Read When Harriet Came Home for Free Online Page A

either. She strode away at a staccato pace, as though she really wanted to scurry but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of thinking he could chase her off. That denim skirt and fitted green shirt of hers showed off her curvy figure to perfection. She looked like one of those cute Hawaiian hula dolls with a small waist and shapely hips. And her smooth tanned calves were something else.
    Damn. His scowl deepened. Why the hell was his body attracted to Harriet Brown? He wasn’t a hormonal teenager anymore, unable to curb his body’s responses to females, so why now, and why with Harriet? It didn’t make sense. Harriet ought to be the last person he found appealing, but he seemed to have no control over his libido.
    But it was more than just her pretty eyes and ripe curves that struck a chord in him. Something about her inner spirit intrigued him. What was the saying…still waters run deep? When he’d been an arrogant, know-it-all teenager he’d never bothered to get to know the reclusive Harriet Brown. He suspected after all these years it would be just as difficult.
    He turned on Tony, exasperated by himself. “You going to spend all day stuffing your face with muffins?”
    Tony swallowed down the last chunk and licked his lips. “They’re awesome muffins. Best I’ve ever tasted. Why don’t you try one?”
    “I don’t have time for bloody muffins.” But as the rich chocolatey aroma drifted past his nose, his stomach growled, and his mouth started to water.
    “Suit yourself.” Tony picked up his hammer and returned to his work.
    Adam eyed the remaining muffin. Damn, it smelled good. Maybe just one bite wouldn’t hurt. He picked up the muffin and sank his teeth into its crust. A dense, dark, sugary sensation blossomed in his mouth, galvanising every taste bud. Before he knew it, he’d crammed the rest of the muffin into his mouth, eager for every morsel of its incredible taste and texture. He eyed the empty plate, dabbing at a few stray crumbs.
    A nearby snort made him glance up to catch Tony grinning at him.
    “Told you they were good,” Tony yelled.
    Adam wiped his mouth and frowned.

Chapter Three
    Freshly showered and changed, Adam stepped into the entrance of the hospital and came to an abrupt halt when he spotted Harriet just ahead of him. Great. Why was it that when you were trying to avoid someone, that person seemed to pop up all over the darn place? The lobby was crowded with visitors and staff, and she had her back turned to him, but something must have alerted her to his presence. He saw her pause, her back stiffening, before she turned and looked straight at him. Her body tensed up, and something almost like dismay flashed across her face before she quickly recovered.
    “I thought you were visiting my father after work,” she said, her voice a little breathless as he caught up with her.
    He couldn’t suppress his prickling awareness of her. She had changed into tight jeans and a pink top with a matching pink cardigan. Her brown hair curled loosely around her cheeks, cheeks which were growing redder by the second.
    He realised he was staring and cleared his throat. “I was, but your father rang and asked me to come later at seven.”
    She drew her eyebrows together into a small frown. “He asked me to come at seven too.”
    Adam wondered if Ken had done that on purpose. He saw the suspicion cross her face at the same time. He’d been expecting a quiet, comfortable chat alone with Ken, but now Harriet was here, and he felt the exact opposite of comfortable. She didn’t seem happy either.
    “I suppose we’d better not disappoint him.”
    He was awkwardly conscious of her as she walked beside him down the corridor. The top of her head stopped several inches below his shoulder, and next to her small, neat frame he felt too big. Even her feet, with their surprising bright red nail polish, seemed to have trouble keeping up with his loping stride.
    “Ah, just the two I’ve been waiting