Page 68 of Hearts Don't Lie
The sound of knocking roused Hardin from his catnap. The small blocks of sleep interlaced among the waking hours were taking their toll on him, but missing out on time with Mac or Stowe wasn’t something he was going to do. He glanced at his watch and grimaced, then pulled the pillow over his head and hoped whoever was at the door would go away. It was late afternoon, but he still had plenty of time to shower before Stowe arrived. His son… Hardin smiled to himself.
An impromptu lunch with Stowe and Mac had been a success, followed up with helping Stowe fix the chain on his bike. Hardin could see he had earned a measure of respect from his son. Baby steps.
Stowe had been called away again by friends, to the pool this time, but before he left, he had volunteered to come get Hardin before dinner, under the guise of giving him a personal tour of his stomping ground. Mac had smiled her approval.
Lunch, and being up most of the night with Mac, had left him groggy. It was evident that she was tired too, so they’d parted ways in order to rest up. They planned on another night together after Stowe was settled in at Issa and Doc’s. Mac shared Stowe would be even more excited when he saw that Carol—his other grandmother—was there too. He hadn’t seen her since she had visited over Christmas and the New Year.
The knocking grew more insistent. Hardin really wanted his last fifteen minutes. If it was Arlo, he was going to chew his ass out. Cognizant of his passion and booming voice during negotiations, Arlo had left to use one of the private offices on the first floor of the inn to call the owners. He was determined to hammer out something in the best interest of his client and friend.
Hardin shuffled out to the spacious, cozy common room that connected both masters, wearing a very wrinkled club tee and practice shorts. He glanced out the floor-to-ceiling glass doors that led out to the balcony and saw that the sun was descending behind the peaks, casting long shadows over ski slopes that were empty in the summer except for occasional hikers traversing them between the forests bordering the runs.
More knocking drew his attention to the suite door that opened to the hall. The thick wood door actually trembled from the force.
“Hardin?”
The pit of his stomach sank, and he stopped in the middle of the living room, shaking his head free of sleep-induced cobwebs.What the fuck?He had to be imagining this.
“Hardin?”
What in fuck is he doing here?
“Hardin?”
Goddammit. Both of them. Fucking hell.He inhaled deeply, mentally preparing himself before opening the door.
“Mother. Father.” He was too stunned to say anything else but knew his scowl and flexing jaw communicated his displeasure. And that he didn’t give a rat’s ass.
“Hardin,” his father Nathan said, all business, moving past Hardin and into his suite.
His mother trailed her husband, pausing to try to kiss Hardin on his cheek. It was awkward. She missed, her chaste kiss glancing his chin.
Her cool blue eyes assessed him. “Were you in bed?”
Hardin rubbed his face. Closing his eyes as his hand moved over them, praying for patience and civility. He studied her and then his father, who watched him carefully. “I was sleeping.”
“It’s the middle of the day, Hardin.”
“I realize that, Mother. What are you doing here?”
“We—”
Nathan said, “Diane, I’ll take it from here.”
Dutifully admonished, Diane settled her wisp-thin body on one of the barstools at the counter, facing her husband and son, smoothing out her linen sheath. She fiddled with her pearl necklace as if it were a rosary.
“We’ve become aware that you haven’t shown up for training.” Nathan’s green eyes bored into Hardin’s aqua ones.
Hardin grimaced at his father. “You know I’m an adult, right? You also know that you have no business in my affairs.”
“Do not speak to your father like that or in that tone, Hardin.”
“Mother, I’m not a child. The two of you showing up here unannounced is”—he raked his fingers through his unruly hair and moved his tense jaw around—“not welcome. I thought I made it clear the last time I saw you that I’d let you know when I want to see you. How did you know where I was anyway?”
Nathan cleared his throat and rocked back on his heels, wearing a smug expression on his face. “I have my sources.”
“We do,” Diane parroted from her perch, amending her statement after a cool look from Nathan. “Your father does.”
“You’ve been seen cavorting with a local woman. She looks remarkably similar to that girl you took up with in high school.”
