Chapter Fourteen
HARPER
My brother Bradenwas sampling a batch of IPA behind the bar, a pen behind his ear and his focus so tight he didn’t notice me slip through the brewpub’s door. The place was uncharacteristically quiet, the only noise a low hum of the cooler unit and the scuff of my sandals on the floor. Normally, I’d find this morning, pre-opening stillness relaxing. The time when the place was holding its breath and waiting to explode with laughter, life, and chatter. But my mind was a churning mess of giddy uncertainty and confusing happiness, a persistent tension that even the brewpub’s expectant tranquility couldn’t shake. I was there to hash out some menu ideas with Braden for an upcoming beer-pairing dinner at Driftwood Grill.
Then I saw Ben, slumped over a corner table with his schoolbooks spread in front of him. His coffee steamed at the edge of the table, untouched. I made my way over, watching him as he stared out the window like it was a magic portal that might free him from his torment. Thatwas unlike him—he usually dove into challenges like a dog chasing a stick. I pulled up a chair across from him, glancing down at the book he’d been rattling a pen against. It was a two-inch-thick guide to human anatomy.
“Hey, you,” I said gently. “Taking a study break?”
He started, blinking as he looked up at me. I was met with green eyes full of clouded frustration, the usual quiet intensity replaced by an expression of doubt. My heart gave a sisterly squeeze at the sight.
“Not quite,” he said, attempting a weak smile.
As I sat with Ben and saw him struggling, my errand with Braden faded into the background. “You look about ready to throw that textbook into the ocean.” I wasn’t just teasing. There was a note of knowing understanding in my voice. I’d felt this way about my own life before.
Ben sighed and leaned back in his chair. His expression held a flicker of defeated humor, like he knew he was letting the situation get to him but couldn’t help it. “Wouldn’t be the worst idea. This stuff just isn’t sinking in, Harper. Why am I doing this to myself?”
I leaned in, resting my chin in my hands as I watched him fidget with a stack of notes. Frustration oozed from his movements, the doubt eating away at him.
I wanted to find the right words. Something that would cut through the academic struggle and hit at the heart of what was driving him—his desire to help, to be more than just the bad boy of the island. “Ben, you remember that guest who fell and hurt his leg by the pool last year? You were the first one there, totally calm and talking to him, keeping everyone else back until help arrived. That’s instinct. That’s what matters.”
“So?” He looked at me, a mix of skepticism and consideration in his eyes.
“You’re the most determined person I know,” I added. “When you decide to do something, you don’t give up. This is hard, yeah, but you can do hard things. You always have.”
The words hung in the air, and I could almost see him processing them, trying to reconcile the truth of what I said with the noise in his own mind. It felt like I was speaking to both of us, trying to reassure him—and myself—that we could handle our separate challenges.
Ben’s eyes dropped back to the book, the anatomy charts and diagrams looking impossibly complex and dense. I knew that feeling. It was the same way my heart felt when I thought about Chase and the future.
“Maybe you’re right,” he said, though the words came out uncertain. I could sense a tiny shift in him, like a stone nudged out of place in a stream, altering the flow of water around it.
“Trust me,” I said. “This isn’t about memorizing everything overnight. It’s about sticking with it, pushing through, and coming out the other side. I know you can do that.”
Ben didn’t answer right away, but the corners of his mouth pulled upward just a little. A subtle shift in his posture followed—a quiet loosening of the tense set of his shoulders. It was like watching a tightly wound spring slowly release, bit by bit. His hand moved to the flashcards and flipped one over. He studied it with a new focus, and the words that had seemed to mock him minutes ago appeared to take on a different light.
Warmth rushed through me, like the nurturing side of me had wrapped around us both. Helping Ben brought clarity, a reminder of the strength that came from perseverance. My heart still danced with that messy, happy chaos over Chase, but supporting Ben anchored me to thepresent, making the uncertainties feel more manageable. “You can do this, Ben. I believe in you.”
“Yeah. I sure hope so.” His eyes met mine. The stare was quieter than his usual bravado, but there was something even more reassuring in its subtlety. He might not have been effusive in his thanks, but the way he returned to his work was all the affirmation I needed. Then he really looked at me. “Thanks, Harper. You’ve always been a great cheerleader.”
That made me laugh out loud. “I was never a cheerleader. But I refuse to watch people I love talk themselves out of what they really want. So stop it, okay?”
He uncapped his highlighter and resumed reading, and I slid off the chair. My talk with Braden could wait. I might have settled Ben’s mind a little, but mine was plenty mixed up. I wanted some sisterly advice. Someone to help me digest this mix of giddy uncertainty and hope. I pushed through the brewpub’s door and out into the Florida sunshine, pausing to dial Brenna’s number on my phone.
The phone rang twice before Brenna’s warm voice answered. “Hey, sis. Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
“I am. Sort of.” I leaned against the railing outside the brewpub, watching a group of guests meander toward the beach. “Are you free for lunch? I could really use a sounding board right now.”
There was a brief pause, then a shuffle of papers. “For you? Always. Everything okay?”
“Yes. No. Maybe? That’s why I need the sounding board.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
“Say no more.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “Island Breeze in thirty minutes?”
“That works. You’re the best, Bren.”
“So I’ve been told. See you soon.”
As I marched through the resort toward my car, myphone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and squinted at the screen against the glare to see a message from Eli.
