After twenty minutes of eyeballing grass and finding nothing, he gave up.
“I’m happy to report I don’t see anything.”
“Oh, that’s good. I’m glad. Now please come inside.”
“Well, I need to check the front.”
“Oh. You can’t get to it from the garden.”
He traipsed up the steps of the deck, through the house, and out the front door. Like he did in the backyard, Harper searched through the bushes.
“Hey, what’re you doing?” a familiar voice shouted. “I’m gonna call the cops.”
Harper straightened up and faced Colson, who stood on the sidewalk at the base of the staircase to Millie’s house. At his side was a big, good-looking, blond man. Harper crossed his arms and leaned against the brownstone’s balustrade. Well, now. Was Colson on a date?
“Excuse me?” He smirked. “I think it’s okay, don’t you?”
Colson flushed. “Oh, hi.”
“Oh, hi,” he repeated and waited. Colson obviously felt uncomfortable, but Harper didn’t understand why. They weren’t a couple and had made no promises. Still, Blondie needed to put a little space between himself and Colson. He was practically on top of him.
“Th-this is Danny. Danny, this is Harper.”
“Detective Rose,” he corrected. “I’m here at Ms. Johnson’s request.”
“I see. We won’t keep you, then.”
Danny-boy smiled at him. “Nice to meet you.”
The pleasure was all Danny’s.
He watched them walk across the street and up the steps to Colson’s town house. His jaw tightened. He and Colson might not be dating, but that didn’t mean he liked knowing Colson was going to have sex with someone. Danny-boy had that gleam in his eyes, and who could blame him? Colson was hot as fuck in his button-down with the sleeves rolled up, showing off those tats and sexy, strong forearms. His faded jeans looked painted on to his thick thighs and fabulous ass.
“Detective?” Millie’s voice pierced through his haze of angry lust.
“What? I’m sorry. I don’t seem to have found anything out of the ordinary.”
“Come back into the house, please.”
Colson had found someone else. It was what Harper had wanted…wasn’t it? He’d made it clear there was nothing between them but sex, so seeing Colson with another man, someone who could give him all the time and attention he deserved, shouldn’t hurt. He shouldn’t want to punch the guy in the nose and tell him to get away from Colson. That he was with Harper.
God, I’m so fucked.
Harper needed to leave. Or throw up. He should take a long walk to release the tight knot of misery in the pit of his stomach. Instead, he walked up the stairs and into the kitchen, where Millie gave him a cup of tea and pushed cookies in front of him.
“I wouldn’t worry about Colson and that man.”
He choked on the tea. “I’m sorry, what?”
Her eyes twinkled. “I may be old, but I still have eyes. And the first time you were here with Colson, you couldn’t take yours off him.” Her kind face glowed.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m sure you do, but I’ll respect your wishes if you can’t talk about it. I’m assuming you once had a bad relationship, but you can’t let it keep you from opening yourself up again.”
It was definitely time to leave, but he couldn’t do what he wanted, which was bolt out the door and start running. Because Harper knew, with the first step taken, he wouldn’t be able to stop. Over the years, he’d learned the one thing he couldn’t run from was his life.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Johnson, but you really are wrong. Mr. Delacourt and I are…I mean, we aren’t…” He sighed. “There isn’t anything to say.” He’d obviously lost his ability to speak and form sentences.
