“Come in.”
She pushed the door open. Brady stood by the bed, fresh from the shower, a towel slung low around his waist and his hair still damp.
“Here,” Hadley said, holding out the clothes. “They’re my biggest sweats. You’re slim—it shouldn’t be a problem. The shorts might be a bit short, but hey, they’re supposed to be.”
While she spoke, she walked to the bathroom and picked up the bundle of wet clothes he’d left behind.
“I’ll toss these in the wash now—they’ll be dry by morning.”
“Thanks, Hadley,” Brady murmured, his voice small and vulnerable. He looked like a scolded puppy, eyes downcast, shoulders slumped.
Her heart tugged. She offered softly, “Try not to spiral, okay? It’s understandable that Colleen’s family is having a hard time. But she’s still standing by you, right? That means something. There’s still a chance things could shift.”
“Yeah…” Brady nodded, but his tone was flat. “I’m not spiraling, I promise.”
Maybe not, but she could tell his thoughts hadn’t settled. Still, he was a grown man—his pride kept him from leaning too much.
“I’m glad to hear that.” She gave him a reassuring smile and stepped toward the door. “Get some sleep. Goodnight…”
“Goodnight—wait, Hadley!”
She turned at the urgency in his voice—he had suddenly reached out and caught her arm.
“What is it?” she asked, startled.
Brady hesitated, then looked her squarely in the eye. “Hadley… earlier today, I went to the Scott family’s warehouse for business. I ran into Eric there.”
Her breath caught.
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“He tried to stop me from going to the Hayes residence,” Brady said quietly. “Said I’d just make you worry.”
He paused before continuing. “But I ignored him. When I finally reached the Hayes residence… I realized he had followed me.”
He knew full well Eric wasn’t there for him—Eric was there for Hadley. Though Brady didn’t like Eric, he wasn’t about to deny the facts. He simply laid them out, leaving Hadley to decide how to take it.
“Hadley…” Brady glanced up, his voice barely above a whisper. “He even took a punch for me.”
Hadley nodded, a calm smile playing on her lips. “I see. Now go to bed,” she said softly, gathering the clothes into her arms and turning away.
In the laundry room, she dropped the soiled garments into the washing machine and just stood there, her eyes fixed on the slow, steady spin of the drum—her mind swirling as emptiness settled in.
By morning, the rain had washed away the gloom, unveiling a bright, sweltering day.
The doorbell rang—Zane was at the door, returning her car keys. He declined her invitation to come inside.
Hadley stepped out, accepting the keys with a warm smile. “Have you eaten? Would you like to join us for breakfast?”
.
.
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