“Let me guess: you were the prom queen.”
She winced. “Yeah, I was.” She remembered how thrilled Madge had been when Harper came home from school the week before and told her she’d been chosen. She also remembered the fun they’d had shopping for a dress, shoes, and jewelry. Then they’d both gotten their nails done. That had been more fun than the prom itself. She’d gone with the star basketball player, and he’d gotten too handsy on the wayhome from the dance, and when she put the kibosh on anything ever happening between them, he’d dropped her off at home in a huff, mad that he hadn’t gotten what he wanted.
“I can show you how to tie this,” Harper said, shoving aside the unpleasant memory. She moved closer to him until they were only a few inches apart. Wow, he smelled sublime. If “appealingly unpretentious” had a scent, it would be calledRusty. “First you, um, have to...”
He frowned. “Finish buttoning my shirt?”
“Right. That.” Oh, this was a bad idea. She should have waited for the saleswoman to do this. Better yet, just buy the ensemble and have Senior show him how to deal with the tie. But she’d already committed to this. It was just a tie. This was just Rusty.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
Just Rusty... just Rusty...There was something about a man in a suit that made her weak in the knees. And a man as good natured, gentle, and yes, ashotas Rusty almost took her breath away. “First you have to lift up the collar.” Once he did that, she said, “Then you wrap the tie around your neck, like this.” She lifted the tie and looped it around his neck, trying to hide the fact that her hands had inexplicably started trembling. “Then you form a knot.” Explaining each movement as she did it, she ended up with a decent Half Windsor. She slowly pushed the knot up to the center of his collar. When she lifted her eyes, her toes curled in her flats. Then her gaze dropped to his clean-shaven chin. She ran her fingertip over his smooth skin, unable to resist touching him.
He cleared his throat and moved away from her. “I can take it from here.” He pushed down the collar and turnedaround to face the mirror. After a quick glance he said, “Good enough,” then hurried back to the dressing room.
Harper put her hand over her heart, the beat thumping out of control under her palm.What just happened?As her pulse slowed, her mind cleared. She’d touched him. And not just a little touch either. She’d let her finger slowly trail the side of his jaw... and she’d enjoyed every second.
Oh no.
Rusty burst out of the dressing room at warp speed, tugging his shirt down. Then he spun around, dashed back, and hurried out with the suit and shirt and tie slung over his forearm. “I’ll pay for these,” he said, not waiting for her to follow him.
She stayed put, trying to figure out what to do next. This was unfamiliar territory. Normally she had to fend off unwanted advances, not commit them. Ugh, she wanted to kick herself. Obviously she’d made him uncomfortable, or he wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to leave the store. Should she apologize? Blow it off and pretend it never happened? Had she ruined one of the best days she’d had in a long time? More like forever.
Harper picked up her purse and walked to the checkout area, trying to regain her equilibrium, but she was still off-kilter by the time she reached the counter. Rusty was already signing the electronic pad to finish the purchase. He didn’t acknowledge her as he thanked the saleswoman and took his suit—now hanging in a flimsy garment bag—and the bag with his shirt and tie from her. He clumsily held the suit and turned to Harper. “Anything else?”
His expression was unreadable, and her stomach sank.She was sure he needed a pair of dress socks and possibly dress shoes, but she didn’t dare go there. “No. We’re all done.”
He nodded and headed for the exit, leaving her behind.
***
Rusty was grateful for the cold air that hit him when he walked out of the department store. He knew he was being a complete jerk by walking out on Harper, but it couldn’t be helped. If he hadn’t left, he might’ve done something dumb. Like pull her into his arms and kiss her.
It wasn’t her fault that he wished her innocent gesture of brushing something off his chin was something different. Or that he couldn’t pay attention to anything she was doing when she showed him how to tie his new necktie. How could he when all he could focus on was her mouth, which had been only inches away? He’d never considered himself a weak man, but there was something about Harper that could easily zap his resolve to remain platonic. And it wasn’t just her looks, although they factored into the equation. She was the whole package—smart, savvy, generous, funny... He could go on and on... and on...
The door opened behind him, and he gave his head a hard shake.Get a grip.Inhaling a deep breath, he turned and tried to relax enough to give her a smile. If he ignored his weird behavior, hopefully she would too. “Where to next, boss?”
“Back home.”
Her smile was strained, and it was his fault. He moved to stand beside her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have rushed off like that. I, uh . . .” Great. Now he had to explain why he’d run off, and he wasn’t sure how.
“I don’t blame you.” She stared down at the sidewalk. “I shouldn’t have, um...”
“Brushed something off my chin?”
Her head popped up. “Yes, that. I, uh, should have just told you about it.” The tension around her eyes eased a bit. “Sometimes I’m a little too audacious for my own good.”
“Now that’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time.” Grinning, he gestured to the parking lot, glad she wasn’t mad at him. “Let’s get out of here.”
After he hung up his suit on the small hook in her car and put the bag with the rest of his outfit in the back seat, he got into the Merc, and she started the engine. When it began to purr, he sat back, satisfied he’d finally solved the problem with her car. The next time he saw her Merc at his garage, he was sure it would be for routine maintenance.
As Harper headed back to Maple Falls, he asked, “Are you hungry? Two Oreos and some powdered tea ain’t much of a snack.”
“I am, a little.” She glanced at him. “Did you have something in mind?”
He paused. He did, actually, but he reckoned she wouldn’t be interested. But the night sky was clear, and the viewing would be perfect. She’d already seen the inside of his house anyway. Why not let her see the backyard too? “How would you like to do a little stargazin’?”
“Where?”
