Frankie pulled away from Harper enough to wipe her eyes. “I would tell you to come live with me and we’d figure it out.”
Willa put her hands on her hips, brows lifting. “So live with Aunt Harper and figure it out.”
Harper said nothing. Now was not the time to remind either of them that she’d merely been dreaming out loud about staying here.
“It’s not that simple,” Frankie breathed out. She set her computer on her lap and planted her elbows on it.
“Yes, it is,” Willa said. “If you’re this upset about your life and losing a chance with Lucas, it absolutely is that simple. You need to do this. For your mental health and your emotional wellbeing. A job is just a job. Lucas is…so much more. He’s a chance at real happiness.”
Harper could only smile at her niece’s profound words. “She’s right, Frankie. We get one life. Do you really want to live the rest of it wondering what might have been?”
Frankie looked torn; her eyes held so much misery. “No, I don’t.” She put her hands up. “I think we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves, though. Lucas and I are a brand-new thing. We might not last another week. I apologize for getting so emotional. I think I’m just exhausted. It’s been a great day, but a tiring one. I’m going to turn in. I think sleep is the best thing for me right now.”
“I’m sorry I upset you, Mom.”
“You didn’t upset me, sweetheart. You said a lot of wise, true things. Things I needed to hear.” Frankie went to Willa and hugged her. “I love you and your aunt very much.” She let Willa go. “Now, I’m going to get ready for bed. An extra hour of sleep is not going to hurt me. See you both in the morning.”
“Night,” Harper said. She couldn’t help but feel a little bad. She hadn’t meant to send Frankie running, but the sleep probably would do her good.
“Night, Mom.”
“Night.” Frankie went upstairs.
Harper put her arm around Willa’s shoulders. “Come on, kid. Let’s find a terrible movie and make fun of it.”
Willa nodded, but she seemed elsewhere. “What do you think my mom should do?”
“I don’t know. It’s a big decision to make. I don’t even know if I’m going to stay here.”
“You’ll stay,” Willa said with an odd note of confidence.
Harper laughed as they went back to their seats on the couch. “You seem pretty sure about that.”
“Mitch looks at you nearly the same way Lucas looks at Mom. He’s falling for you.”
“What?” Harper made a face. Was that true? She liked Mitch a lot. More than she thought she should. “No, he’s not.”
Willa sat next to Archie. “Yeah, he is.” She picked up the remote and started scrolling through the options again. “Not saying you’re out of the game, but how much did you actually date before what’s-his-face?”
“You mean Ford Keating?”
“Yeah, him.”
“Not much, I guess.” Did Mitch have feelings for her? Harper couldn’t believe it. At best, they were friends. If he felt anything toward her it was gratitude for her help. That was it.
Then she thought about everything Mitch had said to her on the boat today. About how he understood it was time to move on with his life. How he was going to choose happiness. How he wanted her to help him.
Had he been trying to tell her something else? Should she be reading between the lines? Or was this just Willa’s wild imagination?
Harper’s pulse increased slightly at the idea that Mitch might be having feelings for her. She stared blankly at the television as she thought. Mitch had also given her the go-ahead to research a dog for adoption. That felt like something a couple would do together, but that didn’t mean anything. He just wanted help. He was a busy guy with a book to write.
But he’d also asked her to be part of his creative team.
He was doing a lot to keep her close. Harper didn’t know what to think. She liked Mitch, but she’d been doing her best to suppress those feelings because she worked for the man. Plus, she didn’t need a repeat of Ford Keating. He’d broken her heart and sent her running to avoid the scrutiny of the press.
Mitch was just as famous. Maybe more so.
That put a little fear into her. She hadn’t fully recovered from being canceled on social media. Yes, things had died down, but she’d lost some clients and suffered some serious mental anguish. How much worse could things get if she were linked to Mitch in an unfavorable way? She didn’t want to go through that again.
