Page 26 of Ford

Gerri shook her head. “She travels a lot in her job. Of course she is out of touch.” She looked at Ford. “You worry for nothing. It’s the twin thing.” She winked.

He wanted to choke Reuben.

“Ma, we think something happened to her,” Ford said.

Gerri turned back to the stove. “Nothing happened to RJ. She knows how to take care of herself.”

Sincewhen? He glanced at Knox who was conveniently staring at his coffee.

A knock sounded at the front door, and as Ford turned, it opened, and a man popped his head in. “Gerri, you here?”

Ford just stared at him. Early sixties, maybe, with gray hair, the man wore a Stetson, a pair of jeans, boots, and a snap button shirt, the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. He smiled. “Oh, the kids are home.”

“Hey, Hardwin,” Gerri said, and Ford watched as this strange man came in, took off his boots, and strode over to Gerri.

Then, in front of the entire family, he kissed her quickly on the lips.

What the—

Ford glanced at Tate, who had raised an eyebrow but didn’t move.

Hello,wasn’t anyone going to get up and shove the guy against the wall?

Hardwin walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a mug. Glanced at the coffee pot, now dripping. “Good timing, apparently. I like my coffee fresh. Hey, Knox. Reuben.”

“Hardwin,” Reuben said, smiling. “Missed you at my wedding.”

“Sorry. Had to go out of town to visit my son’s family in Minnesota. Where’s Gilly?”

“She’s working her sister’s cupcake shop up in Ember for a few days while her sister goes out of town.”

“And, how was the honeymoon?” Hardwin winked.

Ho-kay,that was enough. “Who are you?” Ford said.

Hardwin set the empty cup down. “You must be Ford. The SEAL.” He held out his hand.

Yeah, he was Ford. The SEAL. He stared at the man, not taking his hand. “And you are…?”

Hardwin dropped his hand. “Oh.” He glanced at Gerri, who made a face at him.

“Sorry, honey. With all the wedding preparations, I didn’t—”

“It’s okay,” Hardwin said.

But Ford was stuck on…honey?

And yes, he was all the way into panic and beyond when Hardwin turned and filled in the very unneeded missing piece. “I’m your mother’s boyfriend.”

His mother’sboyfriend.

Talk about soap operas and family secrets. “How long has this been going on?”

Gerri gave him a look, but hello, he’d been deployed, not captured and left for dead. A letter, an email, even a phone call—

“A few months.” Hardwin reached for the coffee, now brewed. “Are you home on leave?”

“Yeah. Sort of an unscheduled personal leave.” He looked at his mother. “Our sister seems to have gone missing.”