Nick nodded. He knew all too well about facing things that overwhelmed him. His own life had been full of such moments in the aftermath of Kara’s death. If Harlow needed support, then Nick wouldn’t hesitate to be there for her. He had no clue what their official status was, but there was no doubt in his mind how he felt about her. And maybe he didn’t have any sense at all, because these feelings should terrify him rather than make him more excited about life than he’d been in a very long time.
Chapter Eighteen
Harlow didn’t want to jinx anything, but life in Mistletoe was good. Everything was shaping up quite nicely. She loved her workplace, the Paws staff was amazing, and with a few exceptions, the residents had rolled out the welcome mat for her. She had a core group of friends, which seemed to be growing every day. And she was with Nick. Sweet, delicious Nick. How had she gotten so lucky as to meet a man who cooked like a master chef, looked like he could be in print ads, and was caring and thoughtful? He was also a good kisser. Last night, they had stepped out on Nick’s back porch to gaze at a sky full of stars. Before too long they’d landed in each other’s arms with her lips on fire from Nick’s kisses.
On her way home she’d thought about what it might be like to be a permanent fixture in Nick’s life. That would mean sticking around Mistletoe, but that didn’t seem out of the question any longer. She didn’t harbor any illusions about becoming Mrs. Nick Keegan, but the moments spent in his company were precious to her. He was the real deal, and she liked seeing herself through his eyes. Nick always made it very clear that he thought she was special.
Hanging out with Nick at his place had been pretty amazing. She did wonder about Miles and his behavior toward her. Although she hadn’t let on to Nick, his rejection had hurt her feelings. He was such a big part of Nick’s life. If Miles hated her, it was hard to imagine that her relationship with Nick could continue. She wished that she could pin down what she’d done to alienate him.
As she sat in her kitchen nook and looked out the window across the lake while eating her breakfast omelet, Harlow’s mind began to whirl. She was going to call the airlines this morning and book a flight to Cape Cod. She would reach out to her brother in the hopes that he could join her on the trip. Some might say she used Malcolm as a buffer in certain situations, but he was her human security blanket. Ever since they were kids, she’d leaned on him. Sometimes she thought it was a twin thing.
Harlow checked her watch and decided to take a quick walk around the lake before it was time to head to work. Once she was bundled up in her warmest fall coat, Harlow headed outside. The sun was poking out behind the clouds. She lifted her face up toward the sky and spread her arms wide.This is the life.A charming home by the lake. Working at a thriving practice. Nick. Most of all Nick. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she had felt so content. So fulfilled.
Could these feelings last? In her experience, good times were as fleeting as a summer rainstorm. But maybe for once she needed to believe that she was worthy of all this. She couldn’t always walk around with a dark cloud hanging over her head. Harlow knew she needed to be in a more positive head space so she could accept the blessings in her path.
Do better! Be better! It’ll pay off in the end, a voice whispered in her ear.
With a sigh, she turned her back on the lake and headed inside the house, where she took a quick shower and got dressed for work. On her way to the clinic, Harlow stopped at the floral shop to pick up flowers. Sunflowers would look beautiful at the front desk.
“Good morning, Jon,” she said, breezing into the office as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She held out the flowers to him. “These are for you. A nice dose of autumn for your workspace.”
“Thank you, Autumn.” Jon gave her a huge smile as he took the flowers from her.
“There’s someone here to see you,” he said, nodding toward the waiting room area. Harlow turned her head and laid eyes on Miles, sitting in a nearby chair. “Miles! What are you doing here?” She looked around the room for Nick. Perhaps there had been an emergency with Zeus.
“Is your dad here?” she asked. If so, where was he hiding?
Miles stood up and approached her. “No, he’s at work. Can I talk to you in private?”
Private? What in the world was going on?
“Sure,” she said, leading the way to her office. Once they stepped inside, she closed the door behind them. “Shouldn’t you be in school right about now?”
“This won’t take long. Van drove me here, so he’s going to get me to school in time for homeroom meeting,” Miles said before taking a huge breath.
“Okay, shoot. I’m all ears,” Harlow said, waiting for Miles to start talking.
“Are you going to marry my dad?” Miles asked. His lips were trembling and the expression on his face was a panicked one. Harlow wanted to burst out laughing, but she sensed this wasn’t funny to Miles.
“Miles, I just met your dad. We’re getting to know each other right now, so no, we aren’t making plans to get married,” Harlow explained.
Miles let out a sigh of relief. His entire body language shifted from tension to a more relaxed posture. “I was planning to break the two of you up,” he blurted out. “That’s why I was so mean to you the night you came to our house.”
“Oh,” Harlow said, taken aback by Miles’s admission. “Is there a reason you don’t want us together?”
Miles looked down and fumbled with his fingers. “I like it being the two of us. I don’t want that to go away.” Miles began to sniffle. “And I don’t want my mom to be forgotten.”
Harlow reached out and grasped his hand. “None of that is going to happen. Your father loves you to the moon and back. You’re his favorite person on earth. And with regards to your mom, I know what it’s like to lose a parent at a young age. I lost my dad when I was a few years older than you.”
Miles’s eyes bulged. “Really? You did?”
Harlow nodded. “Yes. And I know how much it hurts. Trust me, Miles, you can keep her memory alive just by talking about her. By loving her.”
“I don’t talk about her sometimes, because I don’t want my dad to be sad.”
“Oh, I’m sure he would love to hear you talk about her, Miles. Remember, he loves her too.”
A few seconds passed by without either one of them uttering a word. Harlow believed Miles was taking in everything she’d said to him.
