"Don'tSadieme.Someonehad to intervene." She leans back, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "Although the blizzard…that was pure luck. EvenIcan't control the weather."
“We could’ve died!”
She shakes her head. “No way. Not with my brother around.”
I huff and take a long drink, letting the warmth spread through me. "I admit I’ve always been attracted to Harlon. I tried so hard not to be, but?—"
“He’s stupidly hot, good with…wood, and emotionally unavailable, which put all together turns women into puddles of goo.”
A laugh bursts out of me. "Something like that."
“Why do you think I fell for Ledger?” she says, laughing. "For what it's worth, Jayce told me a while ago he wasn’t feeling it." At my sharp look, she continues. "I tried to convince him to tell you how he felt, but it wasn’t my place.”
I shake my head. “Deep down inside, I could probably tell?—"
"You were a great girlfriend, Piper. But you can't force feelings that aren't there." She bumps my shoulder. "And you definitely can't help who you fall for."
"What about our age difference?” I say, voicing the fear that's been gnawing at me.
"Big whoop." Sadie shrugs. "You're not some naive kid, and he's not some creep taking advantage. You're two adults who happen to have chemistry. The age gap is just a number."
“A big number.”
“You've always been an old soul.” She pats my arm gently. “Even when you first started dating Jayce, I remember thinking you seemed more mature than half my friends who are in their thirties. You’ve got brains and you're building a career on your own terms. Plus, you're not looking for someone to take care of you."
"No," I agree. "I'm not."
"And Harlon?" She smiles. "He's been taking care of everyone else his whole life. Maybe it's time someone took care of him for a change."
I think about Harlon—the way he made sure I was warm in the cabin, kept the fire going through the night, restocked the supplies we used. But also the way he listens when I talk about my apps, and the way he encourages me not to settle for anything less than what I want.
Not to mention, how he looks at me like I’m the most important thing in his world.
“What if Jayce is really upset?” I whisper. “What if Harlon chooses his brother over—” I can't finish the sentence.
Sadie takes my hand. "Then they’re both idiots, and I'll kick their asses myself."
The back door opens again, and my heart stops.
Harlon stands there, his expression unreadable in the late afternoon light. His gray eyes find mine, and for a horrible second, I can't breathe.
"I should go check on dinner," Sadie announces, suddenly on her feet. She squeezes my shoulder once then passes Harlon before disappearing inside.
Harlon moves down the steps slowly, and I can't tell if he's about to break my heart or?—
"So," I say, trying to sound casual and failing miserably. "How did it go?"
He sits beside me on the step, our thighs touching. “Jayce was...surprised.”
"Good surprised or bad?—"
"Let me finish." He takes my hand and threads our fingers together. "He asked if I was serious about you…and I told him I've been in love with you for a long time.”
The world tilts sideways.
"He asked if you felt the same way," Harlon continues. "I said I thought so, but we hadn't really talked about it yet."
I let out a long breath.
