I smirk from accomplishment. “Oh dear, look at us having our first quarrel.”
Harlow rolls her eyes and walks past me. “Fine.” She throws her arms up in the air. “You’re right.”
Walking by her side, I keep my cheeky grin fixed. “I like hearing that roll of your tongue. It’s a statement that you might be repeating often.”
She shakes her head ruefully. “I would probably push you into the woods if it wasn’t for the fact that underneath your exterior, I can tell that you’re not that cocky.” She shoots me a glance. “Doesn’t mean you should have littered in the woods, though.”
I hold my hands up in surrender. “I shall obey.”
“Great.”
“Let me guess, you’re a vegetarian.”
“Let me guess, you eat a lot of meat,” she counters.
“I need my protein,” I respond.
“Well, there are other ways to get your protein.” Harlow stops again, and she winces when she realizes her word choice could be completely inappropriate, and because it’s me, then of course, I only heard the inappropriate version. “I mean oats, nuts, beans.”
“Nuts, hmm.”
She shakes her head, getting exhausted from me. “I don’t eat meat, okay… well, unless it’s a warm beef sandwich with melted cheese and this special sauce. But that doesn’t really count.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I tease.
We continue on our walk and occasionally throw a look at one another, with light smiles on our faces.
This feels like an unusual day. Can’t exactly figure out why, other than the breeze feels different, lighter, new. Harlow seems to play a part. That’s a little crazy considering we only just met, and we didn’t make a great first impression either. However, as the day moves on, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe everything this morning happened for a reason.
Harlow intrigues me. And lucky for me, she’s someone worth looking at.
“See up there?” I point to where the row of trees ends. “Main Street isn’t far.”
“What made you move here?” She’s curious as we continue our stroll.
“I was living in Chicago, but I wanted a quieter life. I’ve been out here a few times, as there are a lot of hockey camps and training sessions at the sports complex in Lake Spark, and the Spinners train there. I may be retired, but I’m still very much passionate about hockey.”
Her face brightens with surprise. “A true loyalist.”
“Perhaps. Anyhow, when my brother became general manager for the Spinners, then he moved here recently, and we’re close, so it was a no-brainer. Not to mention that I have a baby niece now.”
Harlow looks at me with a soft fondness hinted on her face. “And wildlife too.” She nudges my shoulder with her own. “Winter this far north scares the hell out of me. I need sun, smoothies, and a beach. I’m an only child, and my parents moved down to the Virgin Islands when they retired.”
“Sounds lonely.”
She smiles gently. “Nah, I have my book boyfriends.”
I roll my eyes, and we continue to walk until we pass the gazebo on the grass along the lake and hit Main Street. To my surprise, Harlow doesn’t want to stop inside any of the boutiques; instead, she follows me until I lead us straight to Jolly Joe’s. They have great coffee and delicious ice cream, and perfect grilled cheese too. It’s a Lake Spark essential, however the jukebox in the corner seems to be reserved for tourists.
When we walk inside, Harlow quickly excuses herself to use the restroom. It’s perfect timing, as I see my brother’s girlfriend waiting for something to-go.
“Hey, Isla,” I greet her as I arrive to stand next to her.
She looks up from her phone and gives me a warm smile. “Oh hey, thought you were at your writers’ retreat thing.”
“I am, but my partner for the day and I decided we should break a few rules, so here we are to order milkshakes.”
“You and rule-breaking. Sounds about right.” Isla hasn’t been with my brother Vaughn for long, but she gets me. “Vaughn is away at the game down in Dallas next week. Want to meet up for dinner?”
