I smirk, “No, I didn’t.”
“Oooo tell me, is he as well-endowed as—”
“Okay! That’s enough girl talk for us, Max!” Steven cuts her off.
“Fine, I have to get back anyway, it’s about time to break out the glow stick packs!” she starts to leave but turns back to point a finger at me, “But if you don’t finally divorce that famous asswipe, and then marry that fancy rich asshole, leave this town and travel the world in his jet and have his fancy babies, I will never forgive you Harper Louise Brown. Never!”
She stomps away before I have a chance to respond.
Steven heads to the edge of the big work tent too, adding, “Same, Harp. Same.”
I let out a shocked snort as I follow after them.
Marry?
I don’t even know if Aiden is planning to stay. At midnight, his arrangement with the town ends.
We’ve fooled around and had fun…a lot of fun. Damn, that man knows what he’s doing. As sure as he is about everything in life, that is how sure he is when he kisses, touches, all of it.
And there were the gifts, too. I understand his desire to take care of everything, maybe take care of me, a compulsion from his awful childhood. He sees a need and he wants it squared away immediately. This time he happened to notice my wonky oven and crappy car.
And all that was lovely.
But he hasn’t said anything about a future together.
“Your peppermint fudge is amazing!” A tipsy gal calls to me as she walks by.
I smile and wave, then head to my booth. DJ is taking the last of the supplies to my car so we can close up before dark. We work in tandem wordlessly, enjoying the sounds of hundreds of happy people across the fields and in the lake.
My phone buzzes just as I load the last of it into the Bronco.
Janie: Get over here!
Harper: omw
My heart tugs knowingly. It wasn’t Aiden to text me to hurry up and join them. His distant stare in the middle of the night was just that—distant. Just like JimBo would stare off and dream of his bigger, better life. Like Lewis would freeze up, thinking through the reality of settling down with me and Stuart in this tiny town,aftera legal battle with my famous ex.
Heck, it’s the same way Janie and my sister would daydream too.
It’s always the same.
I shouldn’t be surprised, I braced myself for this.
But just because you prepare yourself for something doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.
Bloom Harper! Bloom!
I shake my head and will the building tears away.
Plus, without the store, I can build something new here. Maybe something of my own, something different. I yawn as I drive up the winding, Juniper-lined street toward Janie’s house on the hilltop. Maybe something that doesn’t require me to get up at two or three in the morning.
I park in Ben and Janie’s driveway and head around the back. Ben bought this massive log cabin for Janie and updated the inside but the outside didn’t need any work. It’s stunning. The deck on the back spans the whole length of the house and overlooks the valley and lake, perfect for watching the fireworks.
When I hit the deck, the little crowd cheers.
“Well done, Harp!”
“There she is!”
