“Bye,” Mitch said.
She and Archie headed down the steps and out of the house. Joyce and Beryl were on the balcony of the guest house, both of them in house dresses and looking very relaxed. Harper waved. They waved back.
She and Archie took the path through the tree barrier, back to her house. Archie stopped to lift his leg and christen some ofthe undergrowth. At least he wouldn’t need to go out again for a while.
She glanced at the guest house on her property as she went by, but it was hard to tell if Jack was even in there. She imagined he was. After what he’d told Harper about being stalked, she didn’t think he’d be going out much.
She felt for Jack. He was in a tough situation. Paying the woman would probably only result in her asking for more money.
Harper opened the front door and let Archie in. The faint sounds of the television could be heard upstairs. Archie ran up the steps ahead of her.
“Hey, Archie,” Willa called out.
Harper reached the second floor a few steps behind him. Willa had some reality show on. “Hi, Willa. How was your day?”
“All right. Figured out I’m going to need some clothes for my new job, but otherwise, I’ve been researching classroom stuff. I’m kind of nervous about teaching my first class.”
Harper nodded as she took Archie’s leash off. “That seems like a natural reaction, but you’ll get the hang of things after a few days, don’t you think?”
“I hope so. I’m excited about it, too. This is basically what I’ve been going to school for. I feel ready. But also, not ready. However that’s possible.”
Harper smiled. “You’re going to be great. The kids are going to love you. Plus, you have your mom as a resource. There’s not much concerning teaching and school that she can’t help you with.”
“True.”
“Where is your mom?”
“In the office, working. Did Mitch get a dog?”
“He did. The most adorable Jack Russell you’ve ever seen. Her name is Bunny and she and Archie are already friends.”
“That’s awesome. I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Did you guys eat?”
“No, not yet. My mom said she isn’t hungry after eating all day at Lucas’s.”
Harper snorted. “Okay.” She went back to the office, peeking in to make sure she wasn’t interrupting Frankie in her work zone, but Frankie looked up as soon as Harper appeared.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Harper said. “How was the big show today?”
Frankie set her tablet aside. “It was a lot of fun. Those two women did a fantastic job. Lucas wants to have them on again. In fact, he’d like to help them get their own channel started. I don’t think he’s told them that yet. But he thinks they have serious potential.”
“That’s awesome. I can’t wait to see it.”
“Same here. Did Mitch get a dog?”
Harper nodded. “Willa asked me the same thing. He did. A Jack Russell named Bunny. She’s great. You should have seen her and Archie running around together. Listen, I’m going to fix some dinner. You want something?”
“Just a really small helping. Whatever you make is fine. After picking all day at Lucas’s, I don’t have much appetite.”
“Okay. I’ll see what there is.” Harper hesitated. “Have you seen Jack at all today?”
“I did. He came over earlier, looking for you, actually. Said he’d texted you, but you hadn’t responded.”
Harper pulled her phone out. “I haven’t looked at my phone all day. Been a little occupied.”
