“I hadn’t really thought about it yet.”
Harper sighed. “Me neither. I let you distract me with that hot, naked body of yours.”
“Oh, you mean this hot, naked body?” Luke pulled his shirt off and was dragging hers over her head before she could gasp with laughter.
***
Wednesday evening, Harper headed home without Luke. He was off on a job site somewhere, solving a crisis, reassuring a client. She appreciated his work ethic. No problem was too small for him to tackle when it came to making clients and employees feel valued.
Just that morning, Luke had called their newest employee in for a meeting. John was eighteen, fresh out of high school, and had great promise as a future finish carpenter.
“Listen, John, you need to understand that just because you’ve got a little money in your pocket, it doesn’t mean you get to out and do a bunch of stupid shit. You don’t need to buy a $45,000 pickup, and you sure as hell don’t need a 60-inch TV for your parents’ basement. I want you to be successful, and I’m here to help you get there ...”
Harper had grinned to herself as she made copies and eavesdropped outside Luke’s office.
He really cared about his people, whether they were family, friends, or employees. He was the kind of man you could depend on. Not only to help you out of a jam, but one who would protect you from one if he could.
She carried her purse and lunch bag back to the kitchen and dumped them on the counter. It was such a beautiful spring evening, she decided to open up every window in the house to welcome the breeze. She ran up to the bedroom to change into shorts and a t-shirt and was on the stairs when she heard the knock at the front door.
“Claire! Hi! Come on in.” Harper stepped back and waved Luke’s mom in.
Claire held up a plastic container of mini cheesecakes. “I was just in the neighborhood with baked goods and thought I’d stop in.”
“Oh my God. For those, you can move in,” Harper laughed. “Come on back. Can I get you something to drink? Water? Iced tea?”
“Iced tea would be great, thanks.” Claire started down the hall behind Harper and made it as far as the dining room.
“Oh, he finally got furniture!”
Harper joined her in the doorway. “Just this week. I accidentally invited some friends over for dinner without knowing that Luke was terribly sensitive about not having places for people to sit.”
“I’ve been waiting for that boy to turn this house into a home for so long,” Claire turned to Harper. “You, my dear, deserve more than half a dozen cheesecakes.”
After a quick tour of the rest of the new furniture, they took their iced tea on the back porch to enjoy the spring day.
Claire pushed off the porch boards and set the swing into an easy motion. “I have a confession to make. I wasn’t just in the neighborhood with baked goods.”
“You don’t say,” Harper said over the rim of her glass.
“Luke calls it meddling. I call it mothering,” she sighed, running a hand through her short dark hair threaded with silver. It was a standard Luke move that made Harper smile. “He thinks because he’s a grown man that his business is his business. But he doesn’t understand what it’s like to raise someone into an adult. You don’t just stop ...”
“Caring?”
Claire nodded. “Exactly. He’s thirty years old and I still feel the need to make sure he’s okay. I bet your parents are the same way.”
Harper cocked her head. “I imagine they would be. They passed away when I was very young, but I like to think that they would have a vested interest in my life if they were still here.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that, Harper. I didn’t know! Please excuse me for opening my gigantic mouth.”
Harper laughed. “That’s all right. It was a long time ago.”
“Time doesn’t always heal all wounds,” Claire said a little sadly. “Some never recover from loss.”
“I guess some of us just don’t recognize how valuable our time is here. How we shouldn’t spend our time mourning our loss, but thanking our lucky stars we had someone wonderful in our lives for no matter how long.”
“Then Luke’s told you —”
Claire was cut off by the screen door swinging open.
