Chapter Three

"Haley? Haley, where are you?" Jimmy James opened the door to the kitchen as a last resort, having already checked all the rooms upstairs. However, his daughter was still missing and now, he was really worried. As he had given all the servants the night off there was no one he could ask, save for Mrs. Tillman who lived next-door and Jimmy did not want to resort to that option. Mrs. Tillman was the leader of the Tree Hill gossip mill and would like nothing more than to tell the entire town that good-girl Haley James was out at all hours of the night and her father didn't know where she was. Jimmy knew that Haley wouldn't leave the house without good reason so he wasn't going to risk it getting out; he just hoped she came home soon.

Jimmy decided to give Haley ten minutes to get home before he called the police. In the 6th minute she arrived, walking leisurely through the door and to the main staircase, not even noticing her father standing in the living room. "Haley!"

She turned, a dreamy smile on her face, and said, "Oh, hello Daddy, how was the unveiling of the Venus?"

"A complete success. But where on earth have you been?"

"I caught a burglar in the house."

"A burglar!" Jimmy exclaimed.

Haley came inside the living room and stood in front of her father. "Yes, a burglar. He was trying to steal that painting," Haley pointed to the picture behind him.

"Really?" Jimmy said excitedly, delighted that someone thought his work was worth stealing. Then he caught a hold of himself and asked, "Well, what did he look like?"

Haley sighed. "Tall, dark and handsome. He had these really light blue eyes and sort of rugged good looks - in a very brutal, mean way!" she added, when she realized what she was saying.

"Oh. Do you know his name?"

Haley contemplated for a moment, before answering, "No."

"But, my dear, that still doesn't explain why you weren't at home."

"Well, I shot him so –"

"You shot him!"

"By accident, Daddy; he scared me and the pistol went off. Anyway, it hurt his arm so he couldn't drive himself home so I had to take him. I couldn't call the police in case they wanted to do some sort of test on the painting." Haley took something out of Jimmy's jacket pocket and walked past him, but he was too caught up in his thoughts to notice.

"No, you were quite right, my dear, quite right. Best to keep the police out of it. But I still wonder who it was. Must have been one of those society burglars, don't you think, Haley? Haley?" Jimmy turned around when she didn't answer him and saw that she was using his handkerchief to dust the frame of his painting. "Haley, what are you doing?"

"Dusting away the fingerprints, of course."

"Right. Of course."

Haley finished, and put the handkerchief back in her father's pocket. "Goodnight, Daddy." She kissed his cheek and left; she was half way up the stairs when he called out to her.

"Haley?"

"Yes?"

"This tall and, er, rugged burglar – he didn't molest you in any way, did he?"

"No."

"Oh; goodnight, then."

Haley skipped up the remainder of the stairs and closed her bedroom door quietly behind her. Leaving her boots and overcoat by the chair, Haley slipped back under the covers and turned the lights off. The night's events replayed in her mind.

She didn't know what to think about Nathan Scott. He was very-well known in her circle of society; Haley had heard all the gossip about him, including his reputation with women. He was certainly charming; she'd give them that. But she couldn't help wondering at everything else they'd said about him. He hadn't been rude or arrogant once, unless you counted the fact that he had been about to steal from her without needing the money anyway. And then there was that kiss.

Haley had no idea what to think of the kiss. Her head told her to get it out of her mind; Nathan was just another playboy who would use girls anyway he liked. But the kiss had – apart from being the most intense thing she had ever experienced – felt sincere. Haley was no expert, but she didn't think that Nathan could have pretended to like kissing her.

Haley closed her eyes and pulled the covers a little tighter around her. She knew she should get some rest but, somehow, she didn't think she'd be getting much sleep tonight.

……………

Nathan took off his jacket and threw it on the chair by the door of his hotel room, before flopping down on his bed. He should have been worrying about the fact that he had gotten caught attempting burglary and could have been sent to jail; his stealing days were definitely over. But all he could think about was her. Haley. And that kiss.

She had seemed really annoyed when she found out who he was; he didn't suppose she'd be much happier if she found out that he didn't have a very good reason for stealing either. But, she had calmed down when he kissed her. Haley was more than calm; the cab driver had probably thought she was in some kind trance. Nathan thought that he should probably be pleased, even proud, to have had that effect. However, Nathan kept wondering whether it meant that she would be less angry with him and would like to, even be eager to, kiss him again.

He remembered how tonight had taken place because he had been bored. Something told him he wasn't going to have that luxury for a while.