Hard Edge Read Online Free Page A

candy making.
    Long strips of buttered parchment paper lined the granite, and perfectly straight rows of white chocolate truffles stretched over the paper like small white mountains.
    “There you are, Kenny,” Mom said with only a momentary glimpse away from the candy thermometer in the pot. “Did you sleep well?”
    “The mattress is a little more lumpy than I remembered, but I guess that’s because my bones are older.” I took a deep whiff. “Mom, did you taste these truffles? I think you might have accidentally put garlic in them.”
    Her eyes widened, then her shoulders dropped in relief. “I’m not that scatterbrained, Kenna.” She used her forearm to push an errant strand of hair off her forehead. “But I sure wish I didn’t have all these orders to fill this week. The garlic is from the lasagna.” She took the pot she was stirring off the heat and walked over to me for a quick hug. Her apron smelled of a mix of caramel and onions. “A group of us got together and started a list of casseroles to make for the Strattons. It’s just a way of relieving some of the terrible stress and making sure they keep up their strength with home-cooked food.”
    “That’s nice, Mom. What can I do to help you?”
    “Actually, that’s what I was just about to ask you. Could you be a dear and take the lasagna across the street?”
    “What? Me? I’m not sure if I’m ready to see them yet. Couldn’t Dad take it?”
    Mom reached up and pushed my bra strap beneath the thin strap on my shirt. “Kenny, they’ve been asking about you. You and Grady were always so close. I think it would give them comfort to see you.”
    I glanced through the kitchen window to the house across the street. “Is Caden home already?”
    “Yes, poor guy. He got in a few days ago, just after the accident. It seemed he and Grady were planning to meet here in Mayfair this week to catch up on things. He looks completely bereft, of course. And a little wild looking with all sorts of tattoos,” she added unnecessarily and in a lower voice as if they might be able to hear her across the street. She took a deep breath and raised the volume again. “I always felt so sorry for Caden, bouncing back and forth between homes and never really belonging well in either. It’s no wonder that he was always in so much trouble.” It was amusing to think that she’d hushed herself about the tattoos but spoke quite freely about the Strattons never really treating Caden like part of the family, as if anyone could hear her opinion about that. “I think his parents thought four years as a soldier would straighten him up, but it seems, especially with what happened with his motorcycle racing career, that he is just as lost and shiftless as always.”
    Aside from the wild tattoos, my mom wasn’t telling me anything new. I hadn’t really seen or spoken to Caden in years, but Grady had kept me up on everything. I’d known that Caden had survived some tough years in combat, coming out mostly unscathed or at least physically unhurt, only to nearly lose his leg with a compound fracture of the femur. After that, he just never seemed to find his place in the world.
    “I’m sure Caden wouldn’t think so, but with what’s happened, maybe it was for the best that his career in racing ended early,” Mom added. “Do you think you could take the lasagna over this morning? It’s my day to drop off a meal, but I’ve got too much happening on the stove. And I know they’d like to see you.”
    My stomach churned with nerves at the notion of walking into a house where everyone was in full shock and grief, a house filled with people who I knew well but who I hadn’t seen or spoken to in a long time. I had absolutely no idea what to say to any of them . . . especially Caden.
    “If it will help you out, Mom, then I’ll walk over there. I won’t stay long though. I’m sure they aren’t in the mood for visitors. Besides, I won’t be much help. I’m not completely