Then a meme of a cat with its head stuck in a cereal box and a voice memo.
Harper: Don’t listen to that. I was crying, and I sound like a seal.
Harper: Call me when you’re done getting busy.
Harper: I’ll be over here entering my cobweb crotch era.
A string of emojis followed, ranging from a cat to an eggplant to several skulls.
I laughed before I could stop myself. “You’d better call her before she resorts to smoke signals.”
Reese stood and slipped through the back door with her wine, shutting the door behind her.
Atlas and Zarek had moved on from potatoes to whether or not Zarek’s dock needed to be re-sealed for winter, which was an equally riveting topic. I listened for a few minutes, finishing my drink.
“I’m going to grab another drink.” I stood, and Lucan caught my hand, pulling me in for a quick kiss.
Inside, I found Reese in the living room, pacing in front of the fireplace with her phone held out. A video call was in progress, and I could hear a woman’s voice speaking rapidly.
“Slow down, Harper.”
I backed toward the door. This felt like a private thing, and the last thing I wanted to do was walk into the middle of it.
But before I could make it outside, Reese adjusted the angle of the phone, and Harper stopped mid-sentence.
“Is that Liz?”
I stopped.
Reese turned around with an expression that was half apology, half amusement. “Liz, this is Harper.”
I approached reluctantly, feeling awkward. “Sorry, I just wanted to get a refill and make sure everything was okay. I’ll leave you guys to it.”
Harper had dark hair with a few strands of gray that had probably started the day in a neat bun and had since staged a revolt. Her green eyes were glossy and puffy.
“No, stay! I’ve heard so much about you.” She waved a hand and then let out a deep sigh. “I broke up with my boyfriend.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I joined Reese as she sat down on the couch.
Reese grabbed her wine from where she’d set it on the coffee table. “Do I even want to ask why?”
“Kids.” Harper rolled her eyes. “He’s fifty-two years old! Fifty-two, and he looked at me—a forty-four-year-old woman who hasn’t had a normal period in two years and has two adult children—and said he wanted his own. He knows I’m done.”
“You told him that when you started dating.” Reese took a sip of her wine.
Harper flopped onto her bed. “On our second date, and he said he understood completely. He even acknowledged that Butters was my third child.”
“Butters?”
“Her cat… listen, maybe just take a break?” Reese suggested gently. “Bask in the singleness for a while.”
Harper sat up, swiping at her eyes. “I think you’re right. I’m done with men. I gave him three years of my life, and what did I get? A man who apparently didn’t listen to a single thing I said.”
“Maybe you should come visit. You could stay in the RV now that Liz has moved in with Lucan.”
Harper tilted her head. “What’s the weather like?”
“Well, it’s almost November, so it’s beautiful.”
