I covered my face with my hands, trying to think. Itwould’ve been nice to have a place since Lena would be moving to Oregon for her new job soon. The money would be helpful, but did I really want to take this man’s money? After everything, it didn’t feel right. I couldn't even process my emotions right now. I just needed to be alone.
I was so in my head that I had forgotten where we were.
“Miss, something to drink for you?” The server asked. I uncovered my face, giving her a slight smile.
“Oh, yes. Sorry. Just water, please.” She nodded and walked off.
“Okay. I’ll take it,” Reed spoke quickly, with no emotion or eye contact. I really thought he wouldn’t take it, or at least need more time to consider. But if this was his answer, was it so wrong that I was considering taking the offer as well? “Will there be a funeral?”
“Smart man. Uh, actually…” Jay rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable as he continued. “They have already buried him. He stated in his will that he didn’t want a funeral, just a discreet burial.” He replied just before thanking the server, who was now back with our drinks.
“Whatcha’ havin’, love?” she asked my uncle. He ordered, then she asked us the same question. I couldn’t even think of eating and passed on food. My brother ordered a coffee just to be polite.
Once the server walked away and I was sure she wouldn’t disturb our conversation for a bit, I lost it. “How is he already buried? When did he die? How long have you kept this from us?” I hissed through gritted teeth. The way my uncle was downplaying this and tiptoed around the details really pissed me off.
He fiddled with the straw in his Coke. “I wasn’t sure how to address this with you guys, or if I should at all. I considered just saying this was from him, transferring it into your bank accounts, and figuring something out with the house. He’s beengone for about a month. The house is cleared out. Everything is said and done.” He looked between us with an apologetic look.
“For fuck’s sake! A month? A fucking month! And you tell us this now?” I was angry. More than that, actually. I was livid. My father had been dead for a month. Would it even have mattered if he had told me sooner? Why was I even upset? Why did he keep this a secret? What the fuck was I supposed to be feeling?
Reed leaned into me, “Don’t cause a scene, Harper. I know this is a lot, but there is nothing we can do now. This is going to take more time than we have today in this very public setting to figure out. I am not telling you to calm down. You have every right to feel what you feel, but this isn’t the place or time.” This is coming from the man who was forced to raise me because my irresponsible father left. From one of the few people in my life who has never disappointed me, never let me down, and never let the world know how broken he was. I learned very early on that he was right about most things. And he was definitely right that this wasn't the time or place. I was just so fucking hurt.
I huffed out a laugh. This was all so fucking unbelievable. “I’ll take the house and the money. But after this, I am done. I do not want anything to do with anyone besides Reed. For all I care, he is the only family I have left.” I stood up and walked out of the restaurant. I would probably regret those words later, but right now, I was beyond hurt and wanted him to hurt too. I was hurt because he had kept this from us for so fucking long. Hurt that my uncle thinks he can pop in and out of our lives. Hurt that this seemed a little too easy for Reed. Hurt that I truly didn’t know how to feel. I was so fucking confused, and like the saying goes, hurt people hurt people.
That was about the only time I was thankful to have lived in a small town because I didn’t have to wait in Reed’s car for a ride. Instead, I walked down to the beach to clear my head.
Rain pulled me from that awful memory. I hadn’t noticed theclouds rolling in, and now I was stuck walking in the rain, away from the graveyard, back to the house my dad had left me.
The house was surprisingly decent. I didn’t know my dad, but it wasn’t what I expected from him at all. It was a four-bedroom, three-bathroom Craftsman coastal. A bit big for me but who am I to complain about a roof over my head? Plus, I loved it here. I ended up using majority of the money he left me to turn it into my dream home.
My living room had a massive window with a small nook in front of it that I used for reading. I painted the room a soft green that matched perfectly with the white and gray cobblestone fireplace. The fireplace was unique; it resembled a pile of rocks strategically placed on top of one another.
The opposite wall held my extensive collection of novels on built-in shelves. I was a mood reader, so I owned everything from romance to horror.
Now, looking at my house, I guess it was pretty easy to tell I loved the color green. The kitchen was a darker shade than the living room, with gold accents throughout. I baked more than I cooked, but still wanted an updated kitchen.
I loved the fact that if you were standing in the kitchen, you could still talk to someone who was sitting in the living room. The entire floor plan of the house was incredibly open. It was beautiful.
I turned the bedroom on the main floor into my studio. Since it was already September, and I was going to graduate from Sawyer Cove’s Esthetician school right before Christmas, which meant I would be running my home business, hopefully, by early February. It was my favorite room in the house. It needed quite a few more touches, but it was such a calming atmosphere in there. I went with a soft pink color to offset the black theme of my tools and accessories that I decorated the room with. The bathroom next to my studio was a full bath, and I decided to decorate it in a pastel floral theme.
Upstairs were the other three bedrooms. I painted two of them in neutral colors and turned them into guest rooms.
I was turning the main bedroom into my own personal haven. The walls were a light gray, a perfect contrast to the sheer cream curtains that covered the large window. The lighting in the room was amazing. My bed was a king that sat on a faux wooden bed frame. The room was littered with knick-knacks that sat upon several organized shelves. There was still work to be done in my room and the bathroom, but this house was finally starting to feel like mine.
It had taken so long to get where it was now due to some rooms needing to be re-insulated. My contractor, Tucker Hayes, was an immense help in taking care of that and in getting the electrical issues taken care of. Tuck was an old friend of Reed’s we were able to get in contact with. He was really kind, helpful, and more often than not would drop the task he was working on to pick up my calls or come over if I had a concern.
My brother and I joked that Tucker had a crush on me. Honestly, if he did, I absolutely would not have minded. Tuck was a thirty-seven-year-old cowboy from Wyoming. He was successful, easy-going, and so fucking attractive. The man had muscles on his muscles. I was only five foot two and had to crane my neck to look at his bearded face. When he walked through the doorways in my house, he had to be careful not to hit his head. Tucker’s hair was long, dark, and often hidden under his old cowboy hat. He was basically the total package. And I was grateful to work with him.
It has been a long and expensive process, but I am happy I agreed to take the house when Jay offered it to me.
2
HARPER
Monday morning classes were the bane of my existence. Graduation could not come fast enough. I spent my early twenties taking prerequisite courses and ended up applying to nursing school, got accepted, and after the first semester, decided it wasn’t for me. I loved the idea of helping people, but decided to do so in a different manner.
Becoming an esthetician allowed me to help people gain confidence in their skin. It gave my clients time to relax and be taken care of.
My class today was a client communication course. Basically, teaches you not to be a dick to your clients. Easy enough. I was smart enough to know that your clients are the most important part of the business. Without them, there is no business.
