Page 76 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

“I’ll give you two a moment alone. I’m sure Harley has some thanking to do,” Kent says as he flits out the door. It hangs open, which is for the best. That’ll keep me from doing anything too stupid.

“Really, Grant, thank you for the flowers,” Harley breaks the silence in a gentle voice.

“Of course, it’s the least I can do.”

She laughs, “I mean, you brought me to the hospital. I feel like I oweyouat this point.”

I shake my head. “Are you kidding? That’s…I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”

“Well, you would have needed a medical degree for that,” Harley replies with dry humor.

I try to laugh, but I can’t. “Seeing you there like that…”

“Grant–”

“No, I need you to know. Just let me say it and then I’ll shut up. I promise.”

Harley closes her mouth and looks down into her lap.

“Seeing you on the ground like that and–” My eyes are starting to well up. “You know, I know things between us are fucked up but that…that would have just killed me, I think.” I’ve tried to block the image from my memory. The thought of what could have happened to her if I wasn’t there…well, maybe Aileen would have been forced to step up then. I’m safer than Aileen, though. I care about who Harley isnow,not about the child she once was. If Aileen even cares about that.

“Grant, come here.” Harley extends her hand toward me. “Come sit.”

How can I resist her when she’s literally asking for me to be close? The thing I’ve wanted all this time.

I take her hand and immediately feel the fire of her touch. I can’t resist it. Like running from a forest fire. Nearly impossible. I sit on the bed beside her and cup both my hands around hers. “Harley…”

“Thank you for taking care of me,” she murmurs.

“Of course.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I did. Of course, I did,” I reply.

“You could have walked away.”

I furrow my brow. “Why would I have–”

“Left all this alone.”

“I couldn’t just leave you there.”

Her lower lip trembles. “I don’t deserve it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I wrap my hand around the side of her face. “How can you say that?”

Harley’s brown eyes meet mine. Something unsaid lies behind them. I won’t pry. I know her constitution right now is weak. But I can’t help but wonder if she’s keeping in the same thing I am. That my heart, despite every attempt to deny it, is entirely dedicated to her.

“What’s going on?”

Kent.I turn to look in horror. He’s standing in the doorway with a crystal vase full of the yellow roses. So much for friendship, I guess.

“Daddy, it’s not–” Harley pushes me away. “We were just talking about what happened and…”

She can try and talk her way out of it all she wants, but the look on Kent’s face is enough to let me know he understands exactly what’s going on. He looks at me, jaw lolling open in shock. This is what I was afraid of. That look of betrayal.

I get up and start to approach Kent. “Why don’t you and I go talk about this privately and let Harley rest while–”

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