Page 14 of Hardy

He watched her make some notes on anorder slip.

“Can I ask you something?”he asked.

Millie nodded.“Sure.”

“I’ve, I mean, Rose and I, we’renot on the best terms right now.”

“You cheated onher?”

“How did youknow?”

“Baker seems to spend a lot oftime around here.”She glanced around the shop.“He talks aboutyou.Not club business, just that he’s worried about you andRose.”

He’d have to talk with Baker aboutusing his own problems to help him talk with Millie.

“I’ve not gotten him intotrouble, have I?”

“No.It’s nothing.Providing it’snot club business, he can talk about whatever he wants.”I’m still going tobeat the shit out of him for using me.

“Good.I don’t want to gethim into trouble.He looks like he’s been in a lot of pain,suffered.”

“He has.He lost his wifeand unborn kid to a drink driver,” he said.

“Damn, I’m so sorry.”She presseda hand to her chest.“I knew he’d had a great loss, but I didn’tthink it was that bad.”

“Don’t worry.He’s part ofthe club, and he’s family.”

“So, what did you want myadvice on?”

“Rose.”

“What about her?”Millieasked.

“I want to win herback.”

“Have you cheated on her sincethe last time?”Millie placed her pen between the folds of thebook.

“No.I’ve not looked atanother woman.I don’t want any other woman but her.”

“Then I don’t see what theproblem is,” Millie said.“You love her.There’s been no one else,and you’re making it up to her.”

“I didn’t change,” Hardy said.He’d been paying a lot of attention even when she thought hewasn’t.“Rose changed for me, and I didn’t even tell her to stopwhat she was doing.She changed, I didn’t.I didn’t make the effortto change.”

“Why not?”

“I was too damn scared I’dlose her.I had Rose in my life, and I was just so happy to haveher there.I didn’t want to lose her.”

Millie nodded.“Then take the time toprove her that you can change.Be everything she ever wanted.Makeher forget about the man she thought you were.”

“How?”

“By giving her everything shealways wanted.”Millie smiled.“Can you remember what shewanted?”

Hardy nodded.He remembered whatshe’d alwayswanted from him.

Leaving the shop, he climbed on theback of his bike, and went toward his house.Well, it wasn’t hishouse anymore.It was Rose’s house.

He knocked on the door, andBakeropenedit.He was holding a grilled cheese sandwich.

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