“Hello?” she answered.
“Colleen Hayes!” The voice on the other end practically exploded from the speaker, making her flinch. Get full chapters from f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?.net
“Yes!” Colleen blurted, jolting upright so suddenly her chair scraped against the floor.
“I get it, I get it. I’m on my way. Please don’t be mad, alright? Talk later!” With that, she ended the call.
Brady looked over, his voice edged with worry. “What’s going on? Did the hospital call? Do you need to head back?”
Shaking her head, Colleen let out a short, dry laugh. “No, it’s not that. My parents just found out I’m back in town.”
Brady had heard bits and pieces before—he knew Colleen’s return from overseas wasn’t something her family had been made aware of.
“So what’s the plan now?” he asked.
“What choice do I have?” Lifting a hand, Colleen rubbed at the bridge of her nose. “Might as well get it over with. I can’t avoid them forever.”
After a heavy breath, she reached for her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “I need to clear things up with them the right way.” Looking over at Brady, she asked, “Would you mind giving me a ride home?”
“Of course.” Brady gave a nod, a faint smile tugging at his lips. For once, she was the one asking him for help—and he didn’t hate it.
Truth be told, he found it kind of nice being at her beck and call.
“Hang on. I’ll settle the bill first.”
“Oh no!” Colleen slapped her forehead, realizing they hadn’t paid for their meal. She was about to stop him, but Brady was already walking toward the counter.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
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When he returned, Colleen frowned in embarrassment. “I said I’d treat you. What was the total? I’ll send the money now.”
“No need,” Brady said, shaking his head firmly. “This one’s my treat. Save it for next time—you owe me then.”
Smooth, wasn’t he? Now that she owed him a meal, he’d secured another chance to see her again.
“Fair enough,” Colleen said with a grin, clearly fine with the arrangement. “Next time’s on me.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” Brady lifted a brow, quietly pleased with how things turned out.
A short while later, they pulled up in front of Colleen’s family’s house.
“I’ll head in now. You should get going. Be careful on the road,” she said to him.
“Colleen.” Brady hesitated for a second, clearly not ready to leave. “Want me to stay until you’re done?”
“Huh?” Colleen blinked, then chuckled gently. “This is my parents’ place. You think they’re going to rough me up or something? They might not be thrilled I gave up better opportunities and went back to Srixby, but they still love me. I’ll be fine.”
“Right…” Brady’s shoulders loosened a little, and he scratched the back of his neck, realizing he may have gone overboard. “Catch you later then.”
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