Page 27 of Silent Heart

Grandma met my reflection through the mirror. “People talk, Harley.”

Angrily, I screwed the cap back on the container. “If I went and slept with every boy in a five-mile radius, he wouldn’t care. Hell! He’d welcome them as sons. It’s because I find someone different a little more interesting, and he flies off the handle!”

“They’re not like us,” Grandma insisted. “Your grandfather doesn’t want to see you hurt.”

“He didn’t ask me about it, though, now did he?” I rounded on her. “It was breakfast, Gran. As friends. There’s nothing going on!”

“But there could be.” She smiled knowingly. “I can see it in your eyes, Har. You don’t go out with men. Yet this one comes every night to eat when you work. He hired you for swimming lessons. And now you’re meeting him for dates.”

“There’s nothing going on,” I whispered, feeling the lack of weight behind the words.

“We’re losing you, honey. You’re so bound and determined to go away this fall, and we can’t keep you safe way out there in Chicago—”

“It’s two hours away,” I protested.

“—and strangers who we don’t know? What’s next, Har?”

I pursed my lips.

“Just think about it, before you judge him, otherwise you’re no better than he is.” Grandma reached for the door handle, turned it, but paused. “And you’re wrong. Grandpawouldcare if you whored around with the local boys. He knows they drink too much and spend their paychecks down at the bars on pull-tabs and darts. He wants you to find someone, like your cousins have.”

So long as it’s a blue-collar worker like him. I nodded. “I’ll make up with Grandpa, but he’s wrong about Kole. If I did date him, he’d be the right guy for me—money and status have nothing to do with it.”

“Prove it. Bring your young feller to dinner.” With that impossible dare, Grandma left me gaping in the bathroom.

Chapter 12 – Harley

Sleep was effectively ruined, so I sought comfort in the one soul who truly understood. I stroked the soft neck of my mare, breathing in the warm scent of horse, hay, and farm, but even Lila couldn’t calm me down. After sneaking out of my bedroom window, I wandered down to the pasture, not wanting to drive anywhere that was open at this hour. Still, I had my keys, phone, and wallet in case I needed them.

A gust of wind shot across the wide-open space. It seemed to mock me. Being the oldest granddaughter didn’t matter. Nothing did.

Humidity blanketed the air, promising a storm. But the weather app said it was an hour away. Even without the approaching storm, it was too dark to ride. The only times I took Lila for a nocturnal stroll was when the moon was full and bright. I didn’t want to risk her breaking a leg.

With a final pat, I took my leave, securing the pasture gate behind me.

I wasn’t ready to go to bed. I understood my grandpa, I did. But understanding didn’t take away the hurt.

Wandering down the path, I let my feet carry me away while my mind raced.

Loud splashing was the only thing that told me I was close to the water. But what could be making that noise? I peered through the trees, ready to run back up toward the house. I didn’t have a pistol, so if it was a large predator, I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

The shadow that appeared through the trees was monstrous, but it moved on two legs, not four. I inched closer. I knew that shape.

“Kole?” I hissed.

His focus swung in my direction.

“Kole, what the hell are you doing?” I moved to the bushes and reached out to pull him from the bank. “You’re lucky my grandpa sprays down here for poison ivy, or you’d be in a world of hurt.”

Even without seeing his eyes, I could tell they were glazed and unfocused, although they were pinned on me. I held onto him, looking over the lake. He had to have walked along the whole shore, wading through parts. He couldn’t have swum far.

Worry knotted in my chest. “At least you’re safe,” I whispered.

But now what did I do with him? Taking him to the farm wasn’t an option. I chewed on my lip. Tiny splashes of liquid accompanied the rustle of leaves.Shit.The storm was coming. I patted my back pocket to check the weather but remembered my keys were there as well.

“I’ll take you home, big guy,” I breathed, relief washing off me.

For being spaced out, Kole was surprisingly lithe in the dark. We managed to climb back up the path and right as the rain began in earnest, we made it to my car. The two-door coup dwarfed in comparison to the six-and-a-half-foot man. Somehow, I managed to fold him into the passenger seat. Thanking whatever presence of mind convinced me to turn off the overhead light, I proceeded to back out of the drive.

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