Just over a week had passed since Dayne’s attack, and in that time, he’d confessed in the sheriff’s office everything he’d admitted to them. That he was the one who’d set the fires around town, partly because he was bored, partly for the rush. That he’d framed Travis just because he could. And he was the one who’d attacked Harper in the alley, wanting to scare her into leaving town in some sick attempt to fix things between him and Vanessa.
Not only did they have Dayne’s confession, but Vanessa had woken up in the hospital and confirmed that it was Dayne who’d caused her injuries.
He shot Harper a quick glance. “How are you feeling?”
She smiled at him, and the smile was so genuine he felt like he’d been kicked in the gut and all the breath had been forced out of him. “Relieved that Miles is okay and being discharged soon.”
He was relieved too. Not just because he wanted Miles to be okay, but because it lightened the guilt that had been pressing onHarper since the attack. She hadn’t spoken about the guilt again, but she didn’t need to—he saw it.
“Do you think you’ll ever be friends again?” Harper asked softly.
He frowned as he took a right turn. “I’ll always owe him a debt I’ll never be able to repay for saving your life. And I believe that he really thought he loved Vanessa, that he thought they were meant for each other, and that’s why he did what he did. I’m not saying it was right, because it wasn’t. But Idothink he became a victim of her…charms.” He lifted a shoulder. “I guess that’s my long-winded way of saying maybe.”
She nodded. “Even though I don’t like Vanessa, I’m glad she’s going to be okay.”
Cody shook his head, thinking about the injuries Dayne had inflicted on her. Broken ribs. A concussion. A fractured wrist and a ton of bruising. She’d made some shit decisions—cheating on him, blaming Miles for bruises obviously inflicted by Dayne in a bid to win back Cody, then cheating on Miles—but thatstilldidn’t mean she deserved what had happened.
“I’m glad she’ll be okay, too.” He lifted her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist.
“What was that for?”
“Do I need a reason to kiss you?”
“I guess not.”
Another kiss, and he turned onto the street where the bar was located. He frowned when he saw a woman sitting on the curb outside the bar. Who was—
Harper gasped and straightened, eyes on the woman. “Oh my God.”
“You know her?”
“That’s my mother.”
What thefuck?
He pulled up close to the bar, but neither of them moved to get out of the car. Harper’s mother saw them and rose to her feet, but she didn’t approach.
He turned to Harper. “Do you want me to send her away?” Because he would. Hell, he’d cut out his right kidney if this woman asked.
Her chest rose with a deep breath. “No. It’s okay. I’ll see what she has to say, then she can leave. My mother was never physically abusive.”
Even that made Cody’s blood boil, because he knew she was abusive in other ways. They both climbed out, and when he rounded the car, he slipped an arm around Harper’s waist.
“Mom. What are you doing here?”
The woman wrung her hands together in front of her. “I was wondering if I could talk to you. I don’t need long.”
Harper didn’t immediately respond, and her mother started shuffling her feet, clearly uncomfortable.
Finally, she nodded. “There’s an apartment over the bar. We can talk there.”
Cody stepped forward and unlocked the door. Before Harper could head toward the stairs, he slid his fingers around her wrist and pulled her close, keeping his voice low. “Do you want me to come?”
She shook her head. “I’ll be okay. I need to do this alone.”
“Call out if you need me.”
She nodded, and he leaned down and kissed her. It was damn hard to watch her walk away with a woman he knew had hurt her, maybe not physically, but in every other way. His feet itched to follow. Protect her. But she wanted to do this on her own, and he needed to respect that.
