“It’s no problem.” The edge in Brady’s expression softened a little, and with a faint smile, he gave a small nod. “Order whatever you want.”
“In that case…” True to her laid-back nature, Colleen let the moment pass without much thought. “I’ll go ahead and pick something…”
Hadley sat back, watching them with quiet curiosity, her interest steadily growing.
Plates arrived in a steady rhythm, and between bites and shared laughter, their conversation flowed easily.
Then Colleen’s phone lit up with a call.
“I’ll just get this…” She peeked at the screen, inhaled deeply, and tapped to answer. “Hello? Morn…”
On the other end, her mother’s words were indistinct.
Colleen held the phone, a slight frown forming as impatience crept into her voice. “Mom! How many times have you said this already since this morning? Yes, I remember—tonight, right? I haven’t forgotten! Okay, bye!”
She ended the call and lowered the phone, looking unsettled. Latest content published on
Hadley’s glance flicked toward Brady, then back to Colleen. “What did your mom say?”
“Well…” Colleen let out a breath and scrunched up her nose, clearly exasperated. “She’s arranged a formal blind date for me tonight.”
“A blind date?” The words slipped out of Hadley before she could stop them, her eyes drifting once again to Brady. His brows had drawn together in a hard line.
“Yup! Terrifying, isn’t it?” Colleen shrugged, caught between a laugh and a sob.
“She used to tell me not to come home—stay in Blathe, build my career, become this independent powerhouse!”
She gave her head a frustrated shake. “But now? I’ve barely been back a few days and she’s already throwing me into blind dates! She acts like I should be married and have kids by tomorrow—like my career doesn’t even matter anymore. How does that even make sense?”
By the time she finished venting, the darkness in Brady’s expression had fully returned.
.cóm is the source
“Anyway, I don’t want to keep talking about it.” Colleen exhaled heavily, brushing it off with a wave of her hand. “The more I think about it, the more irritated I get.”
From that point on, the mood at the table lost its earlier spark. Once the meal ended, Hadley and Brady saw Colleen back to the hospital first.
Afterward, the siblings made their way down to the parking garage together.
While making his way down the stairs, Brady missed a step and lurched forward, barely catching himself.
Hadley reacted instantly, one arm shooting out to steady him. “Be careful!”
“Thanks.” Brady straightened up, the stumble leaving a trace of unease in his expression.
Hadley narrowed her eyes, studying him. “What’s on your mind? You looked completely checked out. Want to talk?”
“It’s nothing…” Brady gave a small shake of his head, unwilling to let the truth slip out.
Nothing? Hadley tilted her head, one brow arched—but let it slide without pressing. If he didn’t want to open up, she wasn’t going to drag it out of him, even if she already knew where his thoughts lingered.
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