Chapter 69 (1/2)

The idea of torturing him further isn’t appealing, but he does need to really think about everything he’s done. “I guess so . . .”

“I think he needs to know that there are consequences for bad choices.” She gets a twinkle in her eye. “How about I make us dinner, and then you can put Hardin out of his misery?”

I’m happy to have her humor and guidance to bring me out of my sad confusion over Hardin’s past. I’m willing to move beyond this, or at least try, but he needs to know this type of thing is not okay, and I need to know if there are any more demons from his past that are waiting to railroad me.

“What would you like?”

“Anything is fine. I can help,” I offer, but she shakes her head.

“You just relax, as much as you can. You’ve had a long day, what with everything from Hardin . . . and your mum.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah . . . she’s difficult.”

She smiles and opens the refrigerator. “?‘Difficult’? I was going to use another word, but she is your mother . . .”

“She’s sort of a B-word,” I say, not wanting to say the real word in front of Trish.

“Oh yeah, she’s a bitch. I’ll say it for you.” She laughs, and I join in.

TRISH COOKS CHICKEN TACOS for dinner, and we make small talk about Christmas, the weather, and everything else except what is actually on my mind: Hardin.

Eventually, I feel like it’s literally killing me not to call him and tell him to come home now.

“Do you think he’s ‘stirred’ long enough?” I say, not admitting that I’ve been counting the minutes.

“No, but it’s not my choice,” his mother says.

“I have to.”

I leave the kitchen to call Hardin. When he answers, the surprise in his voice is evident. “Tessa?”