make yourself at home, Haley. I'm going to go heat these muffins up. We need something warm and toasty."

"Sounds great," Haley called after her, drinking in her surroundings. It was not at all what she expected from a Crane.

"So..." Sheridan laughed, handing her a steaming mug of hot cocoa. "You like?"

"Very much," Haley smiled. She promptly plopped down on the sofa and made herself comfortable. "Mmm. I love cocoa on a rainy day, too. My grandma makes it for us all the time."

"Your grandma sounds a lot like someone I know," Sheridan mused.

Haley was glad she had her back turned, fixing the projector. She had this huge guilty grin on her face. Of course she sounded familiar, she thought, fighting hard not to laugh.

Sheridan curled up on the couch beside her with the remote in hand.

he rain fell in sheets outside, but for the next couple hours Haley didn't notice a thing, except the wonderful show before her. She wished her dad could see these, she thought with a contented sigh. Sheridan really had a knack for storytelling.

"That's Costa Marbella. Gorgeous, isn't it?"

Haley was incapable of forming thoughts, much less words at that moment; the beauty was too much for her.

"I want to go there again someday. Maybe take someone special with me," Sheridan said wistfully.

"Who? Me?" Haley joked, cuddling close underneath the faded blue quilt.

"Hmm," Sheridan pretended to mull it over, a finger on her chin. "You're not the tall, dark and handsome man of my dreams. But you'll do in a pinch."

"Sheridan!" Haley said aghast.

Sheridan ducked as the pillow flew from Haley's hands.

"Tell me about the man of your dreams," Haley yawned sleepily. Her head rested in Sheridan's lap.

Sheridan ran her fingers through Haley's long dark hair. "The man of my dreams, huh?" Sheridan whispered, smiling at the faint freckles on Haley's nose.

"Yeah," Haley blinked big brown eyes at her. "Please."

"Okay," Sheridan relented, her lilting voice lulling Haley into a deep peace. "The man of my dreams."

The reflection of Costa Marbella painted their faces as lightning flashed outside.

"The man of my dreams is the kindest man I've ever met," Sheridan sighed dreamily.

Haley smiled in response. Her dad was the most generous, giving person she knew.

"He loves me for me. Not my family name. Not my money."

Well...we don't have to worry about that, Haley thought to herself. Dad certainly doesn't love your name.

"When he looks at me...I feel warm all over," Sheridan laughed. "Special."

Um...not yet. But Haley was sure it wouldn't take long.

"We can talk about anything together. Share our deepest secrets. He listens. Really listens."

There lies a problem, Haley thought.

"We live in this cozy little house on this street full of houses almost exactly the same. But ours is different. Old. Something with history."

"Old?" Haley asked. "You don't want a big house? A new one?"

"No," Sheridan shook her blond head. "And it doesn't have to be big. Look at this cottage. I love this place far more than I ever did the Mansion, Haley."

"It is nice," Haley conceded. "Homey," she whispered. "What else?"

"Family. Family is the most important thing in the world to him," Sheridan continued softly.

And Haley felt sad. Sheridan didn't have any of these things in her dream—a beautiful dream. "I hope you find him," she said solemnly, playing with the frayed edges of the quilt. She almost missed Sheridan's soft whisper.

"Me too." The projector whirred to life as Sheridan pressed another button on the remote.

"Oh," Haley said, resting her chin on Sheridan's shoulder. "Who's that?" A woman…a delicate looking woman…smiled back at them, her eyes strangely familiar to Haley. A little girl with bouncy blond ringlets gazed up at her adoringly, her tiny hand cupping the woman's cheek. "That's…"

"My mother," Sheridan answered. She had tears in her blue eyes.

"So that baby is…"

"Me," Sheridan smiled slightly.

"She was pretty," Haley finally ventured.

"Yes, she was, wasn't she?" Sheridan murmured. "My memories of Mother are so fuzzy. I was so young when she died."

"I'm sorry," Haley apologized.

"Don't be," Sheridan smiled, tapping Haley's nose with her index finger. "It's not your fault. Nobody's really. Why should you be sorry?"

"I don't know," Haley shrugged. The action made the quilt slipp free of her shoulders.

"Haley?" Sheridan queried gently. "Is something bothering you?"

"Your mother died. Mine…she left me when I was a baby," Haley said quietly, so quietly Sheridan almost didn't hear.

Sheridan's heart went out to her.

Pain she kept well-hidden flashed in Haley's brown eyes. "She left me, Sheridan. Am I really that bad? Is there something wrong with me? What did I do?"

"No," Sheridan said immediately, pulling Haley into her embrace. "You did nothing wrong. Look at me, Haley," she implored, grasping Haley's chin gently. "It's not your fault. It's hers. You're one of the most wonderful people I've ever met. A person can't help but love you. I've only known you a few days, and already I love you to pieces."

Haley smiled through her tears. "You're just being nice," she said, looking down.

"Haley…are you calling me a liar?" Sheridan teased lightly.

Haley's brown eyes danced.

"If I ever have a daughter someday…I want her to be just like you," Sheridan said sincerely. "Just like you. With pretty brown eyes. That fantastic smile. You're going to break a lot of hearts when you get older, Sweetie. I know it. And most of all…your beautiful heart. It's her loss. She missed out on getting to know you."

"Thank you," Haley whispered, burying her face in the crook of Sheridan's neck. I wish you were my mom, she thought as the rain beat down on the roof outside. I wish…

Haley's starved for a mother's love and affection.

What do you think?

Is Sheridan the perfect person to give it to her?