Harper didn’t bother to answer. He was too busy texting Colson.
I met your friend’s wife and their children today. She was mugged.
As expected, Colson called him immediately. He stopped at the corner and leaned on a building. Walking and holding a conversation was never a good idea. Too much distraction.
“What the hell are you talking about? Bea? She’s okay? And the kids? What happened?” He was tripping over his tongue in an effort to get the words out, and Harper waited for him to run out of air.
“Slow down. She was the victim of one of those scooter robberies that’re plaguing the area. They were waiting on the corner, and she had her phone out. The perps zipped by and grabbed it right out of her hand. She was shaken up, but the kids were incredibly detail-oriented in their descriptions.” His lips twitched. “I could use witnesses like them more often.”
“They didn’t get hurt, did they?” Apparently Colson didn’t appreciate his attempt to lighten the situation, as his joke was ignored. “She’s okay? Does Hogan know?”
“Yes. I gave her my phone to call him.” He hesitated. “Seems she knew we’re…friendly?”
“I told Hogan we’ve gotten close and that I’m going to meet your brother. Is that a problem? Were you planning on keeping it a secret?”
Colson’s annoyance came through loud and clear, and Harper rushed to cut it off.
“No, of course not. I just figured…maybe we should wait and see how it works out first. You know…” God, he hated having to say it, but there was no guarantee Colson would stay after spending the day. Like ripping off a bandage, the pain of potential failure was obvious. At least to him. He knew Colson’s nature was—as Bea claimed—sweet and gentle, something Harper had seen firsthand with Millie Johnson. But Harper also knew the reality of his daily life was demanding. As hurt as Harper had been when Ronnie walked away, he almost couldn’t blame him.
Perhaps with Colson, he’d been holding his breath, anticipating failure.
Life had punched him down, again and again, and he’d learned to take it on the chin and accept the blows.
“No,” Colson said, “Idon’tknow. Are you expecting me to walk away?” he demanded. “Is that what you’re thinking?”
“I have no expectations.” What he wished for and reality were almost always two very different things. Harper had learned to live with the pain of disappointment.
“Then I guess you don’t know me very well. I don’t give up when I want something badly enough.”
“I like it when you get demanding,” Harper murmured.
But Colson wasn’t having it. “I’m serious, Harper. Just because someone else wasn’t willing to be a decent human being doesn’t mean I’m the same. I think we have the potential for something good here, but you can’t start out thinking we’re going to fail.”
“I’m trying not to. I’m heading home now, and I’ll see you tomorrow. After breakfast is good?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there, and I hope you won’t be so negative.”
“I’ll try.” It was the best he could do.
***
Over David’s favorite meal of pancakes, Harper explained again that a friend of his was visiting and wanted to meet him. David appeared to listen and didn’t respond negatively. Harper leaned in to give him a kiss, and he returned it.
Luis had wandered in during the last half of the conversation for some coffee and to give his opinion.
“Hallelujah. Colson is a great guy. Really sweet and gentle with David.” Luis met David’s eyes. “Remember the man who helped you with the ice cream?”
David’s fingers twitched, his eyes widened, and he grunted.
Harper took that as a positive. “Yes, buddy. That’s who’s coming. He and I are good friends. Maybe we can take a walk in the park today. Would you like that?” To his relief, David smiled.
Across the kitchen, Luis’s grin threatened to overtake his face, and Harper rolled his eyes. “Don’t you have something to do on your day off except spy on me?”
Snickering, Luis poured another cup of coffee. “Nope. I’m going to hang out here and say hi to Colson.” He removed a plate from the cabinet and took some pancakes. “I got invited to a barbecue, but that’s not until the afternoon.”
“That’s an idea. We could do one here. Some hamburgers and hot dogs. I wouldn’t mind. How about you, David?” His brother licked his lips, and Harper wondered, as he often did, if the doctor’s diagnosis as to the severity of David’s brain injurywas correct. There were many times Harper believed David understood his conversations. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
This time David didn’t respond and gazed at the wall across from them, and Harper sighed with frustration and shook his head. He took his plate and David’s to the dishwasher. Luis drank more of his coffee, a sympathetic wrinkle in his brow.
