“We won. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal, Hardy, is that if you don’t give a better showing in front of these scouts, they’ll pass you right over.”
“I’m doing fine, Dad,” Hardy argued.
“No, you’re not. And I know why. I saw you with that trailer-trash girl again and I’m here to tell you it ends tonight. No more, Hardy. Do you hear me?”
“She has nothing to do with this, Dad. She—”
“I don’t want to hear excuses. You’ve been screwing up left and right since you stopped seeing Cheyenne and I want it fixed.”
“Dad, I—”
“You let me believe you’d been spending your free time with Cheyenne, when you’ve really been with that girl. Well, let me tell you something, mister—”
“Enough, Dad!” Hardy growled. His teeth were gritted in barely controlled anger. “It’s not gonna happen with Cheyenne. I’m doing just fine and you’re just gonna have to live with my choices. I’m with Miracle. Yeah, that’s her name, Dad. Miracle. Get used to it.”
Yanking his shoulder out of his father’s grasp, Hardy stalked off. A tempest of emotion was raging in the pit of his stomach. He always felt some degree of pride and accomplishment when he stood up to his father, but there was always an underlying sense of dread and regret, too. Hardy worried that one day he’d make his father mad and, rather than taking it out on him, his fists would find the tender ribs of his baby brother instead. The thought made him feel nauseous.
Shaking it off, Hardy made his way to his car. He was stowing his bag in the back seat when he heard the clack of footsteps behind him. Just as he turned around, his father grabbed him by the throat and pushed him back against the cool metal of the rear door.
“If you’re not going to abide by my rules, then you won’t be driving my car. Leave the keys in my office when you get home tonight. Let’s see what your freedoms are worth to you.”
With that, Wayne released Hardy and strode back the way he’d come. Absently, Hardy rubbed his throat as he watched his father go.
A mild sense of panic worked its way into his chest. Without a car, he wouldn’t be able to see Miracle as much. And that was unacceptable.
Before he let his emotions get out of hand, Hardy ruthlessly pushed them down, determined to figure something out before morning.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Hardy was already on edge when he turned the corner onto Miracle’s street. When his headlights shone on the Jeep parked along the curb, anger and resentment bubbled to the surface.
Miracle was standing on the stoop talking to Jonah. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was shaking her head at something he was saying. Hardy slowed and watched the two as he quietly approached.
Jonah raised his hands and gestured emphatically. Hardy’s face flushed with heat. Jonah waved his arms wildly. Hardy’s pulse hammered in his chest. But then, when Jonah actually reached forward and grabbed Miracle by her upper arms and shook her, Hardy saw red and fury exploded in his stomach.
Slamming on the brakes, Hardy stopped right in the middle of the street, pushed the gearshift into park and leapt out. He practically ran to Miracle’s side.
Jonah heard him coming. He turned toward Hardy just as Hardy’s body left the ground and flew through the air like a missile, knocking Jonah against the side of the house.
Hardy heard the breath leave Jonah’s lungs in a whoosh before they both fell to the concrete porch.
In the back of his mind, Hardy knew Miracle was saying something to him, but he was blinded by his rage, thinking only of tearing Jonah limb from limb for daring to lay a finger on Miracle.
Hardy wrestled Jonah onto his back and, before he could think better of it, his fist connected with Jonah’s jaw. Bone hitting bone split the quiet night like a crack of thunder. Hardy felt very little pain as the bones in his hand gave way. He didn’t realize what had happened until he landed his second punch and felt the splintering in his wrist.
He dropped his right hand, having every intention of proceeding with his left, but his opponent was already unconscious beneath him. He wasn’t sure which punch had done it, but Hardy had knocked Jonah out.
Like a tide receding from the shore, most of Hardy’s anger drained away and he thought only of Miracle. He turned to locate her. She was standing behind him, near her front door, her eyes wide and her hands clamped tightly over her mouth.
Hardy rose to his feet and walked to her. When he raised his hands toward her, she flinched, backing away from him.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Miracle looked from him to Jonah and back again. Finally she nodded. Hardy took another step toward her, but she backed further away.
“I won’t hurt you, Miracle. I’d never hurt you.”
He saw the indecision in her eyes. She was warring with what she knew of him versus what she’d just witnessed. To trust him or not to trust him. He’d given her reason to doubt him and it tore Hardy apart.
His heart plummeted when Hardy saw fear and something akin to distrust drop down over Miracle’s face like a curtain. In that moment, Hardy realized the extent of the damage he’d done. And there was nothing he could do to change it.
“Maybe you should go, Hardy,” Miracle suggested when she finally moved her hands.
“I’m not leaving you alone with him when he wakes up, Miracle.”
“I’m not worried about him,” she said pointedly.
“Miracle, please don’t do this. I’m not the bad guy here. I saw him grab you. I was just trying to protect you.”
“I didn’t need protecting, Hardy. He wasn’t going to hurt me. He was just upset.”
“But it looked like—”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have been watching. Or maybe you should’ve made sure of what was going on before you went and attacked him.”
Between the disgust in Miracle’s eyes and the growing pain in his hand, Hardy was feeling worse by the second. “Here, I’ll call 911.” Hardy yelped when, out of habit, he reached into his pocket with his right hand to retrieve his phone.
That got Miracle’s attention. “Let me see your hand, Hardy.”
She stepped closer to him and, even though he really didn’t want her touching it, he bit his lip and let her anyway. It was better than seeing her back away from him as though he might strike her at any moment.
After taking his hand gently into her own and closely examining it, Miracle raised troubled eyes to his. “Hardy, what if it’s broken?”