“How’d it go?”
“Smooth,” I replied, on the move. He fell into step beside me. “No fuckin’ clue if she’ll pop up again like herpes, but I doubt it.”
“And the contract is gone?”
“Gray watched her cancel it.”
“Thank fuck,” he said with a sigh. “Be careful in there. They’re watchin’ a movie, and when I opened the door, they screamed at me to go away.”
I laughed but opened the door cautiously.
Lily, Frankie, and Harper were lined up on the couch, covered in blankets. On the coffee table were empty cans of soda, crackers, chips, and various candies. They didn’t even turn to look when I stepped into the house.
“This a private party?” I asked.
Harper jumped off the couch so fast she got tangled in the blanket and nearly tripped over the coffee table. Within seconds her body collided with mine.
“Hey, baby,” I murmured into her neck.
“Is it over?” she asked, her arms like a vise around my neck.
“It’s over.”
“And I won’t have to press my boobs to any glass?”
“You won’t have to press your tits to any glass,” I confirmed.
“Thank God.” She held me for a long time, and when she finally let go, it was only to kiss me long and wet.
“I’m free!” she announced, throwing her arms in the air as she spun toward the women. “You’re free! We can go shopping! We can go to a restaurant! We can go to that little place where you drink and paint!”
“Which one do you want to do first?” I asked, chuckling.
“Your house,” Harper replied, wiggling her eyebrows.
“I’m going to call Gray,” Frankie said, folding the blanket she was using. “Then I’ll help clean all this up.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Lily waved her off.
“I’m going to pack a bag,” Harper said, spinning toward the stairs. She raced up them like her ass was on fire.
I walked over to help Lily gather up the garbage.
“It went okay?” she asked.
“All good,” I replied. “Harper’s safe.”
“Thank God,” she said with a sigh. “I knew you’d do it, but the waiting was starting to get to me.”
“It’s always worse on the waitin’ end,” I commiserated as we carried the trash into the kitchen.
“But now everything can go back to normal,” she announced with a small smile. “Except I hear my daughter is moving out again.”
I winced. I thought we’d agreed Harper wouldn’t say anything until I was back. You know, after I talked to her dad and convinced him that it was the right move.
“You’re lucky she told me,” Lily said. “Because I had a chance to convince Leo that it was a good thing.”
“Thanks for that,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck uncomfortably.
